Sort Values

By default, IBM® Cognos® Analysis Studio retrieves items in the order defined in the data source. You can sort items to quickly view the most important data.

You can list items in ascending or descending order based on

a value, such as revenue
a label, such as name

Whether you select a set or an individual row or column, items are sorted based on the default measure and the summary values of the opposite axis.

In nested crosstabs, items are sorted based on the values of the innermost nested row or column of the opposite axis. For example, a crosstab contains Years in the columns and Retailers nested within Products in the rows. Select 2005, sort in descending order, and you see Retailers listed from the largest value to the smallest value for each product.

Sorted items are automatically re-sorted when you perform a drill or replace operation on the opposite axis, if Based on the row or Based on the column in the Sort dialog box is set to the default.

When you replace the sorted set itself, the new set uses the default sort order. If you replace Employees in the previous example with Order Method, the Order Method set is unsorted.

Procedure

Select a set, row, or column to sort.
Click the sort button on the toolbar.
If the item you select contains alphanumeric values, choose either Sort by labels or Sort by values.
Do one of the following:
- To arrange items from the smallest to the largest value, click Ascending.
- To arrange items from the largest to the smallest value, click Descending.
- To override the default sort behavior of a set, click Custom.

Results

The items appear sorted in the crosstab. An icon sorted icon next to the label in the overview area shows you that a sort is applied to that set.

Tip: To remove a sort or restore the default order, click No Sort.