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Column Sort in Excel

How to Sort Your Data

By Column in Excel?
(Step by Step)
Follow the Steps to Sort Column in Excel

Step 1: For Example, Select the data. Select

means do not select all the data but select as

per the below image. Select only the columns

B to M.

Step 2: Now go to Data and select Sort. (You

can press ALT + D + S)

Step 3: Now click on Options.

Step 4: Once you click on Options it will open

up the below dialogue box. Select Sort Left

to Right.

Once select this option to excel understands the

data from right to left instead of top to bottom.

Step 5: Now click on the Sort by drop-down

list in excel. You will not see any header

rather is shows only Row1, Row2, Row3 like

this.

Step 6: Understand our requirements here.

We need to sort the data month-wise. Our

month is in the first row. So select Row 1 as

the option. Since we are sorting the data

month-wise from Jan to Dec it becomes

oldest to newest. So select Oldest to Newest

under Order section.

Step 7: Click the OK button, it will sort the

sort from Jan to Dec.

Example

I was into an interview and I have given data from

the hiring manager to sort to the data based in the

heading. He has given me the below data asked

me to sort the data. The first column should be

Revenue, the second one should have Cost, and

the final column should be Profit.

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I was just thinking for a minute. He did not ask to

sort the data alphabetically if that was the case it

would have been a walk in the park for me rather

he is asked me to sort differently.

After thinking for a minute or two I remembered

the option called Custom Sort. In custom sort, we

can mention the headings which one to come first,

which one to come second and so on.

Step 1: Select the data.

Step 2: Press ALT + D + S and Go to

Options.

Step 3: Select Sort Left to Right.

Step 4: Click on Ok and under Sort by option

select the Row1.

Step 4: Since we need to so custom sort we

cannot simply select A to Z but we need to

select Custom List option.

Step 5: Under the custom list, we can

mention our order of the sort. Under List

Entries, I have mentioned my order.

Step 6: Click on OK, it will show the Order

list in the Sort dialogue box.

Step 7: Click on OK. It will sort the data

according to the values I have given.

Things to Remember

It is important to select the options and set

our sorting method as Sort right to left

otherwise it will sort it as rows type.

It is very useful to sort in case of arranging

headings alphabetically.

There is no option of My Data Has Header in

column sort unlike in rows sorting.

We can sort the dates from oldest to newest.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to Column Sort in Excel.

Here we discuss how to Sort a Column in Excel

using excel example and downloadable excel

templates. You may also look at these useful excel

tools –

Sort by Color in Excel

Sort by Number in Excel

Sort Data in Excel

Filter in Excel

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