Changing a list order not using columns

What is the best way to change the order of a list not using an existing column. I understand the ORDER ASC/DESC sql but have seen other websites that allow a user to use up and down buttons to change a list order. Some WA user interfaces have the same function.

My current method is an order field in a table and to manually change the numbers to achieve the preferred order. Hardly dynamic. What would the sql/php look like to allow up and down buttons to move a row?

I'm thinking the up button subtracts the current order field by 1 and the order value of the field with the previous value adds 1. But don't know how to do this.

Any pointers?

Hi Badger,

If I'm understanding you correctly there is an interactive tutorial.

You can find it by following (from the main site) Support > Then choose DataAssist from the drop down > then open up Solution Recipes. You'll see there Sorting by column links (Interactive Tutorial). There is also a PDF you can download.

HTH

Hi John, thanks for the reply.

That's not quite what we're after here. In that solution you choose any existing column to give a order based on alpha numeric data of that column. The order we require has no alpha numeric logic.

We have a CMS site and the user wants to be able to choose the order. Hence the new column called "order" with a numeric value for each item that sets the right order. But this laborious to change (changing one item means you have to change others to get the preferred order).

I've seen the up/down button solution on other websites where the user can change the order. It needs a hand code solution. (eg BBC changing personal settings and WA UI lists)

B

Sorry, I obviously misunderstood what you meant. Now I've read your first post again I understand what you mean. SOJO Web another WCE has made a tutorial on this subject using AJAX. It's a sticky at the top of the DataAssist forum but here's the link anyway showthread.php?t=9353

Apart from that I'm unable to help further but I'm sure others will chime in once the weekends over.

You might also try posting in the PHP / MySQL forum.