# Perspective Report Crosstab Column Sorting **URL:** \ **Category:** Ignition\ **Tags:** perspective, reporting\ **Created:** [October 29, 2026, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/perspective-report-crosstab-column-sorting/117663 "2026-10-29T14:32:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Calderon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@Daniel\_Calderon](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Daniel_Calderon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 2:32pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/perspective-report-crosstab-column-sorting/117663/1 "2026-10-29T14:32:24Z")
Does anyone know how the crosstab table component decides how it sorts rows and columns? and if it's even possible to control it? Thanks. Editted a typo ---
**Author:** ![gunnar.newell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/gunnar.newell/32/87635_2.png) [@gunnar.newell](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/gunnar.newell)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 3:27pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/perspective-report-crosstab-column-sorting/117663/2 "2026-10-29T15:27:21Z")
I don't use the CrossTab componenet much, but I would try presorting the data before you populate it into the crosstab. ---
**Author:** ![Daniel\_Calderon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/51bf81/32.png) [@Daniel\_Calderon](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/Daniel_Calderon)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 7:07pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/perspective-report-crosstab-column-sorting/117663/3 "2026-10-29T19:07:08Z")
It ignores whatever order you pass and sorts its own way. Which I am trying to figure our and control. ---
**Author:** ![gunnar.newell](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/gunnar.newell/32/87635_2.png) [@gunnar.newell](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/gunnar.newell)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 10:20pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/perspective-report-crosstab-column-sorting/117663/4 "2026-10-29T22:20:54Z")
I played around with it a bit. It looks like it does first appearance sorting. The [Documentation on CrossTabs](https://www.docs.inductiveautomation.com/docs/8.1/appendix/components/report-design-components/report-design-table-palette/report-component-crosstab-table#table-properties) doesn't look like it gives us any detail on sorting order. I used the example data in the documentation, and I could only ever get it to sort in order of appearance. So this data ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/e/c/ecbf730d45de4ba7a2459626909126f840522f82.png) has this cross tab ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/7/f/7fadf6fff960e5be3430ae9f94db0e039d850691.png) and this data ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/d/5/d5add4000ee1148d63263385bd21dd1b3ba1c81e.png) has this cross tab ![image](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/d/5/d5d5ffdc4004d6094838e32864028983cf73a75f.png) note I'm not doing any summing for the values they are also by first occurance. ---
**Author:** ![paul-griffith](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/user_avatar/forum.inductiveautomation.com/paul-griffith/32/37249_2.png) [@paul-griffith](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/u/paul-griffith)\ **Post date:** [October 29, 2026, 10:26pm UTC](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/perspective-report-crosstab-column-sorting/117663/5 "2026-10-29T22:26:07Z")
It's not possible\[1\] to set explicit sorting for cross tabs. I'm really surprised no one has noticed this before. That said, along the lines of [previous nerd sniping](https://forum.inductiveautomation.com/t/pdf-report-linking/18860/2), it is at least _technically_ possible. I would not advise anyone actually do this. > **** > > Given crosstab data like this: > > ```python > # Faux row-level data for a Reporting Cross Tab. > headers = ['Region', 'Product', 'Quarter', 'Sales', 'Units'] > rows = [ > ['North', 'Widgets', 'Q1', 12500.00, 118], > ['North', 'Widgets', 'Q2', 14750.00, 136], > ['North', 'Widgets', 'Q3', 13925.00, 129], > ['North', 'Widgets', 'Q4', 16200.00, 151], > ['North', 'Gadgets', 'Q1', 9800.00, 92], > ['North', 'Gadgets', 'Q2', 11125.00, 105], > ['North', 'Gadgets', 'Q3', 10875.00, 101], > ['North', 'Gadgets', 'Q4', 12400.00, 116], > ['South', 'Widgets', 'Q1', 10350.00, 99], > ['South', 'Widgets', 'Q2', 11900.00, 112], > ['South', 'Widgets', 'Q3', 13250.00, 126], > ['South', 'Widgets', 'Q4', 14100.00, 134], > ['South', 'Gadgets', 'Q1', 8700.00, 83], > ['South', 'Gadgets', 'Q2', 9400.00, 89], > ['South', 'Gadgets', 'Q3', 10150.00, 96], > ['South', 'Gadgets', 'Q4', 11325.00, 108], > ['East', 'Widgets', 'Q1', 15100.00, 143], > ['East', 'Widgets', 'Q2', 16850.00, 159], > ['East', 'Widgets', 'Q3', 17400.00, 165], > ['East', 'Widgets', 'Q4', 18950.00, 180], > ['East', 'Gadgets', 'Q1', 10725.00, 102], > ['East', 'Gadgets', 'Q2', 12100.00, 114], > ['East', 'Gadgets', 'Q3', 11650.00, 110], > ['East', 'Gadgets', 'Q4', 13575.00, 128], > ['West', 'Widgets', 'Q1', 9300.00, 88], > ['West', 'Widgets', 'Q2', 10450.00, 99], > ['West', 'Widgets', 'Q3', 11225.00, 106], > ['West', 'Widgets', 'Q4', 12750.00, 121], > ['West', 'Gadgets', 'Q1', 7600.00, 73], > ['West', 'Gadgets', 'Q2', 8350.00, 80], > ['West', 'Gadgets', 'Q3', 9100.00, 87], > ['West', 'Gadgets', 'Q4', 9950.00, 95] > ] > > data['crossTabData'] = system.dataset.toDataset(headers, rows) > > ``` > > And a script like this in the script console: > > ```python > # grouping key -> list of (sort key, "ascend" | "descend") > SORTS = { > "Quarter": [("total.Sales", "descend")], > "Product": [("Product", "ascend")], > } > > from java.awt import Toolkit > from java.awt.datatransfer import DataFlavor, Transferable, UnsupportedFlavorException > from java.io import ByteArrayInputStream > from java.lang import String as JString > import xml.etree.ElementTree as ET > > RM_FLAVOR = DataFlavor("application/reportmill", "ReportMill Shape Data") > > class ShapeTransferable(Transferable): > def __init__ (self, xmlString): > self.bytes = JString(xmlString).getBytes("UTF-8") > > def getTransferDataFlavors(self): > return [RM_FLAVOR, DataFlavor.stringFlavor] > > def isDataFlavorSupported(self, flavor): > return flavor in self.getTransferDataFlavors() > > def getTransferData(self, flavor): > if flavor.equals(RM_FLAVOR): > return ByteArrayInputStream(self.bytes) > if flavor.equals(DataFlavor.stringFlavor): > return JString(self.bytes, "UTF-8") > raise UnsupportedFlavorException(flavor) > > clipboard = Toolkit.getDefaultToolkit().getSystemClipboard() > root = ET.fromstring(clipboard.getData(DataFlavor.stringFlavor).encode("utf-8")) > > for grouping in root.iter("grouping"): > sorts = SORTS.get(grouping.get("key")) > if sorts is None: > continue > for existing in grouping.findall("sort"): > grouping.remove(existing) > for key, order in sorts: > attrs = {"key": key} > if order == "descend": > attrs["order"] = "descend" > ET.SubElement(grouping, "sort", attrs) > print "Set sorts on grouping %r: %s" % (grouping.get("key"), sorts) > > clipboard.setContents(ShapeTransferable(ET.tostring(root)), None) > > ``` > > If you: > > 1. Create your own crosstab > 2. Update the script in the console with appropriate keys and sorting decisions > 3. Copy the cross tab element directly in the report designer > 4. Execute the code in the script console > 5. Paste the updated crosstab back in to the report > > You will, in fact, get a "sorted" crosstab: > > ![Screenshot 2026-10-29 at 3.25.30 PM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/inductiveautomation/original/3X/8/7/8783924918bba66e5a5ad809e7c282b1a26867ec.png) * * * 1. or at least not practical