How to enable or disable the sort columns 3

[Don Child]

Hi,

I searched Google for 'automatic sort columns' in excel, and 'columns with triangles on top', and other terms that might help.

But I don't know what the feature is called, when the worksheet is formatted so you can sort an individual column without going into Data/Sort.

So my main question is, what is that feature called, that puts the triangle on the column row, and provides a picklist that allows you to sort & filter?

The secondary question is, how do you sort by a primary and subsort column? I can do this easily with Data/Sort when the worksheeet is formatted regularly. But when the worksheet is formatted with those picklist-enabled columns, then Data/Sort is greyed out when you select the entire worksheet.


Regards,

 

[SkipVought]

Hi Don,

Lots of questions. Been working with Excel since early 1990s.

What do you mean by "automatic sort columns?"

What do you mean by "columns with triangles on top?"

Are you referring to the AutoFilter feature??

I'd convert your tables to Structured Tables, a feature that Excel has had since 2007.
[tt]
-Select any cell within a table
-Insert > Tables > Table
-I Assume that all your tables have a Header row. Answer this question accordingly.
-Notice the drop down on each Header Row.
[/tt]
Each column dropdown can be used to Filter/Sort the Table.



Skip,
[sub]
Just traded in my OLD subtlety...
for a NUance![/sub]
"The most incomprehensible thing about the universe is that it is comprehensible" A. Einstein

 

[mintjulep]

To turn on the triangles, select the range you are interested in. Then Data | Filter.

 

[Don Child]

Mint,

I actually want to turn them off. The triangles were auto-generated for each column, during the process of Importing a Tab-Delimited file.

The problem is, that with the column filters turned on, we can only do a single sort. We want to sort by one primary column, then subsort by another.

We want to take off the triangles, then sort in the usual manner - by selecting the entire worksheet, and clicking Data/Sort. In other words, we want to disable the sort/filter triangles at the top of each column.

 

[combo]

But when the worksheet is formatted with those picklist-enabled columns, then Data/Sort is greyed out when you select the entire worksheet.

It seems that "the process of Importing a Tab-Delimited file" creates structured table. The table headers replace column identifiers when the row with headers is not in visible area and the selected cell belongs to the table. Moreover, in this case sorting and filtering is grayed out when a mix of cells within and outside table is selected.

If it is your case, after selecting single cell in the table you can filter and sort all the structured table, also perform hierarchical sorting, from 'Data' tab commands.



combo