diff --git a/src/js/Node.js b/src/js/Node.js
index 188ec09..7c1d16b 100644
--- a/src/js/Node.js
+++ b/src/js/Node.js
@@ -3701,11 +3701,15 @@ Node.prototype._onChangeType = function (newType) {
 /**
  * Sort the child's of the node. Only applicable when the node has type 'object'
  * or 'array'.
- * @param {String[]} path      Path of the child value to be compared
- * @param {String} direction   Sorting direction. Available values: "asc", "desc"
+ * @param {String[] | string} path  Path of the child value to be compared
+ * @param {String} direction        Sorting direction. Available values: "asc", "desc"
  * @private
  */
 Node.prototype.sort = function (path, direction) {
+  if (typeof path === 'string') {
+    path = util.parsePath(path);
+  }
+
   if (!this._hasChilds()) {
     return;
   }
@@ -4427,7 +4431,7 @@ Node.prototype.showSortModal = function () {
 
   function onSort (sortedBy) {
     var path = sortedBy.path;
-    var pathArray = (path === '.') ? [] : path.split('.').slice(1);
+    var pathArray = util.parsePath(path);
 
     node.sortedBy = sortedBy
     node.sort(pathArray, sortedBy.direction)
diff --git a/src/js/showSortModal.js b/src/js/showSortModal.js
index bf5c8d3..b5f5c4b 100644
--- a/src/js/showSortModal.js
+++ b/src/js/showSortModal.js
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ var util = require('./util');
 function showSortModal (container, json, onSort, options) {
   var paths = Array.isArray(json)
       ? util.getChildPaths(json)
-      : ['.'];
+      : [''];
   var selectedPath = options && options.path && util.contains(paths, options.path)
       ? options.path
       : paths[0]
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ function showSortModal (container, json, onSort, options) {
 
         paths.forEach(function (path) {
           var option = document.createElement('option');
-          option.text = path;
+          option.text = path || '.';
           option.value = path;
           field.appendChild(option);
         });
diff --git a/src/js/showTransformModal.js b/src/js/showTransformModal.js
index 156cdd8..6533479 100644
--- a/src/js/showTransformModal.js
+++ b/src/js/showTransformModal.js
@@ -137,7 +137,7 @@ function showTransformModal (container, json, onTransform) {
         });
 
         var selectablePaths = util.getChildPaths(json, true).filter(function(path) {
-          return path !== '.';
+          return path !== '';
         });
         if (selectablePaths.length > 0) {
           selectablePaths.forEach(function (path) {
@@ -179,14 +179,11 @@ function showTransformModal (container, json, onTransform) {
         query.value = Array.isArray(value) ? '[*]' : '@';
 
         function preprocessPath(path) {
-          if (path[0] === '.') {
-            return (path === '.')
-                ? '@'
-                : path.slice(1);
-          }
-          else {
-            return path;
-          }
+          return (path === '')
+              ? '@'
+              : (path[0] === '.')
+                  ? path.slice(1)
+                  : path;
         }
 
         function generateQueryFromWizard () {
@@ -198,7 +195,7 @@ function showTransformModal (container, json, onTransform) {
             var exampleValue = util.get(value, examplePath)
             var value1 = typeof exampleValue === 'string'
                 ? filterValue.value
-                : parseString(filterValue.value);
+                : util.parseString(filterValue.value);
 
             query.value = '[? ' +
                 field1 + ' ' +
diff --git a/src/js/util.js b/src/js/util.js
index 8b70606..018ba5e 100644
--- a/src/js/util.js
+++ b/src/js/util.js
@@ -1202,7 +1202,7 @@ exports.getChildPaths = function (json, includeObjects) {
     var isValue = !Array.isArray(json) && !exports.isObject(json)
 
     if (isValue || includeObjects) {
-      pathsMap[rootPath || '.'] = true;
+      pathsMap[rootPath || ''] = true;
     }
 
     if (exports.isObject(json)) {
@@ -1218,7 +1218,7 @@ exports.getChildPaths = function (json, includeObjects) {
     });
   }
   else {
-    pathsMap['.'] = true;
+    pathsMap[''] = true;
   }
 
   return Object.keys(pathsMap).sort();
diff --git a/test/util.test.js b/test/util.test.js
index d840f2d..6f5299b 100644
--- a/test/util.test.js
+++ b/test/util.test.js
@@ -274,7 +274,7 @@ describe('util', function () {
       ];
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(util.getChildPaths(json, true), [
-        '.',
+        '',
         '.location',
         '.location.latitude',
         '.location.longitude',
@@ -287,14 +287,14 @@ describe('util', function () {
       var json = [ 1, 2, 3 ];
 
       assert.deepStrictEqual(util.getChildPaths(json), [
-        '.'
+        ''
       ])
     });
 
     it('should extract all child paths of a non-array', function () {
-      assert.deepStrictEqual(util.getChildPaths({a: 2, b: {c: 3}}), ['.'])
-      assert.deepStrictEqual(util.getChildPaths('foo'), ['.'])
-      assert.deepStrictEqual(util.getChildPaths(123), ['.'])
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(util.getChildPaths({a: 2, b: {c: 3}}), [''])
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(util.getChildPaths('foo'), [''])
+      assert.deepStrictEqual(util.getChildPaths(123), [''])
     });
   })