Sort listings by...

[crystal +]

I have found two issues with the sort function in the showlisting view.

1. Listings can be sorted by title, date, etc. It seems as though the site "remembers" what the user last clicked on to sort by. For instance, if the user is browsing listings and sorts by price, then any search results are automatically sorted by price. This is also true if the user clicks on the "new listings" and "top listings" page. These are supposed to be sorted by date or views respectively, but they are sorted by price or whatever the user last clicked on to sort by.

2. The sort function alternates ascending and descending. This is fine (and expected) when clicking on one field to sort by only. (If you click it once it sorts ascending, click it again and it is descending.) The probelm is that when a user is looking at titles descending, and then clicks on price, the listings are now sorted by price ascending. This is confusing. Each time you click a different header it alternates. If possible, I would like it to default to all fields descending and then if the user clicks the link a second time they are ascending.

These things are minor but still affect the usability of the site. Any suggestions are appreciated!

[Eric Barnes +]

Hi Crystal,

I know things like this seem minor but they are not really that simple. The sorting is based off cookies for the user benefit so when they go between pages the listings are still sorted the way they wanted. I also relize it affects the featured, new, top, etc and I haven't figured out an easy way of requiring it one way and still allowing them to resort. If that makes sense.

For #2 that one is also tricky. You would have to check and make they first didn't click the same link that they already clicked to make sort the same direction or else it would only allow one way sorting. Either asc or desc.

[seymourjames +]

It is even more problematical if somebody wants to make SEO friendly ULs. I still have not solved the problem and basically have tried to hardwire the order of listings each time.

[Eric Barnes +]

I thought I had the SEO mod fixed and working with the sorting. If not can you try and download it again and make sure the mod_user.php file has this as the first line of the $before array.

"'(?<!/)category.php\?cat=([a-zA-Z0-9_-]*)\&sortfield=([a-zA-Z0-9_-]*)\&sortorder=([a-zA-Z0-9_-]*)\&page=([0-9]*)'",

[crystal +]

I have the SEO mod problem also - that was the big one that I forgot to include in this post (the entire reason why I was looking at the sort in the first place). I submitted a ticket yesterday. I will make the change by Eric above and post my results. EDIT: The line above is already in my mod_user.php file and I'm still receiving the error.

My solution for the "New Listings" link is to manually link it to:

http://www.mysite.com/toplistings.ph...sortorder=desc

How do I manually link to the "Top Listings" page the same way? (What do I put instead of sortfield=dateadded)?

Thanks