         {
             if (numeric == true)
                 _compareFunction = numericCompare;
+            else if (numeric == false)
+                _compareFunction = stringCompare;
             else
             {
                 // we need to introspect the data a little bit

 *  locale from the document that contains the declaration.
 *  </li>
 *  Example:
 *  <listing version="3.0" >
 *  &lt;fx:Declarations&gt; <br>
 *         &lt;s:SortField id="sf" /&gt; <br>
 *  &lt;/fx:Declarations&gt;
 *  </listing>
 *  <li>
 *  By using an MXML declaration and specifying the locale value
 *  in the list of assignments.
 *  </li>
 *  Example:
 *  <listing version="3.0" >
 *  &lt;fx:Declarations&gt; <br>
 *      &lt;s:SortField id="sf_SimplifiedChinese" locale="zh-Hans-CN" /&gt; <br>
 *  &lt;/fx:Declarations&gt;
 *  </listing>
 *  <li>
 *  Calling the setStyle method,
 *  e.g. <code>sf.setStyle("locale", "zh-Hans-CN")</code>
 *  </li>
 *  <li> 

     *  <p>This function must return the following values:</p>
     *
     *   <ul>
     *        <li>-1, if the <code>Object a</code> should appear before the 
     *        <code>Object b</code> in the sorted sequence</li>
     *        <li>0, if the <code>Object a</code> equals the 
     *        <code>Object b</code></li>
     *        <li>1, if the <code>Object a</code> should appear after the 
     *        <code>Object b</code> in the sorted sequence</li>
     *  </ul>
     *
     *  <p>The default value is an internal compare function that can perform
