This list WILL NOT sort no matter what

[Guest]

I have a list done up in MS Word 2003. The list contains several items
seperated by tabs and ended with a carriage return to go to the next line.

I want to alphabetize the list by the first word (field one) of each line.
Please note that this list is NOT in a table.

I have tried everything to get this list to sort and no matter what I do it
continues to tell me that "word found no valid records to sort".
When I say I tried eveything I chose all the different options in the
options box under Table->Sort and selected the data I wanted. Nothing will
work. A copy of this document is available to anyone who thinks they can do
it. I am (e-mail address removed) if anyone feels like a challenge.

 

[Suzanne S. Barnhill]

Did you have the list selected when you told Word to sort? And just to
clarify, the list does contain more than one paragraph, and it's the
paragraphs you're wanting to sort?

--
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.

 

[Guest]

Hi and thanks for the rply. I did select the text I wanted to sort and yes I
have many listed items to alphabetize. I have a .doc if you would like an
e-mail of it? I have tried everything to no avail.

 

[Greg Maxey]

Your sorted list has been returned to you with an explanation.

 

[skery]

same problem

hi i know this an very old topic but i have the same problem and i don't know how to resolve it

Your sorted list has been returned to you with an explanation.

--
Greg Maxey/Word MVP
See:
http://gregmaxey.mvps.org/word_tips.htm
For some helpful tips using Word.

Jake the Moog wrote:
> Hi and thanks for the rply. I did select the text I wanted to sort
> and yes I have many listed items to alphabetize. I have a .doc if you
> would like an e-mail of it? I have tried everything to no avail.
>
> "Jake the Moog" wrote:
>
>> I have a list done up in MS Word 2003. The list contains several
>> items seperated by tabs and ended with a carriage return to go to
>> the next line.
>>
>> I want to alphabetize the list by the first word (field one) of each
>> line. Please note that this list is NOT in a table.
>>
>> I have tried everything to get this list to sort and no matter what
>> I do it continues to tell me that "word found no valid records to
>> sort".
>> When I say I tried eveything I chose all the different options in the
>> options box under Table->Sort and selected the data I wanted.
>> Nothing will work. A copy of this document is available to anyone
>> who thinks they can do it. I am (e-mail address removed) if
>> anyone feels like a challenge.

 

[michaeljroberts]

I believe it has to do with the formatting of the list.
If you click the show/hide formatting button, you will either see a little carriage return symbol or a little paragraph symbol at the end of each line. What you want is the paragraph symbol.
A simple way to put the list into a sortable format is to select the entire list, cut it and then use "Paste Special" from the "Edit" menu and choose to paste it as unformatted text.
At that point it should sort just fine.