0
Usenet Posted 23 years ago
Usage
Ascending/descending: what's the name of this option?
Hello everyone,
I have a question that I've never found an answer for.
Given a list of items, software often includes the option to sort these items. Since such items often consist of multiple fields (say, each item a list of personal data contains a surname, address, and date of birth), users may choose to sort them on different fields (e.g. alphabetical by surname or chronologically by date of birth). Which field you sort by is, as far as I can tell, called the list's sort order .
However, if a list is sorted on a specific field, it can be done in two ways: ascending (oldest date of birth first) or descending (most recent date of birth first). My question is: how would you call such a descending/ascending setting? For example, if there was a pair of radio buttons in an application that could be set to Ascending or Descending, what name would you give to this control?
It's possible that there simply is no name for this, if so, are there any suggestions?
Thanks in advance,
Mathijs Panhuijsen.
I have a question that I've never found an answer for.
Given a list of items, software often includes the option to sort these items. Since such items often consist of multiple fields (say, each item a list of personal data contains a surname, address, and date of birth), users may choose to sort them on different fields (e.g. alphabetical by surname or chronologically by date of birth). Which field you sort by is, as far as I can tell, called the list's sort order .
However, if a list is sorted on a specific field, it can be done in two ways: ascending (oldest date of birth first) or descending (most recent date of birth first). My question is: how would you call such a descending/ascending setting? For example, if there was a pair of radio buttons in an application that could be set to Ascending or Descending, what name would you give to this control?
It's possible that there simply is no name for this, if so, are there any suggestions?
Thanks in advance,
Mathijs Panhuijsen.
Top answer
[nq:1]Given a list of items, software often includes the option to sort these items. Since such items often consist of ... [/nq] Are you talking about the name used by the application developer or by the user?
- [nq:1]Given a list of items, software often includes the option to sort these items.
- Since such items often consist of ...
- [/nq] Are you talking about the name used by the application developer or by the user?
- For the user, I'd have thought that the "Ascending" and "Descending" labels would say all there is to say(1), and a name for the control seems superfluous.
- For the developer, you might refer to the "direction" control group.
Get the Weekly English Kit 📬
New words, one handy idiom, and a 2-minute quiz — delivered to your inbox to keep your streak alive.
29 Answers
0
[nq:1]Given a list of items, software often includes the option to sort these items. Since such items often consist of ... buttons in an application that could be set to Ascending or Descending, what name would you give to this control?[/nq]
Are you talking about the name used by the application developer or by the user? For the user, I'd have thought that the "Ascending" and "Descending" labe
Are you talking about the name used by the application developer or by the user? For the user, I'd have thought that the "Ascending" and "Descending" labe
00
"Mike Barnes" (Email Removed) ha scritto nel messaggio
[nq:1](1) But actually in most cases I think "ascending" and "descending" are not optimal for the average user. For alphabetic ... relevant if you have to use the same labels regardless of the type of field. Mike Barnes Cheshire, England[/nq]
just out of (my) curiosity: what about "from the top" and "from the bottom" ?
(antonio ma
[nq:1](1) But actually in most cases I think "ascending" and "descending" are not optimal for the average user. For alphabetic ... relevant if you have to use the same labels regardless of the type of field. Mike Barnes Cheshire, England[/nq]
just out of (my) curiosity: what about "from the top" and "from the bottom" ?
(antonio ma
00
[nq:2](1) But actually in most cases I think "ascending" and ... of the type of field. Mike Barnes Cheshire, England[/nq]
[nq:1]just out of (my) curiosity: what about "from the top" and "from the bottom"[/nq]
That isn't used. From the top of what? It feels especially wrong for dates.
You can count a position on a (finite) list as "third from the top." Musicians can "take it from the to
[nq:1]just out of (my) curiosity: what about "from the top" and "from the bottom"[/nq]
That isn't used. From the top of what? It feels especially wrong for dates.
You can count a position on a (finite) list as "third from the top." Musicians can "take it from the to
00
"Donna Richoux" (Email Removed) ha scritto nel messaggio
[nq:1].. But it's not any sort of ordinary English expression to say "We're showing these from the top" meaning "in alphabetical order." Do you say that in Italian?[/nq]
no, we don't.
I was thinking of some computer science explanations, like this...
The Bubblesort algorithm works its way through your array, comparing one e
[nq:1].. But it's not any sort of ordinary English expression to say "We're showing these from the top" meaning "in alphabetical order." Do you say that in Italian?[/nq]
no, we don't.
I was thinking of some computer science explanations, like this...
The Bubblesort algorithm works its way through your array, comparing one e
00
[nq:1]However, if a list is sorted on a specific field, it can be done in two ways: ascending (oldest date ... buttons in an application that could be set to Ascending or Descending, what name would you give to this control?[/nq]
If you speak of giving a name to the control consisting of two options (whether they are materialized by radio buttons, values in a combo list, or what so ever), what
If you speak of giving a name to the control consisting of two options (whether they are materialized by radio buttons, values in a combo list, or what so ever), what
00
[nq:1](1) But actually in most cases I think "ascending" and "descending" are not optimal for the average user. For alphabetic ... course none of this is relevant if you have to use the same labels regardless of the type of field.[/nq]
The first words I thought of for this were "increasing" and "decreasing". They seem pretty good, at least for numerical data.
David
The first words I thought of for this were "increasing" and "decreasing". They seem pretty good, at least for numerical data.
David
00
[nq:1]Hello everyone, I have a question that I've never found an answer for. Given a list of items, software often ... give to this control? It's possible that there simply is no name for this, if so, are there any suggestions?[/nq]
Sort direction?
m.
Sort direction?
m.
00
[nq:1]Which field you sort by is, as far as I can tell, called the list's sort order .[/nq]
No, "sort order" means ascending or descending the very thing you are asking for. I don't know that there's a standard term for the field that's sorted on; I would call it the "sort field". The menu in the StarOffice spreadsheet labels the sort-field selection windows "Sort by".
[nq:1]recent date of
No, "sort order" means ascending or descending the very thing you are asking for. I don't know that there's a standard term for the field that's sorted on; I would call it the "sort field". The menu in the StarOffice spreadsheet labels the sort-field selection windows "Sort by".
[nq:1]recent date of
00
[nq:2]Which field you sort by is, as far as I can tell, called the list's sort order .[/nq]
[nq:1]No, "sort order" means ascending or descending the very thing you are asking for. I don't know that there's a standard ... I would call it the "sort field". The menu in the StarOffice spreadsheet labels the sort-field selection windows "Sort by".[/nq]
"Key" seems to be the jargon in the sortin
[nq:1]No, "sort order" means ascending or descending the very thing you are asking for. I don't know that there's a standard ... I would call it the "sort field". The menu in the StarOffice spreadsheet labels the sort-field selection windows "Sort by".[/nq]
"Key" seems to be the jargon in the sortin
00
[nq:1]You can count a position on a (finite) list as "third from the top."[/nq]
Why "finite", particularly?
Why "finite", particularly?
0
Related Questions