# Using hash.keys - why doesn't it display in order created **URL:** \ **Category:** Rails\ **Created:** [January 31, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-hash-keys-why-doesnt-it-display-in-order-created/83954 "2007-01-31T01:46:15Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 1:46am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-hash-keys-why-doesnt-it-display-in-order-created/83954/1 "2007-01-31T01:46:15Z")
I am using .keys on a hash to create an array that is than displayed in a view with .each - why does it not display the keys in the order added to the hash? I would like to controll how the array is displayed - I want the checkboxes to display like I added them to the hash, but it doesn’t - I can’t figure out how it is displayed, when I change the order of the hash it does little to the view. Please help - thanks, K Code ## Controller # creates my hash def mod\_types {‘Learning Objects’ =\> LearnObjResource, ‘RSS Feed’ =\> RssResource, ‘Blank Module’ =\> BlankResource,‘Course Librarian’ =\> LibResource, ‘Professor Information’ =\> InstResource, ‘Course Assignment’ =\> AssignResource, ‘Style Guides’ =\> StyleResource, ‘Plagiarism Information’ =\> PlagResource, ‘Instructor Recommends’ =\> RecomResource, ‘Course Reserves’ =\> ReserveResorce } end #action for view def list\_modules @mods = @user.modules @list = mod\_types.keys # here I am making an array out of the hash if request.post? redirect\_to :action =\> “manage\_modules” end end ## View … \ \<%= check\_box\_tag(“mods[]”, mod ,false, {:class =\> “class”}) %\> \<%= mod%\> \<%end%\> ---
**Author:** ![kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 1:55am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-hash-keys-why-doesnt-it-display-in-order-created/83954/2 "2007-01-31T01:55:16Z")
Hi~ On Jan 30, 2007, at 4:45 PM, Kim wrote: > Please help - thanks, K > Assignment’ =\> AssignResource, ‘Style Guides’ =\> StyleResource, > end > end > > ## View > > … > \ > \<%= check\_box\_tag(“mods[]”, mod ,false, {:class =\> > “class”}) %\> > \<%= mod%\> > > \<%end%\> Hashes are unordered data structures. You can’t get them in order inserted with a normal hash. You will have to use an array or google for an ordered hash class for ruby. Cheers- – Ezra Z. – Lead Rails Evangelist – removed\_email\_address@domain.invalid – Engine Y., Serious Rails Hosting – (866) 518-YARD (9273) ---
**Author:** ![kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 1:57am UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-hash-keys-why-doesnt-it-display-in-order-created/83954/3 "2007-01-31T01:57:16Z")
Hi Kim, Hashes are, by definition, unordered. Ruby does provide the sort method for Hash, though. See pg. 499 in Pickaxe for more info. hth Bill ---
**Author:** ![kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 7:12pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-hash-keys-why-doesnt-it-display-in-order-created/83954/4 "2007-01-31T19:12:51Z")
I don’t want to sort the hash - I want to determine the order the values from the hash are displayed. I can’t use an array because of what I need to be able to do after users select values. The view uses the keys form the hash - is there any way that I can controll the order they are displayed? ---
**Author:** ![kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-hash-keys-why-doesnt-it-display-in-order-created/83954/5 "2007-01-31T19:57:56Z")
as stated previously, Hash.sort, which you don’t want to do, so then the answer is no, that’s not to say you can’t roll your own solution. off the top of my head… def mod\_types [{ key1 =\> val1 }, {key2 =\> val2}, …] end def list\_modules … @list = mod\_types.map { |mod\_type| mod\_type.keys.first } … end your view shouldn’t have to change. i would imagine it wouldn’t take much to modify whatever it is you are doing with users, but since you didn’t provide any details on that, I can’t provide any possible solutions. ---
**Author:** ![kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 9:56pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-hash-keys-why-doesnt-it-display-in-order-created/83954/6 "2007-01-31T21:56:06Z")
Dictionary looks good except it does not have some of the methods that hash has that I need - thanks I went with hash.keys.sort - not really what I want but at least it is in alphabetically order. ---
**Author:** ![kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/k/9f8e36/32.png) [@kim](https://www.ruby-forum.com/u/kim)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2007, 7:57pm UTC](https://www.ruby-forum.com/t/using-hash-keys-why-doesnt-it-display-in-order-created/83954/7 "2007-01-31T19:57:56Z")
Kim wrote: > I don’t want to sort the hash - I want to determine the order the > values from the hash are displayed. I can’t use an array because of > what I need to be able to do after users select values. > > The view uses the keys form the hash - is there any way that I can > controll the order they are displayed? AFAIK, not out of the box, but there are ordered hash implementations available; check out the Dictionary class from Ruby F.s ([http://facets.rubyforge.org/api/more/classes/Dictionary.html](http://facets.rubyforge.org/api/more/classes/Dictionary.html)). Grab the code from [http://facets.rubyforge.org/repo/lib/facets/more/dictionary.rb](http://facets.rubyforge.org/repo/lib/facets/more/dictionary.rb) and you can use it in your app (drop it in ‘lib’ and require it as needed).