Custom Sort function in Numbers 11.2?

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Level 1

4 points

Custom Sort function in Numbers 11.2?

Hi all, I'm trying to replicate a function of excel in numbers and I'm not sure if it can be done or I'm just missing it in the menu. I need to use a custom sort function to sort by the column for each selected data set like you can do in excel. I really like the layout of numbers better and would love to know if there is a solution! I have an excel document that is tied to a bunch of other spreadsheets and it works in tandem with them. I've done the sorting for most of them already in excel, but I'm trying to be able to replicate this in numbers so I don't have to use excel. The grey area would be what I would be trying to sort... ascending from smallest value to largest with the accompanied country tied to it without messing up the rest of my spread sheet. Can custom sorting in just the grey area be accomplished in numbers 11.2? I'll attach some screenshots. Thanks!

MacBook Air (2020 or later)

Posted on Jan 17, 2022 3:42 PM

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Answer 1

Best reply

Barry

Level 9

59,861 points

Jan 17, 2022 5:31 PM in response to Rygri

Adding to what Badunit said regarding sorting 'part' of a table:

You can

Select the cells you want to sort.
Copy.
Move the pointer to an empty area on the Sheet.
Click, then paste.

Numbers will create a new table, contsaining the copied data.

Sort this (temporary) new table as desired, then…
Select all cells in the new table.
Copy
Select (one click) the top left cell in the group from which you copied the unsorted data.
Paste

(cleanup)

Select the new small table.
Delete.

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Answer 2

Badunit

Level 7

25,988 points

Jan 17, 2022 4:59 PM in response to Rygri

Before getting into your question, if your document needs to interact with (or be "tied to") other Numbers or Excel documents like Excel does, Numbers is not the app to use. A Numbers document cannot link to another Numbers document to pull in data, nor to an Excel spreadsheet. Each document stands on its own.

In Numbers, a row is like a record in a database. Everything on a row stays together. When a table or set of rows are sorted, it sorts entire rows. If you need to sort every one of those groups of countries individually, that's not going to be so easy in Numbers if they need to be in one table. If they can be in split up into separate smaller tables arranged on the sheet just like they are now (or however you want), then you can easily sort each one individually.

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