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March 13, 2011 Leave a Comment

How to Sort Using a Custom List in Excel

What happens when you sort a list of Months in the Year in Ascending Order? You will get “April, August …, etc.” And that, I guarantee, is not what you want! So, how do you get the list to sort as “Jan, Feb, Mar, … etc.?

Sort Using a Custom List

Sort on Custom List

Sort on Custom List

The months of the year and the days of the week are Custom Lists that are built into Excel by default. You can also create your own Custom Lists – e.g. a list of department in the order that you want to see them displayed. Once you have a Custom List saved in Excel, you can choose to sort using this order.

Watch this short video lesson to see how to create a Custom List and also how to Sort Using a Custom List in Excel.

High Definition, Full Screen Mode on YouTube

Here is the link to watch this video on my YouTube Channel – DannyRocksExcels

Learn More About Custom Lists in Excel

I have identified “Creating Custom Lists to AutoFill and Sort By” as an Essential Skill in Excel. I have created a four-hour comprehensive video training package that covers the “Nine Essential Skills in Excel.”  Click on these links to learn more about my video training resources:

How to Sort Using a Custom List in Excel [ 5:12 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (1200)
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March 7, 2009 2 Comments

Rearrange Your Columns – Sort from Left to Right

Did you know that you can sort data from Left to Right in Excel? In my experience, most people do not realize that you can.

Have you ever been asked  – or wanted – to rearrange your columns in Excel? Probably, yes. This is a fairly common request. And, if you are like most Excel users, you insert a blank column and then “Cut and Paste” to arrange your columns the way that you want them.

STOP!

There is an easier way to rearrange your columns of data – Learn to “Sort Across Columns.” Sort your data from Left to Right.

Watch this short Excel Video Lesson to learn how:

Here are the steps to follow in this lesson:

  1. Insert a blank “dummy row” above your Column Headers Row (if necessary).
  2. Place a number (1, 2, 3, etc.) in each cell in the “dummy row.” This will indicate the order you want to rearrange your columns in from Left to Right.
  3. Select a cell in your data set. Select Data – Sort.
  4. Check, “MY Data Range has NO Headers.”
  5. Click, OPTIONS and select “Sort from Left to Right.” Click OK and Click OK.

Looking for help with a specific Excel problem? Search my Index of Excel Video Lessons by Category or by Keyword.

News! My DVD, “The 50 Best Tips for Excel 2007” is now available to purchase. I invite you to visit my online bookstore for more details.

Related Video Lessons

NEW! Download The Excel Workbook used in this video lesson:

rearrange-columns


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