Getting Started Guide

Filtering which cells are visible
A filter is a list of conditions that each entry has to meet in order to be displayed. You
can set three types of filters from the Data > Filter sub-menu.
Automatic filters add a drop-down list to the top row of a column that contains
commonly used filters. They are quick and convenient and are useful with text and
with numbers, because the list includes every unique entry in the selected cells.
In addition to these unique entries, automatic filters include the option to display all
entries, the ten highest numerical values, and all cells that are empty or not-empty, as
well as a standard filter. The automatic filters are somewhat limited. In particular,
they do not allow regular expressions, so you cannot use them to display cell contents
that are similar, but not identical.
Standard filters are more complex than automatic filters. You can set as many as
three conditions as a filter, combining them with the operators AND and OR.
Standard filters are mostly useful for numbers, although a few of the conditional
operators, such as = and < > can also be useful for text.
Other conditional operators for standard filters include options to display the largest
or smallest values, or a percentage of them. Useful in themselves, standard filters
take on added value when used to further refine automatic filters.
Advanced filters are structured similarly to standard filters. The differences are that
advanced filters are not limited to three conditions, and their criteria are not entered
in a dialog. Instead, advanced filters are entered in a blank area of a sheet, then
referenced by the advanced filter tool to apply them.
Sorting records
Sorting arranges the visible cells on the sheet. In Calc, you can sort by up to three
criteria, which are applied one after another. Sorts are handy when you are searching
for a particular item, and become even more powerful after you have filtered data.
In addition, sorting is often useful when you add new information. When a list is long,
it is usually easier to add new information at the bottom of the sheet, rather than
adding rows in the proper places. After you have added information, you can then
sort it to update the sheet.
Highlight the cells to be sorted, then select Data > Sort to open the Sort dialog (or
click the Sort Ascending or Sort Descending toolbar buttons). Using the dialog, you
can sort the selected cells using up to three columns, in either ascending (A-Z, 1-9) or
descending (Z-A, 9-1) order.
On the Options tab of the Sort dialog, you can choose the following options:
Case sensitive
If two entries are otherwise identical, one with an upper case letter is placed
before one with a lower case letter in the same position.
Range contains column labels
Does not include the column heading in the sort.
Include formats
A cell's formatting is moved with its contents. If formatting is used to distinguish
different types of cells, then use this option.
136 Getting Started with OpenOffice.org 3.3