stupid Excel tricks

[Puppet_Sock]

Here's a stupid sorting trick.

So, in an Excel worksheet, type in some integers in the following
format, the content of the inetegers is not important

Say these are cols A, B, and C, and rows 1 through 4 of
the worksheet.

43 54 34
78 88 98
98 53
32 56

What is important is that you have a block with three columns
(well, any number seems to work) and following a block with two
columns, starting one column over (one less than the previous
seems to work as long as it's missing the one on the left).

Now, sort the first block (the three col wide block) on the second
column. Use the menu item Data > Sort, and select column B to
sort on.

Now, select the second block, but *not* the blank part. That is,
select the rectangle B3 throuch C4. Now, use the menu item Data >
Sort to bring up the sort box and note that it still says sort on
column B.

But here comes the stupid part. Close the sort box. Keep the
selection the same. Then under the Edit menu, choose
Repeat Sort. But notice what it seems to have sorted on.
If you open the menu item Data > Sort, you will see that
now it has sort on Column C selected. If you use Repeat Sort
from the Edit menu, it seems to count from the edge of
the selection instead of keeping the same column.

This warped my mind for a couple hours today. I'd have been
happy if it had flipped over to column C in both the Data > Sort
item and the Repeat Sort item. Or if it had stayed col. B in
both cases. Doing one one way, and the other the other
way was annoying.
Socks

 

[Arvi Laanemets]

Hi

Here's a stupid sorting trick.

So, in an Excel worksheet, type in some integers in the following
format, the content of the inetegers is not important

Say these are cols A, B, and C, and rows 1 through 4 of
the worksheet.

43 54 34
78 88 98
98 53
32 56

What is important is that you have a block with three columns
(well, any number seems to work) and following a block with two
columns, starting one column over (one less than the previous
seems to work as long as it's missing the one on the left).

Now, sort the first block (the three col wide block) on the second
column. Use the menu item Data > Sort, and select column B to
sort on.

Now, select the second block, but *not* the blank part. That is,
select the rectangle B3 throuch C4. Now, use the menu item Data >
Sort to bring up the sort box and note that it still says sort on
column B.

But here comes the stupid part. Close the sort box. Keep the
selection the same. Then under the Edit menu, choose
Repeat Sort. But notice what it seems to have sorted on.
If you open the menu item Data > Sort, you will see that
now it has sort on Column C selected.

Wrong! Column B remains sorted on (Excel2000)

 

[Puppet_Sock]

Wrong! Column B remains sorted on (Excel2000)

Um. Did you actually follow the directions I gave? I was using
Excel 2000, SR-1.
Socks

 

[Arvi Laanemets]

Hi

Um. Did you actually follow the directions I gave? I was using
Excel 2000, SR-1.

Yes. At least as I understood them.


Arvi Laanemets

 

[Bryan Hessey]

On Excel 2003 sp1 I get no 'tricks' - works as expected for me.

--

 

[Gary Smith]

I was able to replicate your results using Excel 2000 SP3. I must say,
though, that this isn't anything I would ever thought of doing. Odd, but
not disabling.

Here's a stupid sorting trick.

So, in an Excel worksheet, type in some integers in the following
format, the content of the inetegers is not important

Say these are cols A, B, and C, and rows 1 through 4 of
the worksheet.

43 54 34
78 88 98
98 53
32 56

What is important is that you have a block with three columns
(well, any number seems to work) and following a block with two
columns, starting one column over (one less than the previous
seems to work as long as it's missing the one on the left).

Now, sort the first block (the three col wide block) on the second
column. Use the menu item Data > Sort, and select column B to
sort on.

Now, select the second block, but *not* the blank part. That is,
select the rectangle B3 throuch C4. Now, use the menu item Data >
Sort to bring up the sort box and note that it still says sort on
column B.