Re: Sorting numbers

Tech-Archive recommends: Repair Windows Errors & Optimize Windows Performance

From: Sandy Mann (sandymann_at_mailinator.com)
Date: 11/27/04


Date: Sat, 27 Nov 2004 21:27:51 -0000

Douglas,

I think Excel is seeing your 'numbers' as text and so is sorting them one
character at a time from the left regardless of how many characters,
(numbers) you have. Try changing the text numbers to real numbers by
copying a blank cell, highlighting the range of numbers and then right-click
and select Paste Special > Add. To avoid sorting the header simply
highlight the only the data that you want to sort.

HTH

Sandy

-- 
to e-mail direct replace @mailintor.com with @tiscali.co.uk
"Douglas Sey" <douglassey@connel.fsnet.co.uk> wrote in message
news:coapf6$agn$1@newsg1.svr.pol.co.uk...
> I am having difficulty when attempting to do a numbers descending sort,
from
> a position where the data is in rows.
> I have no trouble with other sorts of this type, but in this particular
> sort, a six digit number is sorted behind a five digit number, because the
> first digit is smaller than the first digit of the five figure number.
> Any help please?
> - Also how do I avoid getting the title headings (shown in the left
column,
> in the row alignment) unnecessarily involved in the sort?
>
> Thanks in advance
> douglas
>
>


Relevant Pages

  • Re: Sorting and then removing sort-by cols from a fixed-width flat file
    ... I will first merge them, then do the sorting, then remove the cols ... Does the "group by col" mean the column which contains the sort key? ... Sorting by character column numbers is generally not the easiest thing ...
    (comp.unix.programmer)
  • Re: Sorting a sheet
    ... > Excel sorts on the entire number/text, not just the first digit, so it is ... the only way you can get it sorting by the first digit would ... > Now sort on the new column SO ...
    (microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions)
  • Re: Sorting a sheet
    ... Excel sorts on the entire number/text, not just the first digit, so it is ... the only way you can get it sorting by the first digit would ... Now sort on the new column SO ... Microsoft MVP - Excel ...
    (microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions)
  • Re: Sorting files recursively
    ... sort -rnz | ... What's the purpose of the string terminator? ... The \n character is a valid one in the name of the file, ... That's because ls does the sorting. ...
    (comp.unix.shell)
  • Re: Sort files by filename
    ... Sort will give you the list. ... I don't know about sorting on a substring ... sort starting with the 5 character of the name, ... using _ as the field seperator, and sorting on the 4th field. ...
    (Fedora)