flatorder

The flatorder tag directly modifies option ordering in a list built from multiple collections. The hierarchy of collections is "flattened," so each individual list element can be directly referenced.

Syntax

flatorder: order string or shorthand

Examples

Ordering lists with multiple collections

In the following example, the ANIMALS list is composed of three collections: the DOGS list, the CATS list, and the Guinea Pig option. The order: [*] tag will randomize the order of these collections, and the order of the items within the collections; however, the items in each collection will not be mixed together.

See demo See code Restart demo

To instead randomize all the options together as a single collection, use flatorder as shown in this example. The collections are "flattened" into a single collection and randomized accordingly.

See demo See code Restart demo

Ordering lists with collection headers

If we want to randomize just the Cats collection, and always show the Other collection first, we might be inclined to order the Cats list separately, then use an order tag on the ANIMALS list.

setlist: DOGS
_A. Dogs
1. Pug
2. Dalmatian
3. Boxer

setlist: CATS
order:[*]
_B. Cats
4. Bengal
5. Serval
6. Siamese

setlist: ANIMALS
order: 3,[1,2]
optsfrom: DOGS
optsfrom: CATS
_X. Other
7. Guinea Pig

It is also possible to accomplish the same thing with a flatorder tag on the ANIMALS list. This might be convenient if the original Cats list ordering needs to be preserved for usage elsewhere.

setlist: DOGS
_A. Dogs
1. Pug
2. Dalmatian
3. Boxer

setlist: CATS
_B. Cats
4. Bengal
5. Serval
6. Siamese

setlist: ANIMALS
flatorder: (9,10,[(1,2,3,4),(5,[6,7,8])])
optsfrom: DOGS
optsfrom: CATS
_X. Other
7. Guinea Pig

Here, we are defining the list order with numerical position references which includes both options and headers. The 9th and 10th list items are the header and option for the Other collection; codes 1 through 4 cover the options and header for Dogs, and 5 through 8 cover the options and header for Cats. Note that despite the randomization scheme for the Cats collection, we've anchored the header (code 5) to the top. If we omit this, the header is randomized and mixed in with the options.