Setting a Firm Sort Order

[IntrepidClassChicken]

Hi Folks,

This is more of a feature suggestion than a question as I think I have solved my own issue.

I have a set of products that have a sequence to them. Each category has its own sequence that is not necessarily related to the alphanumerics of the product name or the order I created them. Further the customer would have no way of knowing this order if I didn't create it for them.

I have deactivated the user sort function and don't want it on my site.

I am looking to create the same ordering that Joomla itself allows for articles where I can move articles up or down a list and have them display according to this order that I set. I need the same for the product order.

There seems to be every other way to sort products. No idea why this one was left off?
If the developers have a list of features to include in the next version of Virtue Mart, can I recommend this one as a default?
Also category specific ordering would be an obvious one. Presently there only appears to be a global-default setting.

To solve the problem for my current situation, I am going to have to insert an alphanumeric ordering sequence into the SKU of every product in a category and then set the global default to sort by SKU. Keeping in mind that "10" reads as a one then a zero and not ten and so sticks itself inbetween "1" and "2". So sequence "1" to "9" then "91" "92" etc. up to "99" then "991" "992" and so on. So "999" is actually your 29th product in the alphanumeric sequence.

Of course if anyone can see an alternate method or something I am missing, I would be very glad to hear your input

[IntrepidClassChicken]

NOPE!!!!!


Turns out we are all SCREWED because it doesn't even sort using the standard alphanumeric sequence so "91" is put BEFORE "9" and "10" is put BEFORE "1"...


Seriously getting frustrated!!!!


Solutions desperately needed.

[IntrepidClassChicken]

OK... Sorry for the frustration. After sleeping on it, I woke up with the solution yesterday.

I forgot that the other characters in the SKU also have an alphanumeric value. So 1line comes after 10line.... Rooky mistake.


I now sort them using zeros to pad out the characters used for sorting.... i.e. 0001, 0002 .... 0010 etc.

I still haven't tested but it should work now!