Pocket Query Sort Order.

[+TheAprilFools]

Could we add to the settings for a PQ the ability to change the order in which the caches are generated. Currently they are sorted by distance closest first. I think giving the option of sort by placement date oldest first and last update newest first would be very useful.

 

Right now when you setup a PQ on an area it generates the closest caches up to the requested quantity. If you want to get more than one PQ's worth in the area you can set up multiple PQ's limited by placement date, but finding out what are proper dates to use requires a lot of experimentation (and demand on system resources). If you could just go to the last preview page and note placement dates of the caches on that page it would make things simpler.

 

Also if you are trying to get a PQ of all caches updated in your local area, and like me you live in an area where there are lots of caches, the PQ's usually only generate out a distance much shorter than I would like, I would rather get all the caches updated in the last day over the entire distance than a weeks worth over a short distance.

[+StarBrand]

Only the preview is limited on sort. Use a tool like GSAK to sort anyway you like after it is run and emailed to you.

[+Miragee]

That is what I do. I have to get several PQs to cover this "cache-rich" area. Using GSAK, once I have refreshed the database with new PQs, I can pick any location, or cache, as a new centerpoint for the database. Then, I load the caches into my GPSr that are in the area I am heading towards. I can even use the "Arc/Poly" filter to get the caches along the route I will be traveling when I head into town.

[+TheAprilFools]

Yes, I use GSAK a lot, but that's only useful AFTER you have received the PQ's in the mail. What I am talking about is something that would help setup the PQ's in the first place. To setup those multiple PQ's on a cache rich area it takes many cycles of edit, preview, edit to get the dates correct. If however it the output was sorted by placement date all you would have to do is note the most recent placement date in the first query, easily found on the last page of the preview, to know where to start the second query.

 

Maybe its better to think of it as priority rather than sort order.

Edited May 16, 2007 by Blanston12

[+tozainamboku]

Only the preview is limited on sort. Use a tool like GSAK to sort anyway you like after it is run and emailed to you.

The issue is when the PQ would return more that 500 caches (or whatever limit you set) It now drops the caches furthest from the center point. However, if you have set up multiple queries based on date placed, it means you may lose some older caches instead of the newest ones. If it droped the newest cache based when you restrict by date placed, you could look at the last date placed in the PQ and adjust your dates accordingly to get less than 500 caches.

[+Miragee]

I get my PQs based on location because I don't need to have every last bit of data on every cache. So, if I am heading 30-miles to the northeast tomorrow, I'll order the PQ that covers that area so I have fresh data for that search.

 

Likewise, if I am heading towards the west, I'll order the PQ that covers that area, just so I have fresh data for that day's search. I would have to get way too many PQs to make sure I had fresh data for a destination if I set mine up by date.

[+Hellfish00]

That is what I do. I have to get several PQs to cover this "cache-rich" area. Using GSAK, once I have refreshed the database with new PQs, I can pick any location, or cache, as a new centerpoint for the database. Then, I load the caches into my GPSr that are in the area I am heading towards. I can even use the "Arc/Poly" filter to get the caches along the route I will be traveling when I head into town.

 

How do you refresh your database?