Sorting

You can use sort criteria to specify the order in which data will be delivered to the subsequent Processes. If no sort criteria is used, data will be delivered in the same order as it arrives. Performance will be less affected if data is sorted at Event level, compared to sorting at Process level.

You specify the sort criteria by assigning priorities to blocks. Data associated with blocks with the highest priority will be delivered first, and so on.

To specify sort criteria for Parent-level blocks

1	Select the Message node in the Message tree. The Message properties are displayed in the Properties view.

2	Set Use block sort priority to Yes.

3	Select the first Parent-level block. The Block properties are displayed in the Properties view.

4	Set the Block sort priority level. The lower the number, the higher the priority.

5	Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all Parent-level blocks.

To specify sort criteria for sub-blocks within a block

1	Select the block. The block properties are displayed in the Properties view.

2	Set Use block sort priority to Yes.

3	Select the first sub-block. The Block properties are displayed in the Properties view.

4	Set the Block sort priority level. The lower the number, the higher the priority.

5	Repeat steps 3 and 4 for all sub-blocks.

Sorting examples

The following examples illustrate how the order of the output from an Event changes when sort criteria is specified for the main blocks in the Event.

Example 10

Event output without sorting

All blocks have sort priority set to 0. Output is delivered in the same order as it arrived.

 

 

Example 11

Event output with sorting

The blocks have sort priority set to 1, 2, and 3. Output is delivered in this order.