Resolve "Can't create an index to sort tables order/group by a duration field"

backend/src/baserow/contrib/database/fields/field_sortings.py

@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 from dataclasses import dataclass
 from typing import Any, Dict, List, Optional
 
+from django.db.models import F
 from django.db.models.expressions import OrderBy
 
 
@@ -29,13 +30,16 @@ class OptionallyAnnotatedOrderBy:
         of the OrderBy order.
 
         OrderBy expression for a field is always F(field_expression) or
-        Collate(F(field_expression)).
+        Collate(F(field_expression)) or a django Expression that can be
+        stringified.
         """
 
         if self.collation:
             return self.order.expression.source_expressions[0].name
-        else:
+        elif isinstance(self.order.expression, F):
             return self.order.expression.name
+        else:
+            return str(self.order.expression)
 
     @property
     def order_bys(self) -> List[OrderBy]:

backend/src/baserow/contrib/database/fields/field_types.py

@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ from django.db.models import (
     Window,
 )
 from django.db.models.fields.related import ManyToManyField
-from django.db.models.functions import Coalesce, Extract, RowNumber
+from django.db.models.functions import Coalesce, RowNumber
 
 from dateutil import parser
 from dateutil.parser import ParserError
@@ -2028,7 +2028,7 @@ class DurationFieldType(FieldType):
         setattr(row, field_name, value)
 
     def get_sortable_column_expression(self, field_name: str) -> Expression | F:
-        return Extract(F(f"{field_name}"), "epoch")
+        return F(f"{field_name}")
 
 
 class LinkRowFieldType(

backend/src/baserow/contrib/database/views/handler.py

@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ from django.core.exceptions import FieldDoesNotExist, ValidationError
 from django.db import connection
 from django.db import models as django_models
 from django.db.models import Count, Q
-from django.db.models.expressions import F, OrderBy
+from django.db.models.expressions import OrderBy
 from django.db.models.query import QuerySet
 
 import jwt
@@ -290,7 +290,7 @@ class ViewIndexingHandler(metaclass=baserow_trace_methods(tracer)):
 
     @classmethod
     def get_index(
-        cls, view: View, model: Optional[GeneratedTableModel]
+        cls, view: View, model: Optional[GeneratedTableModel] = None
     ) -> Optional[django_models.Index]:
         """
         Returns the model and the best possible index for the requested view.
@@ -1859,8 +1859,7 @@ class ViewHandler(metaclass=baserow_trace_methods(tracer)):
             for fob in field_order_bys:
                 order_by.append(fob)
 
-        order_by.append(F("order").asc(nulls_first=True))
-        order_by.append(F("id").asc(nulls_first=True))
+        order_by.extend(("order", "id"))
 
         return order_by, queryset
 

changelog/entries/unreleased/bug/3296_can_t_create_an_index_to_sort_tables_order_group_by_a_durati.json

@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+    "type": "bug",
+    "message": "Fix a bug that prevent a database index to be created when sorting/grouping by a duration field.",
+    "issue_number": 3296,
+    "bullet_points": [],
+    "created_at": "2024-12-18"
+}