HOWTO disable auto sorting/reorganizing?

Question

Level 1

17 points

HOWTO disable auto sorting/reorganizing?

So I'm trying to sort a rather large table, about 30 columns and about 4000 rows. When using the re-organze feature, Numbers wants to do everything live in real time. Each time I select an option, it sorts the table. There is a [Sort Now] button, but that doesn't seem to be of any use since it is ALWAYS sorting the table. (I read that it was if you entered new data, to make it reorganize again, but that is useless since when you open up the reoganize dialog, it does it automatically on the rules already set)

I want to pull up the dialog, choose all my sorting criteria THEN have it sort the table. Not do it in real time as I go. It is PAINFULLY slow, and I have to wait for it to complete before I can click the next button or option. (for example, if I choose "last name" as my column, it sorts. Then if I switch to "descending" it sorts again. Then if I add another criteria, it sorts again based on the default for that criteria. Then when I change the criteria, it sorts again, etc. etc.)

So how do I turn off this auto-sort business? I can't seem to find a preference option anywhere.

MacBook, Mac OS X (10.6.4), also running XP and Ubuntu under VMWare Fusion

Posted on Jul 25, 2010 6:21 PM

Reply

Answer 1

Badunit

Level 7

30,708 points

Jul 25, 2010 7:40 PM in response to samadamscw

The "sort now" button is for when you add new data, just like you heard. Try a simple test. Create a small table with out of order numbers in column B. Open the reorg panel and sort column B ascending. Close the panel (or not). Change one of the numbers so column B is no longer sorted. Go back to the reorg panel. It does not automatically sort the data. Press the "sort now" button and it will sort it.

Now, on to the rest of your question: you are correct that it will do a sort whenever you add or change a sorting criteria in the reorg panel. It is the way the app is built. No turning it on or off as far as I know.

Reply

Answer 2

samadamscw Author

Level 1

17 points

Jul 27, 2010 12:59 AM in response to Badunit

Thanks. I tested out the "sort now" feature and it worked as described. Not sure what was going on the first time. Maybe it was simply a lag in the other sorting routines as I mentioned and I mistook it for that issue.

As for not being able to turn off auto-sort, that's a bummer, and a deal breaker for any table of even moderate size. I'm not about to buy Excel and put it on my Mac, or even run it in a VM. I guess its OO.o Calc for now. It is pretty slow too on SL but is a tab bit faster than Numbers and at least I can set my criteria THEN sort. (though I'm limited to only three criteria)

Perhaps this would be better suited to a database app than a spread sheet anyway.

Thanks again.

Reply