Sorting

Good Morning,

I searched this forum and did not find any posts that appear to fit my issue. I did find one post that was similar but it is not the same issue.

I am using SFTP 3.0.1016.16, on XP Pro SP3, connecting to IBM AIX 5.3 system. I do not recall this issue on version 2.5 but have seen it on all builds of version 3 that I have used so far.

Here is my issue:
Sorting the filenames displayed, by clicking on name, date, etc. columns, does not produce a correctly sorted list.

An example, this is the first screen of three from SFTP, for files in a subdirectory. This list contains only data files. After navigating to the subdirectory I clicked the column titled "name" for an ascending sort on filename:

y2tobj_200805230432084104800_FULL.dat
y2tobj_200805230432084104800_FULL.txt
y2tobj_200805270916555363620_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805270916555363620_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805271002555686000_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805271002555686000_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805270856557801070_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805270856557801070_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805270912554554880_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805270912554554880_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805270431550599130_FULL.dat
y2tobj_200805270431550599130_FULL.txt
y2tobj_200805271531364829630_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805271531364829630_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805270921556021450_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805270921556021450_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805271136559139670_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805271136559139670_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805310431417131280_FULL.dat
y2tobj_200805310431417131280_FULL.txt
y2tobj_200805270956555314680_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805270956555314680_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805230432084104800_FULL.dat


In addition, when I page down to view the second screen of files, the order is again altered and the second screen includes some of the files from the first screen.

I have similar results when sorting on Date/Time column, the list is not sorted correctly.

Neither ascending nor descending is sorted correctly.

It is not random. SFTP must be sorting on a specific value somewhere? If I re-sort on some other column, for example Date/Time, then sort on Name again, the results are always identical to the last time I sorted on name in that direction (asc/desc). Likewise paging down to view the second screen always results in the same list of files as before, too.


Using Telnet, I navigated to the same directory and requested a list of these files in Name ascending order. Here is a partial list. Note that the very first file shown here, with embedded date of 5/20/08, is not in the list above from SFTP. It is my 'earliest' file in the directory as far as name sort is concerned, but it doesn't appear in the list from SFTP until midway down the second screen display.

y2tobj_200805201122065313920_FULL.dat
y2tobj_200805211832048680370_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805211832048680370_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805220432049920440_FULL.dat
y2tobj_200805220432049920440_FULL.txt
y2tobj_200805221717059715280_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805221717059715280_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805221721056782160_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805221721056782160_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805230432084104800_FULL.dat
y2tobj_200805230432084104800_FULL.txt
y2tobj_200805270431550599130_FULL.dat
y2tobj_200805270431550599130_FULL.txt
y2tobj_200805270846555062770_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805270846555062770_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805270851557225200_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805270851557225200_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805270856557801070_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805270856557801070_DELTA.txt
y2tobj_200805270901558745930_DELTA.dat
y2tobj_200805270901558745930_DELTA.txt


Is this a bug in SFTP? Or am I missing a setting or parameter in SFTP that is causing the problem? Help and and/or info appreciated, and please do point me to other posts or to manual if I missed finding the solution. I did search this forum and also the online knowledgebase but did not find any mention of this behavior.

Thanks and regards,
--appyface

Hmm it looks like the natural sorting is not working correctly. We will look into it.

I'm sorry, I don't understand? Your screenshot shows the files in CORRECT (descending) order, that is what it should be... ?

Please disregard my deleted posting. I was wrong and I have removed it.

Wow yes I see my post is shown as replying to nothing :-) Thanks.

I just tried to reproduce it on Windows XP and I created the first 10 files from your list and they are sorted correctly (sorted by name). What is the correct way to reproduce it?
Can you post a screenshot?

Regards,
Mat

I just tried to reproduce it on Windows XP and I created the first 10 files from your list and they are sorted correctly (sorted by name). What is the correct way to reproduce it?
Can you post a screenshot?
As mentioned above, I am connecting to IBM AIX 5.3 system from XP. Here is a screenshot, page 1 (private information has been obliterated):

Sorry, I don't seem to be able to insert a screenshot here? How do I embed a screen shot. Thanks,

--appyface

Upload it to http://www.imageshack.us/
and post the link here.

OK thanks. Here's a screenshot:

http://img169.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screen1kc0.jpg

Thank you. I see the problem but I cannot reproduce it. Is there any chance you can prepare a case which we can reproduce on any FTP server?

Regards,
Mat

Bug reproduced. Working on fix.

I uninstalled SFTP 3.x and installed 2.5.1008.44. The files sort correctly by name in version 2.5, see this screenshot:
http://img291.imageshack.us/my.php?image=screen2wh2.jpg

I'm not sure what else I can do to help?

Bug reproduced. Working on fix.
Ah you just beat me in here with that. Thank you!

Best regards,
--appyface

Please try it again with the latest version:
https://www.smartftp.com/download

Regards,
Mat

Hello Mat,

Sorry for delay in reply, yes the new build fixed the sorting problem.

Thank you very much!

Best regards,
--appyface

Thank you for your feedback.