# sort-datatable

## Description

<mark style="color:purple;">`sort-datatable`</mark> *adaptor sorts specified columns of a datatable in either ascending (asc) or descending (desc) order*.

In ascending mode, numbers come first and then text (1,2,cow), in descending mode text comes first (cow,2,1).

## Inputs

**`data`**\
Type: `datatable`\
Required: Yes\
The datatable to be sorted.

**`column names`**\
Type: `dictionary`\
Required: Yes\
A dictionary of column names with sort direction, where the keys are the column names, and the values should be either `asc` (for ascending order) or `desc` (for descending order).

## Outputs

**`data`**\
Type: `datatable`\
A datatable with the sorted rows.

## Examples

### Example 1: Default behaviour.

#### Inputs:

`data:`

| id | code | name           |
| -- | ---- | -------------- |
| 1  | GB   | United Kingdom |
| 2  | TR   | Turkey         |
| 3  | US   | United States  |
| 4  | IND  | India          |
| 5  | IND  | India          |
| 6  | us   | United States  |

`column names:`

| KEY  | VALUE |
| ---- | ----- |
| code | desc  |

#### Outputs:

`data`:

| id | code | name           |
| -- | ---- | -------------- |
| 6  | us   | United States  |
| 3  | US   | United States  |
| 2  | TR   | Turkey         |
| 4  | IND  | India          |
| 5  | IND  | India          |
| 1  | GB   | United Kingdom |

-> Sorted datatable based on `code` column in descending order.

### Example 2: Sorting by multiple columns.

#### Inputs:

`data:`

| id | Country       | State/Province   |
| -- | ------------- | ---------------- |
| 1  | United States | West Virginia    |
| 2  | United States | Minnesota        |
| 3  | Canada        | Ontario          |
| 4  | Canada        | Quebec           |
| 5  | Canada        | British Columbia |
| 6  | United States | California       |

`column names:`

| KEY            | VALUE |
| -------------- | ----- |
| Country        | asc   |
| State/Province | asc   |

#### Outputs:

`data`:

| id | Country       | State/Province   |
| -- | ------------- | ---------------- |
| 5  | Canada        | British Columbia |
| 3  | Canada        | Ontario          |
| 4  | Canada        | Quebec           |
| 6  | United States | California       |
| 2  | United States | Minnesota        |
| 1  | United States | West Virginia    |

-> Sorted datatable based on first the `Country` and then the `State/Province` column in ascending order.

## Use case

* Place high-impact rows at the top of a data set (e.g. to be easiest to find in Microreact data table).
* Organize data for sharing in a report.


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