PathfinderWiki:Sorting the years
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Ideally, the years should be in numerical order, but the categories are sorted in alphabetical order by default. For example, take the years 14 AR, 135 AR and 1270 AR. If these are placed in the same category with no sort key, they will be ordered as follows:
- 1270 AR
- 135 AR
- 14 AR
This is due to the alphabetical sorting. To sort positive years, assign sort keys with leading zeros, like this:
[[Category:Years|00014]] [[Category:Years|00135]] [[Category:Years|01270]]
This ensures that all the years are placed in correct numerical order, but has the side effect that they are all categorized under "0".
The problem arises when dealing with negative numbers. Using the same process...
[[Category:Years|-00014]] [[Category:Years|-00135]] [[Category:Years|-01270]]
...the years are placed in the correct numerical order in the "-" category, but this is the reverse of the correct chronological order (-14 AR appears before -1270 AR)..
Sorting solution
This system is based around the premise that the Pathfinder campaign setting history begins at -20000 AR (a significant number of years before Earthfall and the start of recorded history). Think of it as a kelvin scale for absolute years. For this system all you have to do is add or subtract the year from 20000; subtraction for years before 1 AR and addition for years after. For example: