Basic data filtering in Excel 97

  • Thread starter Thread starter icwcorp
  • Start date Start date
I

icwcorp

Okay, what I need is pretty basic. I have a spreadsheet with 6 columns.
The first column features keywords. Data related to that keyword is
contained within the cells to its right.

I need to know how I can filter the keywords based on criteria I
specify. Basically I would tell it to display keywords and their data
that contain the word -cell phone- (for example) and it would hide all
the other data not containing the world -cell phone-.

Seems like a pretty basic feature but I know almost nothing about
Excel.

Thanks in advance. :)
 
Select the data (you should have headers), do data>filter>autofilter,
in the keyword column click the dropdown arrow and select custom,
form the choices select Show rows where X (header name) contains and then
type in the criteria (in your example cell or phone), click OK.
I have automated this at work where I have a rather large lists with
different sales peoples names
all over the US, their different phone providers both local, longd. and
cell..
I have applied VBA to this so I can type in the last name in an input box
and then press enter
and it will filter on their names, I can also type in an area code to get
all phone numbers for that
area and a reset button to reset all filters.
 
There are various methods bit I always find the following to be the
handiest.
As you're dealing with a Key column, select the column (click the column
header "A", or whatever)
Then
"Data->Filter->Autofilter"
This will place a small dropdown arrow on the right side of the selected
column in the1st row
Click the arrow and it will drop a list of all the unique names in the
column.
Select your target ("Cell Phones, per your ex) and it will collapse all the
lines that don't have the target in the Key column.

A word of caution, you will not get all the Key items if there are more than
(I believe) 1,000.
-
Regards;
Rob

Please reply to the NG, I'm already up to my eyeballs in Nigerian/South
African get rich letters
as well as "Microsoft Critical Updates" et al.
 
Back
Top