When I replace my index expression with yours in my original code, the result string ends up in the same order that the "units" are entered, not the way the OP wants them sorted.

>Al gave you the correct answer but this index is simpler.
>
>

INDEX on CHRTRAN(MyUnit,"0123456789|.","") TAG myunit

>
>>thanks for thought you put into this Al and the detailed explanations.
>>I am trying to work with what you are suggesting and having negative results. where you write:
>>INSERT INTO MyUnits ( MyUnit ) VALUES ( "T4.03||" )
>>
>>each unit is generated as a memory variable which I collect as a string - can I instead add this to my cursor as they happen instead of at the end:
>>
>>Here is the way it currently runs
>>

>>SCAN FOR field1 = 1
>>A_unit=crs+LTRIM(STR(sct,5,2))+ '||'  &&& ie ('T4.01')
>>mystr=mystr+A_unit
>>endscan
>>

>>
>>so can I plug in your cursor thus?
>>

>>
>>SCAN FOR field1 = 1
>>A_unit=crs+LTRIM(STR(sct,5,2))+ '||'  
>>INSERT INTO MyUnits ( MyUnit ) VALUES ("&A_unit")
>>endscan
>>

>>
>>then at end of procedure add your concluding code ---- because unfortunately it ain't workin'
>>

>>LOCAL lcResult
>>m.lcResult = ""
>>SELECT MyUnits
>>SCAN ALL
>>	m.lcResult = m.lcResult + ALLTRIM( MyUnits.MyUnit )
>>ENDSCAN
>>?m.lcResult
>>
>>

>>
>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>>Is there a way to present the following character string in alphabetical order:
>>>>
>>>>T4.03||T4.01||E2.05||W27||W211||
>>>>re-ordered to
>>>>E2.05||T4.01||T4.03||W27||W211||
>>>>
>>>>I am collecting the data one unit at a time (T4:03||) then (T4:01||)
>>>>so perhaps while it is being collected it can be ordered.
>>>
>>>You could create a cursor, index it appropriately and INSERT rows corresponding to each unit. Then SCAN the cursor and assemble the finished string.
>>>

>>>CREATE CURSOR MyUnits ( MyUnit C( 7 ) )
>>>INDEX ON LEFT( MyUnit, 1 ) + REPLICATE( "0", 7 -  LEN( ALLTRIM( MyUnit ) ) ) + SUBSTR( MyUnit, 2, LEN( ALLTRIM( MyUnit ) ) - 1 ) TAG MyUnit
>>>* This INDEX expression is the trickiest bit, see notes below
>>>
>>>* Gather values, INSERT into the cursor:
>>>INSERT INTO MyUnits ( MyUnit ) VALUES ( "T4.03||" )
>>>INSERT INTO MyUnits ( MyUnit ) VALUES ( "T4.01||" )
>>>INSERT INTO MyUnits ( MyUnit ) VALUES ( "T2.05||" )
>>>INSERT INTO MyUnits ( MyUnit ) VALUES ( "W27||" )
>>>INSERT INTO MyUnits ( MyUnit ) VALUES ( "W211||" )
>>>
>>>LOCAL lcResult
>>>m.lcResult = ""
>>>
>>>SELECT MyUnits
>>>SCAN ALL
>>>	m.lcResult = m.lcResult + ALLTRIM( MyUnits.MyUnit )
>>>
>>>ENDSCAN
>>>
>>>USE IN MyUnits
>>>
>>>?m.lcResult
>>>
>>>* Notes
>>>* Figuring out how to sort/index is actually the trickiest part of your question
>>>* Even that is relatively easy except for the W27||W211|| at the end
>>>* If your strings always end (i.e. are delimited by) that pair at the end, it makes indexing easier
>>>* You accumulate everything except those two strings in the cursor, then manually add those two strings at the end
>>>* In that case you can simply
>>>INDEX ON MyUnit TAG MyUnit
>>>
>>>* If you want something that will work without knowing the finishing delimiter(s), what you can do is pad the total
>>>* length of the final two strings in the index expression up to the 7 character length of the others. In your case
>>>* in the index expression you would want them to be sorted as "W0027||" and "W0211||" in order to be sorted properly.
>>>* The INDEX expression in the main code sample injects the proper number of zeroes
>>>* in the proper location to pad the expression indexed to 7 characters
>>>