# Score asc vs desc reversed? **URL:** \ **Category:** Elasticsearch\ **Created:** [August 1, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/score-asc-vs-desc-reversed/5023 "2011-08-01T22:52:27Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ppearcy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ppearcy/32/980_2.png) [@ppearcy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ppearcy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 10:52pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/score-asc-vs-desc-reversed/5023/1 "2011-08-01T22:52:27Z")
Heya, I was playing around with score based scoring and was surprised to see that a sort=\_score:asc returned the scores from highest to lowest, while sort=\_score:desc returns the lowest score to the highest score. Not sure what can be done at this point to have this make more sense without breaking a bunch of stuff, but was surprised at how this was reversed. Most users probably don't specify asc or desc, so get the correct behavior. Thanks, Paul ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [August 1, 2011, 11:53pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/score-asc-vs-desc-reversed/5023/2 "2011-08-01T23:53:28Z")
Actually, this only happens on the URI case, and if you pass the order in the search body, it will work correctly. Opened an issue, will be fixed in 0.17.3: [Sorting on \_score in the URI format / Java API is reversed · Issue #1191 · elastic/elasticsearch · GitHub](https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1191). On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 1:52 AM, ppearcy [ppearcy@gmail.com](mailto:ppearcy@gmail.com) wrote: > Heya, > I was playing around with score based scoring and was surprised to > see that a sort=\_score:asc returned the scores from highest to lowest, > while sort=\_score:desc returns the lowest score to the highest score. > > Not sure what can be done at this point to have this make more sense > without breaking a bunch of stuff, but was surprised at how this was > reversed. Most users probably don't specify asc or desc, so get the > correct behavior. > > Thanks, > Paul ---
**Author:** ![ppearcy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ppearcy/32/980_2.png) [@ppearcy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ppearcy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 12:21am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/score-asc-vs-desc-reversed/5023/3 "2011-08-02T00:21:00Z")
FYI, I can also reproduce with the Java APIs using the SortBuilders object. The call looks like: ``` searchBuilder.addSort(SortBuilders.fieldSort(field).order(order)); ``` Let me know if you need any other details Thanks! Paul On Aug 1, 5:53 pm, Shay Banon [kim...@gmail.com](mailto:kim...@gmail.com) wrote: > Actually, this only happens on the URI case, and if you pass the order in > the search body, it will work correctly. Opened an issue, will be fixed in > 0.17.3:[Sorting on \_score in the URI format / Java API is reversed · Issue #1191 · elastic/elasticsearch · GitHub](https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1191). > > On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 1:52 AM, ppearcy [ppea...@gmail.com](mailto:ppea...@gmail.com) wrote: > > > Heya, > > I was playing around with score based scoring and was surprised to > > see that a sort=\_score:asc returned the scores from highest to lowest, > > while sort=\_score:desc returns the lowest score to the highest score. > > > Not sure what can be done at this point to have this make more sense > > without breaking a bunch of stuff, but was surprised at how this was > > reversed. Most users probably don't specify asc or desc, so get the > > correct behavior. > > > Thanks, > > Paul ---
**Author:** ![kimchy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/kimchy/32/44952_2.png) [@kimchy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/kimchy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 5:40am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/score-asc-vs-desc-reversed/5023/4 "2011-08-02T05:40:50Z")
Yes, you are right, this also applies to the Java API, updated the issue. On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 3:21 AM, ppearcy [ppearcy@gmail.com](mailto:ppearcy@gmail.com) wrote: > FYI, I can also reproduce with the Java APIs using the SortBuilders > object. > > The call looks like: > > searchBuilder.addSort(SortBuilders.fieldSort(field).order(order)); > > Let me know if you need any other details > > Thanks! > Paul > > On Aug 1, 5:53 pm, Shay Banon [kim...@gmail.com](mailto:kim...@gmail.com) wrote: > > > Actually, this only happens on the URI case, and if you pass the order in > > the search body, it will work correctly. Opened an issue, will be fixed > > in > > 0.17.3:[Sorting on \_score in the URI format / Java API is reversed · Issue #1191 · elastic/elasticsearch · GitHub](https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1191). > > > > On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 1:52 AM, ppearcy [ppea...@gmail.com](mailto:ppea...@gmail.com) wrote: > > > > > Heya, > > > I was playing around with score based scoring and was surprised to > > > see that a sort=\_score:asc returned the scores from highest to lowest, > > > while sort=\_score:desc returns the lowest score to the highest score. > > > > > Not sure what can be done at this point to have this make more sense > > > without breaking a bunch of stuff, but was surprised at how this was > > > reversed. Most users probably don't specify asc or desc, so get the > > > correct behavior. > > > > > Thanks, > > > Paul ---
**Author:** ![ppearcy](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/user_avatar/discuss.elastic.co/ppearcy/32/980_2.png) [@ppearcy](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/ppearcy)\ **Post date:** [August 2, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/score-asc-vs-desc-reversed/5023/5 "2011-08-02T15:31:06Z")
Thank you!!! On Aug 1, 11:40 pm, Shay Banon [kim...@gmail.com](mailto:kim...@gmail.com) wrote: > Yes, you are right, this also applies to the Java API, updated the issue. > > On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 3:21 AM, ppearcy [ppea...@gmail.com](mailto:ppea...@gmail.com) wrote: > > > FYI, I can also reproduce with the Java APIs using the SortBuilders > > object. > > > The call looks like: > > > searchBuilder.addSort(SortBuilders.fieldSort(field).order(order)); > > > Let me know if you need any other details > > > Thanks! > > Paul > > > On Aug 1, 5:53 pm, Shay Banon [kim...@gmail.com](mailto:kim...@gmail.com) wrote: > > > > > Actually, this only happens on the URI case, and if you pass the order in > > > the search body, it will work correctly. Opened an issue, will be fixed > > > in > > > 0.17.3:[Sorting on \_score in the URI format / Java API is reversed · Issue #1191 · elastic/elasticsearch · GitHub](https://github.com/elasticsearch/elasticsearch/issues/1191). > > > > On Tue, Aug 2, 2011 at 1:52 AM, ppearcy [ppea...@gmail.com](mailto:ppea...@gmail.com) wrote: > > > > > > > Heya, > > > > I was playing around with score based scoring and was surprised to > > > > see that a sort=\_score:asc returned the scores from highest to lowest, > > > > while sort=\_score:desc returns the lowest score to the highest score. > > > > > Not sure what can be done at this point to have this make more sense > > > > without breaking a bunch of stuff, but was surprised at how this was > > > > reversed. Most users probably don't specify asc or desc, so get the > > > > correct behavior. > > > > > Thanks, > > > > Paul ---
**Author:** ![system](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/elastic/original/3X/1/a/1ac57faf039f6b580b3f104ef42a2a89e41014de.png) [@system](https://discuss.elastic.co/u/system)\ **Post date:** [July 6, 2017, 3:58am UTC](https://discuss.elastic.co/t/score-asc-vs-desc-reversed/5023/6 "2017-07-06T03:58:29Z")