Attribute sort order when I register database features

Hi Mladen,

I have no running spatial project running on my computer now (and it's long time ago I configured such project ;-), so just a few notes (that may not be right):

Mladen Kolarek said:

I've created database table with fields (attributes) in particular order.

When columns are created in a table (I think the field is not proper term in this context, even when used often ;-), nothing like "order" exists. What column was created first and what last is not important.

In general, in SQL world, "order" is not defined for nearly anything, and depends on implementation of a particular database. I think the only situation, when you can trust a response from database is ordered, is when SQL query requires results, ordered by specific field.

Mladen Kolarek said:

and offers me to sort by attribure name or display name.

It's only visual tool, not related anyhow to the project configuration.

Mladen Kolarek said:

Main problem is display order in Analyze form.

What I remember from classic mslink based projects (no spatial feature is stored in daabase), properties order in Analyze dialog is defined by the order of properties in GSA. Probably (but I am not sure) it's the same.

Mladen Kolarek said:

or how to manually change order after I register features?

What you can try is to identify the feature definition in xml file and to check how properties are defined. Change the properties order there (non intrusive simple modification) and reload the project in GSA, changes should be visible.

Mladen Kolarek said:

Place and edit forms with attributes are ok.

It's because the forms are defined separately.

Regards,

  Jan

Hi Mladen,

I have no running spatial project running on my computer now (and it's long time ago I configured such project ;-), so just a few notes (that may not be right):

Mladen Kolarek said:

I've created database table with fields (attributes) in particular order.

When columns are created in a table (I think the field is not proper term in this context, even when used often ;-), nothing like "order" exists. What column was created first and what last is not important.

In general, in SQL world, "order" is not defined for nearly anything, and depends on implementation of a particular database. I think the only situation, when you can trust a response from database is ordered, is when SQL query requires results, ordered by specific field.

Mladen Kolarek said:

and offers me to sort by attribure name or display name.

It's only visual tool, not related anyhow to the project configuration.

Mladen Kolarek said:

Main problem is display order in Analyze form.

What I remember from classic mslink based projects (no spatial feature is stored in daabase), properties order in Analyze dialog is defined by the order of properties in GSA. Probably (but I am not sure) it's the same.

Mladen Kolarek said:

or how to manually change order after I register features?

What you can try is to identify the feature definition in xml file and to check how properties are defined. Change the properties order there (non intrusive simple modification) and reload the project in GSA, changes should be visible.

Mladen Kolarek said:

Place and edit forms with attributes are ok.

It's because the forms are defined separately.

Regards,

  Jan

Thanks Jan,

I agree that column order doesn't exist in database table but feature properties order exist in GSA. That order is displayed in Analyze form. After I register database features order in GSA is changing. All I can do then is to sort by properies name or display name and that doesn't work for me. I can't think of a single way to avoid that.

As You suggest I'll try to find and change order of properties directly in GSA workspace XML file.

Regards,

Mladen

Final product, alphabetically sorted

There are two articles in this Community that may help. One requires that you modify the Default.xslt file, the other edits the Schema .xml file as Jan mentioned:

1. Sort Properties by Display Name

2. Change Property Order

Thanks Dan,

I'll try to manually edit Schema XML file.

If I think a little about that, problem is in register feature procedure because procedure automatically change properties order previuosly defined in GSA. I agree that shuold be a funcionallity to sort them if I want to, but for the first step it should take the order from GSA.

Regards,

Mladen

Mladen Kolarek said:

All I can do then is to sort by properies name or display name and that doesn't work for me.

As I wrote above, the sorting has nothing to do with the project configuration. It's only how properties are displayed in GSA GUI.

Mladen Kolarek said:

I can't think of a single way to avoid that.

I think you are right. Unfortunately, GSA is really old piece of software (> 15 years?), not being updated nor modernized for long time. It's true that flexibility and overall UX looks a bit like disaster when compared with modern GIS software.

But, at the end, an ability to access XML directly offers a workaround in many situations ;-)

With regards,

  Jan

FYI, you can manually reorder feature properties in Schema XML and it works in Analyze form.

Need to reorder xml blocks (tag <property> ... </property>) of each property inside one feature class.

HTH

Mladen