Sort Order for Custom Activity/Task Codes

When managing Activity Codes in your system, it's important to understand how sort order affects the way codes are displayed and organized. This article explains the default behavior and how custom codes are sorted when added.

Default Sort Order: Sort Order 1

All standard Activity Codes (e.g., A101–A112) are assigned Sort Order 1 by default.

When you add custom codes and assign them Sort Order 1, they are grouped together with the standard Activity Codes. Within this sort order, all codes are sorted alphabetically.

Example: Custom Codes in Sort Order 1

If you add the following custom codes:

• SU200
• SU210
• SU220
• E5000
• E5010
• J8900
• J8950

They will be displayed in this order (all in Sort Order 1 and sorted alphabetically):

A101–A112 (Sort Order 1 codes)  

...  

E5000 - Issue Notification/eGrant 

E5010 - USPTO Correspondence  

J8900 - Foreign-Notice of Allowance  

J8950 - Foreign-Filing CON-DIV 

SU200 - PCT-Average  

SU210 - PCT-Complex  

SU220 - National Stage Entry-Basic  

Sort Order 2

Codes assigned to Sort Order 2 appear after all codes in Sort Order 1, regardless of their alphabetical value. Within Sort Order 2, codes are sorted alphabetically.

Example:

A101–A112 (Sort Order 1 codes)  

...  

GU230 – National Stage Entry-Complex  

GU240 – Restriction-OA-Basic  

GU250 – Restriction-OA-Complex  

GU260 – RespOA-Basic  

J8951 – EPO-Validation  

J8952 – General Counseling Work  

In this case, GU codes are listed before J codes due to alphabetical sorting within Sort Order 2.

Sort Order 3 and Beyond

Additional sort orders (e.g., Sort Order 3) follow the same rules:

1. Codes appear after all codes in lower-numbered sort orders.
2. Within their assigned sort order, they are sorted alphabetically.
   
    

Example:

A101–A112 (Sort Order 1 codes)  

...  

E5500 – Foreign-OA (Sort Order 3)  

GU270 – RespOA-Complex  

GU280 – Examiner Interview  

GU290 – DeclarationOA-Basic  

GU300 – DeclarationOA-Complex  

GU310 – CON-Basic  

Even though "E" would come before "G" alphabetically, the E5500 code appears after all Sort Order 1 and 2 codes, because it's in Sort Order 3.

Summary of Sort Order Rules

• Sort Order 1 includes standard A-codes and any custom codes with the same sort order. These are alphabetically sorted.
• Sort Order 2 codes appear after Sort Order 1 and are also sorted alphabetically.
• Higher sort orders (3, 4, etc.) continue this pattern.
• Alphabetical sorting is always applied within the same sort order group.

If you're organizing your Activity Codes and want to control where custom entries appear, adjust their Sort Order value and remember that sorting is always alphabetical within each group.