Excel 2010 Sorting Data

Excel 2010

Sorting Data

Introduction

Basic Sorting

Watch the video (3:45). Need help?

To Sort in Alphabetical Order:

1. Select a cell in the column you want to sort by. In this example, we will sort by Last Name.
   Selecting a column to sort
2. Select the Data tab, and locate the Sort and Filter group.
3. Click the ascending command  to Sort A to Z, or the descending command  to Sort Z to A.
   Sorting in ascending alphabetical order
4. The data in the spreadsheet will be organized alphabetically.
   Sorted by last name, from A to Z

To Sort in Numerical Order:

1. Select a cell in the column you want to sort by.
   Selecting a column to sort
2. From the Data tab, click the ascending command  to Sort Smallest to Largest, or the descending command  to Sort Largest to Smallest.
3. The data in the spreadsheet will be organized numerically.
   Sorted by homeroom number, from smallest to largest

To Sort by Date or Time:

1. Select a cell in the column you want to sort by.
   Selecting a column to sort
2. From the Data tab, click the ascending command  to Sort Oldest to Newest, or the descending command  to Sort Newest to Oldest.
3. The data in the spreadsheet will be organized by date or time.
   Sorted by payment date, from oldest to newest

   Custom Sorting

   To Sort in the Order of Your Choosing:

   You can use a Custom List to identify your own sorting order, such as days of the week, or, in this example, t-shirt sizes from smallest to largest (Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large).

   1. From the Data tab, click the Sort command to open the Sort dialog box.
      Opening the Sort dialog box
   2. Identify the column you want to Sort by by clicking the drop-down arrow in the Column field. In this example, we will choose T-Shirt Size.
      Selecting a column to sort by
   3. Make sure Values is selected in the Sort On field.
   4. Click the drop-down arrow in the Order field, and choose Custom List...
      Choosing to order by Custom List
   5. Select NEW LIST, and enter how you want your data sorted in the List entries box. We will sort t-shirt sizes from smallest to largest.
   6. Click Add to save the list, then click OK.
      Creating a custom list
   7. Click OK to close the Sort dialog box and sort your data.
      Clicking OK to sort
   8. The spreadsheet will be sorted in order of Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large.
      Sorted by t-shirt size, from smallest to largest

   To Sort by Cell Color, Font Color, or Cell Icon:

   1. From the Data tab, click the Sort command to open the Sort dialog box.
   2. Identify the column you want to Sort by by clicking the drop-down arrow in the Column field.
   3. Choose whether you want to sort by Cell Color, Font Color, or Cell Icon in the Sort On field. In this example, will sort on Font Color.
      Choosing to sort on Font Color
   4. In the Order field, click the drop-down arrow to choose a color, then decide whether you want it ordered On Top or On Bottom.
      Selecting a font color
4. Click OK. The data is now sorted by attribute rather than text.
   Sorted by font color

   Sorting Multiple Levels

   Another feature of custom sorting, sorting multiple levels allows you to identify which columns to sort by and when, giving you more control over the organization of your data. For example, you could sort by more than one cell color (such as red, then yellow, then green, to indicate different levels of priority); or, as seen here, sort students by homeroom number, then by last name.

   To Add a Level:

   1. From the Data tab, click the Sort command to open the Sort dialog box.
   2. Identify the first item you want to Sort by. In this example, we will sort Homeroom # from Smallest to Largest.
   3. Click Add Level to add another item.
      Adding a level
   4. Identify the item you want to sort by next. We will sort Last Name from A to Z.
      Choosing criteria for a second level
   5. Click OK.
   6. The spreadsheet will be sorted so that homeroom numbers are in order, and within each homeroom, students are listed alphabetically by last name. 
      Sorted by multiple levels

   Copy Level will add a level by duplicating the one you have selected, and allowing you to modify the sorting criteria. This is useful if you need to sort multiple levels that share some criteria, such as the same Column, Sort On, or Order.

   To Change the Sorting Priority:

   1. From the Data tab, click the Sort command to open the Custom Sort dialog box.
   2. Select the level you want to re-order.
   3. Use the Move Up or Move Down arrows. The higher the level is on the list, the higher its priority.
      Changing the sorting priority
   4. Click OK.