Datasheet

Book VI

Chapter 1

Building and

Maintaining Data Lists

583

Sorting Data

You can use the Sort & Filter Data command button on the Ribbon’s Home

tab and the AutoFilter buttons on the field names to quickly sort data. You

can sort the records in your data list by sorting its rows, and sort the fields

in the data list by sorting its columns.

In sorting, you can specify either ascending or descending sort order for

your data. When you specify ascending order (which is the default), Excel

arranges text in A-to-Z order and values from smallest to largest. When you

specify descending order, Excel reverses this order and arranges text in

Z-to-A order and values range from largest to smallest. When sorting on a

date field, keep in mind that ascending order puts the records in oldest to

newest order, while descending order gives you the records in newest to

oldest date order.

Keep in mind that, although sorting is most often applied to rearranging and

maintaining data list records and fields, you can use the Sort & Filter com-

mand button to reorder data in any worksheet table, whether or not the

table follows the strict data list structure.

Sorting records on a single field

When you only need to sort the data list on one particular field (such as the

ID No, Last Name, or Location field), you simply click that field’s AutoFilter

button and then click the appropriate sort option on its drop-down list:

✦ Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A in a text field

✦ Sort Smallest to Largest or Sort Largest to Smallest in a number field

✦ Sort Oldest to Newest or Sort Newest to Oldest in a date field

Excel then reorders all the records in the data list in accordance with the

new ascending or descending order in the selected field. If you find that

you’ve sorted the list in error, simply click the Undo button on the Quick

Access toolbar or press Ctrl+Z right away to return the list to its previous

order.

Excel 2010 shows when a field has been used in sorting the data list by

adding an up or down arrow to its filter button. An arrow pointing up indi-

cates that the ascending sort order was used and one pointing down indi-

cates that the descending sort order was used.

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