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Q:  Each sub-list within the main list contains one of five possible categories. How can I customize the sort in the following order:

CUSTOM SORT ORDER:

1.  TASKS

2.  EVENTS

3.  UNDATED

4.  CONTACTS

5.  DONE

BEGIN WITH:

'((("id" . "005") ("folder" . "EVENTS") ("misc" . "apples") ("foo" . "1"))
  (("id" . "123") ("folder" . "CONTACTS") ("misc" . "oranges") ("foo" . "3"))
  (("id" . "975") ("folder" . "UNDATED") ("misc" . "figs") ("foo" . "7"))
  (("id" . "456") ("folder" . "TASKS") ("misc" . "bananas") ("foo" . "5"))
  (("id" . "871") ("folder" . "DONE") ("misc" . "pears") ("foo" . "2"))
  (("id" . "045") ("folder" . "EVENTS") ("misc" . "plums") ("foo" . "8"))
  (("id" . "172") ("folder" . "CONTACTS") ("misc" . "avocados") ("foo" . "4"))
  (("id" . "843") ("folder" . "UNDATED") ("misc" . "nectarines") ("foo" . "6"))
  (("id" . "523") ("folder" . "TASKS") ("misc" . "onions") ("foo" . "10"))
  (("id" . "278") ("folder" . "DONE") ("misc" . "coconuts") ("foo" . "9")))

END-WITH:  (a secondary sort, after sorting by 5 categories is not required in this example).

'((("id" . "523") ("folder" . "TASKS") ("misc" . "onions") ("foo" . "10"))
  (("id" . "456") ("folder" . "TASKS") ("misc" . "bananas") ("foo" . "5"))
  (("id" . "005") ("folder" . "EVENTS") ("misc" . "apples") ("foo" . "1"))
  (("id" . "045") ("folder" . "EVENTS") ("misc" . "plums") ("foo" . "8"))
  (("id" . "975") ("folder" . "UNDATED") ("misc" . "figs") ("foo" . "7"))
  (("id" . "843") ("folder" . "UNDATED") ("misc" . "nectarines") ("foo" . "6"))
  (("id" . "172") ("folder" . "CONTACTS") ("misc" . "avocados") ("foo" . "4"))
  (("id" . "123") ("folder" . "CONTACTS") ("misc" . "oranges") ("foo" . "3"))
  (("id" . "871") ("folder" . "DONE") ("misc" . "pears") ("foo" . "2"))
  (("id" . "278") ("folder" . "DONE") ("misc" . "coconuts") ("foo" . "9")))
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1 Answer 1

Reset to default
2

Here is one solution. It doesn't give exactly the order you specified, but they are sorted by folder.

#+BEGIN_SRC emacs-lisp
(sort '((("id" . "005") ("folder" . "EVENTS") ("misc" . "apples") ("foo" . "1"))
    (("id" . "123") ("folder" . "CONTACTS") ("misc" . "oranges") ("foo" . "3"))
    (("id" . "975") ("folder" . "UNDATED") ("misc" . "figs") ("foo" . "7"))
    (("id" . "456") ("folder" . "TASKS") ("misc" . "bananas") ("foo" . "5"))
    (("id" . "871") ("folder" . "DONE") ("misc" . "pears") ("foo" . "2"))
    (("id" . "045") ("folder" . "EVENTS") ("misc" . "plums") ("foo" . "8"))
    (("id" . "172") ("folder" . "CONTACTS") ("misc" . "avocados") ("foo" . "4"))
    (("id" . "843") ("folder" . "UNDATED") ("misc" . "nectarines") ("foo" . "6"))
    (("id" . "523") ("folder" . "TASKS") ("misc" . "onions") ("foo" . "10"))
    (("id" . "278") ("folder" . "DONE") ("misc" . "coconuts") ("foo" . "9")))
      (lambda (el1 el2)
    (let ((order '("TASKS" "EVENTS" "UNDATED" "CONTACTS" "DONE")))
      (< (cl-position (cdr (assoc "folder" el1)) order :test 'string=)
         (cl-position (cdr (assoc "folder" el2)) order :test 'string=)))))
#+END_SRC

#+RESULTS:
| (id . 456) | (folder . TASKS)    | (misc . bananas)    | (foo . 5)  |
| (id . 523) | (folder . TASKS)    | (misc . onions)     | (foo . 10) |
| (id . 005) | (folder . EVENTS)   | (misc . apples)     | (foo . 1)  |
| (id . 045) | (folder . EVENTS)   | (misc . plums)      | (foo . 8)  |
| (id . 975) | (folder . UNDATED)  | (misc . figs)       | (foo . 7)  |
| (id . 843) | (folder . UNDATED)  | (misc . nectarines) | (foo . 6)  |
| (id . 123) | (folder . CONTACTS) | (misc . oranges)    | (foo . 3)  |
| (id . 172) | (folder . CONTACTS) | (misc . avocados)   | (foo . 4)  |
| (id . 871) | (folder . DONE)     | (misc . pears)      | (foo . 2)  |
| (id . 278) | (folder . DONE)     | (misc . coconuts)   | (foo . 9)  |
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3
  • Nice canonical answer. Only thing is that position should really be cl-position and maybe you should require cl-seq or cl-lib.
    – Tobias
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 0:11
  • I just had a further look. position is from cl-compat which is obsolete. cl-position is auto-loaded in emacs -Q so you do not really need to require anything if you use cl-position.
    – Tobias
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 0:19
  • thanks for the note. I have edited the answer to use cl-position.
    – John Kitchin
    Commented Apr 28, 2017 at 0:56

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