Custom Sort Order in a Report?

[SusanCB]

Hi, all -- please forgive this possibly basic question from an Access newbie.

I'm trying to sort records in a report using a custom order. Specifically, I want the records in this order:

Supervisor Training
Individual Supervision
Group Supervision
Staff Training
TF-CBT

I have the files sorted in that order in the source table, but I can't seem to get the sorting right in the report. Is there any simple (for a non-programmer) way to get these to sort?

Many, many thanks for any advice.

 

[vbaInet]

Welcome to AWF!

You can set the sorting using Sorting & Grouping via one of the menus. Have a look through the menus, you will find it there.

 

[SusanCB]

Thanks! I did set the sorting using the Group & Sort menu; unfortunately, it will only let me sort from A-Z (or Z-A), instead of in a custom order.

 

[vbaInet]

it will only let me sort from A-Z (or Z-A), instead of in a custom order.

Didn't understand that bit. Could you please explain?

 

[SusanCB]

Sure -- I want the records to appear in a specific way, not in alphabetical (or reverse alphabetical) order. That's where I'm getting stuck. Thanks!

 

[SOS]

If you want them to appear in a certain way you will have to include a numbering column in your table to set the sort order. By the way tables are not stored in any sort of order so by setting them in a specific order you still don't change the underlying storage; just the "view" that you get when you look at it.

 

[SusanCB]

Thanks. Maybe a little more background will help. I have a table called Training Types that DOES have a numbering column. Then I have another table, Trainings, that uses Training Types as a lookup source. In the Trainings table, the record names sort in the correct (custom) order.

It's just when I try to run a report that the sorting order gets screwy: I can only sort them in alpha (or reverse alpha) order.

Hope this additional info will help. Thank you all so much for the speedy replies.

 

[Rich]

Add a group for each individual field that you want