Sorting Items Inside a Webflow Collection List with F'in Sweet CMS Library

Published on
May 4, 2020

Sorting Items Inside a Collection List Using F'in Sweet CMS Library in Webflow

If you're looking for a way to sort items inside a collection list on your website, the F'in Sweet CMS library for Webflow might just be the solution you need. In this tutorial, we'll guide you through the process of using the F'in Sweet CMS library to effectively sort through items inside a collection list in your Webflow project.

Understanding the Purpose of Sort Component

The sort component in the F'in Sweet CMS library allows you to toggle between showing items in A to Z order and Z to A order. Additionally, you can choose which columns from your Webflow CMS to sort by, providing a high level of customization.

The sort component can be used with or without the filter component, providing the flexibility to solely focus on sorting without the need for filtering. This is particularly useful when you simply want to change the order of elements on the page without applying any filters.

Setting Up F'in Sweet CMS Library

To begin, you need to create a new instance of the F'in Sweet CMS library and target it at the collection list you want to sort. This involves running a function and storing the new instance in a variable. For example, if you're targeting a blog posts list, you can name the variable as "custom blog posts."

Incorporating Sort Component

With the library instance set up, you can now run the sort component on your list. The sort component consists of several options that allow you to customize its behavior. Let's delve into each option and its significance:

  1. Sort Trigger: This refers to the class of the button that will serve as a trigger for the sorting action. Whether you have a single sort button or multiple sort buttons, they all must have the same class specified as the sort trigger.

  2. Sort Reverse: This option determines whether the initial sort order will be reversed. Setting it to true will result in a Z to A sort on the first click, while setting it to false will initiate an A to Z sort on the first click. This is particularly useful when you want to maintain consistency if your list is already sorted in A to Z order.

  3. Active Class: It specifies the class that will be added to the sort trigger when the sorting is active. This allows you to visually indicate to the user which sorting option is currently active, such as changing the background color or adding an arrow icon.

  4. Animation Enabled: This option determines whether animation is enabled for the sort action. While useful for items entering or leaving the page, it's recommended to set the duration to zero for sorting actions to ensure an instant update without any motion effects.

  5. Sort By: This data attribute is applied to sort triggers to indicate what they are sorting by. It includes the class of the text that the components will sort by, providing a straightforward way to specify the sorting criteria.

Applying Sort by Data Attribute

When applying the "sort by" data attribute, you need to specify the class of the text within the targeted elements. For example, if you want to sort by project number or project title, you would apply the relevant class to indicate the sorting criteria.

By providing the classes that represent the text you want to sort by, the F'in Sweet CMS library seamlessly handles the sorting process. This approach simplifies the setup and reduces the number of steps required to implement sorting functionality.

Conclusion

In summary, the F'in Sweet CMS library for Webflow provides a powerful and customizable solution for implementing sorting functionality in your collection lists. By leveraging the sort component and its options, you can easily enable users to toggle between different sorting orders and customize the visual indicators for active sorting options.

If you're looking to enhance the user experience on your Webflow site by allowing users to control the sort order of dynamic lists, the F'in Sweet CMS library offers a straightforward and efficient way to achieve this. With its intuitive setup and customizable options, you can seamlessly incorporate sorting functionality into your Webflow projects, enhancing the overall usability and navigation for your website visitors.