Sorting Records

Calc spreadsheet file used in video: Right-click to download file

Calc offers several options for sorting the data in a table. Below is the table which will be used in the examples:

The Sort Buttons

If you only want to sort a single field, you can quickly do this with the Sort Ascending or Sort Descending Buttons. For example, I need the table sorted by Region Ascending (A to Z).

• Click a row in the field you want sorted (Region in the example)
• Press the Sort Ascending button on the toolbar.
• If you need it sorted Decending (Z to A, Press the Sort Descending button.

If you need your table sorted by multiple criteria, use the Sort dialog, there's a button for it on the toolbar (you can also access it in the Data Menu, or use the shortcut keys: hold down Alt and press d s For example I need the table sorted by Region then by Customer.

• Press the Sort button.
• In the dialog that appears, under Key 1 choose Region, you can pick ascending or descending on the right.
• Under Key 2 choose Customer
• Click OK

The table now shows the regions sorted in ascending order and the customers for each region sorted likewise.
You can use the sort ascending and descending buttons to do the same thing by sorting each column separately. For example, if you wanted to sort the table by Date, Region, then Customer. You would do the sort in reverse order, Customer first, then Region and finally Date:

• Click a row in the Customer column
• Press the Sort Ascending Button
• Click a row in the region column
• Press the Sort Ascending Button
• click a row in the date column
• Press the Sort Ascending Button

Of course you can also sort numbers, usually you'll want numbers sorted descending, just click a row in the sales column and press the sort descending button to get the sales figures from higest to lowest.