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Basic Sorts[basic sorts]

To execute a basic descending or ascending sort, select the cells to be sorted and click the Sort Ascending (A-Z) button or Sort Descending (Z-A) button on the standard toolbar. The data will be sorted by the first column in the selection.
 
 
 

Complex Sorts

To do multiple sorts by multiple columns, follow these steps:

  1. Highlight the cells, rows, or columns that will be sorted. 
  2. From the Data menu, select Sort. 
  3. From the Sort dialog box, select the first column for sorting from the Sort By drop-down menu and choose either ascending or descending. 
  4. Select the second column and, if necessary, the third sort column from the Then By drop-down menus.
  5. If the cells you highlighted included the text headings in the first row, mark My list has...Header row and the first row will remain at the top of the worksheet. 
  6. If the cells you highlighted do not include the text headings in the first row, mark My list has... No Header row
  7. Click OK to execute the sort. 


 
Open a new Worksheet and type in the following data.
In the Data menu, select Sort.
  • In the top scroll-down menu, select "Column H". This will sort the data first by last name.
  • In the middle scroll-down menu, select "Column J". This will sort the data next by gender.
  • In the bottom scroll-down menu, select "Column I". This will sort the data next by first name.
  • The sorted data will now appear sorted by last names. 
  • Each of the last names will be sorted by gender.
  • Within each grouping for last name and gender, each record will be sorted by first name. 

Fill Down and Fill Right

This feature allows you to fill cells with repetitive values, formulas or repeated text.


 

  1. Open a new Worksheet in A1 enter "1".
  2. In A2 enter "=A1+5"
  3. Select cells A2:A10. From the Edit menu, select Fill / Down.
  4. In B2 enter "=A1+2"
  5. Select cells B2:G2. From the Edit menu, select Fill / Right

Autofill


The Autofill feature provides much of the same functionality as "Fill Down" or "Fill Right".

  1. Type the first two cells of an incrementing series of numbers or dates. Select both cells
  2. Place the cursor over the handle at the bottom, right corner. Hold down the left mouse button and drag down over as many cells as you want to fill. Release the mouse button. 
 
Autofilling Functions
Autofill can also be used to copy functions.  In this example, column A and column B each contain lists of numbers and column C contains the sums of columns A and B for each row. The function in cell C2 would be "=SUM(A2:B2)". This function can then be copied to the remaining cells of column C by activating cell C2 and dragging the handle down to fill in the remaining cells. The autofill feature will automatically update the row numbers as shown if the cells are reference relatively.