enable ascending/descending options for corpus list sort

[kvesik]

Now that issue #22 is complete (corpus list can be sorted by gloss, lemma, date created, or date last modified)... Kathleen has also requested the option to reverse the sort order on any of those dimensions. Add a button/switch/something to the bottom of the corpus view, next to the "sort by" combobox, to toggle forward/backward sorting.

[kvesik]

@kchall I've come up with four options for how this could look. Do you have a preference for any of the below? Or did you have something different in mind?

Option 1: radio buttons with arrows

Option 2: radio buttons with wedges

Option 3: toggle buttons with arrows

Option 4: toggle buttons with wedges

[kchall]

@kvesik I like option 1, please and thank you! :)

[kchall]

In actually seeing this in operation, I'm wondering if there's a more uniquely intuitive option...I'm specifically struggling with the fact that the up arrow means that A is on the top (even though up for 'ascending' makes sense). This is apparently somewhat well known as a design issue (https://stackoverflow.com/questions/338166/which-direction-should-the-arrows-point-in-a-sorted-table)?

Some possibilities that I think might be more intuitive, but I don't know how easy they would be to implement, because as far I know there's no unicode symbol that is comparable:

But maybe we could use right-angle triangles?

These are U+25E2 and U+25E3!

[kvesik]

@kchall I can definitely do right-angle triangles. Another option could be something like "A to Z" or "A→Z", though that requires the user inferring that it also applies to numbers/dates/etc.

Or, I suppose, the full words "ascending" and "descending".

[kchall]

So many options! Maybe we can ask other team members what they think?

[kvesik]

20240115 programming meeting: most unambiguous is bottom middle option (A→Z; 1→9). Kathleen will ask coders for their input on Thursday.

[kchall]

@kvesik The coders liked the upper left option (just A→Z). I'm kind of inclined to still go with the one above that includes the 1→9 as well, though, just for clarity.