tabellrekkefølge

Tabellrekkefølge refers to the order in which the rows of a table are arranged. It is defined by sorting criteria, usually one or more columns, and by the direction of the sort (ascending or descending). Tabellrekkefølge is a presentation concern used in documents, spreadsheets, databases, and data analyses; it does not change the underlying data.

Sorting can be performed on different data types: numbers are arranged numerically, text lexicographically, and dates chronologically. In multi-key sorting, the primary sort key is the first column; ties are broken by secondary keys, and so on. Some contexts distinguish between stable and unstable sorts: a stable sort maintains the relative order of rows that compare as equal.

Common tools and contexts for tabellrekkefølge include SQL queries (ORDER BY), spreadsheet programs (sort functions or tools), and programming languages that provide sort operations with comparators. The exact behavior can depend on locale and collation, which affect how strings are ordered, especially for languages with special characters.

Practical considerations include readability, reproducibility, and data presentation. Sorting changes only the display order unless the result is saved back to the data set. When presenting or analyzing data, documenting the chosen tabellrekkefølge helps ensure consistent interpretation. For example, a table of employees might be ordered by department (A–Z) and, within each department, by last name (A–Z).

See also: sorting, order by, stable sort, collation, locale.