# Tools non-alphabetical order is counter-productive
**URL:** https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565
**Category:** General Discussion
**Created:** [June 8, 2022, 1:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565 "2022-06-08T13:54:31Z")
**Posts on this page:** 12
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 1:54pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/1 "2022-06-08T13:54:31Z")
There are all those configurable feature and settings available at
**File \> Options**
I my opinion it would be time saving for the user if all those entries were listed in an alphabetical order. Because that list a little too long to be forced too read most of it or to sear through it for the right thing, or having to per-memorize its position
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 2:06pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/2 "2022-06-08T14:06:02Z")
I'm pretty sure these are listed in order of a suggested importance. Certainly they are not often changed once your preferences have been established?
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 2:11pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/3 "2022-06-08T14:11:00Z")
The position determines the shortcut.
So Ctrl-1 calls the first tool , Ctrl-2 the second.
So, a new order when adding a tool would be more surprising than counterproductive, IMHO.
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### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 2:14pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/4 "2022-06-08T14:14:22Z")
> [@MotleyG](#):
>
> [...]
> Certainly they are not often changed once your preferences have been established?
It is true, that I do not go around changing them left and right every other day. And that is precisely the point: when I do need to change something once a couple of weeks or even months, I am forced once again to read through the list, even if I remember what entry I am looking for
It is such little things that when multiplied through dozens of programs and ~350 days a year that make certain users annoyed with feeling of actual waste of time
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/5 "2022-06-08T14:19:29Z")
> [@Zerow](#):
>
> It is such little things that when multiplied through dozens of programs and ~350 days a year that make certain users annoyed with feeling of actual waste of time
I don't let these little things "annoy" me, have you ever had to use MS Office? 🤣
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### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 2:19pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/6 "2022-06-08T14:19:31Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> The position determines the shortcut.
> So Ctrl-1 calls the first tool , Ctrl-2 the second
> [...]
This is just great- a perfect example of how even a vastly experienced user can be confused by repeated usage of name `Tools` in `Options`
> [@Tools and Tools and more Tools](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-and-tools-and-more-tools/57564):
>
> The is this configurable feature available at File \> Options \> Tools I remember years ago, that this double usage of Tools was confusing for me. And confusion is counterproductive. So I just do not understand why there is such repetition Thus I propose changing that second Tools to something else. My propositions are: CTRL Shorcuts Additional Tools Stunts User's Aides User's Shorcuts User's Tools User's Utensils And then also that third usage of Tools, sitting just right above…
I was talking about the first `Tools`, and not the second. So your answer here is exactly the kind of situation that can be avoided when that other proposition of mine gets through
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### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 2:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/7 "2022-06-08T14:33:52Z")
> [@MotleyG](#):
>
> [...]
> have you ever had to use MS Office? 🤣
Yes. And also CorelDRAW. But the difference between those two is Corel allowing the user to greatly adjust the menus, shortcuts, icons and other windows - thus in Corel I do not see such the chaos like in Excel
:notrofl
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 2:38pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/8 "2022-06-08T14:38:23Z")
> [@Zerow](#):
>
> This is just great- a perfect example of how even a vastly experienced user can be confused by repeated usage of name `Tools` in `Options`
Or it could be that the original description was confusing and therefore counterproductive. That what you refer to is the dialogue "Mp3tag Options" - so the correct reference to the dialogue title would have been appropriate.
And if you refer to the options tree ...
I just had a look at foobar and there the first letters are:
CDKMPSTA
My printer driver as a tree for options and shows
EVBTI
The program I use for data transfer has an options dialogue with the subsections' first letters
VSOVSMDHEE
so apparently, there are other sorting criteria than alphabetically only.
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### Author:  [@MotleyG](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/MotleyG)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 3:33pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/9 "2022-06-08T15:33:51Z")
> [@Zerow](#):
>
> But the difference between those two
Perhaps the cost should also be considered...
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### Author:  [@Zerow](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Zerow)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 4:20pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/10 "2022-06-08T16:20:17Z")
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> > [@Zerow](#):
> >
> > [...]
> > a perfect example of how even a vastly experienced user can be confused by repeated usage of name `Tools` in `Options`
> > [...]
>
> Or it could be that the original description was confusing
> [...]
As the great Morpheus said:
_"No, what happened, happened and couldn't have happened any other way"_
> [@ohrenkino](#):
>
> [...]
> And if you refer to the options tree ...
> [...]
> so apparently, there are other sorting criteria than alphabetically only.
I truly wonder what they are. And not just for Mp3tag
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### Author:  [@ohrenkino](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/ohrenkino)
#### Post date: [June 8, 2022, 4:51pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/11 "2022-06-08T16:51:53Z")
So, with a little sympathy for the people who work on MP3tag I would grant them the good will that the order is not completely random but follows defined criteria.
And these may also be that something is easier to be maintained or developed like that over the time.
On the other hand: it is by no means mandatory for a program to function that it displays functions in a way that a user can relate to. It may be nice sometimes, but also it may be possible that there are limitations on the user side to grasp the concept.
In such cases the user simply has to learn the way it works.
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### Author:  [@Florian](https://community.mp3tag.de/u/Florian)
#### Post date: [June 22, 2022, 3:29pm UTC](https://community.mp3tag.de/t/tools-non-alphabetical-order-is-counter-productive/57565/12 "2022-06-22T15:29:04Z")