Sorting

  • Thread starter Thread starter Samsome
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Samsome

Using MS Excel XP SP2 on a WIN XP Pro SP1 machine.

Trying to sort a 1700 row by 90 column list, by two columns.

The directions in help say to select a cell in the list, then go to <data>
<sort> then select which columns I want to sort by. When I do this, the
only response I get is a message that says, "this operation requires the
merged cells to be identically sized".

I'm not trying to merge, I'm trying to sort the whole list by two columns,
There are column headers in row 5.

If I select a whole column and try to sort, only that column rearranges
itself.

If I select the whole list, I get the "merge" statement. If, in Sort, I
select only one column to sort by, I get the "merge" statement.

What's happening? What do I have to do to get a sort?

tia

Samsome
 
There are merged cells somewhere in your table. You'll have to unmerge
them before you can sort the table.
 
Samsone

You obviously have some "merged" cells in your selection. Perhaps in your
header/title row?

The only way out is to find these merged cells and un-merge them then do your
sort.

Save a copy of your workbook or make a copy of the sheet in question.

CRTL + A to select all cells. Format>Cells>Alignment. Un-check "merge
cells".

Note: you may have to click the checkbox a couple of times.

Select all the columns then do your sort on the two. If you leave it up to
Excel it sometimes guesses incorrectly and will mess up your data.

Gord Dibben XL2002
 
Thanks for the help.

Yep, there were merged cells in the calendar someone had created, showing
when the items in the rows had to be someplace. (12 columns for the months
in each year, with a merged year statement above the months)

I couldn't "unmerge" without losing the text entries in those "year" cells,
so I selected all the rows below the calendar and header rows, and sorted
just them. Worked as advertised.

Again, thanks for the help.

Samsome


Gord Dibben said:
Samsone

You obviously have some "merged" cells in your selection. Perhaps in your
header/title row?

The only way out is to find these merged cells and un-merge them then do your
sort.

Save a copy of your workbook or make a copy of the sheet in question.

CRTL + A to select all cells. Format>Cells>Alignment. Un-check "merge
cells".

Note: you may have to click the checkbox a couple of times.

Select all the columns then do your sort on the two. If you leave it up to
Excel it sometimes guesses incorrectly and will mess up your data.

Gord Dibben XL2002
Click to expand...
 
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