Ranges and Tables
SORTING
The Excel SORT menu command sorts the contents of a range based on a sort column and sorts the entire range with that column. A simple example is a range of customers and their related data that when sorted by company name, all the related columns stay intact with the company name. To say it in another way, the entire row is sorted along with the customer name. The sort can be done in ascending or descending order. The original data in the sheet is sorted removing the trail back to the source data.
This page will discuss the legacy Excel and present exercises. It will then jump into the new Excel Dynamic Array sort function that turns the feature into a super robust tool. Spoiler: the Dynamic Array =SORT function sorts the data in a separate range leaving the original date intact.
The above discussion is with the legacy excel menu command that sorts the entire range of data. In other words, the original data is now is a different order than originally imported or otherwise listed. The Dynamic Array =SORT function sorts the data in a separate range leaving the original date intact.
Introduction
The table contains sales data in no particular order
Figure 1
Basic rules for sorting:
- Place the cursor in the column to be sorted on. It can be anywhere in the column.
- Click the Sort & Filter image in the menu
- Click Sort A to Z (ascending order)
- The data in the desired column is sorted
Excercise
- Click anywhere in Column A but within the range. This sort will be by customer name.
- Click the Sort & Filter image in the menu (Figure 1 )
- Click Sort A to Z (Figure 2)
- The range has now been sorted by Customer in alphabetic order
