DOCSP-13696 correct sort stability language

Author: andf-mongodb

source/includes/fact-sort-consistency.rst

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+MongoDB does not store documents in a collection in a particular order.
+When sorting on a field which contains duplicate values, documents
+containing those values may be returned in any order.
+
+If consistent sort order is desired, include at least one field in your
+sort that contains unique values. The easiest way to guarantee this is
+to include the ``_id`` field in your sort query.

source/includes/fact-sort-stability.rst

@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ Definition
 
 
 
-      * - .. _findandmodify-command-stable-sorting:
+      * - .. _findandmodify-command-consistent-sorting:
 
           ``sort``
 
@@ -91,9 +91,9 @@ Definition
           Starting in MongoDB 4.2 (and 4.0.12+, 3.6.14+, and 3.4.23+), the operation
           errors if the sort argument is not a document.
 
-          .. include:: /includes/fact-sort-stability.rst
+          .. include:: /includes/fact-sort-consistency.rst
 
-          See :ref:`sort-cursor-stable-sorting` for more information.
+          See :ref:`sort-cursor-consistent-sorting` for more information.
 
 
 

source/reference/command/findAndModify.txt

@@ -69,11 +69,15 @@ Using ``limit()`` with ``sort()``
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 If using :method:`~cursor.limit()` with :method:`~cursor.sort()`, be
-sure that you are performing a *stable sort* before passing
-results to :method:`~cursor.limit()`. A stable sort ensures that the
-sort order of returned documents remains the same across multiple
-executions of the same sort; especially important when used with the
-:method:`~cursor.limit()` method.
-
-See :ref:`Stable sorting with the sort() method
-<sort-cursor-stable-sorting>` for more information.
+sure to include at least one field in your sort that contains
+unique values, before passing results to :method:`~cursor.limit()`.
+
+Sorting on fields that contain duplicate values may return an
+inconsistent sort order for those duplicate fields over multiple
+executions, especially when the collection is actively receiving writes.
+
+The easiest way to guarantee sort consistency is to include the
+``_id`` field in your sort query.
+
+See :ref:`Consistent sorting with the sort() method
+<sort-cursor-consistent-sorting>` for more information.

source/reference/method/cursor.limit.txt

@@ -53,15 +53,19 @@ Behavior
 Using ``skip()`` with ``sort()``
 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-If using :method:`~cursor.skip()` with :method:`~cursor.sort()`,
-be sure that you are performing a *stable sort* before passing
-results to :method:`~cursor.skip()`. A stable sort ensures that the sort
-order of returned documents remains the same across multiple executions
-of the same sort; especially important when used with the
-:method:`~cursor.skip()` method.
-
-See :ref:`Stable sorting with the sort() method
-<sort-cursor-stable-sorting>` for more information.
+If using :method:`~cursor.skip()` with :method:`~cursor.sort()`, be
+sure to include at least one field in your sort that contains
+unique values, before passing results to :method:`~cursor.skip()`.
+
+Sorting on fields that contain duplicate values may return an
+inconsistent sort order for those duplicate fields over multiple
+executions, especially when the collection is actively receiving writes.
+
+The easiest way to guarantee sort consistency is to include the
+``_id`` field in your sort query.
+
+See :ref:`Consistent sorting with the sort() method
+<sort-cursor-consistent-sorting>` for more information.
 
 Pagination Example
 ------------------

source/reference/method/cursor.skip.txt

@@ -60,14 +60,14 @@ Definition
 Behaviors
 ---------
 
-.. _sort-cursor-stable-sorting:
+.. _sort-cursor-consistent-sorting:
 
-Sort Stability
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Sort Consistency
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
 .. versionchanged:: 4.4
 
-.. include:: /includes/fact-sort-stability.rst
+.. include:: /includes/fact-sort-consistency.rst
 
 Consider the following ``restaurant`` collection:
 
@@ -88,13 +88,12 @@ on the ``borough`` field:
 
    db.restaurants.find().sort( { "borough": 1 } )
 
-In this example, the sort is *unstable*, since the ``borough`` field
-contains duplicate values for both ``Manhattan`` and ``Brooklyn``.
+In this example, sort order may be inconsistent, since the ``borough``
+field contains duplicate values for both ``Manhattan`` and ``Brooklyn``.
 Documents are returned in alphabetical order by ``borough``, but the
 order of those documents with duplicate values for ``borough`` might not
-the be the same across multiple executions of the same sort. For
-example, here are the results from two different executions of the
-above command:
+be the same across multiple executions of the same sort. For example,
+here are the results from two different executions of the above command:
 
 .. code-block:: js
    :copyable: false
@@ -115,7 +114,7 @@ While the values for ``borough`` are still sorted in alphabetical order,
 the order of the documents containing duplicate values for ``borough``
 (i.e. ``Manhattan`` and ``Brooklyn``) is not the same.
 
-To achieve a *stable sort*, add a field which contains exclusively
+To achieve a *consistent sort*, add a field which contains exclusively
 unique values to the sort. The following command uses the
 :method:`~cursor.sort()` method to sort on both the ``borough`` field
 and the ``_id`` field:

source/reference/method/cursor.sort.txt

@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ Definition
 
 
 
-      * - .. _findandmodify-method-stable-sorting:
+      * - .. _findandmodify-method-consistent-sorting:
 
           ``sort``
 
@@ -99,9 +99,9 @@ Definition
           Starting in MongoDB 4.2 (and 4.0.12+, 3.6.14+, and 3.4.23+), the operation
           errors if the sort argument is not a document.
 
-          .. include:: /includes/fact-sort-stability.rst
+          .. include:: /includes/fact-sort-consistency.rst
 
-          See :ref:`sort-cursor-stable-sorting` for more information.
+          See :ref:`sort-cursor-consistent-sorting` for more information.
 
 
 

source/reference/method/db.collection.findAndModify.txt

@@ -38,24 +38,28 @@ If using the :pipeline:`$limit` stage with any of:
 - the :pipeline:`$sort` aggregation stage,
 - the :method:`~cursor.sort()` method, or
 - the ``sort`` field to the :dbcommand:`findAndModify` command or the
-  :method:`~db.collection.findAndModify()` shell method.
+  :method:`~db.collection.findAndModify()` shell method,
 
-be sure that you are performing a *stable sort* before passing results
-to the :pipeline:`$limit` stage. A stable sort ensures that the sort
-order of returned documents remains the same across multiple executions
-of the same sort; especially important when used with the
-:pipeline:`$limit` stage.
+be sure to include at least one field in your sort that contains
+unique values, before passing results to the :pipeline:`$limit` stage.
+
+Sorting on fields that contain duplicate values may return an
+inconsistent sort order for those duplicate fields over multiple
+executions, especially when the collection is actively receiving writes.
+
+The easiest way to guarantee sort consistency is to include the
+``_id`` field in your sort query.
 
 See the following for more information on each:
 
-- :ref:`Stable sorting with $sort (aggregation)
-  <sort-aggregation-stable-sorting>`
-- :ref:`Stable sorting with the sort() method
-  <sort-cursor-stable-sorting>`
-- :ref:`Stable sorting with the findAndModify command
-  <findandmodify-command-stable-sorting>`
-- :ref:`Stable sorting with the findAndModify() method
-  <findandmodify-method-stable-sorting>`
+- :ref:`Consistent sorting with $sort (aggregation)
+  <sort-aggregation-consistent-sorting>`
+- :ref:`Consistent sorting with the sort() shell method
+  <sort-cursor-consistent-sorting>`
+- :ref:`Consistent sorting with the findAndModify command
+  <findandmodify-command-consistent-sorting>`
+- :ref:`Consistent sorting with the findAndModify() shell method
+  <findandmodify-method-consistent-sorting>`
 
 Example
 -------

source/reference/operator/aggregation/limit.txt

@@ -39,24 +39,28 @@ If using the :pipeline:`$skip` stage with any of:
 - the :pipeline:`$sort` aggregation stage,
 - the :method:`~cursor.sort()` method, or
 - the ``sort`` field to the :dbcommand:`findAndModify` command or the
-  :method:`~db.collection.findAndModify()` shell method.
+  :method:`~db.collection.findAndModify()` shell method,
 
-be sure that you are performing a *stable sort* before passing results
-to the :pipeline:`$skip` stage. A stable sort ensures that the sort
-order of returned documents remains the same across multiple executions
-of the same sort; especially important when used with the
-:pipeline:`$skip` stage.
+be sure to include at least one field in your sort that contains
+unique values, before passing results to the :pipeline:`$skip` stage.
+
+Sorting on fields that contain duplicate values may return a different
+sort order for those duplicate fields over multiple executions,
+especially when the collection is actively receiving writes.
+
+The easiest way to guarantee sort consistency is to include the
+``_id`` field in your sort query.
 
 See the following for more information on each:
 
-- :ref:`Stable sorting with $sort (aggregation)
-  <sort-aggregation-stable-sorting>`
-- :ref:`Stable sorting with the sort() method
-  <sort-cursor-stable-sorting>`
-- :ref:`Stable sorting with the findAndModify command
-  <findandmodify-command-stable-sorting>`
-- :ref:`Stable sorting with the findAndModify() method
-  <findandmodify-method-stable-sorting>`
+- :ref:`Consistent sorting with $sort (aggregation)
+  <sort-aggregation-consistent-sorting>`
+- :ref:`Consistent sorting with the sort() shell method
+  <sort-cursor-consistent-sorting>`
+- :ref:`Consistent sorting with the findAndModify command
+  <findandmodify-command-consistent-sorting>`
+- :ref:`Consistent sorting with the findAndModify() shell method
+  <findandmodify-method-consistent-sorting>`
 
 Example
 -------

source/reference/operator/aggregation/skip.txt

@@ -55,12 +55,12 @@ Definition
 Behavior
 --------
 
-.. _sort-aggregation-stable-sorting:
+.. _sort-aggregation-consistent-sorting:
 
-Sort Stability
-~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
+Sort Consistency
+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
 
-.. include:: /includes/fact-sort-stability.rst
+.. include:: /includes/fact-sort-consistency.rst
 
 Consider the following ``restaurant`` collection:
 
@@ -85,8 +85,8 @@ the ``borough`` field:
       ]
    )
 
-In this example, the sort is *unstable*, since the ``borough`` field
-contains duplicate values for both ``Manhattan`` and ``Brooklyn``.
+In this example, sort order may be inconsistent, since the ``borough``
+field contains duplicate values for both ``Manhattan`` and ``Brooklyn``.
 Documents are returned in alphabetical order by ``borough``, but the
 order of those documents with duplicate values for ``borough`` might not
 the be the same across multiple executions of the same sort. For
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ While the values for ``borough`` are still sorted in alphabetical order,
 the order of the documents containing duplicate values for ``borough``
 (i.e. ``Manhattan`` and ``Brooklyn``) is not the same.
 
-To achieve a *stable sort*, add a field which contains exclusively
+To achieve a *consistent sort*, add a field which contains exclusively
 unique values to the sort. The following command uses the
 :pipeline:`$sort` stage to sort on both the ``borough`` field and the
 ``_id`` field: