TOC sub-branch inverse sorting?

#1

Small question for anyone interested…

What’s the best way to sort sub-branches of a TOC by inverse created, without inversing the entire TOC?

I.e.

People
  John A. Doe (Farmer)
  John B. Doe (Theoretical Astrophysicist)
  ...
Journal Entries
  01-12-23 @ 01:45
  01-12-23 @ 01:40
  01-12-23 @ 01:35
  01-12-23 @ 01:30

My only current thought is sorting by something like list-order then using the reverse operator or subfilter maybe…?, but even that I am unsure how to implement :thinking:

#2

There are some discussions taking place, about enhancing the TOC macros to this and other ends.

  • I have an idea based on ideas raised in other conversations recently.
  • I need to set up some test data and try something
    • Co incidentally I have some test data from a current experiment.

You may be aware you can click on a tag pill and drag and drop reorder, however this is a manual process.

  • When you do this it takes all tiddlers with that tag and sets them in the tag tiddlers list field, then dragging and dropping occurs on the list field.
  • Using the default TOC macros if a tag tiddler has the order in this list it will be used.

Here is a Journals tiddler which is tagging a few Journal tiddlers, in this case they contain the date stamp in the title so !sort[]] lists them in reverse chronological order. But you could just as well sort on another field.

  • Notice how if they are not in order you can use the button I created in Journals.
  • Try this on tiddlywiki.com

test-tiddlers.json (1.9 KB)

  • Note they are immediately sorted in the list within the Journals Tiddler but you need to press the button to sort them in the TOC
\function tag-list() [tag<currentTiddler>!sort[]format:titlelist[]join[ ]]
{{{ [enlist<tag-list>] }}}
<$button >
<$action-setfield $field=list $value=<<tag-list>>/>
Set sort order
</$button>

Futures;

  • When you create the tiddlers you tag with journals you could also generate the list and set the sort order if you have a button for this.
  • Perhaps I could add this feature to my reimagin tags?
  • We could compare the current list field with the new one and only show the button when they are not the same, perhaps even somehow automagicaly trigger the reordering.
#3

This is definitely a functional solution, but I feel like having to use a button defeats the purpose of having the ability to sort TOC sub-branches.

I don’t know what a better solution would be, but it would be nice if the TOC macros took the sort orders of whatever they were listing without the need for a custom sort.

IE this group of tiddlers would be sorted alphabetically, this group of journal tiddlers would be sorted by inverse numerical because the journal parent group has a filter for it…

I think I am going to experiment with modifying the toc macros to maybe find a way to have full filters in the sort, that way you can do something like:

<<toc-selective-expandable 'TableOfContents' sort:'{{!!list-order}}'>>

list-order field for normal tiddlers:'[sort[]]'

list-order field for journal tiddlers:'[!sort[created]]'
#4

Have a closer look at:

You should be able to use toc-filter in 1 branch on a “per branch” basis

#5

Remember I said the above. That is where @pmario points to above.

That is what’s I suggested in my futures notes above and we have been working on in marios solution.

#6

I haven’t had too much time to visit the TOC 2.0, metaphorically speaking, to play with how it works but giving it brief reads throughout my work day, I think it’ll be the solution to the question, but I will be taking a closer look to really see how it works soon enough.

#7

Consider using my solution as a workaround for now, I plan to add a feature to my reimagine tags solution in the near future;

  • It provides tools on the tag pill dropdown, I would add a “re-sort” button, that commits a selected sort order into the list field, thus the toc will become that order.
  • In the long run @pmario’s solution would allow you to change parameters in the TOC macro’s and add a field to any tiddler to select the child filter including sort.
  • I can see value in making a core hack such that when you add/delete a tag, the list field is automatically updated to a desired sort order.
    • This way you do not even need to have a differently configured TOC

@pmario this is Another approach to TOC’s given they are based on tags, we add features to tag handling, in addition to the improved TOC macros

  • If a tag tiddler contains a sort-order or filter-field use that to list tiddlers in the tag pill
  • If adding or removing a tag and the tag tiddler has a “sort-order or filter-field” then commit this to the list-field.
    • A message catcher on tm-add-tag and tm-remove-tag could to this.
  • We could also automagicaly remove tags from tiddlers when a particular condition is true eg remove the todo tag if the todo item has the done tag.

I have long sought this feature I have called “smart tags”.

  • I could first implement it in my “filter pill” solution, if I create “filter pill tiddlers”.
  • Filter pill tiddlers could also be filters with $:/tags/Filter