Add slightly better sorting to the manufacturer and partno columns. It attempts to sort numeric portions of the strings separate from the alpha parts. However, it isn't perfect because decimals (numbers containing '.') trips it up.

core/src/net/sf/openrocket/gui/dialogs/preset/ComponentPresetTable.java

@@ -10,14 +10,12 @@ import java.util.List;
 
 import javax.swing.JCheckBoxMenuItem;
 import javax.swing.JMenu;
-import javax.swing.JMenuItem;
 import javax.swing.JPopupMenu;
 import javax.swing.JTable;
 import javax.swing.ListSelectionModel;
 import javax.swing.RowFilter;
 import javax.swing.RowSorter.SortKey;
 import javax.swing.SortOrder;
-import javax.swing.event.ListSelectionEvent;
 import javax.swing.table.AbstractTableModel;
 import javax.swing.table.JTableHeader;
 import javax.swing.table.TableColumn;
@@ -30,6 +28,7 @@ import net.sf.openrocket.preset.TypedKey;
 import net.sf.openrocket.startup.Application;
 import net.sf.openrocket.unit.Unit;
 import net.sf.openrocket.unit.UnitGroup;
+import net.sf.openrocket.util.AlphanumComparator;
 
 public class ComponentPresetTable extends JTable {
 
@@ -46,31 +45,6 @@ public class ComponentPresetTable extends JTable {
 		this.presets = presets;
 		this.columns = new ComponentPresetTableColumn[ComponentPreset.orderedKeyList.size()+1];
 
-		tableColumnModel = new XTableColumnModel();
-
-		/*
-		 * Set up the Column Table model
-		 */
-		columns[0] = new ComponentPresetTableColumn.Favorite(0);
-		tableColumnModel.addColumn(columns[0]);
-
-		List<TableColumn> hiddenColumns = new ArrayList<TableColumn>();
-		{
-			int index = 1;
-			for (final TypedKey<?> key: ComponentPreset.orderedKeyList ) {
-				if ( key.getType() == Double.class && key.getUnitGroup() != null ) {
-					columns[index] = new ComponentPresetTableColumn.DoubleWithUnit((TypedKey<Double>)key,index);
-				} else {
-					columns[index] = new ComponentPresetTableColumn.Parameter(key,index);
-				}
-				tableColumnModel.addColumn(columns[index]);
-				if ( visibleColumnKeys.indexOf(key) < 0 ) {
-					hiddenColumns.add(columns[index]);
-				}
-				index ++;
-			}
-		}
-
 
 		tableModel = new AbstractTableModel() {
 			final ComponentPresetTableColumn[] myColumns = columns;
@@ -111,18 +85,47 @@ public class ComponentPresetTable extends JTable {
 
 		};
 
+
+		sorter = new TableRowSorter<TableModel>(tableModel);
+
+		tableColumnModel = new XTableColumnModel();
+
+		/*
+		 * Set up the Column Table model, and customize the sorting.
+		 */
+		columns[0] = new ComponentPresetTableColumn.Favorite(0);
+		tableColumnModel.addColumn(columns[0]);
+
+		List<TableColumn> hiddenColumns = new ArrayList<TableColumn>();
+		{
+			int index = 1;
+			for (final TypedKey<?> key: ComponentPreset.orderedKeyList ) {
+				if ( key.getType() == Double.class && key.getUnitGroup() != null ) {
+					columns[index] = new ComponentPresetTableColumn.DoubleWithUnit((TypedKey<Double>)key,index);
+				} else {
+					columns[index] = new ComponentPresetTableColumn.Parameter(key,index);
+				}
+				tableColumnModel.addColumn(columns[index]);
+				if ( key == ComponentPreset.MANUFACTURER || key == ComponentPreset.PARTNO ) {
+					sorter.setComparator(index, new AlphanumComparator());
+				}
+				if ( visibleColumnKeys.indexOf(key) < 0 ) {
+					hiddenColumns.add(columns[index]);
+				}
+				index ++;
+			}
+		}
+
 		this.setAutoCreateColumnsFromModel(false);
 		this.setColumnModel( tableColumnModel );
 		this.setModel(tableModel);
 		this.setSelectionMode(ListSelectionModel.SINGLE_SELECTION);
+		this.setRowSorter(sorter);
 
 		for ( TableColumn hiddenColumn : hiddenColumns ) {
 			tableColumnModel.setColumnVisible(hiddenColumn, false);
 		}
 
-		sorter = new TableRowSorter<TableModel>(tableModel);
-		this.setRowSorter(sorter);
-
 		JTableHeader header = this.getTableHeader();
 		
 		header.setReorderingAllowed(true);

core/src/net/sf/openrocket/util/AlphanumComparator.java

@@ -0,0 +1,139 @@
+/*
+ * The Alphanum Algorithm is an improved sorting algorithm for strings
+ * containing numbers.  Instead of sorting numbers in ASCII order like
+ * a standard sort, this algorithm sorts numbers in numeric order.
+ *
+ * The Alphanum Algorithm is discussed at http://www.DaveKoelle.com
+ *
+ *
+ * This library is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
+ * modify it under the terms of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License as published by the Free Software Foundation; either
+ * version 2.1 of the License, or any later version.
+ *
+ * This library is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
+ * but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
+ * MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the GNU
+ * Lesser General Public License for more details.
+ *
+ * You should have received a copy of the GNU Lesser General Public
+ * License along with this library; if not, write to the Free Software
+ * Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301  USA
+ *
+ */
+
+/*
+ * Subsequently this code had been hacked up to make it genericized and support
+ * folding upper/lower case.
+ */
+package net.sf.openrocket.util;
+
+import java.text.Collator;
+import java.util.Comparator;
+
+/**
+ * This is an updated version with enhancements made by Daniel Migowski,
+ * Andre Bogus, and David Koelle
+ *
+ * To convert to use Templates (Java 1.5+):
+ *   - Change "implements Comparator" to "implements Comparator<String>"
+ *   - Change "compare(Object o1, Object o2)" to "compare(String s1, String s2)"
+ *   - Remove the type checking and casting in compare().
+ *
+ * To use this class:
+ *   Use the static "sort" method from the java.util.Collections class:
+ *   Collections.sort(your list, new AlphanumComparator());
+ */
+public class AlphanumComparator implements Comparator<String>
+{
+
+	private static final Collator sorter = Collator.getInstance();
+	static {
+		sorter.setStrength(Collator.TERTIARY);
+		sorter.setDecomposition(Collator.CANONICAL_DECOMPOSITION);
+	}
+
+	private final boolean isDigit(char ch)
+	{
+		return ch >= 48 && ch <= 57;
+	}
+
+	/** Length of string is passed in for improved efficiency (only need to calculate it once) **/
+	private final String getChunk(String s, int slength, int marker)
+	{
+		StringBuilder chunk = new StringBuilder();
+		char c = s.charAt(marker);
+		chunk.append(c);
+		marker++;
+		if (isDigit(c))
+		{
+			while (marker < slength)
+			{
+				c = s.charAt(marker);
+				if (!isDigit(c))
+					break;
+				chunk.append(c);
+				marker++;
+			}
+		} else
+		{
+			while (marker < slength)
+			{
+				c = s.charAt(marker);
+				if (isDigit(c))
+					break;
+				chunk.append(c);
+				marker++;
+			}
+		}
+		return chunk.toString();
+	}
+
+	@Override
+	public int compare(String s1, String s2)
+	{
+
+		int thisMarker = 0;
+		int thatMarker = 0;
+		int s1Length = s1.length();
+		int s2Length = s2.length();
+
+		while (thisMarker < s1Length && thatMarker < s2Length)
+		{
+			String thisChunk = getChunk(s1, s1Length, thisMarker);
+			thisMarker += thisChunk.length();
+
+			String thatChunk = getChunk(s2, s2Length, thatMarker);
+			thatMarker += thatChunk.length();
+
+			// If both chunks contain numeric characters, sort them numerically
+			int result = 0;
+			if (isDigit(thisChunk.charAt(0)) && isDigit(thatChunk.charAt(0)))
+			{
+				// Simple chunk comparison by length.
+				int thisChunkLength = thisChunk.length();
+				result = thisChunkLength - thatChunk.length();
+				// If equal, the first different number counts
+				if (result == 0)
+				{
+					for (int i = 0; i < thisChunkLength; i++)
+					{
+						result = thisChunk.charAt(i) - thatChunk.charAt(i);
+						if (result != 0)
+						{
+							return result;
+						}
+					}
+				}
+			} else
+			{
+				result = sorter.compare(thisChunk, thatChunk);
+			}
+
+			if (result != 0)
+				return result;
+		}
+
+		return s1Length - s2Length;
+	}
+}