--- loncom/interface/coursecatalog.pm	2007/12/10 23:54:40	1.24
+++ loncom/interface/coursecatalog.pm	2008/02/15 02:30:14	1.26
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 # The LearningOnline Network with CAPA
 # Handler for displaying the course catalog interface
 #
-# $Id: coursecatalog.pm,v 1.24 2007/12/10 23:54:40 raeburn Exp $
+# $Id: coursecatalog.pm,v 1.26 2008/02/15 02:30:14 raeburn Exp $
 #
 # Copyright Michigan State University Board of Trustees
 #
@@ -231,8 +231,10 @@ function setCourseId(caller) {
             $r->print(&mt('<b>Choose which course(s) to list.</b><br />'));
             $r->print('<table><tr>');
             for (my $k=0; $k<$lasttitle-1; $k++) {
-                my @unsorted = @{$cat_items{$codetitles[$k]}};
-                my @items;
+                my (@items,@unsorted);
+                if (ref($cat_items{$codetitles[$k]}) eq 'ARRAY') {
+                    @unsorted = @{$cat_items{$codetitles[$k]}};
+                }
                 &Apache::courseclassifier::sort_cats($k,\%cat_order,\@codetitles,\@unsorted,\@items);
                 my @longitems;
                 if (defined($cat_titles{$codetitles[$k]})) {
@@ -496,7 +498,12 @@ sub construct_data_table {
         } elsif ($env{'form.sortby'} eq 'owner') {
             push(@{$Sortby{$courseinfo{$course}{'ownerlastnames'}}},$course);
         } else {
-            push(@{$Sortby{$courseinfo{$course}{'title'}}},$course);
+            my $clean_title = $courseinfo{$course}{'title'};
+            $clean_title =~ s/\W+//g;
+            if ($clean_title eq '') {
+                $clean_title = $courseinfo{$course}{'title'};
+            }
+            push(@{$Sortby{$clean_title}},$course);
         }
     }
     my @sorted_courses;