builtin__sort

Sorts a list by a field, with no model call.

Behavior

• by is the field, as a dot path such as score or meta.date. Without by, the items themselves are compared.
• order is asc (the default) or desc.
• Numbers compare as numbers and strings as text, so ISO dates sort correctly. The sort is stable.
• Items missing the field go last in either order.

When to use it

• Ordering by a value the items already carry: a date, a count, a score from an earlier step.
• To order items by how well they fit a question, use builtin__rank.

Available to	Effect
Any agent or plan step	Read-only

Input

by · string

Dot path into each item to sort on, e.g. url or meta.date

items · any[] · required

The list, usually a template like {{E1.results}}

order · enum<string>

Default asc

Available options: asc, desc

Output

items · any[] · required

Plan step

- id: E1
  tool_name: builtin__sort
  input:
    items: "{{input.items}}"