Sorting and Reordering - Making One Column Appear After Another

This rule makes one column in a table appear after another.

Example

Technical details

• This script works for both 1 dimensional summary tables with multiple statistics and 2 dimensional tables (i.e. crosstabs).
• This rule is not compatible with tables with column spans.

How to apply this rule

For the first time in a project

• Select the table(s)/chart(s) that you wish to apply the rule to.
• Start typing the name of the Rule into the Search features and data box in the top right of the Q window.
• Click on the Rule when it appears in the QScripts and Rules section of the search results.

OR

• Select Automate > Browse Online Library.
• Choose this rule from the list.

Additional applications of the rule

• Select a table or chart that has the rule and any table(s)/chart(s) that you wish to apply the rule to.
• Click on the Rules tab (bottom-left of the table/chart).
• Select the rule that you wish to apply.
• Click on the Apply drop-down and choose your desired option.
• Check New items to have it automatically applied to new items that you create. Use Edit > Project Options > Save as Template to create a new project template that automatically uses this rule.

Removing the rule

• Select the table(s)/chart(s) that you wish to remove the rule from.
• Press the Rules tab (bottom-right corner).
• Press Apply next to the rule you wish to remove and choose the appropriate option.

How to modify the rule

• Click on the Rules tab (bottom-left of the table/chart).
• Select the rule that you wish to modify.
• Click Edit Rule and make the desired changes. Alternatively, you can use the JavaScript below to make your own rule (see Customizing Rules).

JavaScript

You can find a simpler version of this code, which does not contain the controls, here.

includeWeb("Table JavaScript Utility Functions");
var column_labels = table.columnLabels;
if (!column_labels) { // 1D table
    column_labels = table.statistics;
    if (column_labels.length < 2)
        form.ruleNotApplicable('table has only one column');
 
    // Set up controls for user input.
    form.setHeading('Making One Column Appear After Another');
    var label_1 = form.newLabel('Make');
    var label_2 = form.newLabel('appear after');
    var combo_box_column_1 = form.newComboBox('column1', column_labels);
    form.setInputControls([label_1, combo_box_column_1, label_2]);
    var column_1_label = combo_box_column_1.requireValue();
    var index_1 = column_labels.indexOf(column_1_label);
    var column_labels_reduced = column_labels;
    column_labels_reduced.splice(index_1, 1);
    var combo_box_column_2 = form.newComboBox('column2', column_labels_reduced);
    form.setInputControls([label_1, combo_box_column_1, label_2, combo_box_column_2]);
    var column_2_label = combo_box_column_2.requireValue();
    form.setSummary('Make column "' + column_1_label + '" appear after column "' + column_2_label + '"');
 
    // Move the columns
    var index_2 = column_labels_reduced.indexOf(column_2_label);
    column_labels_reduced.splice(index_2 + 1, 0, column_1_label);
    table.statistics = column_labels_reduced;
} else { // 2D table
    if (column_labels.length < 2)
        form.ruleNotApplicable('table has only one column');
    if (table.columnSpans.length > 0)
        form.ruleNotApplicable('table has column spans');
 
    // Set up controls for user input.
    form.setHeading('Making One Column Appear After Another');
    var label_1 = form.newLabel('Make');
    var label_2 = form.newLabel('appear after');
    var combo_box_column_1 = form.newComboBox('column1', column_labels);
    form.setInputControls([label_1, combo_box_column_1, label_2]);
    var column_1_label = combo_box_column_1.requireValue();
    var index_1 = table.columnIndex(column_1_label);
    var column_labels_reduced = column_labels;
    column_labels_reduced.splice(index_1, 1);
    var combo_box_column_2 = form.newComboBox('column2', column_labels_reduced);
    form.setInputControls([label_1, combo_box_column_1, label_2, combo_box_column_2]);
    var column_2_label = combo_box_column_2.requireValue();
    var index_2 = table.columnIndex(column_2_label);
    form.setSummary('Make column "' + column_1_label + '" appear after column "' + column_2_label + '"');
 
    // Move the columns
    moveColumnAfterComplete(index_1, index_2);
}

See also

• User Input for Rules for technical information on Rules.
• Rule Online Library for other examples of Rules.
• Table JavaScript and Plot JavaScript for the JavaScript that is used to write custom rules.
• JavaScript for information about the JavaScript programming language.