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Fix Javascript table sorting problem

2 issues:

1) Numbers are not sorted numerically, but alpha
2) All table columns are aligned right, even with align="left"


While  working on a prototype and using the sorttable js (from Yoast http://yoast.com/articles/sortable-table/), I noticed the
numbers not being sorted correctly (they are being sorted alpha instead of
numeric). I see a couple other comments about the same problem, with no solution. I downloaded the latest US version 1.5.7. Using our original sorttable (kryogenix version) it
works fine but we would like to us this one to get dynamic alternating colors, nice arrows
etc..

We tried options from the original script like class="sorttable_numeric" and
sorttable_customkey - but it still won't sort correctly.

The test page and where we can reproduce the problem is:
http://test.mffais.com/123639 scroll down and sort on "shares" to see the
problem.

The javascript file is at http://test.mffais.com/sorttable.js

Any ideas? Thanks.
/*
Table sorting script  by Joost de Valk, check it out at http://www.joostdevalk.nl/code/sortable-table/.
Based on a script from http://www.kryogenix.org/code/browser/sorttable/.
Distributed under the MIT license: http://www.kryogenix.org/code/browser/licence.html .
 
Copyright (c) 1997-2007 Stuart Langridge, Joost de Valk.
 
Version 1.5.7
*/
 
/* You can change these values */
var image_path = "/";
var image_up = "arrow-up.gif";
var image_down = "arrow-down.gif";
var image_none = "arrow-none.gif";
var europeandate = false;
var alternate_row_colors = true;
 
/* Don't change anything below this unless you know what you're doing */
addEvent(window, "load", sortables_init);
 
var SORT_COLUMN_INDEX;
var thead = false;
 
function sortables_init() {
        // Find all tables with class sortable and make them sortable
        if (!document.getElementsByTagName) return;
        tbls = document.getElementsByTagName("table");
        for (ti=0;ti<tbls.length;ti++) {
                thisTbl = tbls[ti];
                if (((' '+thisTbl.className+' ').indexOf("sortable") != -1) && (thisTbl.id)) {
                        ts_makeSortable(thisTbl);
                }
        }
}
 
function ts_makeSortable(t) {
        if (t.rows && t.rows.length > 0) {
                if (t.tHead && t.tHead.rows.length > 0) {
                        var firstRow = t.tHead.rows[t.tHead.rows.length-1];
                        thead = true;
                } else {
                        var firstRow = t.rows[0];
                }
        }
        if (!firstRow) return;
       
        // We have a first row: assume it's the header, and make its contents clickable links
        for (var i=0;i<firstRow.cells.length;i++) {
                var cell = firstRow.cells[i];
                var txt = ts_getInnerText(cell);
                if (cell.className != "unsortable" && cell.className.indexOf("unsortable") == -1) {
                        cell.innerHTML = '<a href="#" class="sortheader" onclick="ts_resortTable(this, '+i+');return false;">'+txt+'
<span class="sortarrow">&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="'+ image_path + image_none + '" alt="&darr;"/></span></a>';
                }
        }
        if (alternate_row_colors) {
                alternate(t);
        }
}
 
function ts_getInnerText(el) {
        if (typeof el == "string") return el;
        if (typeof el == "undefined") { return el };
        if (el.innerText) return el.innerText;  //Not needed but it is faster
        var str = "";
        
        var cs = el.childNodes;
        var l = cs.length;
        for (var i = 0; i < l; i++) {
                switch (cs[i].nodeType) {
                        case 1: //ELEMENT_NODE
                                str += ts_getInnerText(cs[i]);
                                break;
                        case 3: //TEXT_NODE
                                str += cs[i].nodeValue;
                                break;
                }
        }
        return str;
}
 
function ts_resortTable(lnk, clid) {
        var span;
        for (var ci=0;ci<lnk.childNodes.length;ci++) {
                if (lnk.childNodes[ci].tagName && lnk.childNodes[ci].tagName.toLowerCase() == 'span') span = lnk.childNodes[ci];
        }
        var spantext = ts_getInnerText(span);
        var td = lnk.parentNode;
        var column = clid || td.cellIndex;
        var t = getParent(td,'TABLE');
        // Work out a type for the column
  if (t.rows.length <= 1) return;
        var itm = "";
        var i = 0;
        while (itm == "" && i < t.tBodies[0].rows.length) {
                var itm = ts_getInnerText(t.tBodies[0].rows[i].cells[column]);
                itm = trim(itm);
                if (itm.substr(0,4) == "<!--" || itm.length == 0) {
                        itm = "";
                }
                i++;
        }
        if (itm == "") return; 
        sortfn = ts_sort_caseinsensitive;
/*      if (itm.match(/^\d\d[\/\.-][a-zA-z][a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z][\/\.-]\d\d\d\d$/)) sortfn = ts_sort_date;
        if (itm.match(/^\d\d[\/\.-]\d\d[\/\.-]\d\d\d{2}?$/)) sortfn = ts_sort_date;
*/
        if (itm.match(/^-?[£$<80>Û¢´]\d/)) sortfn = ts_sort_numeric;
        if (itm.match(/^-?(\d+[,\.]?)+(E[-+][\d]+)?%?$/)) sortfn = ts_sort_numeric;
        SORT_COLUMN_INDEX = column;
        var firstRow = new Array();
        var newRows = new Array();
        for (k=0;k<t.tBodies.length;k++) {
                for (i=0;i<t.tBodies[k].rows[0].length;i++) { 
                        firstRow[i] = t.tBodies[k].rows[0][i]; 
                }
        }
        for (k=0;k<t.tBodies.length;k++) {
                if (!thead) {
                        // Skip the first row
                        for (j=1;j<t.tBodies[k].rows.length;j++) { 
                                newRows[j-1] = t.tBodies[k].rows[j];
                        }
                } else {
                        // Do NOT skip the first row
                        for (j=0;j<t.tBodies[k].rows.length;j++) { 
                                newRows[j] = t.tBodies[k].rows[j];
                        }
                }
        }
        newRows.sort(sortfn);
        if (span.getAttribute("sortdir") == 'down') {
                        ARROW = '&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="'+ image_path + image_down + '" alt="&darr;"/>';
                        newRows.reverse();
                        span.setAttribute('sortdir','up');
        } else {
                        ARROW = '&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="'+ image_path + image_up + '" alt="&uarr;"/>';
                  span.setAttribute('sortdir','down');
        } 
    // We appendChild rows that already exist to the tbody, so it moves them rather than creating new ones
    // don't do sortbottom rows
    for (i=0; i<newRows.length; i++) { 
                if (!newRows[i].className || (newRows[i].className && (newRows[i].className.indexOf('sortbottom') == -1))) {
                        t.tBodies[0].appendChild(newRows[i]);
                }
        }
    // do sortbottom rows only
    for (i=0; i<newRows.length; i++) {
                if (newRows[i].className && (newRows[i].className.indexOf('sortbottom') != -1)) 
                        t.tBodies[0].appendChild(newRows[i]);
        }
        // Delete any other arrows there may be showing
        var allspans = document.getElementsByTagName("span");
        for (var ci=0;ci<allspans.length;ci++) {
                if (allspans[ci].className == 'sortarrow') {
                        if (getParent(allspans[ci],"table") == getParent(lnk,"table")) { // in the same table as us?
                                allspans[ci].innerHTML = '&nbsp;&nbsp;<img src="'+ image_path + image_none + '" alt="&darr;"/>';
                        }
                }
        }               
        span.innerHTML = ARROW;
        alternate(t);
}
 
function getParent(el, pTagName) {
        if (el == null) {
                return null;
        } else if (el.nodeType == 1 && el.tagName.toLowerCase() == pTagName.toLowerCase()) {
                return el;
        } else {
                return getParent(el.parentNode, pTagName);
        }
}
 
function sort_date(date) {      
        // y2k notes: two digit years less than 50 are treated as 20XX, greater than 50 are treated as 19XX
        dt = "00000000";
        if (date.length == 11) {
                mtstr = date.substr(3,3);
                mtstr = mtstr.toLowerCase();
                switch(mtstr) {
                        case "jan": var mt = "01"; break;
                        case "feb": var mt = "02"; break;
     case "mar": var mt = "03"; break;
                        case "apr": var mt = "04"; break;
                        case "may": var mt = "05"; break;
                        case "jun": var mt = "06"; break;
                        case "jul": var mt = "07"; break;
                        case "aug": var mt = "08"; break;
                        case "sep": var mt = "09"; break;
                        case "oct": var mt = "10"; break;
                        case "nov": var mt = "11"; break;
                        case "dec": var mt = "12"; break;
                        // default: var mt = "00";
                }
                dt = date.substr(7,4)+mt+date.substr(0,2);
                return dt;
        } else if (date.length == 10) {
                if (europeandate == false) {
                        dt = date.substr(6,4)+date.substr(0,2)+date.substr(3,2);
                        return dt;
                } else {
                        dt = date.substr(6,4)+date.substr(3,2)+date.substr(0,2);
                        return dt;
                }
        } else if (date.length == 8) {
                yr = date.substr(6,2);
                if (parseInt(yr) < 50) { 
                        yr = '20'+yr; 
                } else { 
                        yr = '19'+yr; 
                }
                if (europeandate == true) {
                        dt = yr+date.substr(3,2)+date.substr(0,2);
                        return dt;
                } else {
                        dt = yr+date.substr(0,2)+date.substr(3,2);
                        return dt;
                }
        }
        return dt;
}
 
function ts_sort_date(a,b) {
        dt1 = sort_date(ts_getInnerText(a.cells[SORT_COLUMN_INDEX]));
        dt2 = sort_date(ts_getInnerText(b.cells[SORT_COLUMN_INDEX]));
        
        if (dt1==dt2) {
                return 0;
   }
        if (dt1<dt2) { 
                return -1;
        }
        return 1;
}
function ts_sort_numeric(a,b) {
        var aa = ts_getInnerText(a.cells[SORT_COLUMN_INDEX]);
        aa = clean_num(aa);
        var bb = ts_getInnerText(b.cells[SORT_COLUMN_INDEX]);
        bb = clean_num(bb);
        return compare_numeric(aa,bb);
}
function compare_numeric(a,b) {
        var a = parseFloat(a);
        a = (isNaN(a) ? 0 : a);
        var b = parseFloat(b);
        b = (isNaN(b) ? 0 : b);
        return a - b;
}
function ts_sort_caseinsensitive(a,b) {
        aa = ts_getInnerText(a.cells[SORT_COLUMN_INDEX]).toLowerCase();
        bb = ts_getInnerText(b.cells[SORT_COLUMN_INDEX]).toLowerCase();
        if (aa==bb) {
                return 0;
        }
        if (aa<bb) {
                return -1;
        }
        return 1;
}
function ts_sort_default(a,b) {
        aa = ts_getInnerText(a.cells[SORT_COLUMN_INDEX]);
        bb = ts_getInnerText(b.cells[SORT_COLUMN_INDEX]);
        if (aa==bb) {
                return 0;
        }
        if (aa<bb) {
                return -1;
        }
        return 1;
}
function addEvent(elm, evType, fn, useCapture)
// addEvent and removeEvent
// cross-browser event handling for IE5+,       NS6 and Mozilla
// By Scott Andrew
{
        if (elm.addEventListener){
                elm.addEventListener(evType, fn, useCapture);
                return true;
        } else if (elm.attachEvent){
                var r = elm.attachEvent("on"+evType, fn);
                return r;
        } else {
                alert("Handler could not be removed");
        }
}
function clean_num(str) {
        str = str.replace(new RegExp(/[^-?0-9.]/g),"");
        return str;
}
function trim(s) {
        return s.replace(/^\s+|\s+$/g, "");
}
function alternate(table) {
        // Take object table and get all it's tbodies.
        var tableBodies = table.getElementsByTagName("tbody");
        // Loop through these tbodies
        for (var i = 0; i < tableBodies.length; i++) {
                // Take the tbody, and get all it's rows
                var tableRows = tableBodies[i].getElementsByTagName("tr");
                // Loop through these rows
                // Start at 1 because we want to leave the heading row untouched
                for (var j = 0; j < tableRows.length; j++) {
                        // Check if j is even, and apply classes for both possible results
                        if ( (j % 2) == 0  ) {
                                if ( !(tableRows[j].className.indexOf('odd') == -1) ) {
                                        tableRows[j].className = tableRows[j].className.replace('odd', 'even');
                                } else {
                                        if ( tableRows[j].className.indexOf('even') == -1 ) {
                                                tableRows[j].className += " even";
                                        }
                                }
                        } else {
                                if ( !(tableRows[j].className.indexOf('even') == -1) ) {
                                        tableRows[j].className = tableRows[j].className.replace('even', 'odd');
                                } else {
                                        if ( tableRows[j].className.indexOf('odd') == -1 ) {
                                                tableRows[j].className += " odd";
                                        }
                                }
                        } 
            }
        }
}

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Avatar of Michel Plungjan
Michel Plungjan
Flag of Denmark image

alignment:
table.sortable th, table.sortable td {
  text-align: right;


that would align everything right.

Which cols do not sort and do you only have actual numbers in them or ae the numbers wrapped in html somehow, like links
The sort script is wrong.

sorttable.js
103    if (itm == "") return;           <--- at this point tm contains the column heading (eg "Shares Change"
104    sortfn = ts_sort_caseinsensitive;

...and so the tm.match() will not see the tokens that indicate a numeric sort ("£$¬Û¢")

The sort must depend on row+1 not the current row triggering the sort event.

By the way, install firebug for firefox. It will be your friend for tracking down these kinds of bugs. :-)

  --Eric
Avatar of surfsideinternet
surfsideinternet

ASKER

ewest02,

So what should the line be?
Got the alignment straight, still need help with the sorttable javascript.
ASKER CERTIFIED SOLUTION
Avatar of ewest02
ewest02
Flag of United States of America image

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Thanks, it works great now!
Was my alignment comment useful?
mplungjan,

Unfortunately no, it didn't help. I already had similiar statements in the default styles.  I ended up having to put   style="text-align:left;" in each individual <Td> and <Th> that I wanted left justified and leave the rest  of the columns the default right justified. That was the only way that I could get it to work.