The field order print records need to be sorted in the right sequence in order for a document composition application to process them. The following is a description of the portion of each record that is responsible for performing this task.

Note that the first ten fields in the Sort Key - DISP_​GRP_​CD through FO_​ID - are all from the CIS database records. For each Field Order in an extract run, there will be a "block" of records of indeterminate size in which the values of these first ten fields will be identical. These ten fields see to it that each block is sorted correctly within the extract as a whole. It is the task of the last six fields to make certain that the records in a particular Field Order's block are sorted correctly within the block. Most of these six are artificial, but two are from the CIS database, where they serve a similar function.

The precise mechanics of the Sort Key may be difficult to envision. This is particularly true with regard to the three-in-one format of the Sequence Number field described in the table below. A look at the Order of Record Types section above may help to make it clearer. Within a given Field Order (FO) block there are several sub-groups. Not only must each sub-group as a whole be in the proper sequence within the FO block, but each record in a sub-group must be in the proper sequence within the sub-group. These sub-groups are Service Point (one or more per FO with one or more Field Activities at each SP), Meter (a Meter and its Registers), Multi-Item (a Multi-Item record and its Detail Lines), and Field Activity (a Field Activity record and its various Steps).

The following table defines the structure of the sort key that appears on each field order print record. Please note that different components are filled in for each printer key.