Hello
I understand your point very well and feel the same that spreadsheet should be capable of performing partial sort.
The script below is my attempt to fix it. Bad news is it is a bit noisy in making temporary table, moving range to it, sorting the range, moving the range back and deleting the temporary table. Good news is it works as expected.
Here're two recipes; one for script menu and another for services menu (preferable under 10.6 or later)
# Recipe 1 (via script menu)
1) Open /Applications/Utilities/AppleScript Editor.app; and
2) if script menu is not yet enabled, open Preferences… > General and enable "Show Script menu in menu bar"; and
3) copy the code listed below to new document; and
4) save it as compiled script or script bundle with name, e.g., "sort selection.scpt" or "sort selection.scptd", in ~/Library/Scripts/Applications/Numbers directory so that it appear in script menu in Numbers.
Usage (via script menu):
Select target range in Numbers, invoke the script via script menu, enter the sort specifications when asked and it will sort the selection range according to the sort specs.
# Recipe 2 (via services menu)
1) Open /Applications/Automator.app; and
2) choose "Service" template; and
3) drag "Run AppleScript" action from the left pane to the right pane; and
4) replace the existing template code with the code listed below; and
5) set the service attributes so that service receives [no input] in [Numbers.app], where [...] is set via drop down menu in Automator workflow editor window; and
6) save the workflow with name, e.g., "sort selection"; and
7) quit Automator.app.
To set keyboard shortcut for "sort selection" service:
8) open /Applications/System Preferences; and
9) select Keyboard > Keyboard Shortcuts; and
10) select Services in left pane; and
11) set keyboard shortcut for "sort selection" service as, e.g., command + shift + 6.
Usage (via services menu):
Select target range in Numbers, invoke the script via Services menu or keyboard shortcut if defined, enter the sort specifications when asked and it will sort the selection range according to the sort specs.
# Notes
* Sort specifications (specs) are in the form as
specs = spec[,spec,...]
spec = <column relative index in selection>[a|d]
a = ascending (default)
d = descending
e.g. = 1a,3d
which means to sort by 1st column in selection in ascending order and by 3rd column in selection in descending order.
The specs are in primary-key-first order, i.e., 1a is the primary key and 3d is the secondary key.
You can use 1,3d instead of 1a,3d because "a" is the default direction.
* Tested as script under 10.5.8 and also as Automator service with keyboard shortcut under 10.6.5.
# Script
sort selection.applescript
-------------------------
(*
sort selection range only
v0.2
*)
_main()
on _main()
-- (0) get original selection specifiers
tell application "Numbers"
activate
set {range:_range, table:_table, sheet:_sheet} to my _selection(document 1)
tell _range
if it is missing value then return
set {ck, rk} to {count columns, count rows}
end tell
end tell
-- (1) accept sort specifications
tell application "Numbers"
repeat
display dialog ¬
"Enter sort specifications (primary key first)" & return & ¬
" spec[,spec, ...]" & return & ¬
" spec = <column relative index in selection>[a|d]" & return & ¬
" a = ascending (default)," & return & ¬
" d = descending" & return & ¬
" e.g. = 1a,3d" default answer "1a"
try
set specs to my _split(",", text returned of result)
repeat with s in specs
try
set col to s as integer
set dir to -1
on error
try
set col to s's text 1 thru -2 as integer
set dir to s's character -1
if dir = "a" then
set dir to -1
else if dir = "d" then
set dir to 1
else
error number 8000
end if
on error number errn
display dialog "invalid spec: " & s
error number errn
end try
end try
if col > ck or col < 1 then
display dialog "column index is out of range [1, " & ck & "]: " & col
error number 8001
end if
set s's contents to {col, dir}
end repeat
exit repeat
on error number errn
if errn = -128 then error number -128 -- user cancel
end try
end repeat
end tell
-- (2) mark to move the original selection range
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Numbers"
keystroke "x" using {command down, shift down} -- edit > mark to move
end tell
end tell
-- (3) make new work table and select range B2
tell application "Numbers"
tell _sheet
set _wktable to make new table at end with properties {column count:ck + 1, row count:rk + 1}
tell _wktable
set selection range to range "B2"
end tell
end tell
end tell
-- (4) move the original selection range to work table
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Numbers"
keystroke "v" using {command down, shift down} -- edit > move
end tell
end tell
-- (5) sort the moved selection range in work table
tell application "Numbers"
set {range:_wkrange, table:_wktable} to my _selection(document 1)
repeat with s in specs's reverse
set {col, dir} to s's contents
tell _wktable
if dir = -1 then
sort by _wkrange's column col direction ascending in rows _wkrange
else
sort by _wkrange's column col direction descending in rows _wkrange
end if
end tell
end repeat
end tell
-- (6) mark to move the sorted selection range in work table
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Numbers"
keystroke "x" using {command down, shift down} -- edit > mark to move
end tell
end tell
-- (7) select the original selection range
tell application "Numbers"
tell _table
set selection range to _range
end tell
end tell
-- (8) move the sorted selection range in work table to orignal table
tell application "System Events"
tell process "Numbers"
keystroke "v" using {command down, shift down} -- edit > move
end tell
end tell
-- (9) delete the work table
tell application "Numbers"
delete _wktable
end tell
end _main
on _selection(doc)
(*
reference doc : target document
return record : {range:_range, table:_table, sheet:_sheet}
_range = reference to named range in selection
_table = table object to which selection range belongs
_sheet = sheet object to which selection range belongs
*)
(*
Limitation
Numbers allows to select uncontinuous regions
but its scripting interface does not provide decent method to retrieve them.
If uncontinuous regions are selected, 'selection range' returns the minimum continuous region
which includes all the regions in selection.
*)
script o
property parent : {}
property pp : {}
local q, r, s, _range, _table, _sheet
tell application "Numbers"
set pp to doc's every sheet's every table's selection range as list
repeat with p in my pp -- per sheet
set q to p's every reference -- retrieve object (filtering out missing value)
if q ≠{} then
set q to q's item 1 -- selection range object [1]
set r to q as record -- selection range object specifier record [2]
set _table to r's every reference's item 1 -- container table reference [3]
set s to (a reference to _table's selection range) -- selection range reference [4]
set _range to (a reference to _table's range (s's name)) -- named range reference [5]
set _sheet to (_table as record)'s every reference's item 1 -- container sheet reference [3]
return {range:_range, table:_table, sheet:_sheet}
end if
end repeat
return {range:missing value, table:missing value, sheet:missing value}
end tell
(*
[1] class specifier for 'range' is broken in Numbers 09
[2] «class want» value is broken in Numbers 09
[3] simple method to get «class from» value without asking for «class from» key which causes trouble in recompilation of the token 'from'.
[4] proper reference of selection range object
[5] proper reference of named range object
*)
end script
tell o to run
end _selection
on _split(d, t)
local astid, astid0, tt
set astid to a reference to AppleScript's text item delimiters
try
set {astid0, astid's contents} to {astid's contents, {d}}
set tt to t's text items
set astid's contents to astid0
on error errs number errn
set astid's contents to astid0
error errs number errn
end try
return tt
end _split
-------------------------
Hope this may help,
H
