Ways to get Alphabetical Paging for your ASP scripts

I did it a somewhat complicated way the first time. But there is an easier way.

First, the complicated way.

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Example: My collection of Quarter Horse Pedigrees.
First, I created a field in the RECORDS table named ALPHA. Then using Access and Word, I copied the first letters of each horse's name into the ALPHA field from the NAMES field. By using ALT-click-drag I was able to copy only the first letters and paste them as a group back into the ALPHA field.

I created a new table called "LETTERS" with a field called "ABC" with a record for each letter of the alphabet. When this table is displayed, each letter is hyperlinked to the list of records that have the matching letter in their ALPHA field.

However, for NEW uploads, this would have to be automated. So I set it up so that when users upload a new file, the filename goes into the database as part of the upload and then there is a redirection to the edit.asp script that opens the newly created record. Inside the edit page code, I inserted the following bit of code (by Scott Campbell) that I have found so useful for so many different applications:

dim strFileName, str3, strExt

strFileName = Request.Form("x_TITLE")
'Getting the filename from our database and setting the string contents.
intHowLong = Len(strFileName) 'Getting the number of character contained within the filename.
str3 = intHowLong - intHowLong +1 'Subtracting the number of characters then adding 1. This is effectively removing the all but one letter.
strAlpha = Left(strFilename, str3) 'Isolating the first letter of the record title, the horse's name.
'response.write strAlpha


' Get fields from form
x_ALPHA = strAlpha
x_FILE = Request.Form("x_FILE")
x_SIZE = Request.Form("x_SIZE")
x_DATE = Request.Form("x_DATE")
x_TITLE = Request.Form("x_TITLE")
x_UPLOADBY = Request.Form("x_UPLOADBY")
x_REG_NO = Request.Form("x_REG_NO")

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An EASIER way to do this without so much messing with the database would be to use the code in this manner on the page of files listed by one letter of the alphabet.

EXAMPLES:
With the method above: http://quarter-horse-times.com/pedigrees/QHT_RECORDSlist.asp?alpha=M
With the simpler method below: http://quarter-horse-times.com/pedigrees/QHT_RECORDSlist2.asp?alpha=M

This code is used in QHT_RECORDSlist2.asp:

' Load Key for record
key = rs("ID")
x_ID = rs("ID")

x_FILE = rs("FILE")
x_SIZE = rs("SIZE")
x_DATE = rs("DATE")
x_TITLE = rs("TITLE")
x_UPLOADBY = rs("UPLOADBY")
x_REG_NO = rs("REG_NO")

dim strFileName, str3, strExt

strFileName = rs("TITLE")'Getting the title from our database and setting the string contents.
intHowLong = Len(strFileName) 'Getting the number of characters contained within the title content.
str3 = intHowLong - intHowLong +1 'Subtracting the number of characters then adding 1. This is effectively removing the all but one letter.
strAlpha = Left(strFilename, str3) 'Isolating the first letter of the record title, the horse's name.
'response.write strAlpha
x_ALPHA = strAlpha'making the first letter of the Title field the letter by which the records are filtered when matched to the querystring alpha=M or whatever

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The SQL for the list page looks something like this:
SELECT * FROM [RECORDS] WHERE ([ALPHA]='M') ORDER BY [TITLE] ASC
Of course, the actual code would be something like:

dim strAlpha
strAlpha = request.querystring("alpha")'tells which letter to sort by
"SELECT * FROM [RECORDS] WHERE [ALPHA]='"& strAlpha  &"'"&" ORDER BY [TITLE] ASC"

I have the Main Alphabetical List in a database table, but it could just as well be a static page. My hyperlinks look like this:
<a href="<% key = rs("ID") : If Not IsNull(key) Then Response.Write "QHT_RECORDSlist.asp?alpha="& x_ABC & "" End If %>"><b><font size="3"><%= x_ABC%></font></b></a>

This would work just as well (static links):
<a href="QHT_RECORDSlist.asp?alpha=M"><b><font size="3">M</a>
M
N