Ability to choose timeline sort order

timo

Originally posted here.

The Windows/macOS/iOS versions sort order is future dates on top, older dates on bottom. I'd like to be able to reverse this so older dates are on top and new on bottom (as it is on Android)

Erik

timo
It would be good with a timeline sorting option. I personally prefer to see the latest entry in the top.

I've just started to using the app for a certain health issue.

Erik

HSWG94

timo I've just purchased the app on both windows an android. I really hope this can be implemented soon as this was what I found to be inconsistent cross platform. Thank you!

Sergo2k

I hope that the selection should always take priority over the hard presets. This way you can please all users, regardless of their habits.

timo

What is your preferred sorting order?
On what platform the sorting is ok and on what platform should it be changed?

supilot

I prefer the current order of the log entries - newest on top. This is a normal, natural order.
Windows and iOS.
(But a 'Search by Date' button (or 'Jump to Date') is extremely necessary.)

supilot

supilot
...or the best way is to add an option to select the sort order.

HalloWelt

I would also very much appreciate an option to reverse the sort order, so that the newest entries are at the top

escudet

I too would like the option of having newest entries on timeline view at the top on Android.

SylvieDagenais

I would love to be able to see my entries primarily sort by month and day than by years. This would give me a perpetual agenda.

So I could easily see that on a specific date let say October 12, this and that happened in 2017-2019-2021

For now, I enter the date myself so I can search for it. But that’s not the best way.

If anyone knows a better way to get the result I want please share.

Thanks

timo

When reading through your comments, it sounds like what you actually want is to invert the sort order of the timeline on Android only - to match the sort order on Windows/macOS/iOS.
So instead of adding an option to choose the timeline sort order, I will invert the sort order (for all users, without a separate option) and see if there is any negative feedback (I hope not 😁).
Let me know what you think of that decision. I try to keep options to a minimum so the settings page isn't becoming too overwhelming.

FrankBohle

Timo, I understand, that trying to keep options to a minimum, is a good idea. But on the other side, you force users to use your App in a different way! Maybe, most of your users like to have sorting of the timeline in a descending order. But what is with users like me, which like to have IT in ascending oder? I now have no way to return back :-(
I think the more options you have, the more flexibility (and more satisfied users) you will have! And if you don't like too much options, think about a switch "easy Mode" /"extended Mode" so that advanced users can modify the appearance to their belongings.
It's only an idea. I will continue using Diarium, but I would much appreciate to have same more options for customizaton.

timo

FrankBohle Thanks for joining the discussion - really appreciated! I left this feature request open on purpose to gather additional feedback after I implemented this change as I kind of expected some counter arguments. I will consider adding an option to configure the order if there is a large number of users asking for it. However, I think it's just a matter of getting used to the order. On Windows, iOS and MacOS, the timeline order has always been "newest on top" and I never heard any complaints or wishes to change it. I would guess that you never would have thought about this if the order had been like this since the beginning, too.
If I added an option for every little UI detail, the settings would be completely bloated by options only a small user share actually care about. This not only makes using the app harder (there are already some users that don't find certain options even though it's there), it also slows down app development because I keep to maintain features I once decided to add. It makes the app more complex, more prone to bugs and I will have less time to focus on completely new features.

AndrzejMandat

I don't like new invert option on Android. My google calendar is with past dates up, I liked this sort in Diarium.
Please, give option to choose sort mode by user.

timo

As I wrote above, the timeline is and was ordered from "newest on top" to "oldest on bottom" on all other platforms (Windows, iOS, macOS) all the time - and I haven't heard a single complaint about that order. Makes it difficult to understand for me why this is an issue on Android... Maybe someone has an idea?

AndrzejMandat My google calendar is with past dates up

I could list a few things that have "newest on top":

Your favorite chat app (WhatsApp, Signal, ...)
Your email program
Twitter / Facebook timeline
...

I also checked other popular journaling apps and they also have newer entries on top - with no option to invert it.

Kibajo

For me the new sort order is counter intuitive. Like in a diary on paper or in a calendar or agenda, I like to add new content at the end of previous text, not at its beginning. Please give us the option to choose.

redeyeshev

Kibajo I know your comment is over a year old, but I do agree with your sentiment about a paper diary. When I go back to previous entries, it's jarring to read the last entry of the day first, and view the day from finish to start.

timo Seeing as Diarium is a diary or journal in digital form, taking the best bits and overcoming the limitations of a paper diary, I find it hard to understand why a the day's entries run from latest entry to earliest, especially seeing as the thumbnail on the calendar date is from the day's first entry. If the logic is to be consistent, then shouldn't today's date in the calendar view also have previous dates below and future dates above?

AndrzejMandat

So why answers in this forum are in the bottom? 🙂