alphabetize

When the alphabetize tag is used on a list, all list elements will be organized in alphabetical order.

setlist: CITIES
alphabetize: y
1. Seattle
2. Los Angeles
3. Portland
4. New York City
5. Denver
6. San Francisco

5. Which of these cities have you visited in the past?
type: checkbox
optsfrom: CITIES
99. None of these {exclusive: y}

Details

• The alphabetize tag accepts 'y' and 'n' inputs.
• alphabetize: y is the functional equivalent of order: AtoZ(*).
• When used at the list level with a setlist, the alphabetized order applies to every question or table that uses the list. When applied inline at the question level, it alphabetizes the list elements for that question only.
• The alphabetize tag can be paired with the anchor decorator to keep specific options anchored in their list positions.
• The alphabetize tag can also be used as a decorator or as a column header in a spreadsheet to alphabetize collections organized by collection headers.

Additional examples

Using 'alphabetize' at the question level

You can apply alphabetize: y directly to a question widget to alphabetize the answer options for that question only.

2. Colors listed in alphabetical order.
type: radio
alphabetize: y
1. Red
2. Orange
3. Yellow
4. Green
5. Blue
6. Purple
7. Pink

Alphabetizing rows in a table

Similarly, the alphabetize: y tag can be used inline on a table. In the example below, note that the alphabetize tag is placed after the rows tag with a heredoc to clearly define which elements to alphabetize.

setlist: CITIES
alphabetize: y
1. Seattle
2. Los Angeles
3. Portland
4. New York City
5. Denver
6. San Francisco

3. Which activities have you done in each city?
type: checkbox table
optsfrom: CITIES
rows:<<END
alphabetize: y
1. Fishing/Camping
2. Excursions
3. Museum visits
4. Horseback riding
5. Shopping
END

If you program a table with listcalls like rowsfrom and colsfrom and also want to alphabetize options at the question level, use roworder and colorder instead. See Ordering tables: rows, columns, and options for more information.