sorting rows without changing other rows

Hi om,

Numbers uses a database model with respect to sorting. All data in a row i considered as being assocated, and within the same record.

When you sort a table, you are sorting the records, based on data in one column. To sort a single column, that column must be on a table by itself.

If you want to sort a single column, do either of the following:

1. Insert a new table on the same sheet.
   Reduce its size to a single column.
   In the existing table, select the column you want to sort, not including the header row(s). Copy.
   Click once in the first non-header cell of the new table. Paste.
   Sort.
   Select the whole column, excluding the header row(s). Copy.
   Click once on the first non-header cell in the target column of the original table. Paste
   OR
   
2. Click any cell on the (original) table to make it active and show the column and row reference tabs.
   Click on the reference tab of the target column to select the whole column.
   Click again on the reference tab, just to the left of the letter A, hold the mouse button down and drag down and to the right.
   The selected column will detach from the table. Drag it to an empty space on the sheet, and drop it by releasing the mouse button.
   Sort.
   Drag the sorted column back to its original position on the table, and drop.

Either set of instructions takes less time to perform than to describe. If you choose the first, and are doing this regularly, you may want to leave the one column 'sorting' table on the sheet permanently, eliminating the need to carry out the first two steps after the first time.

Regards,

Barry

If you mean "sorting rows without changing other rows" (your title of this thread) then you can do that in Numbers:

If you meant to say "sorting by a column without changing other columns" then (as Barry describes) you need to drag/copy your selection of cells onto the canvas, sort them, and then drag them back to the original table.

For example, here:

I select A2:A5:

Drag and drop to the canvas:

Sort the new table:

Select the cells and drag them back into the original table:

That's very easy to do, just as easy as in Excel, just different.

SG

One other possibility is that the OP wants to sort the items in a single row in ascending order left to right. With Numbers '09, this is a multi step process, but the introduction of Transpose should make it simpler in Numbers 3.

Here's a Numbers '09 example, using single character alphabetical data.

I won't go into details, as the method used will sort only by first letter. Suffice it to say the sort uses CODE(), SMALL() and CHAR() in that order

If I were using it, I would put the sorted list into a row, rather than a column as here, then copy the results an paste them back into the yellow row of the original table on the left using Paste Values/Paste Formula Results.

Using Numbers 3, it should be possible to Paste, Transpose to place the data into a sortable column, Sort, then Transpose the result to place the sorted data back into a row, Copy, then Paste back into the original row.

Should this be what the OP is requesting, I'll leave the details to someone using Numbers 3 to 'sort out'. 😉

Regards,

Barry

Hi om,

Numbers 3.6.1.

Following on from Barry, if you want to sort within rows, click anywhere in the table to make it active.

Menu > Table > Transpose Rows and Columns

Sort, then transpose again.

Silly me, the table is already sorted because I used row and column addresses as my example 😊.

Regards,

Ian.