# How can I sort strings with numbers alphabetically? **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [November 16, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088 "2022-11-16T14:21:30Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michal_stefaniuk/32/113425_2.png) [@Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michal_Stefaniuk)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2022, 2:21pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/1 "2022-11-16T14:21:30Z")
Hey guys, one quick question. I have a set of example records: ```auto Test 123 sesi 501 Alva rout ``` and I want those to be sorted in asc/desc order in case insensitive and alphabeticall order, just like this: ```auto 501 Alva rout 123 sesi Test ``` so as you can see the first letter is dictating the order from A-Z (or other way around). How can I achieve that? Right now what I was able to achieve is case insensitive sorting through the normalizer so it sorts like this: ```auto 123 sesi 501 Ava rout Test ``` but the problem is that numbers are being sorted first and then the letters. Any ideas how can I solve this? I'm sharing with you guys my current configuration. ```auto "normalizer": { "my_normalizer": { "type": "custom", "char_filter": [], "filter": ["lowercase", "asciifolding"] } } ``` and then I'm using is as: ```auto "mappings": { "dynamic_templates": [ { "data_key": { "mapping": { "type": "keyword", "normalizer": "my_normalizer", "index_options": "docs", "copy_to": "all_search_fields" }, "match": "*_*_key" } }, { "data_string": { "mapping": { "norms": false, "type": "text", "fields": { "raw": { "type": "keyword", "index_options": "docs", "normalizer": "my_normalizer" } }, "index_options": "positions", "copy_to": "all_search_fields" }, "match": "*_*_string" } } ] ``` ---
**Author:** ![RabBit\_BR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rabbit_br/32/82261_2.png) [@RabBit\_BR](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/RabBit_BR)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2022, 4:02pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/2 "2022-11-16T16:02:45Z")
You can to use char\_filter to remove number in text and then add it in your normalizer. Like this: ```auto PUT my-index-000001 { "settings": { "analysis": { "normalizer": { "my_normalizer": { "type": "custom", "char_filter": [ "my_char_filter" ], "filter": [ "lowercase", "asciifolding" ] } }, "char_filter": { "my_char_filter": { "type": "pattern_replace", "pattern": """(\d+ )""", "replace": "" } } } }, "mappings": { "properties": { "description": { "type": "text", "fields": { "raw": { "type": "keyword", "index_options": "docs", "normalizer": "my_normalizer" } } } } } } POST my-index-000001/_bulk {"index":{}} {"description":"Test"} {"index":{}} {"description":"123 sesi"} {"index":{}} {"description":"501 Alva"} {"index":{}} {"description":"rout"} POST my-index-000001/_search?filter_path=hits.hits._source { "sort": [ { "description.raw": { "order": "asc" } } ] } ``` Reponse: ```auto { "hits": { "hits": [ { "_source": { "description": "501 Alva" } }, { "_source": { "description": "rout" } }, { "_source": { "description": "123 sesi" } }, { "_source": { "description": "Test" } } ] } } ``` ---
**Author:** ![Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michal_stefaniuk/32/113425_2.png) [@Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michal_Stefaniuk)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2022, 4:28pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/3 "2022-11-16T16:28:31Z")
Thanks for this hint! Though now after applying that filter I'm facing this exception ```auto Elasticsearch exception [type=illegal_argument_exception, reason=unknown setting [index.char_filter.my_char_filter.type] please check that any required plugins are installed, or check the breaking changes documentation for removed settings] ``` any idea what could be the reason? ---
**Author:** ![RabBit\_BR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rabbit_br/32/82261_2.png) [@RabBit\_BR](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/RabBit_BR)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/4 "2022-11-16T16:38:21Z")
what is your version ES? ---
**Author:** ![Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michal_stefaniuk/32/113425_2.png) [@Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michal_Stefaniuk)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/5 "2022-11-16T16:53:33Z")
Ok, so my mistake, sorry. Apparently I've placed the char\_filter outside **analysis**. Now I've placed it inside and the application is building. But, the sorting still works exactly the same as before. @RabBit_BR - are you sure that the pattern should be `"pattern": """(\d+ )"""` ? Those three quotation marks are raising my concerns. ```auto ElasticsearchParseException[Failed to parse content to map]; nested: JsonParseException[Unexpected character ('"' (code 34)): was expecting comma to separate Object entries ``` edit: Im using image **elasticsearch:7.16.1** ---
**Author:** ![RabBit\_BR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rabbit_br/32/82261_2.png) [@RabBit\_BR](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/RabBit_BR)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2022, 5:00pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/6 "2022-11-16T17:00:54Z")
> [@Michal\_Stefaniuk](#): > > are you sure that the pattern should be `"pattern": """(\d+ )"""` ? Yes. But you can change to: ` "pattern": "(\\d+ )"` ---
**Author:** ![Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michal_stefaniuk/32/113425_2.png) [@Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michal_Stefaniuk)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2022, 5:30pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/7 "2022-11-16T17:30:04Z")
Ok, so I went for ```auto "normalizer": { "my_normalizer": { "type": "custom", "char_filter": ["my_char_filter"], "filter": ["lowercase", "asciifolding"] } }, "char_filter": { "my_char_filter": { "type": "pattern_replace", "pattern": "(\\d+ )", "replace": "" } } ``` and of course added it to my type mapping. Now it works like a charm, thanks @RabBit_BR , I owe you a large beer 🍻! ---
**Author:** ![Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michal_stefaniuk/32/113425_2.png) [@Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michal_Stefaniuk)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2022, 4:01pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/8 "2022-11-17T16:01:16Z")
@RabBit_BR I have one more question, sorry to bother. I noticed one more thing. Let's say I have a set of data: ```auto Bstring 4 alpha 3 alpha ``` and I sort it with my number-ignoring and case insensitive normalizer then the output is ```auto 4 alpha 3 alpha Bstring ``` but I think it would be amazing to add one more thing. Is it possible to achieve this output? ```auto 3 alpha 4 alpha Bstring ``` So the real question is - if you have two equal string that start with different numbers, can we add numerical sorting to those? ---
**Author:** ![RabBit\_BR](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/rabbit_br/32/82261_2.png) [@RabBit\_BR](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/RabBit_BR)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2022, 4:38pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/9 "2022-11-17T16:38:16Z")
you can try something. You will have another field that indexes as a keyword. In luck you will have a tiebreaker which is this new field. Would be like this: ```auto { "sort": [ { "description.raw": { "order": "asc" } }, { "description.keyword": { "order": "asc" } } ] } ``` All example: ```auto PUT my-index-000001 { "settings": { "analysis": { "normalizer": { "my_normalizer": { "type": "custom", "char_filter": [ "my_char_filter" ], "filter": [ "lowercase", "asciifolding" ] } }, "char_filter": { "my_char_filter": { "type": "pattern_replace", "pattern": """(\d+ )""", "replace": "" } } } }, "mappings": { "properties": { "description": { "type": "text", "fields": { "keyword": { "type": "keyword" }, "raw": { "type": "keyword", "index_options": "docs", "normalizer": "my_normalizer" } } } } } } POST my-index-000001/_bulk {"index":{}} {"description":"Test"} {"index":{}} {"description":"123 sesi"} {"index":{}} {"description":"501 Alva"} {"index":{}} {"description":"rout"} {"index":{}} {"description":"Bstring"} {"index":{}} {"description":"4 alpha"} {"index":{}} {"description":"3 alpha"} POST my-index-000001/_search?filter_path=hits.hits._source { "sort": [ { "description.raw": { "order": "asc" } }, { "description.keyword": { "order": "asc" } } ] } ``` Response ```auto { "hits": { "hits": [ { "_source": { "description": "3 alpha" } }, { "_source": { "description": "4 alpha" } }, { "_source": { "description": "501 Alva" } }, { "_source": { "description": "Bstring" } }, { "_source": { "description": "rout" } }, { "_source": { "description": "123 sesi" } }, { "_source": { "description": "Test" } } ] } } ``` ---
**Author:** ![Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/michal_stefaniuk/32/113425_2.png) [@Michal\_Stefaniuk](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/Michal_Stefaniuk)\ **Post date:** [November 17, 2022, 5:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/10 "2022-11-17T17:11:04Z")
I was thinking about something similar, but I'm using dynamic\_templates, can both solutions be mixed together? My settings looks like this ```auto "settings": { "analysis": { "normalizer": { "my_normalizer": { "type": "custom", "char_filter": ["my_char_filter"], "filter": ["lowercase", "asciifolding"] } }, "char_filter": { "my_char_filter": { "type": "pattern_replace", "pattern": "(\\d+ )", "replace": "" } } } } ``` a then the mappings ```auto "mappings": { "dynamic_templates": [ { "data_key": { "mapping": { "type": "keyword", "normalizer": "my_normalizer", "index_options": "docs", "copy_to": "all_search_fields" }, "match": "*_*_key" } }, { "data_string": { "mapping": { "norms": false, "type": "text", "fields": { "raw": { "type": "keyword", "index_options": "docs", "normalizer": "my_normalizer" } }, "index_options": "positions", "copy_to": "all_search_fields" }, "match": "*_*_string" } } ] } ``` ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [December 15, 2022, 5:11pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/how-can-i-sort-strings-with-numbers-alphabetically/319088/11 "2022-12-15T17:11:37Z")
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