SORT: QuickSortArray Trick for Complex Sorting With Miva_Array_Copy_Ref(...)

NOTE: As of Aug 2026 you probably don't need to create a reference array. I've been able to make array values stick just by running through and adding, removing, updating vars in the structure during the loop.

Note 2: Sorting data must NOT begin with numbers.

Note 3: This only sorts top level arrays. If you have a structure with another array, such as l.settings:order:items inside l.settings:admin_orders in a batch report you must copy the items array (for example) to a temporary array, sort that, and then clear the items array in the original structure and then copy the newly sorted array back.

QuickSortArray can be used to sort by any field in the structure.

What if the sort field doesn't exist?

Scenario: Sort shipping methods from low to high while including the name so that shipping fees are grouped from via provider from low to high, such as UPS, USPS, FED EX, etc...

Note: We'll be using the miva_array_copy_ref(...) method so we don't need to create a second array.

Create a new field in the shipping methods array specifically for sorting, set up a temporary array, then move data to original array.

<mvt:assign name="l.ok" value="miva_array_copy_ref(l.settings:shippingmethods,1,miva_array_elements(l.settings:shipping_methods),l.settings:smethods,1)" />

<mvt:foreach iterator="method" array="smethods">
	<mvt:assign name="l.settings:method:sort" value="l.settings:method:name $ l.settings:method:price" />
</mvt:foreach>

<mvt:do file="g.Module_Library_Utilities" name="l.success" value="QuickSortArray(l.settings:shippingmethods, ':sort', 'asc')" />

Now when you roll through the array, the methods are sorted by the :sort field.