RE: Sorting "character" numbers

I believe you can set up an alternate sorting sequence, either on the file
or in the program.  There were some articles in Midrange Computing last year
in regards to Y2K sorting issues if date fields were left as 6 digit
numeric, if I remember right they were written by Ted Holt.  I don't
remember the details but it sounds like it might work for what you are
trying to do.

Scott Mildenberger

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Stone, Brad V (TC) [SMTP:bvstone@taylorcorp.com]
> Sent: Tuesday, June 06, 2000 12:52 PM
> To:   'MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com'
> Subject:      Sorting "character" numbers
> 
> I'm sure someone has run across this before.
> 
> We have a DB that contains a character field which holds an invoice
> number.
> Because it can be used for many of our companies, we had to make it
> character because some of our companies use character invoice numbers.
> 
> Anyhow, the plants that use numeric numbers get the number stripped of
> leading zeros (this is done automatically by the replication tool we use).
> So, it makes the number sort all funky.  (ie 900 is greater than 1101.)
> 
> Is there any way, without having to leave on leading zeros, to get them to
> sort correctly?  Probably not, but with the minds on the list I wouldn't
> be
> surprised.  ;)
> 
> Brad
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