Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

Sorting by Multiple Columns in Numbers 3.0

The new Numbers 3.0 update has moved some stuff around I need, and can not find.


Where is "Reorganize"? The ability to sort multiple by columns. (e.g. Sort Ascending Column A, THEN Column B, THEN Column C)



mf

iMac, Mac OS X (10.6.8)

Posted on Oct 23, 2013 5:56 AM

Reply
Question marked as Best reply

Posted on Oct 23, 2013 6:12 AM

Mike,


Multiple sort, and the entire Reorganize Panel, seem to be casualties.


I guess we'll be sorting one column at a time. Remember to sort least important column (lowest order) first.


Jerry

55 replies

Oct 26, 2013 1:42 PM in response to douglasfromnewton

This is probably not a good time to switch. Depends on what you are looking for, but Numbers is less powerful now that it ever was. What Numbers 3.0 offers that earlier versions didn't is cross-platform compatibility and a collaborative mode.


I haven't checked out either of these new features though, so I can't comment on how well they work.


Jerry

Oct 26, 2013 1:55 PM in response to douglasfromnewton

Just in case you want to stick with Numbers 3 because it works on tablets, etc., the price is right, and it (we hope) will improve:


There is a not-too-painful workaround for multicolumn sort, from the early days of spreadsheets.


Say you have column A, B, and C and you want to sort first by A then by C then by B. Add a column D with the formula =A&C&B. Then sort by D.


The multicolumn filtering (as opposed to sort) isn't bad at all, in my opinion. And single-column filtering from any cell in the body of a table is handy too.


(I'm an Excel user myself and find them good at different things).


SG

Oct 31, 2013 5:46 AM in response to Saqib

this didn't work for me - i have item, then price, then checkbox. using the formula just gave an amalgamation of the three cells.


Hi Saqib,


The very idea of the workaround is to give an amalgamation, more often called "concatenation", and then just sort on the column containing the concatenated "string."


As you've discovered, the =A&C&B formula only works if A,C, and B are all text. If you've got numbers in the mix then you have to pad them with leading zeros for them to sort as you want. That's easily done.


Let's say C is a number and A and B are strings. You could put somethng like this in column D:


=A&RIGHT("0000"&C,4)&B


It's certainly not convenient to have to add a new column and put in a formula. But this is not *that* difficult as a workaround until the day multcolumn sort is added back in.


SG

Oct 31, 2013 8:28 AM in response to SGIII

My husband has a NeoOffice SS file of all the books he has read, and no longer wants to pay $10 per year to upgrade NeoOffice versions. We exported that file in .csv format and opened that .csv file with Numbers 3.0. He wants to sort first by author, then by copyright date, which are columns A and B. There are over 600 rows.


To follow the instructions, "Say you have column A, B, and C and you want to sort first by A then by C then by B. Add a column D with the formula =A&C&B. Then sort by D," where would we insert the formula (in our case) =A&B; does it have to go in every row of the new column we created, or can you put a formula in a header cell which would affect every row in that column?


Thanks for your help! Sorry to be such a dunce...my understanding of spreadsheets is somewhat limited.

Oct 31, 2013 9:07 AM in response to Saundra Curry

Hi Saudra,


Spreadsheets aren't easy for most people. Here you can do something like this:


To your imported table you add an extra column:


User uploaded file

Convert your first row into a Header Row (that's important in Numbers).


User uploaded file


Add your formula into row 2 (first row that is not a Header Row) of the column you just added (I've named it Sort).

User uploaded file


"Fill" that formula down through the rest of the rows of the new column by dragging the yellow handle.


User uploaded file

Sort on the new column:


User uploaded file

And you've got your sorted table:


User uploaded file


To change the order by which you select columns for the sort just adjust the formula in D2 and fill down again by dragging the yellow handle.


It would be much nicer to have this built in the way it was, but this is not that complicated once you've done it once or twice.



SG

Sorting by Multiple Columns in Numbers 3.0

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple ID.