Multiple Query sorting changes output in the delivery api

[nunoaguiar]

Hi,

Using 10.28.2 we are noticing that when we add a 2nd sorting field to a Query, the list of results change right from the 1st result.

• Consider the screencast: https://app.screencast.com/yOVns4D9E5Zil
• We are custom field as the 1st parameter
• When that's the only field we are getting an expected result as the 1st one
• When we add "CustomerNumber" as a second parameter, we get something else

I noticed that the response only displays the 1st sort by value (which is not 100% accurate, but shouldn't be a big issue), but I wonder why would the 1st result be different if the first sorting criteria didn't change.

Best Regards,
Nuno Aguiar

[nicped]

How is the dealershipsortname field setup on the index? Is it analyzed? Is it indexed?
Please provide screenshot - and be sure you are using the right fieldname.

Provider builds Lucene sort per field, but silently skips any sort field not found in index schema

If ALL fields skipped → falls back to Sort.RELEVANCE

So if CustomField system name doesn't match schema field name exactly:

Query sorted by CustomField only → sort list empty → relevance order
Query sorted by CustomField,CustomerNumber → sorts by CustomerNumber only
Different first item, zero errors anywhere. Matches your symptom exactly.

Alternative explanation: ties. If several docs share lowest CustomField value, single-field sort breaks ties by Lucene doc order, two-field sort breaks by CustomerNumber — first item legitimately differs. Only true if first items share same CustomField value.

Quick diagnostic: compare CustomField values of first few results in both responses.

Same values, different order → ties, working as designed.
Two-field query ignores CustomField entirely (ordered purely by CustomerNumber) → field lookup failing, name mismatch between query sort field and index schema SystemName.

[nicped]

I made a fix for the missing sort field info on the response so you get a comma separated list.
https://doc.dynamicweb.dev/documentation/fundamentals/dw10release/releasenotes/workiteminfo.html?workitemid=28966

[nicped]

Is it only the first entry that is different - or is it sorting incorrectly? Not sure i understand which it is.

[nunoaguiar]

Hi @nicped

To be honest, I'm getting even more confused as to what's happening. I can send you over email the endpoint and site, so you can also take a peek if you want.

The field is NOT analyzed and is properly named. So seems to be properly configured

Looking at the data, there are some documents where "DealershipNameSortable" is empty, but all have "CustomerNumber". Since I initially posted this, I updated the query to and get a cleaner list of documents so we can pinpoint the sorting behavior.

Here's my current setup (how I expected it to work), where I'm excluding empty "DealershipName" and empty CustomerNumber.

I'm also attaching the Schema Extender FYI
Indexing.zip

Hope this works finding the issue (hopefully it's only on my end)
Nuno Aguiar