Multi Select Persons Field - sequence of Persons

[thori19]

I am trying to follow Reza's example on using Multi Select Persons field from a MS365 Sharepoint list (refer to this link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gb_FUeRjgg4&list=PLTyFh-qDKAiFUGTtwSwFT79Y7_jq_Aipe&index=3)

13:30 min in the video. In my case, I cannot change the sequence of the people inserted - they seem to be fixed somehow. Anyone has an idea to to release the given order?

Thank 

[ryleybauer]

Hi @thori19, I don't think you can control the order as I'm pretty sure they're shown in the order they were added, not any specific sorting. 

In your flow, you can probably do some sorting if the display order is important. Maybe add them all to an array variable (using email or UPN value is probably best), then you could perform a sort on the array (this is advanced) and then set the multi-select field to "array mode" and use the array value in place of the multi-select people. 

To switch a multi-select field to accept an array of all values, click on the "T" box to change the symbol to a "table" icon. 

[thori19]

Dear ryleybauer,

thanks for your response. Actually, this is basicly the issue: I DONT want to get them sortet. I want them in the order they get inserted.

but tHey are getting sorted according to smth, which I even cannot really distingish: names are like

„Wxxx Sxxx

Rxxxx Txxxx

Gxxxx Sxxxx“.

So no real sequence to be identified by me at the first glance.

Anyhows: if I change them into

“Wxxx Sxxx,

Gxxxx Sxxxx

Rxxxx Txxxx“,

it falls automaticly back to the first order after saving.

is there maybe smth in the corporate directory, which might force sharepoint to maintain the same order allways? Any hidden index possible?

Or is there any workarround (maybe with JSON) to disable this appearently automated sorting function?

thanks for assist!

Thori19

[ryleybauer · Accepted solution]

I don't know if I'm understanding your issue. They are usually sorted in the order they were added.

Please share a screenshot of your flow.

[thori19]

Hey ryleybauer,

🤒trying again this morning, you are right.  But I am 100% sure that yesterday, it didn't work out.

Thanks and sorry for disturbance!

Thori19

[thori19]

Hey again,

now I have the same issue again, and I am able to hardcopy it. Pls refer to marked lines from the Sharepoint list: "RT" ist always first; "MP" always last. No matter if I am inserting the data visa versa - tries out serveral times. But somewhen, it also worked they way you-ve answere. But I have no clue why and how.

Names are selected from corporate directory of my company.

Here the hardcopies - hoping, they are visibnle enough:

original list:

change sequence:

save - but still same result as before:

[xtra1211]

Exact same issue here.

However if I connect with a private navigation tab or other browser, the multiple select gives the inserted order.

If exported, they get in the order they appear in the list.

That's definitly an issue if you plan to use the order people where inserted in a flow.

you should probably move to multiple line of text, eventually use an "index" 1,2,3 in front of user email you plan to use in your flow. This makes the need of parsing etc ... 

[ryleybauer]

Hi @xtra1211 ,
You're right, in places where the order actually matters, you shouldn't count on a multi-people field and should instead add a separate people column for each approver step (etc.) in your workflow, or the more crude suggestion you made of putting them all into a multi-line text field with an index. 

I know they're stored in the order they're added, but I think they're always sorted alphabetically when returned in flows, etc. Which makes sense why you could see the order in-private.