[Solved] Saved Work in Alphabetical Order

[Lyndiloo]

Suddenly, for no reason at all, all my saved writing in Open Office has gone out of alphabetical order, which makes it so hard to find anything. Anyone know why this has happened? And, more importantly, how to get it back into alphabetical order. Many thanks, in advance, for advice.

[robleyd]

Wild guess here; you are viewing the list of files in your file manager? If so, click on the Name header at the top of the list of names to sort in alphabetical order. This actually is nothing to do with Apache OpenOffice

If that isn't the problem, please describe your problem in a little more detail; what part of AOO you are using, what you are doing, what you expect to happen and what actually happens

It is also helpful to let us know which AOO version you are using, and what operating system; you can add this information by updating your signature

[Lyndiloo]

Thanks for that Robleyd. Well, here we go: I don't know whether I'm viewing in 'File Manager' or not. (I'm sure that I haven't changed anything.) Can't find anything about 'File Manager' in my Open Office. How do I check?

"What part of AOO are you using?" Don't quite understand this question. I go into AOO, and, supposing I want to find a recipe for example, click on 'File' then 'Open', and expect to find my 'Recipe' Folder filed under 'R'. (At the moment, it's at the top of the list of folders!)

I've got AOO 4.1.5 and Windows 7.

Recently had my computer in for repair - but when it came back everything was OK. Been working a lot in Picasa lately - trying to arrange my photos into some sort of order. But I don't suppose either of these things have anything to do with my problem ...?

Thank you so much for your help. (And please, when you reply - which I'm hoping you will - imagine that you are instructing a 4 year-old!!! Ha! Ha! Thanks.)

[Hagar Delest]

In the dialog to open the file, there should be a column title for "Name", click it to sort the files and folders by alphabetical order (or click a second time if it went to reverse order).

[robleyd]

Here is a picture of the file Open dialog on my computer - yours may not look exactly the same but will be similar.

Note the files are sorted by size, ascending. This is indicated by the little triangle next to the word Size in the header line; I've put a red arrow pointing up at it. To expand on what Hagar has said, I am using a screen capture to illustrate. You may need to click on the image to see it at its full size.

To sort by name (or any other information shown) simply click on the word(s) above the column you want to sort on; a second click will reverse the order of sorting. As you want files sorted alphabetically by Name, click where the red arrow pointing to the left indicates, in the header for Name.

[Lyndiloo]

Thanks both. Well, had a fiddle and the only time I can get a screen like the above is in my 'Recent Places'. Then, when I click on 'Name', it does put those files into alphabetical order, but when I go back to my 'Documents' all my folders and files are still out of order. (Bizarrely, these 'Recent Places' include all the photo files I've been looking at in 'Picasa'. Don't get this at all!)

Since my computer came back from repairer it has an icon on desktop for Open Office Install. When I clicked on this and then clicked on 'Documents', they too were all out of order. I fixed that (can't remember how now - this is half my trouble with computer - I do something, then can't remember how I did it!) I thought I'd cracked it, but no. This didn't transfer to my normal OO access.

This is so hard to explain: My OO Life ... I click on icon for OO on desktop. Takes me to Apache OO (Big Sign, with various places to click on - Text Document, Spreadsheet, etc.) I go to 'File' at top of screen, then to 'Open' which takes me to 'page' with all my 'places' in list on left - Recent Places, Downloads, Documents, etc. I then click on 'Documents', and all my folders and files come up. These used to be in alphabetical order Folders first, then files. Folders still come first, then files - all mixed up, alphabetically. I've noticed that if I click on a folder and open it, it then goes to the top of the list. But I can't drag folders or files into alphabetical order. It just says, 'Move To ...' and names another Folder and adds it to that! - and besides, this would take me months to do! (There is no Name, Type, Size, headings on this screen.)

So fed-up - and getting anxious about this! (Me to Me: 'Oh, get a grip, you're not having your leg chopped off!')

Cheers!

[robleyd]

You are saying:

I click on icon for OO on desktop. Takes me to Apache OO (Big Sign, with various places to click on - Text Document, Spreadsheet, etc.) I go to 'File' at top of screen,

This would take you to the splash screen, or opening screen for AOO which looks like this - red arrow pointing to the File menu item.

When I click on File, this is what I see:

then to 'Open' which takes me to 'page' with all my 'places' in list on left - Recent Places, Downloads, Documents, etc.

Open gives me the same Open dialog I showed earlier.

How does this compare to what you see? What operating system and version are you using - e.g. Windows 7?

[Bill]

I click on icon for OO on desktop. Takes me to Apache OO (Big Sign, with various places to click on - Text Document, Spreadsheet, etc.) I go to 'File' at top of screen, then to 'Open' which takes me to 'page' with all my 'places' in list on left - Recent Places, Downloads, Documents, etc. I then click on 'Documents', and all my folders and files come up. These used to be in alphabetical order Folders first, then files. Folders still come first, then files - all mixed up, alphabetically. I've noticed that if I click on a folder and open it, it then goes to the top of the list. But I can't drag folders or files into alphabetical order.

After you click on "Documents", don't right-click on a folder. That will display options for that particular folder which will not include any sort options. Instead, right-click in an empty area between the folders. That will display options for sorting the documents and folders shown in the window. Select the sort options you want to use. You can't drag the folders and documents into a different place because they are sorted automatically using the selected sort options.

[Lyndiloo]

Thank you all so much for your advice and help, and generosity with your time. I've done it! Everything now in perfect alphabetical order. (Where would I be without you?!!! .... Pulling my hair out - that's where!)

Again, many thanks.