Gage Numbering

I have a question about something simple - gage numbering in GAGEpack. When I started using GAGEpack a LONG time ago, all my gages just had 3-digit ID numbers, 001 - 999, with no prefixes. My company has since merged with another company that used a DOS-based gage tracking system they created and I am now adding all their gages into my GAGEpack database. Their gage-numbering format is 4-digit numbers with a "G" prefix or G0000 - G9999. So, to begin with, I added the "G" prefix to all my numbers, and I now have G000 - G999. The end result will be a mixture of the two formats.

Now, with all that said, here's what I want to ask about: When I add these two formats into GAGEpack together, and I sort the database by gage number, the gages don't sort numerically. For example, G1000 through G1009 show up between G100 and G101. Is there some way to make these gages appear in numerical order? I've searched through the settings and I don't see anything. Perhaps I just overlooked it.

Thanks in advance for any help!!!

I'm not familiar with Gagepack but it appears that it is sorting from the left, so anything that starts G1 is sorted irrespective of the number of subsequent digits. How about deleting the "G" altogether, would that help if you had numbers only, or will leading zeros get deleted resulting in an almighty mess? The other alternative (if you can't get the sorting you want) would be re completely renumber everything with a new series of numbers and a different prefix letter.

TBH I can see an auditor making an observation that under your present system you have for example a gage G250 and a gage G0250, and there is scope for confusion. However you probably don't want to have to re-label several hundred gages, even if you only do this when they are mustered/reconciled for calibration..........

Thanks for the input, Chris!! I would like to get rid of the "G" but unfortunately, that's not my call. The 4-digit (with the "G" originally) gages far outnumber the 3-digit gages. I knew there was potential for confusion when I started, so what I'll probably wind up doing is changing the numbers on the 3-digit gages. Thanks again!!

Chris is correct. The Gage Number field in GAGEpack is alphanumeric and follows Windows sorting; starting from the left.

Having leading zeros does the trick to keep them in numerical or "expected" order!

Thanks, Eric! I have already cleared things with the PTBs to convert all my 3-digits to 4-digits. So, it'll all work out, eventually.

OK I think I have a solution (it works in Excel)..... renumber your 3 digit gages as G*001 to G*999. This way they will (should) appear first in a sorted list, before the G0001 to G9999. This way you don't need to actually re-identify the gages themselves, just make a note that in Gagepack, the older gages have had an asterisk inserted into their reference number to make the identification references the same length as the other gages

I tried it, and it does work! THANKS, Chris!!