Excel: Sorting Data
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When you have a lot of different rows in your spreadsheet, you may want to sort the data to view it more easily.
... [Show More] Sorting can reorder things alphabetically, numerically, by date, or in a custom order that you choose. You can sort from the Home tab using the Sort and Filter dropdown menu, or you can use the command in the Data tab.
In this example, I have a worksheet with a list of t-shirt orders, and I'd like to sort them alphabetically by last name. Just click any cell in the column you want to sort by, and then click the Ascending command (AZ). Excel will also reorder the other columns so that each row still has the correct information. You can click the Descending command (ZA) if you want the sorting in reverse order.
However, this method may not work if your spreadsheet has an unusual layout. In that case, you might need to manually select the cells you want to sort instead of relying on Excel. This is called sorting a cell range. Select the cell range you want to sort, including the header row if you have one, and then click the Sort command. A dialog box will appear where you can check the box that says "My data has headers" and choose the column you want to sort by. You can also select a sorting order, such as largest to smallest.
Sometimes the default sorting options may not work for you. For example, if you sort the columns containing t-shirt sizes in ascending order, the order will be large, medium, small, and extra-large because the column is being sorted alphabetically. In this case, you can create a custom sort. Click the Sort command, select Custom List from the dropdown menu, and enter the t-shirt sizes in the order you want. You can also sort by multiple levels, such as sorting first by t-shirt size and then by homeroom number.
There are many different ways to sort your data depending on how you organize it, so take some time to experiment with the different options and find the ones that best suit your needs. [Show Less]