Feature request: have pivot_wider put column in factor level order

[billdenney]

This is related to but distinct from #839.

Would it be a feature of interest for pivot_wider to put columns in factor level order rather than what appears to be first-seen order?

In the example below, I'd prefer to see column "B" before column "A".

library(tidyr)

d <- data.frame(x = factor(c("A", "B"), levels = c("B", "A")), y = 1:2)
pivot_wider(d, names_from = "x", values_from = "y")
#> # A tibble: 1 × 2
#>       A     B
#>   <int> <int>
#> 1     1     2

^{Created on 2025-08-28 with reprex v2.1.1}

[DavisVaughan]

i think you want names_sort

library(tidyr)

d <- data.frame(x = factor(c("A", "B"), levels = c("B", "A")), y = 1:2)

d |>
  pivot_wider(
    names_from = x,
    names_sort = TRUE,
    values_from = y
  )
#> # A tibble: 1 × 2
#>       B     A
#>   <int> <int>
#> 1     2     1

If I remember correctly it sorts on the value before conversion to a character column name, so preserves factor level order