Sorting multidimensional tables/multiple selections

[paivoh]

I have several big matrices (1200*50) on different worksheets. It is a
time-series data, so row headings are dates and column headings are
firms. Cells are stock earnings, every worksheet using a different
principle for calculating them.

I need to sort this data like this: every row (daily revenues) in the
first matrix (1. worksheet) in a descending/ascending order and all the
other matrices should sort accordingly.

This is because I need for example the smallest five values from the
first matrice's rows and then the according values of those five firms
from the other matrices.

So I should find a way to bind the cells together somehow... It would
even be tolerable if I could do this with two matrices only, or with a
3-d table they would constitute. Of course it would be easier to use a
method for a n-dimensional table.

Some other way? If every cell would "remember" its column heading
("firm") then maybe I could use that to find the necessary cells from
the other matrices...

Is this possible in Excel? Some other program (free/free trial) that
could be useful?

Help with this is desperately needed and would be greatly appreciated!

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[Dave Peterson]

I don't know of any addin that does what you want, but you could record a macro
when you sorted one worksheet manually. Then run that macro against all (or
some of) the worksheets in your workbook.

I recorded a macro and tweaked it to sort the same columns (A:L) and used the
data in column A to determine the last row to sort. I also said that headers
were in Row 1 only.

The first sub sorts all the worksheets in that workbook.

Option Explicit
Sub testme()
Dim wks As Worksheet
For Each wks In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets
With wks
.Range("a1:L" & .Cells(.Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row).Sort _
key1:=.Range("a1"), order1:=xlDescending, _
header:=xlYes, MatchCase:=False
End With
Next wks
End Sub

If you don't want to sort all the sheets, you can specify which ones you want
with something like this:

Sub testme2()
Dim wks As Worksheet
Dim myWksNames As Variant

myWksNames = Array("sheet1", "sheet2")

For Each wks In ActiveWorkbook.Worksheets(myWksNames)
With wks
.Range("a1:L" & .Cells(.Rows.Count, "A").End(xlUp).Row).Sort _
key1:=.Range("a1"), order1:=xlDescending, _
header:=xlYes, MatchCase:=False
End With
Next wks
End Sub

If you're new to macros, you may want to read David McRitchie's intro at:
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/getstarted.htm

====
And for a different approach, you may want to take a look at the worksheet
function =Rank(). Maybe you don't even need to sort all your data.