Sort Issue

  • Thread starter Thread starter GerbilGod7
  • Start date Start date
G

GerbilGod7

I'm trying to sort a column of numbers from 1 to, say, 20. Whenever
try to have Excel do this, it sorts the numbers like they are text
i.e. 1, 10, 11, 12... 19, 20, 3, 4, etc.

I've tried changing the cell type from number to string and back agai
and it doesn't change anything. Am I missing something obvious?

Thanks
 
If all you changed was the format to General (not back to Text), that's not
enough (as you saw).

But the next time you change that cell, it'll be a real number.

A quick way to fix a bunch of cells is:
select an empty cell
copy it
select the bunch of cells that are trouble
edit|paste special|check Add
 
GerbilGod7 wrote...
I'm trying to sort a column of numbers from 1 to, say, 20. Whenever I
try to have Excel do this, it sorts the numbers like they are text,
i.e. 1, 10, 11, 12... 19, 20, 3, 4, etc.

I've tried changing the cell type from number to string and back again
and it doesn't change anything. Am I missing something obvious?
Click to expand...

If Excel sorts them as text, they're text. Changing number format
doesn't
change them from text to number or back again - they're still text.

If you want to sort them as numbers, you need to convert them to
numbers.
The easiest way to do that is to copy a blank cell, select this range,
and Paste > Special, Values, Add.
 
store your DATA in a database so that it wont break existing worksheets
when you change the sort order.

keep your numbers in a field with numeric data types; and you wont ever
have to deal with that kindof crap ever again.
 
Back
Top