Result list sorting works again and the behavior is improved

CHANGELOG.md

@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 ### Fixed
 
 - Avoided (infinite) display of "The list is loading. Just a moment please." for queries that should show "The result list is empty.", in cases where the user does not have the right to read the involved source(s) (#209).
+- Result list sorting works again and the behavior is improved - see the issue for details (#216).
 
 ## [1.7.0] - 2025-04-09
 

main/src/components/ListResultTable/QueryResultList/QueryResultList.jsx

@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ function QueryResultList(props) {
       <List
         {...props}
         disableAuthentication={true} // needed to overrule the default, which is to force logging in
+        storeKey={false} // do not remember pagination, sorting, ...
         title=" "
         actions={ <ActionBar />}
         empty={false}

main/src/components/ListResultTable/QueryResultList/TableHeader/TableHeader.jsx

@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { Link, TableCell, TableHead, TableRow } from "@mui/material";
+import { Link, TableCell, TableHead, TableRow, Tooltip } from "@mui/material";
 import React from "react";
 import { useListContext } from "react-admin";
 import "./TableHeader.css";
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@ function TableHeader({ children }) {
    * @param {string} target - the source of the column that was clicked 
    */
   function handleHeaderClick(target) {
-    const newSort = { field: target, order: "DESC" };
-    if (sort) {
+    const newSort = { field: target, order: "ASC" };
+    if (sort && sort.field == target) {
       if (sort.order === "ASC") {
         newSort.order = "DESC";
       } else {
@@ -37,23 +37,28 @@ function TableHeader({ children }) {
 
   const query = configManager.getQueryWorkingCopyById(resource);
   const variableOntology = query.variableOntology;
-
+  const sortingAllowed = query.queryText.startsWith("# Custom sorting is allowed.");
+
   return (
     <TableHead>
       <TableRow>
         {React.Children.map(children, (child) => (
           <>
             <TableCell
               key={child.props.source}
-              sx={{ height: "100%", "& > *": { verticalAlign: "middle" } }}
+              sx={{ height: "100%", "font-weight": "bold", "& > *": { verticalAlign: "middle" } }}
             >
-              <span
+              {sortingAllowed ? <span
                 role="button"
                 className="header-button"
                 onClick={() => handleHeaderClick(child.props.source)}
               >
                 {child.props.label}
-              </span>
+              </span> : <Tooltip title="Custom sorting is disabled for queries containing an ORDER clause.">
+                <span>
+                  {child.props.label}
+                </span>
+              </Tooltip>}
               {!!variableOntology && variableOntology[child.props.source] && (
                 <Link
                   target="_blank"

main/src/dataProvider/SparqlDataProvider.js

@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ export default {
         query.variableValues = meta.variableValues;
       }
 
-      const hash = JSON.stringify({ resource, variableValues: query.variableValues });
+      const hash = JSON.stringify({ resource, sort, variableValues: query.variableValues });
       // LOG console.log(`hash: ${hash}`);
       if (hash == listCache.hash) {
         // LOG console.log(`reusing listCache.results: ${JSON.stringify(listCache.results, null, 2)}`);
@@ -151,17 +151,22 @@ async function buildQueryText(query) {
     if (!query.variableOntology) {
       query.variableOntology = findPredicates(parsedQuery);
     }
-    if (!parsedQuery.order && query.sort && query.sort.field !== "id") {
-      const { field, order } = query.sort;
-      parsedQuery.order = [
-        {
-          expression: { termType: "Variable", value: field },
-          descending: order === "DESC",
-        },
-      ];
-    }
+    let comments = "";
+    if (!parsedQuery.order) {
+      comments = "Custom sorting is allowed.";
+      if (query.sort && query.sort.field !== "id") {
+        const { field, order } = query.sort;
+        parsedQuery.order = [
+          {
+            expression: { termType: "Variable", value: field },
+            descending: order === "DESC",
+          },
+        ];
+      }
+    } 
     const generator = new Generator();
-    return generator.stringify(parsedQuery);
+    let result = generator.stringify(parsedQuery);
+    return `# ${comments}\n${result}`;
   } catch (error) {
     throw new Error(error.message);
   }

test/cypress/e2e/sorting.cy.js

@@ -0,0 +1,22 @@
+describe("Table sorting", () => {
+  it("Should respond to sorting", () => {
+    cy.visit("/");
+    cy.contains("Example queries").click();
+    cy.contains("A query about musicians").click();
+    cy.contains("Finished in:");
+    cy.get(':nth-child(1) > .column-name > span').contains("Antonio Caldara").should("not.exist");
+    cy.contains("name").click();
+    cy.get(':nth-child(1) > .column-name > span').contains("Antonio Caldara");
+    cy.contains("name").click();
+    cy.get(':nth-child(1) > .column-name > span').contains("Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart");
+  });
+
+  it("Should show that sorting is disabled on queries with an ORDER clause", () => {
+    cy.visit("/");
+    cy.contains("Project related examples").click();
+    cy.contains("Components").click();
+    cy.contains("Finished in:");
+    cy.contains(/^component$/).click();
+    cy.contains("Custom sorting is disabled for queries containing an ORDER clause.").should('exist');
+  });
+});