Create a 'reorder' ability for Typelists

That would be cool, but I would still want to reorder random collections too.

I'm with Stowe - often I use typelists as sidebar content, and I want to fine tune the precise ordering of the lists.

Please oh please, oh please!!! This is a much needed feature. The current options for sorting TypeLists just don't cover my needs.

hello there. as for now, they haven't created a reorder function for typelist. i hope they make a function for this as soon as possible. For the mean time, you can re-order the items in your typelist the way you want it to be by manually reordering it. You can copy all the recent items, copy the one at the bottom and then as follows then paste it in a notepad, rename your current typelist and then create the a new one with the desired title and then paste again the items. Note that you copied the one at the bottom first an then so on so when you add items. the one you copied first will then appear at the bottom. it depends on your choice.

Hi Stowe,

I've always done this by using the "Notes" TypeList and hand coding the list in simple HTML, going all the way back to when I had to use the notes section of the Linklist. I was thrilled when they borke the notes section off and made it a separate editing tool.

I feel like this method gives me much finer control over everything from ordering, to font styles, to line spacing, to inserting images as links.

It solves the "ordering" problem, for me anyway, because once I create the first item in the list -- btw, I generally don't use the HTML for ordered or unordered lists, just paragraphs and line breaks -- I can simply copy the code for that item, paste it in before or after the first item, and then rewrite the pieces that need to be different, such as the URL, the link text, or the image source.

Here's an example of a two-item "Notes" list, with text links to Stowe's blog and mine:

/message from Stowe Boyd

Books, Blogs, and Beyond

Whenever I want to add an item, I just copy a paragraph from to

and paste it in where I want it to appear.

If I want to change the ordering, I just cut-and-paste the items that need to be moved.

Using this technique avoids being bound by any "system" ordering rules (dates, alphabet, numeric, etc.).

Now, for those unwilling to learn a little HTML, there may be a method already in the TypePad publishing system, with a little tweaking of the Reading list tool. I've fudged the ordering of my book recommendations at times by using the "Rating" tool to asign ranking to the books, but not displaying the rating. It's clunky if you have more than five books, but it seems like a little bit of adjustment to let you assign numbers, instead of stars, and open it up to, say two or even three digits, and you'd have an ordering system with complete control.

The events calendar is another matter. I've used RSS Calendar to pull events into the sidebar, but that capability seems important enough that I'd love to see TypePad buy or license their tool, or build one like it as another function built right into TypePad -- perhaps another form of TypeList, or perhaps a new section like the PhotoAlbum.

Sorry for going on ...

Tom

Okay, I didn't realize the code around my links would disappear (is there a way to avoid that on this list, if we want to share code??).

Thanks, but I don't understand your "comment it out" suggestion.

And now when I try to add an image (it's a 12K GIF), I'm getting this:

TypeError: 'responseText' is null or not an object

So I uploaded the image to our blog account, and (hopefully, since it's showing code right now) here it is using the image URL tool:

Unless something has changed recently, it's easy to order Typelist items. Just preface the item titles with numbered comments like this: <! 1> <! 2> etc. If you have more than 9 items, start with 11 and work your way up (otherwise 10, 11, etc will come right after 1). The comments won't show up on your blog but the list will be sorted by them as though they were text. You can also order your categories this way.

Typepad should know this and put it in their help file. Sad that two Typepad employees couldn't answer this simple question.

http://classical-bookworm.blogspot.co...

Yes order through the commented numbers works, but I find I have to change the configuration option to something other than "ascending order" every time I rearrange the order or add items, then I have to change it back to Ascendng, or the changes don't take. Anyone else run into this?

Hi IslandBookworm and B,

I could be wrong, but it seems to me you misunderstood Stowe's original question. I think he has no problem ordering items; it's when you want to reorder them that your solution could become cumbersome.

If you wanted to add something to a list of 9 items, but you want the new one to be number 2, I think you'd have to renumber all of your <! n> tags after the new item, right?

I'm guessing Stowe is asking for a tool in TypePad that would handle the reordering for us, maybe a drag-and-drop like for sidebar modules in the content page. But in the meantime, I still think my simple copy- or cut-and-paste method is simpler and more precise.

Tom

I understand the original question and would very much like the functionality being requested. The <!n> workaround has been suggested by IslandBooworm and others as an interim way to achieve the ability to reorder items without being tied to ascending, descending, ascending date/descending date added. It is cumbersome, to use the <!n> but, at least you only need to edit the numbers and not completely re-enter items in the order you want them to apper. A more user friendly method provided by TypePad would indeed be greatly welcomed.

Not sure why this is so hard. Use a links Typelist, with only one item. In that item, type your list in any order you want, as lines of text, or as list items. This way, you can also style each item with as much pizzazz as you want, subdivide lists with headers, etc. I use various styles in my sidebars and footers. See http://www.coffeehabitat.com/

I've tried Bookworm's suggestion... I entered <! 11> and <! 12> and still they appear in the wrong order... am I doing something wrong?

Thanks for helping, Bookworm! However, I can't seem to find where to sort by title. :)

Hmm, I found the setting tab, but when I click it, all I see is....

Nope, not under the publish tab, either. :( Ah well... thanks for at least trying to help! :)

check to see what kind of typelist you are working with. The Display Order options are under "settings" but they will not show up for a "Notes" typelist. If you want to make navigation links make sure you select "Links" typelist when you set it up.

Hello, B and thanks so much for contributing! :)

Yes, it's a "Notes" list so that explains it. :)

Now, is it possible to have IMAGES in the "Links" typelist? That's my hope... to have images that will link to other pages on my site.

Still wondering if it's possible to have images in a "Links" typelist?

If not, I have to wonder why it's still taking "over two years" (looking at Mr. Sippey's original response) to implement a feature where we can move around items in a Notes typelist.

Thanks for the comments.

Cookie, I've tried using images in a Links Typelist and they didn't show up.

I just closed my 14-day free trial with the satisfaction of knowing that I didn't pay into this. I do thank them for giving a 14-day trial.

Bookworm, the ONLY thing that frustrates me with Blogger is that I can't have pages. Oh, I can create them... but it's a fairly big process to do so (based on some tutorials I've read).

I have been gradually moving my blogs from typepad to wordpress on my own server. Mainly due to the extensive options and plugins it affords me and my readers. However, the kicker is the fact that Google is not picking up my blogs in the manner that it did during the first two years of my subscription. They still are picking up some posts. I have done everything necessary and suggested by typepad to get google exposure. But once I do the same things with my wordpress blog(s), google picks up ALL my blog posts within a few hours. I would like to see Typepad be more successful, but their new blogging "tools" are sadly inadequate for the job that is now required to compete with blogs of similar interests.
What I would like to see for Typepad is more concentration on tools to make seo more practical and competitive.
I should point out that both Yahoo and Bing DO pick up our blogs with no problem. It would be easy to lay the blame on googles constantly changing algorithm, but with an organization like Six Apart, this is something they should be on top of, at all times.
After all. The blog can be well written and interesting, but if nobody sees it, what is the point?