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Power BI

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Customize fields list ordering

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Ian Bennett on 17 Feb 2017 08:50:54

At least as an option, allow fields to be ordered the same as the source query rather than alphabetical. This way they can be put in a logical and consistent order.

Obviously, a workaround is to prefix each column name with a number but this is clunky, unattractive and a pain if the columns change often.

Comments (76)
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Hayley Liss on 13 Jan 2021 20:23:01

RE: Customize fields list ordering

Database fields in a table are always created in a specific order. When working with the tables in BI it creates an unnecessary unfamiliarity when working with the tables, especially when you are used to working with them in their designed order. I agree with an earlier comment, the original order should be the default, and alphabetical order an option. Especially when working with databases.

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Tyler Siefring on 08 Sep 2020 18:26:05

RE: Customize fields list ordering

Many have already said it. When looking for populating certain logical data objects, like an address, we would like to be able to customize this order.

Street
City
State/Region
Zip
Country

Not alphabetical:
City
Country
State/Region
Street
Zip

And that's a simple example where you don't have addressee type information like a customer name or customer contact, etc. Add that, and the alphabetical representation makes even less sense to the end user.

City
Country
Name
Phone
State/Region
Street
Zip

Also, a similar idea seems to have been recorded here: https://ideas.powerbi.com/ideas/idea/?ideaid=fa1e508d-c4fe-4886-b6f1-cc4c9b8b7757

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Russou Pila on 06 Jul 2020 00:17:03

RE: Customize fields list ordering

Please implement the field's list ordering. Having the field list in alphabetical just make me create many tables that I consider annoying.

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Nick on 06 Jul 2020 00:14:04

RE: Customize fields list ordering

How has this been up for several years and hasn't been implemented yet?

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Sheldon on 06 Jul 2020 00:13:52

RE: Customize fields list ordering

Please implement this.

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Anirudha Marwaha on 06 Jul 2020 00:13:19

RE: Customize fields list ordering

This should be a option...pain ********** when you create data sets with specific columns at the end on purpose so that you can easily find them....

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Rene Diaz Brans on 06 Jul 2020 00:12:47

RE: Customize fields list ordering

Please implement. Even the Pivot table in Excel has this basic feature.

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Natalie on 06 Jul 2020 00:10:34

RE: Customize fields list ordering

I've used the software for 20 minutes and run into this immediately. This is appalling default behavior. Yikes.

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Augusto Ferronato Lima on 06 Jul 2020 00:09:23

RE: Customize fields list ordering

I can't believe this can't be done yet. Often I work with primary data with 100+ fields extracted straight from databases which need to be constantly updated from PBI (I won't download the whole database everytime, so I can't do the column prefix workaround). Most databases have a logical order in their fields. The alphabetical ordering makes me lose so much time looking for each field because it's extremely ILLOGICAL.

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Chayakiran on 06 Jul 2020 00:08:27

RE: Customize fields list ordering

It would be helpful to have the Field pane carry over the structure of the Queries pane in the Edit Query view. This allows a report writer to easily navigate the field pane grouped together in logical groups. Thanks.