Sort by ... Then by

[R.S.Lynn]

The very first computer routine that I wrote (in absolute octal machine
code) after initial training, in 1960, was a sorting routine. I do know
something about sorting.

For many years the main input medium for large computers was punched cards,
usually called "IBM cards."

Assume that column 1 contained a code for color, and column 2 contained a
code for size. If you wanted the cards sorted to bring same colors
together, and within the cards representing the same color, sorted by size,
then this is the way you would have to sort:

Sort by size, then by color.

We all learned in our very first attempt to sort cards that the order in
which the sorts were performed is the inverse of the desired final sequence.
The same thing is true if sorting is performed by a computer program on data
stored in computer memory.

So I was surprised when I got the wrong results in Excel when I wanted to
sort records in birthday anniversary order, and I specified sort first by
DAY and then by MONTH.

The Excel program actually MUST sort in the order I indicated above; just
the opposite of the Sort by ... Then by entries in the window. What is the
history behind Excel inverting the sorting order entries in the Sort window?

 

[JE McGimpsey]

Think of the order in the dialog, as you gave in your text description,

Sort by X, then (within each X) by Y.

Remember that XL's semantics are directed at business users, not
programmers. Business users don't really care what internal methods are
used.

Don't know the history - suspect it may have been that way in Multiplan
(XL's predecessor).