Andy,

> I use a DEV Express Quantum Grid that has a LoadAllRecords setting
> which allows you to simply use the grid to do the sorting. This is no
> good so we use in in PartialLoad mode with 80 records buffered max.

Don't know the first thing about Quantum Grid so I can't comment if it does
something IBO cannot provide.
However, IBO_Query has a property called MaxRows which will only give you
the specified number of rows no matter how many rows would be retrieved w/o
this property. I only played with it a little an don't know if the rest can
be retrieved in increments or so. Maybe other can jump in here...

> To sort right now, when a user clicks on the column header we close
> the query, add 'sort by columnX asc' to the sql for example and open
> the query again, we also put the correct sort marker in the grid
> heading.

This is the exact behaviour of the IBO grid when ordering is specified.

> So the problem with that is that if a user is on a certain selected
> record and then decides to sort the grid then because we close and
> open the query we lose the select record.

With the IBO grid you can tell it to either stick with the record or stick
with the row.

> Are you basically saying that I can use the IBO Query to sort the data
> without a) having to open and close the query and b) it wont bring
> anymore records to the client than needed? (i.e. 80) and lastly the
> grid will keep its selected record? ( I realise that if the record
> select becomes record no 800 when the grid is sorted then 800 records
> will have to be brought over).
>
> Basically if there is a better way of doing this guys, Im all ears.

Don't know how you limit the number of rows sent from the server to the
client, but I assume that all rows are sent and the Quantum Grid takes care
of only showing the desired number.
In order to minimize the amount of data having to go through the wire and
hence minimize the responce time, it is good practice to only ask for what
can be worked with by the user.
In other words, it's well worth the effort to build an intelligent query.

Florian