How to get Check # to sort correctly on the same date?

Question

Prior to 2015 I could use the "Check #" column to sequence transactions on the same date. Then I began using another operating system. I recently switched back to a windows environment using Quicken. The current version thinks Check # 4444 always comes before any other number on that date. Why is this?

Snowman · Answer

@WLK379 Sorting by check # works just fine in the latest release of Quicken Classic. If you write 5 checks on the same date they will show up in the proper order listed by the date.  This is the way it has worked for as long as I can remember.

WLK379 · Answer

Again UKR, your answers above tell me they "broke" this part of Quicken somewhere in the upgrade processes over the years. Quicken can no longer count by numbers in the Check # column.

This feature will remain "broken" until such time as the coding is changed to provide greater flexibility in this column.

I have developed a work around that serves my purposes. Thank you for your assistance.

UKR · Answer

Could I see a snapshot of your register, showing the transactions around Check # 4444, please? You only need to show the Date and the Check # columns for the date in question plus a day before and a day after. The register should be sorted by Date.

Can you please capture one or more images of the parts of your Quicken window showing the issue, sensitive information blacked out as necessary to protect your privacy but annotated to describe the situation, and attach the image(s) here?
How do I post a screenshot in the community from windows

How do I post a screenshot in the community from a mac

Please save images to files of file type PNG, JPG, or GIF only. They're easier to work with than PDF files.

Be aware that there is no "sort by Date, then by Check # within Date" feature. The order of transactions within a day may be dependent on the transaction amount, but I'm not sure. And none of this is documented anywhere I can find.

When sorting by Check # (regardless of date) …

the Check # field is a character field. Other than check numbers it may contain any other sorts of character sequences.

When sorting, a numeric text in the field is not considered a decimal number. It's text. Extra blanks, leading zeroes, decimal points or separator commas are treated as extra text and mess up the sort order.

For example,

"01232",

"1233",

"_1234" (with a blank space in place of _underscore) and

"1,235" will not appear in the expected numeric decimal sequence.