A query to alter a Word doc. ?

[Evans Electric]

I have  Word invoices saved in a folder ,   They are nearly all titled     "  Inv.  1022  Clients name "    .    (Well obviously the numbers tend to differ   :C   ) 

They are in a strange order , numerically ....  how could I click to say  " Sort yourselves out into numerical order "  ?    

 

[Murdoch]

Not sure how you can do this in word , but at a "file level" they should do this automatically IF the format of the names is identical - are you sure that you have the spacing and format of names identical?

 

[ProDave]

Normally in most file managers, you click on the column you want to sort them by. That might be file name (which would achieve what you want) or you might want to sort them by date or size for instance.

 

[Evans Electric]

Hhhmm     Thanks ,  I'll have another look .      Would it help if I dumped the  "Inv"    and just began each doc with the number ?      I'll try it anyway . 

 

[Murdoch]

dumping the INV shouldn’t make a difference
 

Can you give examples of the random listing?

 

[ProDave]

Assuming your INV number incremented with each invoice, and they were typed in that order, then surly sorting by date created would put them in the correct order?

 

[Andy™]

at the top whre it says 'name', 'date modified', 'type' etc, which one has the arrow in? if its anoything other than 'name', click it

 

[SPECIAL LOCATION]

I have  Word invoices saved in a folder ,   They are nearly all titled     "  Inv.  1022  Clients name "    .    (Well obviously the numbers tend to differ   :C   ) 

They are in a strange order , numerically ....  how could I click to say  " Sort yourselves out into numerical order "  ?    

You have to remember the file names will be treated as text and sorted alpha numerically..  NOT as numbers.

So for example.. if you were back at 3 digit numbers and didn't add a preceding zero, (or space), in the file name the alphabetical orders will look wrong numerically.

Say you have four invoices:-    345, 567, 2345 & 4567 and just named them with a preceding 'INV' with no spaces or zeros..

the alphabetical order would be:-    "INV2345, INV345, INV4567, INV567"

Which looks numerically wrong..    but is correct alphanumerically.

Or if you had a put a Zero before the 345, and a Space before 567... That will also look wrong as space comes before zero in the computers alpha sort..

so you would get:-   INV 567, INV0345, INV2345, INV4567

which is getting better but the space -vs- zero will still mess up your listing..

AND...  if you've gone and stuck a double space before some of the digits.. it can end up looking totally random!

If you have used a consistent name structure with the same number of digits for every job, then it will be just select sort on the file name in your file manager program..

Otherwise you may be a bit screwed!

:C

 

[Evans Electric]

Can you give examples of the random listing?

920

921

934

941

628

872

876

893

894

896

901

Just found I can move them about manually 

 

[Andy™]

sounds like auto arrange has been turned off on that folder. what operating system are you using?

 

[ProDave]

Can you post a screen shot?

Are you looking at these in a file manager?  Or are you looking at them in the file / open menu of a word processor?

 

[Murdoch]

920

921

934

941

628

872

876

893

894

896

901

Just found I can move them about manually 

Wonder if they are sorting by "date"

 

[Andy™]

Wonder if they are sorting by "date"

i did ask but still waiting on an answer

 

[Evans Electric]

i did ask but still waiting on an answer

Andy ,     :Sorry:      The date isn't in the title box   , only within the invoice text  , and the way they display  doesn't seem to relate to the dates  .  Theres actually no logic to how they display  TBh . although later ones do tend appear in top area  so not hard to find .    I sorted some later ones into numerical order  manually  ...  not really bothered about early ones now , they're done & dusted.   

It puzzled my for ages as to why they don't just line themselves up as I save them .  :C

 

[Evans Electric]

Can you post a screen shot?

Are you looking at these in a file manager?  Or are you looking at them in the file / open menu of a word processor?

They are in a file .  

I just took a screen shot  and notice that since I manually lined up about 30 invoices in order  ...they are ALL  in order .    I also see some are missing and some have duplicate numbers  which doesn't surprise me   given my IT skills  .   Also a few docs that don't belong there  :C   I 'll post the screen shot anyway  and you'll see its lined up  . 

 

[Murdoch]

Looking at your screen shot the problem is your inconsistent naming of files 

you need to stick to a single format , then it’ll work

 

[Evans Electric]

I agree I'm a bit hap hazard   but remember the shot is showing how Word has  sorted it since I corrected some of the later ones  .

I can see the inconsistencies  ,  some dupicated numbers ,  a couple of scans  crept in there  ,  but  before  most of them were titled  in the same way  ....Inv. 934  etc   but that would be in with the 800,s  say  .   

I just added two new invoices   , 1031   & 1032   in that order  and they appear   1032   ...1031   

 

[Murdoch]

Thank god for quick books

 

[Andy™]

inconsistant naming isnt helping, however that alone isnt the issue

click on 'name' at the top, or right click > sort by >  name

 

[ProDave]

I am not even sure what I am seeing in that screen shot.  But I would say the file listing you are seeing is sorted by DATE order.  But that is date MODIFIED.  Can you (using the view menu) instead show date CREATED?

All I know is I hate the current versions of Windows and cringe every time I have to struggle to do something on SWMBO's W10 laptop. It seems nigh on impossible to get it to present information to you in anything like how you want to see it.

Apart from my old desktop, kept just because it still works and has some software I occasionally want to use, I am now a Linux user, where I know I can use programs that I understand and present information in an easy and logical way.