refactor(search): simplify order by + wire reverse

docs/guide/search.md

@@ -27,8 +27,8 @@ additionally restricted to administrators — see [Result Caching](#result-cachi
 | `modified_after` / `modified_before` | Filter by modification time |
 | `min_size` / `max_size` | Filter by file size in bytes |
 | `resource_types` | Comma-separated: `file`, `folder` (both by default) |
-| `order_by` | `relevance` (default), `name`, `name_desc`, `date`, `date_desc`, `size`, `size_desc` |
+| `order_by` | Sort dimension: `relevance` (default), `name`, `size`, `updated_at`, `created_at` |
-| `reverse` | Reverse the sort order |
+| `reverse` | Reverse sort direction (no-op for `relevance`) |
 | `limit` | Page size (1–200, default 50) |
 | `cursor` | Opaque cursor returned by the previous page |
 

frontend/src/lib/api/endpoints/search.test.ts

@@ -16,12 +16,12 @@ it('builds search requests including filters', async () => {
 		fileTypes: ['mp3', 'wav'],
 		minSize: 1,
 		maxSize: 9,
-		sortBy: 'date'
+		sortBy: 'updated_at'
 	}).catch(() => {});
 	expect(j).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining('type=mp3%2Cwav'), expect.anything());
 	// Sort dimension is sent on the wire as `order_by`, matching the
 	// backend's `SearchResourcesQuery` (post-normalization).
-	expect(j).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining('order_by=date'), expect.anything());
+	expect(j).toHaveBeenCalledWith(expect.stringContaining('order_by=updated_at'), expect.anything());
 	await searchSuggest('q').catch(() => {});
 	await clearSearchCache().catch(() => {});
 	expect(f.mock.calls.length + j.mock.calls.length).toBeGreaterThan(1);

frontend/src/lib/api/types.ts

@@ -248,14 +248,14 @@ export interface AuthResponse {
 	expires_in: number;
 }
 
-export type SortBy =
+/**
-	| 'relevance'
+ * Sort dimension for `GET /api/search`. Wire-matches the backend's
-	| 'name'
+ * `SearchResourcesQuery.order_by` — 5 canonical values, direction is
-	| 'name_desc'
+ * a separate `reverse` boolean (the `_desc` suffix pattern was
-	| 'date'
+ * retired 2026-07-26; `date` was renamed to the more explicit
-	| 'date_desc'
+ * `updated_at` alongside the new `created_at`).
-	| 'size'
+ */
-	| 'size_desc';
+export type SortBy = 'relevance' | 'name' | 'size' | 'updated_at' | 'created_at';
 
 /**
  * Per-item search metadata inline on every hit in the normalized

frontend/src/routes/search/+page.svelte

@@ -235,8 +235,14 @@
 		{
 			key: 'modifiedAt',
 			label: t('groupby.modifiedAt', 'Modified date'),
-			orderBy: 'date',
+			orderBy: 'updated_at',
 			bucketOf: (item) => dateBucket(item.modified_at)
+		},
+		{
+			key: 'createdAt',
+			label: t('groupby.createdAt', 'Created date'),
+			orderBy: 'created_at',
+			bucketOf: (item) => dateBucket(item.created_at)
 		}
 	];
 

src/application/dtos/search_dto.rs

@@ -64,9 +64,18 @@ pub struct SearchCriteriaDto {
     #[serde(default)]
     pub offset: usize,
 
-    /// Sort order for results: "relevance", "name", "name_desc", "date", "date_desc", "size", "size_desc"
+    /// Sort dimension. Canonical set: `"relevance"` | `"name"` | `"size"`
+    /// | `"updated_at"` | `"created_at"`. Direction is `reverse` below —
+    /// the `_desc` suffix pattern was retired 2026-07-26 in favour of
+    /// a single boolean, so every consumer treats "which column" and
+    /// "which direction" as orthogonal concerns.
     #[serde(default = "default_sort_by")]
     pub sort_by: String,
+
+    /// Reverse the sort direction — descending for name/size/date,
+    /// no-op for `relevance` (a descending relevance sort is meaningless).
+    #[serde(default)]
+    pub reverse: bool,
 }
 
 /// Default value for recursive search (true)
@@ -100,6 +109,7 @@ impl Default for SearchCriteriaDto {
             limit: default_limit(),
             offset: 0,
             sort_by: default_sort_by(),
+            reverse: false,
         }
     }
 }
@@ -345,10 +355,11 @@ pub struct SearchResourcesQuery {
     pub cursor: Option<String>,
 
     /// Sort dimension. Supported: `"relevance"` (default), `"name"`,
-    /// `"name_desc"`, `"date"` (= `modified_at`), `"date_desc"`,
+    /// `"size"`, `"updated_at"`, `"created_at"`. Direction is the
-    /// `"size"`, `"size_desc"`. Names match the pre-normalisation
+    /// separate `reverse` flag — the historical `_desc` suffix pattern
-    /// values `SearchCriteriaDto.sort_by` accepted so cached results
+    /// (`name_desc`, `date_desc`, `size_desc`) was retired 2026-07-26
-    /// remain reachable.
+    /// in favour of a single boolean, and `"date"` was renamed to the
+    /// more explicit `"updated_at"` alongside the new `"created_at"`.
     pub order_by: Option<String>,
 
     /// Comma-separated resource types to include, e.g. `"file,folder"`.
@@ -399,10 +410,11 @@ impl SearchResourcesQuery {
             .as_deref()
             .and_then(SearchResourceCursor::decode)
     }
-    /// Convert to the internal `SearchCriteriaDto` the service still
+    /// Convert to the internal `SearchCriteriaDto` the service consumes.
-    /// consumes. `limit` / `offset` come from the decoded cursor (or the
+    /// `limit` / `offset` come from the decoded cursor (or the query's
-    /// query's `limit` on the first page). Sort names pass through
+    /// `limit` on the first page). `sort_by` + `reverse` pass through as
-    /// verbatim — the service's `sort_by` matcher accepts the same set.
+    /// two orthogonal fields — every downstream consumer (SQL builders,
+    /// in-memory folder sort) reads both.
     pub fn to_criteria(&self) -> SearchCriteriaDto {
         let offset = self.decode_cursor().map(|c| c.offset).unwrap_or(0);
         let file_types = self.type_filter.as_deref().map(|s| {
@@ -425,6 +437,7 @@ impl SearchResourcesQuery {
             limit: self.limit_clamped(),
             offset,
             sort_by: self.order_by.clone().unwrap_or_else(default_sort_by),
+            reverse: self.reverse,
         }
     }
     /// Which resource kinds to include. `None` = both. Anything else

src/application/services/search_service.rs

@@ -201,14 +201,23 @@ fn content_relevance(score: f32, max_score: f32) -> u32 {
 
 /// Re-sort the merged file list with the same semantics the folder list
 /// uses. Only invoked when content hits were merged into a SQL-ordered page.
-fn sort_enriched_files(files: &mut [SearchFileResultDto], sort_by: &str) {
+///
+/// Sort dimension + direction are orthogonal (matches the wire
+/// `SearchResourcesQuery` / internal `SearchCriteriaDto` split): 5
+/// canonical `sort_by` values (`relevance | name | size | updated_at |
+/// created_at`) × the boolean `reverse`.
+fn sort_enriched_files(files: &mut [SearchFileResultDto], sort_by: &str, reverse: bool) {
     match sort_by {
+        "name" if reverse => files.sort_by_cached_key(|f| Reverse(f.name.to_lowercase())),
         "name" => files.sort_by_cached_key(|f| f.name.to_lowercase()),
-        "name_desc" => files.sort_by_cached_key(|f| Reverse(f.name.to_lowercase())),
+        "updated_at" if reverse => files.sort_by_key(|f| Reverse(f.modified_at)),
-        "date" => files.sort_by_key(|f| f.modified_at),
+        "updated_at" => files.sort_by_key(|f| f.modified_at),
-        "date_desc" => files.sort_by_key(|f| Reverse(f.modified_at)),
+        "created_at" if reverse => files.sort_by_key(|f| Reverse(f.created_at)),
+        "created_at" => files.sort_by_key(|f| f.created_at),
+        "size" if reverse => files.sort_by_key(|f| Reverse(f.size)),
         "size" => files.sort_by_key(|f| f.size),
-        "size_desc" => files.sort_by_key(|f| Reverse(f.size)),
+        // `relevance` (default) — reverse is a no-op; descending
+        // relevance would be "least-relevant first," meaningless.
         _ => files.sort_by_key(|f| Reverse(f.relevance_score)),
     }
 }
@@ -519,7 +528,7 @@ impl SearchService {
             added += 1;
         }
         if added > 0 {
-            sort_enriched_files(enriched_files, &criteria.sort_by);
+            sort_enriched_files(enriched_files, &criteria.sort_by, criteria.reverse);
         }
         Ok(added)
     }
@@ -734,20 +743,33 @@ impl SearchUseCase for SearchService {
                         })
                         .collect();
 
-                    // Sort folders (cached_key avoids O(N log N) temporary String allocations)
+                    // Sort folders (cached_key avoids O(N log N) temporary String allocations).
-                    match criteria.sort_by.as_str() {
+                    // 5-dimension model (`relevance | name | size | updated_at | created_at`)
-                        "name" => {
+                    // × the boolean `reverse` — matches the file-side `sort_enriched_files`
+                    // + the SQL match in `file_blob_read_repository`. `size` isn't
+                    // meaningful for folders (no size column), so it falls through
+                    // to the relevance default.
+                    match (criteria.sort_by.as_str(), criteria.reverse) {
+                        ("name", false) => {
                             enriched_folders.sort_by_cached_key(|f| f.name.to_lowercase());
                         }
-                        "name_desc" => {
+                        ("name", true) => {
                             enriched_folders.sort_by_cached_key(|f| Reverse(f.name.to_lowercase()));
                         }
-                        "date" => {
+                        ("updated_at", false) => {
                             enriched_folders.sort_by_key(|f| f.modified_at);
                         }
-                        "date_desc" => {
+                        ("updated_at", true) => {
                             enriched_folders.sort_by_key(|f| Reverse(f.modified_at));
                         }
+                        ("created_at", false) => {
+                            enriched_folders.sort_by_key(|f| f.created_at);
+                        }
+                        ("created_at", true) => {
+                            enriched_folders.sort_by_key(|f| Reverse(f.created_at));
+                        }
+                        // `relevance` (default) + `size` (N/A for folders) +
+                        // anything unrecognised — all land on relevance-desc.
                         _ => {
                             enriched_folders.sort_by_key(|f| Reverse(f.relevance_score));
                         }
@@ -1147,17 +1169,20 @@ mod tests {
             dto("b-content.txt", 30, 10, 200),
             dto("a-name.txt", 80, 99, 100),
         ];
-        sort_enriched_files(&mut files, "relevance");
+        sort_enriched_files(&mut files, "relevance", false);
         assert_eq!(
             files[0].name, "a-name.txt",
             "name match must outrank content match"
         );
 
-        sort_enriched_files(&mut files, "size_desc");
+        // 5-dimension sort model (2026-07-26): direction is a separate
+        // boolean, `_desc` suffixes retired. `size + reverse=true` = old
+        // `size_desc`, `updated_at + reverse=false` = old `date`, etc.
+        sort_enriched_files(&mut files, "size", true);
         assert_eq!(files[0].name, "a-name.txt");
-        sort_enriched_files(&mut files, "date");
+        sort_enriched_files(&mut files, "updated_at", false);
         assert_eq!(files[0].name, "a-name.txt");
-        sort_enriched_files(&mut files, "name_desc");
+        sort_enriched_files(&mut files, "name", true);
         assert_eq!(files[0].name, "b-content.txt");
     }
 }

src/infrastructure/repositories/pg/file_blob_read_repository.rs

@@ -1216,16 +1216,23 @@ impl FileReadPort for FileBlobReadRepository {
         let offset = criteria.offset as i64;
         let limit = criteria.limit as i64;
 
-        // Determine sort order
+        // Determine sort order. Canonical `sort_by` set (matches the wire
-        let (order_column, order_dir) = match criteria.sort_by.as_str() {
+        // `SearchResourcesQuery.order_by` 1:1 — no rename at any layer):
-            "name" => ("fi.name", "ASC"),
+        // `relevance | name | size | updated_at | created_at`. Direction
-            "name_desc" => ("fi.name", "DESC"),
+        // comes from `criteria.reverse`; the old `_desc`-suffix pattern
-            "date" => ("fi.updated_at", "ASC"),
+        // was retired 2026-07-26.
-            "date_desc" => ("fi.updated_at", "DESC"),
+        let order_column = match criteria.sort_by.as_str() {
-            "size" => ("fi.size", "ASC"),
+            "name" => "fi.name",
-            "size_desc" => ("fi.size", "DESC"),
+            "updated_at" => "fi.updated_at",
-            _ => ("fi.name", "ASC"),
+            "created_at" => "fi.created_at",
+            "size" => "fi.size",
+            // `relevance` (or anything unrecognised) has no dedicated
+            // column here — the recursive/non-recursive services blend
+            // in content-index hits and re-sort in memory. Falling back
+            // to name keeps the SQL page stable.
+            _ => "fi.name",
         };
+        let order_dir = if criteria.reverse { "DESC" } else { "ASC" };
 
         // ── Build dynamic WHERE + bind indices ───────────────────────────
         let mut conditions: Vec<String> = vec![
@@ -1376,16 +1383,23 @@ impl FileReadPort for FileBlobReadRepository {
         let offset = criteria.offset as i64;
         let limit = criteria.limit as i64;
 
-        // Determine sort order
+        // Determine sort order. Canonical `sort_by` set (matches the wire
-        let (order_column, order_dir) = match criteria.sort_by.as_str() {
+        // `SearchResourcesQuery.order_by` 1:1 — no rename at any layer):
-            "name" => ("fi.name", "ASC"),
+        // `relevance | name | size | updated_at | created_at`. Direction
-            "name_desc" => ("fi.name", "DESC"),
+        // comes from `criteria.reverse`; the old `_desc`-suffix pattern
-            "date" => ("fi.updated_at", "ASC"),
+        // was retired 2026-07-26.
-            "date_desc" => ("fi.updated_at", "DESC"),
+        let order_column = match criteria.sort_by.as_str() {
-            "size" => ("fi.size", "ASC"),
+            "name" => "fi.name",
-            "size_desc" => ("fi.size", "DESC"),
+            "updated_at" => "fi.updated_at",
-            _ => ("fi.name", "ASC"),
+            "created_at" => "fi.created_at",
+            "size" => "fi.size",
+            // `relevance` (or anything unrecognised) has no dedicated
+            // column here — the recursive/non-recursive services blend
+            // in content-index hits and re-sort in memory. Falling back
+            // to name keeps the SQL page stable.
+            _ => "fi.name",
         };
+        let order_dir = if criteria.reverse { "DESC" } else { "ASC" };
 
         // ── Build dynamic WHERE clauses ──
         let mut conditions = Vec::new();

src/interfaces/api/handlers/search_handler.rs

@@ -257,7 +257,7 @@ pub struct SuggestParams {
         ("query" = Option<String>, Query, description = "Text to search in names / content"),
         ("limit" = Option<u32>, Query, description = "Max items per page (1–200, default 50)"),
         ("cursor" = Option<String>, Query, description = "Opaque cursor from a previous response"),
-        ("order_by" = Option<String>, Query, description = "Sort dimension: relevance (default) | name | name_desc | date | date_desc | size | size_desc"),
+        ("order_by" = Option<String>, Query, description = "Sort dimension: relevance (default) | name | size | updated_at | created_at"),
         ("resource_types" = Option<String>, Query, description = "Comma-separated: file, folder (both by default)"),
         ("reverse" = Option<bool>, Query, description = "Reverse the sort order"),
         ("type" = Option<String>, Query, description = "Filter by file extensions (comma-separated)"),