Methods of organizing sorting in ordered lists in software systems

Abstract

In modern software systems, particularly in web applications, task management systems, content management platforms, and other structured data environments, the correct organization of item order in ordered lists plays a critical role. The most common method for storing such structures involves relational databases, where maintaining item order requires additional attention. The primary approaches include the use of a separate numeric field (order index) or the construction of linked structures, in which each record contains a reference to the previous or next item. However, as the number of elements grows, updating these values efficiently becomes a challenge, especially when items are repositioned within the list. This creates the need for a thorough analysis of modern approaches to organizing and maintaining list order, particularly methods for optimizing sorting values by incorporating reserved space between adjacent indices. Such approach helps to avoid frequent re-indexing operations when positions change, which in turn improves performance and reduces database load. Among alternative solutions, horizontal expansion of ordering values, such as the use of fractional or lexicographic formats, deserves particular attention. Additionally, the advantages and disadvantages of using linked lists compared to traditional sorting by order values are examined. To compare the approaches, an evaluation is conducted based on accuracy and performance, implementation efficiency, and a possibility of scaling lists