Yalpstore: FR: Sorting

[gerroon]

Hi

It would be nice if it is possible to sort apps based on last update date, release date, ratings, naming etc when searching or looking for updated apps.

thanks

[yeriomin]

Hello.

Unfortunately, it is impossible.

To sort something you need to have the whole list of that something. Google Play Store does not have a way to request the whole list of all apps and there is no way to request a pre-sorted list.

[gerroon]

Hi

I understand that but you do get the list though initially (since yu display it). At least the sorting can work on first "20" once certain number of elements are downloaded to display or whatever important number is.

[Rikk]

@yeriomin If you store in the memory the items received from the query, you could easily manipulate them before displaying the list to the user. Incremental results add to the initial list and sort again. Why not?
At least for limited lists (eg. list of apps of one developer); dunno the performance for infinite lists.

[yeriomin]

@Rikk because as the list loads items would jump. It would be impossible to keep track with your eyes.

[gerroon]

Well, you do not have to sort while loading. Sorting can be done after the list is loaded by a menu item "sort by date" The user can keep the default listing or click on sort by date.

[yeriomin]

@gerroon If I saw a filter button I would expect it to give me presorted lists. And since the search list is endless, the loading and rearranging would have to happen at several random times. At some point the beginning of the list would be sorted and the end - not. It is a really bad idea.

[gerroon]

How is the list is endless? I think there is a confusion. I originally menat sorting for "Updates" and then if possible for searches.

Would not you want to see which apps are updates most recently? I have some apps updated like 2 years ago but because they start with a b c they always show up at the top.

[yeriomin]

I think there is a confusion. I originally menat sorting for "Updates" and then if possible for searches.

I was answering to @Rikk.

Would not you want to see which apps are updates most recently?

No. Every app needs to be updated, does it not? The update date/age do not influence your decision to install the update... do they? And since the update list should be short and the only thing to be done is to "update all", I don't see a reason to add a special button just for the update list.

[gerroon]

Update frequency and update date affect my update/uninstall decision. Older and unupdated apps are regularly deleted from my phone but to see that I need to see if it has been updated recently or frequently.

[gerroon]

Also not every app needs to be updated especially if an app goes from free to paid for instance or new version add some new cynical features.

[Rikk]

I also think it would be very helpful to sort by update time. I don't update all apps, especially those releasing versions with changes that make me angry. But sorting by date allows to see easily which apps received an update...
@yeriomin
I see the Updates list is retrieved at once, so I think you could add sorting options for it.
My desire is to sort the list of Google apps by last update date.
I don't see how the start and the end of the list would differ, if you rebuild and sort the entire list at once, and only at predictable times (after each 'page' is retrieved?).

[yeriomin]

@gerroon

Older and unupdated apps are regularly deleted from my phone

I'm pretty sure that's a rare use case.

if an app goes from free to paid for instance or new version add some new cynical features.

This is definitely a blacklist use case. Those apps won't get free again.

@Rikk

I see the Updates list is retrieved at once, so I think you could add sorting options for it.

Yes. Finite lists like update list or local app list can be sorted. There is another smaller concern there: update date is returned as a localized string (not a timestamp), so I will not be able to fully test the sorting mechanism for all languages.

if you rebuild and sort the entire list at once, and only at predictable times (after each 'page' is retrieved?

No. Just imagine. You have 20 apps in the list of which 5 are visible. You load the next page. It contains random apps. Some apps will have to be inserted into the invisible area. This makes other apps jump. Some apps will have to be inserted right between the visible apps.

Since you guys insist, I will try to implement this at some point. But this is not going to be done soon because:

• There is no place for it in the current UI.
• It will be hard to make the update date sorting stable.
• In my opinion it is redundant.

[Rikk]

Thanks, thinking about is a good start :)

Yes. Finite lists like update list or local app list can be sorted. There is another smaller concern there: update date is returned as a localized string (not a timestamp), so I will not be able to fully test the sorting mechanism for all languages.

By 'timestamp' do you mean 'seconds since Epoch'? Don't you have function to convert it? In JavaScript we have some ways, below is one:
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date/getTime

No. Just imagine. You have 20 apps in the list of which 5 are visible. You load the next page. It contains random apps. Some apps will have to be inserted into the invisible area. This makes other apps jump. Some apps will have to be inserted right between the visible apps.

I don't understand well, 'invisible area'? It could be a button "Sort Now". Let's say I have enough apps listed and want to see them in order, I click the button and _voila_. Now, I want to load more apps, I keep scrolling the list down. Ok, new apps appeared below; now, I want to sort the list again and I tap the button. What's the trouble? The caveat is that you need to keep track of the current pagination Google sent you so you retrieve the next one.

[yeriomin]

@Rikk

By 'timestamp' do you mean 'seconds since Epoch'?

Or any other definite format. If you want a js analogy, https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Reference/Global_Objects/Date/parse is what I would be able to use, but the date is in a custom format, not RFC2822 or ISO 8601, so I would have to implement this parse method while accounting for the fact that it is not stable and different from language to language.

I don't understand well, 'invisible area'?

As you scroll the list, list items disappear...

Ok, new apps appeared below; now, I want to sort the list again and I tap the button. What's the trouble?

Exactly this "again and I tap the button". Either the list is auto-sorts which makes it jump (which is horrible). Or the new items are added to the end without any processing (and the user might sort them manually by pressing a button), which creates an unsorted inconsistent list (which is also horrible). This will not be done.