pentaho/pentaho-kettle · error · Error

Can't specify a different sorting function in a sorted list.

Error message

Can't specify a different sorting function in a sorted list.

What it means

SortedList.sort overrides the base List.sort to keep the list ordered by its fixed comparer; passing a comparer argument that differs from the list's own __comparer is rejected. A sorted list's ordering is an invariant, so callers may only re-sort with the same comparer.

Solutions

1. Call sort() with no arguments to re-sort with the list's own comparer
2. Create a new SortedList with the desired comparer instead of re-sorting an existing one
3. Use a plain List if you need to swap comparers dynamically

Example fix

// before
sortedList.sort(function(a, b) { return a.name.localeCompare(b.name); }); // throws
// after
sortedList.sort(); // uses the list's own comparer

if (comparer != null && comparer !== list.__comparer) {
  throw new TypeError('Cannot pass a different comparer to a SortedList');
}
list.sort();

function canSortWith(list, comparer) {
  return comparer == null; // SortedList only accepts its own comparer
}

try {
  list.sort(cmp);
} catch (e) {
  if (String(e.message).indexOf('different sorting function') >= 0) {
    list.sort(); // fall back to the list's own comparer
  } else throw e;
}

When it happens

Trigger: sortedList.sort(myComparer) where myComparer is a different function reference than the one the list was created with (note: any comparer !== __comparer throws, even functionally identical ones); also sort(null/undefined) is fine, only non-null different comparers throw.

Common situations: Copying List code (which accepts a comparer) onto a SortedList; passing an inline arrow function that is semantically identical but a new reference; trying to change sort order at runtime.

Understand the failure class

Background: "Must be a positive integer", "Invalid value", "Unsupported": the invalid-argument-value error family, when a library rejects the value you pass — this error's family across 35 libraries.

Related errors

• Can't copy within a sorted list.
• Can't do a indexed insert in a sorted list.
• Can't do a indexed replace in a sorted list.
• Can't fill a sorted list.
• Can't reverse a sorted list.

AI-assisted analysis of pentaho/pentaho-kettle@f3058517a1 (2026-09-13). Data as JSON: /api/errors/1dc9e32b94423c3e. Report an issue: GitHub.

Appendix: source

Thrown at plugins/core-ui/src/main/resources/app/pentaho/lang/SortedList.js:127

      return this.__comparer;
    },

    set comparer(comparer) {
      var hasOwn = O.hasOwn(this, "__comparer");
      if(hasOwn && this.__comparer !== comparer || !hasOwn && comparer != null) {
        if(comparer == null) {
          delete this.__comparer;
        } else {
          this.__comparer = comparer;
        }

        this.sort();
      }
    },

    sort: function(comparer) {
      if(comparer != null && comparer !== this.__comparer) {
        throw new Error("Can't specify a different sorting function in a sorted list.");
      }

      this.base(this.__comparer);
    },

    /**
     * Performs a binary search on the sorted list.
     *
     * @param {*} elem The item to search for.
     *
     * @return {number} The index of the element;
     *                  when not found returns the negative
     *                  index of the closest element.
     */
    search: function(elem) {
      var left = 0;
      var right = this.length - 1;

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