feat: add reverse_sort input option for sorting functionality (#281)

* feat: add reverse_sort input option for sorting functionality

- Added `reverse_sort` input to `action.yml` to allow reversing the sorting order (oldest first) when sorting is enabled.
- Updated `README.md` to document the new `reverse_sort` option.
- Modified `blog-post-workflow.js` to implement reverse sorting logic.
- Introduced tests for reverse sorting functionality in `reverse-sort.js`.

Signed-off-by: Kemal Akkoyun <kakkoyun@gmail.com>

* feat: Implement sort_order parameter for flexible post sorting

This commit introduces a `sort_order` parameter to control the display order of blog posts, based on the  feedback.

The `sort_order` parameter accepts:
- `desc` (default): Sorts posts newest first when date sorting is enabled.
- `asc`: Sorts posts oldest first when date sorting is enabled.

If date sorting is disabled (`disable_sort: 'true'`), the `sort_order` parameter has no effect, and posts will be displayed in their fetched order. This differs slightly from the initial suggestion by ensuring `disable_sort` retains its primary role in controlling whether any sorting occurs.

The implementation sorts posts directly in the specified order in a single step for efficiency. Items without publication dates are consistently placed at the end of the list.

Signed-off-by: Kemal Akkoyun <kakkoyun@gmail.com>

---------

Signed-off-by: Kemal Akkoyun <kakkoyun@gmail.com>

Author: kakkoyun

README.md

@@ -23,6 +23,10 @@ inputs:
     description: "Disables the sorting of list based on publish date"
     default: "false"
     required: false
+  sort_order:
+    description: "Specifies the sort order of posts when date sorting is enabled (disable_sort is 'false'). Supports 'asc' (ascending, oldest first) and 'desc' (descending, newest first). Has no effect if disable_sort is 'true'."
+    default: "desc"
+    required: false
   filter_comments:
     description: "Comma separated list of platforms you want to enable the comment filter"
     default: "stackoverflow/Comment by $author/,stackexchange/Comment by $author/"

action.yml

@@ -34,6 +34,12 @@ const TOTAL_POST_COUNT = Number.parseInt(core.getInput('max_post_count'));
 // Disables sort
 const ENABLE_SORT = core.getInput('disable_sort') === 'false';
 
+// Specifies sort order
+const SORT_ORDER = core.getInput('sort_order'); // 'asc' or 'desc'
+
+// Reverses sort order when enabled
+const REVERSE_SORT = core.getInput('reverse_sort') === 'true';
+
 // Disables validation checks
 const ENABLE_VALIDATION = core.getInput('disable_item_validation') === 'false';
 
@@ -140,7 +146,7 @@ feedList.forEach((siteUrl) => {
               if (ENABLE_SORT && ENABLE_VALIDATION && !item.pubDate) {
                 reject('Cannot read response->item->pubDate');
               }
-              
+
               // Handle missing titles gracefully
               if (ENABLE_VALIDATION && !item.title) {
                 // Either skip the item by returning null
@@ -150,11 +156,11 @@ feedList.forEach((siteUrl) => {
                   return null; // This item will be filtered out later
                 }
                 // Use URL as fallback or a default text
-                item.title = item.link ? 
-                  `[No Title] - ${item.link.split('/').pop() || 'Post'}` : 
+                item.title = item.link ?
+                  `[No Title] - ${item.link.split('/').pop() || 'Post'}` :
                   'Post without title';
               }
-              
+
               if (ENABLE_VALIDATION && !item.link) {
                 reject('Cannot read response->item->link');
               }
@@ -274,9 +280,24 @@ const runWorkflow = async () => {
     // Sorting posts based on date
     if (ENABLE_SORT) {
       postsArray.sort(function (a, b) {
-        return b.date - a.date;
+        // Handle items without dates consistently by moving them to the end
+        const aHasDate = !!a.date;
+        const bHasDate = !!b.date;
+
+        if (!aHasDate && !bHasDate) return 0; // Keep original relative order for items without dates
+        if (!aHasDate) return 1;  // 'a' (no date) comes after 'b' (has date)
+        if (!bHasDate) return -1; // 'b' (no date) comes after 'a' (has date)
+
+        // Both items have dates, sort according to SORT_ORDER
+        if (SORT_ORDER === 'asc') {
+          return a.date - b.date; // Sorts ascending by date (oldest first)
+        } else {
+          return b.date - a.date; // Sorts descending by date (newest first) by default
+        }
       });
     }
+    // If ENABLE_SORT is false (i.e., disable_sort is true), postsArray remains in fetched order.
+
     // Slicing with the max count
     postsArray = postsArray.slice(0, TOTAL_POST_COUNT);
     if (postsArray.length > 0) {

src/blog-post-workflow.js

@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+# Readme test
+Post list example:
+<!-- BLOG-POST-LIST:START -->
+- [DuckDuckGo – The search engine redefined](https://dev.to/gautamkrishnar/duckduckgo-the-search-engine-redefined-4c7d)
+- [Hi, I&#39;m Gautam krishna.R](https://dev.to/gautamkrishnar/hi-im-gautam-krishnar)
+- [An Introduction to NumPy](https://dev.to/gautamkrishnar/an-introduction-to-numpy)
+- [Microsoft Student Partners – Geek is the new rockstar](https://dev.to/gautamkrishnar/microsoft-student-partners--geek-is-the-new-rockstar)
+- [Skipping the Chrome &quot;Your connection is not private&quot; warning](https://dev.to/gautamkrishnar/quickbits-1-skipping-the-chrome-your-connection-is-not-private-warning-4kp1)
+- [God Mode in browsers: document.designMode = &quot;on&quot;](https://dev.to/gautamkrishnar/god-mode-in-browsers-document-designmode-on-2pmo)
+<!-- BLOG-POST-LIST:END -->
+
+# Other contents
+Test content

test/snapshots/Readme.sort-order-asc.md.snap

@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+const {DEFAULT_TEST_ENV} = require('./testUtils/default-env');
+const {runAndCompareSnap} = require('./testUtils/testUtils');
+
+describe('Ascending sort order readme (sort_order: asc)', function () {
+  it('should be equal to the saved snapshot', async function () {
+    const envObj = {
+      ...process.env,
+      ...DEFAULT_TEST_ENV,
+      INPUT_SORT_ORDER: 'asc' // Changed from REVERSE_SORT: 'true'
+    };
+    // Snapshot name will also need to be changed to Readme.sort-order-asc.md
+    await runAndCompareSnap('Readme.sort-order-asc.md', envObj);
+  });
+});

test/sort-order-asc.js

@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ const DEFAULT_TEST_ENV = {
   INPUT_MAX_POST_COUNT: '10',
   INPUT_FEED_LIST: 'http://localhost:8080',
   INPUT_DISABLE_SORT: 'false',
+  INPUT_SORT_ORDER: 'desc',
   INPUT_TEMPLATE: 'default',
   INPUT_FILTER_COMMENTS: 'medium,stackoverflow/Comment by $author/,stackexchange/Comment by $author/',
   INPUT_USER_AGENT: 'rss-parser',