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I am using Iterate Field Values to Iterate my Model through a list of Strings (DBF-File). However, the Field Values-Iterator will always sort my Field by alphabet (ascending). It does not matter how the rows in the *.dbf are ordered.

Is it possible to run the model using a different sorting method?

Example of dbf-file:

house
mill
water
tree
cafe
garden

.. will run as

cafe  
garden  
house
mill
tree
water

I would like to run the Model by the first sequence of strings, not the second one. Is this possible? I tried adding a second column with numbers from 1 up to x, but the Iterator ignores this field.

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  • I think maybe that it iterates based on OBJECTID. Do the object ID's correspond to alphabetical order? If this is the case, I may have a solution.
    – Tangnar
    Jan 23, 2015 at 15:37
  • Can you expand more what the end need is for the sorted list?
    – artwork21
    Jan 23, 2015 at 20:33
  • Thank you Tangnar and artwork21. The iterator will always sort ascending by the field I am iterating over. It does not matter how the dbf or shapefile is ordered, or whether I add another Field with ascending numbers in correct order.
    – Alex
    Jan 26, 2015 at 19:02
  • The need for the ordered list the following: a group of students will use my model to process a list of strings. The strings are ordered by importance. Because the students will not be able to process all strings from the list during the course, I would like the model to start with the most important, descending to less important strings. This does not match with alphabetic numbering.
    – Alex
    Jan 26, 2015 at 19:03

1 Answer 1

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Looks like you have discovered a quirk of the Iterator. There is no indication in the help file that the iterator sorts the field. So the only way I can think of doing this is to add a field to your dataset and you number the rows in the order you wish to visit them. You then iterate over that field.

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  • Thanks a lot for answering. I am sorry for my late reply. @Hornbydd: I think you're right and there is no way around the Auto-Sort function. But how do I Iterate over the new field with correct numbers [Field 1] and read [Field 2] into inline variable substitution (%variableString%). Is this possible?
    – Alex
    Jan 26, 2015 at 18:56

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