sorting

[John Sullivan]

I have typed in names, phone numbers, email addresses,
occupation, and hobbies and then separated them by
hitting the 'Enter' key, then typed another set, etc. Not
all have the same number of lines, but all have the same
first line of first name and last name. I would like to
sort the entire list alphabetically by last name (so that
it would still appear as typed in "John Jones") but so
that each "paragraph of information" would be sorted in
order by the last name.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi John,

I fear Word can't sort like this.

You'd need to convert this information to a table form, then
you could sort by the table column, and a specified word
within a column. After you've done the sort, it should be
possible to reverse the process.

Find: ^p^p
Replace: ¦

Find: ^p
Replace: ^t

Find: ¦
Replace: ^p

Now you should be able to select the data and use
Table/Convert Text to Table, with a TAB character as the
separator.

I have typed in names, phone numbers, email addresses,
occupation, and hobbies and then separated them by
hitting the 'Enter' key, then typed another set, etc. Not
all have the same number of lines, but all have the same
first line of first name and last name. I would like to
sort the entire list alphabetically by last name (so that
it would still appear as typed in "John Jones") but so
that each "paragraph of information" would be sorted in
order by the last name.

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun
8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any
follow question or reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

If each "record" is a single paragraph (as the OP seems to be saying) and
the second word of each paragraph is the last name, it should be possible to
sort on Word 2.

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.

 

[Cindy M -WordMVP-]

Hi Suzanne,

If each "record" is a single paragraph (as the OP seems to be saying) and
the second word of each paragraph is the last name, it should be possible to
sort on Word 2.

Well, it's moot until/unless he comes back. But I understood him to say he's
set these up as address blocks:

" Not all have the same number of lines, but all have the same
first line of first name and last name."

Cindy Meister
INTER-Solutions, Switzerland
http://homepage.swissonline.ch/cindymeister (last update Jun 8 2004)
http://www.word.mvps.org

This reply is posted in the Newsgroup; please post any follow question or
reply in the newsgroup and not by e-mail

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

He also wrote: "I have typed in names, phone numbers, email addresses,
occupation, and hobbies and then separated them by hitting the 'Enter' key,
then typed another set, etc.," which suggests to me that each record is a
paragraph, and he later refers to a "paragraph of information." I was
surprised and dubious, since users rarely do it this way (especially not by
using line breaks within paragraphs), but perhaps he is more sophisticated
than the average user!

--
Suzanne S. Barnhill
Microsoft MVP (Word)
Words into Type
Fairhope, Alabama USA

Email cannot be acknowledged; please post all follow-ups to the newsgroup so
all may benefit.