---
title: "3. Sort Order"
slug: "3-sort-order-1"
updated: 2026-09-23T12:24:24Z
published: 2026-09-23T13:12:24Z
canonical: "wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/3-sort-order-1"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://wiki.cobblestonesoftware.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 3. Sort Order

**COBBLESTONE SOFTWARE**

Contract Insight — User Guide

**3. Sort Order**

*11. End Users: Ad-Hoc Reports/Searches › Ad-Hoc Report Wizard: Legacy Reports › 3. Sort Order*

**Note:** Each procedure in this guide begins at the Contract Insight homepage, so any section can be followed on its own. Custom fields are configurable, so the exact field list on a contract category record may vary between environments.

# 1. Overview

After filtering, an ad-hoc report built from a list can be given a **sort order** on any of its chosen columns; left unsorted, rows come back in the database's **natural order** rather than any particular sequence.

# 2. Key Elements

- "No sorting — rows come back in the database's **natural order**" is the default state before any sort is added
- Sorting is only available on columns already added to the report's output
- Multiple sort levels can be layered, the same mechanism used by the full report designer's Sort section