Create serial field following alphabetical order with QGIS using graphical modeler

Question

I have a field with names, a string field, and I want to create another one with serial content following the alphabetical order.

I have this:

---

|Field1|

| B |

| C |

| A |

| D |

And I want to reach this:

---

|Field1| Field2 |

| A | 1 |

| B | 2 |

| C | 3 |

| D | 4 |

The MMQGIS plugin offers a tool to sort Shapefiles, but is this operation not possible directly in the field calculator? I'm very interested to know how to make this to make a model in the graphical modeller

• geozelot: related answer for QGIS3

Answer 1

As a workaround for QGIS 2.x, try

• Toolbox -> QGIS Geoalgorithms-> Execute SQL
  • Additional input datasources -> choose your layer
  • SQL Query -> SELECT * FROM input1 ORDER BY Field1

(This creates a new temporary layer)

• Field Calculator -> Create a new field -> @row_number

or

• Layer -> Add Layer -> Add/Edit Virtual Layer

  • Import -> choose your layer

  • Query -> SELECT * FROM <your_layer_name> ORDER BY Field1

• add @row_number as above

• geozelot: ...seems odd that I don't know a more elegant solution to this, despite working with QGIS for ages. anybody else?