Create a List of Names in Alphabetical Order?

Question

Level 1

8 points

Create a List of Names in Alphabetical Order?

Yes I realize this could be a very stupid question. but, it's one that I can't seem to find the answer to. My mother would like to create lists of names in alphabetical order where the LAST name is used to create this alphabetical list. Also she wants the names in the standard format meaning, John Doe (not Doe, John). She claims that makes things too difficult. I can get the list in the non-standard format in alphabetical order, but I don't know how to tell numbers to use the second word in the name to create the list. This seems like it should be very simple, but since i am not a heavy user of excel nor numbers I can't seem to figure it out. I hope this is even possible in numbers, if not does anyone have any ideas on how to do this in other programs ( maybe Pages?). Thanks for your time.

macbook pro, Mac OS X (10.5.6)

Posted on Mar 2, 2009 12:30 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 2, 2009 1:01 PM in response to imurph

see p63 +Sorting Rows in a Table+ in the Numbers09_UserGuide.pdf downloadable from under the Help menu.

If there is a problem with sorting by the 2nd column, just temporarily drag change the column order and put it back after.

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Answer 2

KOENIG Yvan

Level 8

41,825 points

Mar 2, 2009 1:13 PM in response to imurph

Numbers is unable to sort on the Last Name.

You must separate the first name from the last one.
Often it's easy to do that automatically but sometimes it's not.

Here is my workaround

in column B the formula is:
=IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ",$A)),"",MID($A,1,SEARCH(" ",$A)-1))
in column C the formula is:
=IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ",$A)),$A,TRIM(RIGHT($A,LEN($A)-SEARCH(" ",$A))))
in column D the formula is:
=IF(ISERROR(SEARCH(" ",$C)),"","CAUTION")

Sort upon column D to locate easily cases with multiple first (or last) names to treat them by hand.
Then sort upon column C.
When I treat a case with mutiple spaces, I replace some of them by NOBREAK SPACE (alt + space) as I did here for the defunct Ford Snooks EAGLIN.

Yvan KOENIG (from FRANCE lundi 2 mars 2009 22:12:39)

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Answer 3

Badunit

Level 7

30,834 points

Mar 2, 2009 1:13 PM in response to imurph

Column B = First Name
Column C = Last Name
Sort on column C. Get the mouse near the "C" and a down arrow appears. click on it to see your sorting options.

If you want to see first name and last name together, you can concatenate the two (and a single space in between) in another column.

You could get fancier by allowing first and last name to be typed into one cell then parsing the string in another column to find the last last name.

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Answer 4

Mar 2, 2009 1:18 PM in response to imurph

One way is to set up a three-column table with no header column. The first column (A) would contain first names, the second column (B) would contain last names, the third column (C) would use the formula: =CONCATENATE(An," ",Bn) where "n" is the row number.

That is, the formula in cell C2 is =CONCATENATE(A2," ",B2). You can select that cell, then drag down through the table to place the correct formula into lower cells in the C column. The " " is to place a space between the first and last names.

After entering the names, sort on column B. Assuming that your mother wants a simple list rather than a three-column list, before printing hide columns A and B so that only column C would be printed.

Message was edited by: Thomas Wright1

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Answer 5

imurph Author

Level 1

8 points

Mar 2, 2009 2:19 PM in response to imurph

First off, thanks to all for the speedy reply. But, I know that I can do this in fact, I just tried it and it works great, thank you. Yet, I know my mother will not be able to comprehend this so should i try a different program to accomplish this. Does anyone know any work-arounds in pages for instance. I've already taught her how to do it in Address Book. But then i was just watching her do it and to my horror she just kept adding to the same group. to avoid a long explanation, I took a look at her directory and well in her "all" category she had like 3 to four iterations of the same person. so i decided i had to find another way to teach her how to make program lists of people in alphabetical order. Thanks again to all who replied, it was all very useful to ME at least.

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Answer 6

Mar 2, 2009 3:01 PM in response to imurph

I was going to suggest do it in TextEdit or *iText Pro*, using tabs and Word Services but now you mentioned that it is actually for your mother and she is already having difficulties, I don't think that will work.

In fact it sounds like you will have trouble getting her to break up the names into First and Surnames and keep them separated.

I go through something similar with my father.

Try Bento. You sound like you need a database that can warn your mother she has produced multiple identical entries. Bento can also provide the alphabetised surnames in the order she wants, so long as she enters the First and Last names separately.

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