Sorting the list of expressions into alphabetical order

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TonyEastwood
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2021 8:37 am
Finale Version: 27.0.0708
Operating System: Windows

Post by TonyEastwood » Thu Feb 22, 2024 8:55 pm

I've added many expressions and have a huge list of them. Is there a method which would put all my expressions into alphabetical order?
(Sorting a list of names by hand feels exceptionally archaic).

Another incredibly useful order would be one in which the 'most used' expressions were sorted to the top by frequency and then subsorted by name. (When I was a professional software engineer this was the kind of sort order customers requested . . . and were given).
compostions at https://guitarcompositions.wordpress.com/


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Peter Thomsen
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Joined: Fri Jul 25, 2003 6:47 pm
Finale Version: Finale v27.4
Operating System: Mac

Post by Peter Thomsen » Thu Feb 22, 2024 9:10 pm

I am sorry, but I do not know of a fast solution.

First of all, I would use many custom expression categories.
Having {a gazillion expressions all in the same category} is a nightmare - even if they are sorted alphabetically.

Next, I would create a custom template, with all the expressions organized in categories, and sorted alphabetically in each category.

Expressions appear in the Expression Selection window in the order they were added to the document.

I would begin with an empty document.
Then, add the expressions to the document, one by one.
To add an expression to the document you can paste a measure of music containing the expression.

When all the expressions have been added, in the desired order, consider saving an expression library.
The library will keep the expression order.
Mac OS X 12.6.9 (Monterey), Finale user since 1996

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motet
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Post by motet » Thu Feb 22, 2024 9:14 pm

The full TG Tools has an expression sorter and, though it was written long ago, appears to still work, and leaves things in categories.

TonyEastwood
Posts: 68
Joined: Mon Oct 18, 2021 8:37 am
Finale Version: 27.0.0708
Operating System: Windows

Post by TonyEastwood » Fri Feb 23, 2024 3:54 pm

Thank you for your replies.

I do use categories, which does help, but one of the categories "Expressions" - which includes actual expressions such as "dolce" , "cantabile" etc inevitably gets quite large . I'll just have to discipline myself to keep them in alphabetical order :D
compostions at https://guitarcompositions.wordpress.com/

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