Tweak Series To Achieve non Alphabetic Sort?

[please55]

I'm trying to reorder a series column so it ends up sorting differently.

Example:
Book 1 -> Sword of Truth.Chainfire [1]
Book 2 -> Sword of Truth.Darken Rahl [1]

In this case I would like Book 2 to show up first in library. What different methods could I use to achieve that?

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by please55

I'm trying to reorder a series column so it ends up sorting differently.

Example:
Book 1 -> Sword of Truth.Chainfire [1]
Book 2 -> Sword of Truth.Darken Rahl [1]

In this case I would like Book 2 to show up first in library. What different methods could I use to achieve that?

You might try adding the book position in the Sword of Truth series to the first part of the series though, at least for me, this involves a subseries column.

I.e. Sword of Truth [03] is the main series and Darken Rahl [01] is the subseries for Sword of Truth, Sword of Truth [11] is the main series and Chainfire [01] is the subseries for Chainfire, Sword of Truth [10] and Pristinely Ungifted [02] for the Naked Empire.

At one point, I did redo what I own of the series so that the main series order is chronological. That is The First Confessor: The Legend of Magda Searus is Sword of Truth [01] and Prequel [01].

[please55]

Very cool. Just to make sure, your method necessitates a second custom column to do right? No way to keep it all together even using the "." hierarchy?

[please55]

Any other takers on this problem? Still doing my own research, found a post to old forums suggesting this.

Numerical Pathing: Use numbers in a specific format to account for series position. Various output methods: "Universe 1, Saga 3, Book 12", 001-003-012, or anything else that works for you. Three or four digits, with preceding zeros to force correct display, can account for the longest running publications (mags, comics, etc). Note the text between numbers is a "divider" and consistently displayed, allowing no variability (null values are not displayed).
Numerical Subgrouping: Basically as above, but subgrouping might deal with forking better as it allows data to be a cross-section of the records. Appears as: 001.003.012.

(http://www.mobileread.mobi/forums/sh...d.php?t=203689 ; post 6)

I wanted to try numerical subgrouping to have a feel of it. Series column doesn't allow multiple periods. So sounds like a job for a custom column? Should I use comma separated text, like tags?

[please55]

Okay here's what I've settled on so far. Don't know if its most elegant or how I could improve on it. Please let me know.

Ex.
Wizard's First Rule (Part of Darken Rahl saga which is 1st)
Phantom (Part of Chainfire saga which comes 2nd).

Note that the saga order naturally doesn't follow alphabetical order.

So I've decided to use hierarchies in series column to classify them respectively:

Sword of Truth.Darken Rahl [1] (Wizard's First Rule)

Sword of Truth.Chainfire [2] (Phantom)

This tells me that Wizard's is the first book in Darken Rahl Saga of Sword of Truth universe and Phantom is the second book in the Chainfire Saga.

Ideally I would just use a subseries custom column but I don't want to add yet another column to the book list view to see at a glance which universe/saga a book is a part of.

Instead I created a hidden column seriessort (I don't know which column type I should use, I went with long text. Should I do otherwise?). Then for Wizard's First Rule I set it to 001.001. Phantom would be 002.002.

Now I can sort by Author, then Seriessort. This way Darken Rahl saga will show up first instead of Chainfire.

[DNSB]

Originally Posted by please55

Very cool. Just to make sure, your method necessitates a second custom column to do right? No way to keep it all together even using the "." hierarchy?

I've been using a custom column. For me, it was the easiest solution.