excel 2007 - sorting

[David Cleland]

I am having real problems with excel 2007. I am exporting csv files from a
database - when I import them in to excel I want to sort by the keyfield
(numeric) but it is just not working at all, has anyone else come across
this ?

David

 

[Harlan Grove]

David Cleland wrote...

I am having real problems with excel 2007. I am exporting csv files from a
database - when I import them in to excel I want to sort by the keyfield
(numeric) but it is just not working at all, has anyone else come across
this ?

Details are always useful. Presumably by 'not working at all' you mean
something like sorted numbers ordered as 1, 11, 15, 101, 2, 23, 2006,
3, . . .

Check whether the field that's supposed to contain numbers does in fact
contain numbers. Select that column and set the AutoSum in the Status
Bar to show COUNT. Is that count the same as the number of rows with
data? If not, you've got some text values in that column. Easiest way
to convert them to numbers is selecting the column and running the
ribbon command Data > Convert Text to Table, select Fixed Width and
immediately click on the Finish button.

 

[David Cleland]

David Cleland wrote...

Details are always useful. Presumably by 'not working at all' you mean
something like sorted numbers ordered as 1, 11, 15, 101, 2, 23, 2006,
3, . . .

yes the main problem is when I open the tabbed csv is it all messed up I
have to import it in to excel. Once I do this it seems to format it. In
office 2003 it was just a matter of selecting the cells and sort and then
choosing sort by column A etc ?

David