"Custom Sort" Question

[Bob]

Hello,

Using Excel 2007 and W7.

Wish to do a "Custom Sort" on a column that has all text.

I would like to do it in alphabetical order, depending on the very first
letter that appears.

I tried, but the results are not what I would like.

Is it possible to do a Sort like this, with Excel only looking at
the very first letter, and using only this as the criteria ?

e.g., if C.G. is there, it would use only the "C"
If Maritime was there, it would use only "M"

Thanks,
Bob

 

[Cimjet]

Bob
Not sure if I understand correctly but I don't think you can do that.
Hopefully someone will prove me wrong.
HTH
Cimjet

 

[Dave Peterson]

I would just insert a helper column and use a formula that extracts the first
character from the cells in the other column:

=left(a1,1)
(and drag down)

And sort my data by this helper column.

And delete the helper column when I was done.

 

[AndyM]

If you want to make sure you maintained the original order within each
single-letter group, add a second helper column numbering the rows (from 1
to however many rows you have). When you sort, the first sort column is the
one with =left(a1,1) and the second is the numbered rows.

 

[Dave Peterson]

If you're only sorting on that one helper column, then excel will keep the
original order of the data. It won't do any more than it's asked.

On the other hand, I sometimes use this technique so that I can sort the data in
any way I want and always have a way to get back to the original order.

 

[AndyM]

No argument, and the "getting back to the original order" is the important
part for me.


If you're only sorting on that one helper column, then excel will keep the
original order of the data. It won't do any more than it's asked.

On the other hand, I sometimes use this technique so that I can sort the
data in any way I want and always have a way to get back to the original
order.

On 06/11/2010 22:04, AndyM wrote:
If you want to make sure you maintained the original order within each
single-letter group, add a second helper column numbering the rows (from
1
to however many rows you have). When you sort, the first sort column is
the
one with =left(a1,1) and the second is the numbered rows.


I would just insert a helper column and use a formula that extracts the
first character from the cells in the other column:

=left(a1,1)
(and drag down)

And sort my data by this helper column.

And delete the helper column when I was done.