Sorting numbers and text separately

T

Tim C

Excel 2003

When I sort a list that contains text that looks like numbers, I am NOT
getting the pop-up asking if whether I want them to sort as numbers or text.
It just automatically sorts text that looks like numbers as numbers, which
is not what I want.

Any ideas?

Thanks,
Tim C
 
S

Sloth

If you want it sorted as text, then you have to change the format to text.
There is no option to sort as text or numbers. There is a small glitch I
noticed that when you changed the cells' format to text it still sorts it as
numbers. You have to manually double click on each cell and hit enter to
make the format "set in". After you do this it will sort as text.

There are ways to avoid this problem in the future. 1) change the cells
format you know are text before you begin typing. 2) use an apostrophe
before all numbers to tell the computer it is text; it outputs it without the
apostrophe (For Example type '12 instead of 12).

hope this helps!
 
T

Tim C

Nope.

No matter how or when the data is entered or when the format is set to text,
the text that looks like numbers sorts separately from other text.

It used to be that a dialog box asked how I wanted it sorted. I don't know
if that was in an earlier version of Excel (currently 2003) or if I told it
to quit asking me and I don't know how to turn it back on.

Specifically, I am experimenting with sorting a mix of 5-digit and 9-digit
zip codes. All are formatted as text. All of the 5-digit zip codes sort
above all of the 9-digit zip codes thus:

01234

12345

23456

56789

12000-2614

45623-4512



instead of the desired:



01234

12000-2614

12345

23456

45623-4512

56789



Tim C
 
E

Earl Kiosterud

Tim,

You need an alphabetic sort, but your 5-digit zip codes are numeric. You
can convert them all with a helper column. Presuming the list is in A2 and
down:

=TEXT(A1,"00000")

Copy down with Fill Handle.

Now to permanently convert the originals, select all of helper column,
noting which cell your selection started, Copy. Select the corresponding
(first) cell in the original column. Edit - Paste special - values. You no
longer need the helper column. Now sort.
 
E

Earl Kiosterud

Tim,

Oops. Don't do that as I said. If your list starts in A2, the formula
should be:
=TEXT(A2,"00000")
 
T

Tim C

Nope.

No matter how or when the data is entered or when the format is set to text,
the text that looks like numbers sorts separately from other text.

It used to be that a dialog box asked how I wanted it sorted. I don't know
if that was in an earlier version of Excel (currently 2003) or if I told it
to quit asking me and I don't know how to turn it back on.

Specifically, I am experimenting with sorting a mix of 5-digit and 9-digit
zip codes. All are formatted as text. All of the 5-digit zip codes sort
above all of the 9-digit zip codes thus:

01234
12345
23456
56789
12000-2614
45623-4512

instead of the desired:

01234
12000-2614
12345
23456
45623-4512
56789

Tim C
 
E

Earl Kiosterud

Tim,

Does "nope" mean that using my formula in a helper column didn't work? It
can only result in text, and thus could only be sorted alphabetically, it
seems to me. That just has to work for you. HAS to! :)

The dialog box to which you refer may be the one you get with Data - Sort.
The buttons on the toolbar are quick sort buttons, and don't give a dialog.
 
T

Tim C

Earl,

In Excel 2003 Help, there is an article, "Sorting a range that contains
numbers stored as text."

It discusses the differences between the choices "Sort numbers, and numbers
stored as text, separately" and "Sort anything that looks like a number as a
number." But it does not say anywhere in the article (or anywhere in Excel
Help or in MSKB or the group or the internet that I can find) where one has
the opportunity to make this choice.

I did find a registry key:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Office\11.0\Excel\Options

with the value:
"SortTextAsNumbers"=dword:00000001

When SortTextAsNumbers is set to 0, it sorts as you describe, with all
numbers formatted as numbers at the top, then all of the text, including
text that looks like numbers, sorted together at the bottom.

When SortTextAsNumbers is set to 1, it sorts as I described, with all
numbers AND text that looks like numbers sorted together at the top, with
all other text sorted together at the bottom.

But I cannot find where in Excel I can make this choice.

Once upon a time, a dialog box would pop up when you tried to sort data that
contained text that looks like numbers, giving you the choice. But it
doesn't currently pop up on my computer or on any other computer in the
building. (We are running Office 2003 Pro SP1 on Windows XP Pro SP2 with
latest updates on both.)

What happened to the dialog box? Or where else can I set the option?

Tim C
 
E

Earl Kiosterud

Tim,

I've just seen that dialog (and for the first time). I'm using Excel 2002.
It comes up with Data - Sort, but not with the sort buttons on the Standard
Toolbar. Unfortunately, it appears your 9-digit zip codes will confound
this, as the option forces text to sort as a number (with other actual
numbers, which will appear first), but your 9-digit codes will not sort
correctly whether they're text or numbers formatted with the dash. I've
tried it. Too bad there's not an option to sort numbers, and text that
looks like numbers, as text.

I think maybe you should use a helper column with my formula, and sort on
that. Hide it if you want, and have a macro do the sort if you want.
 
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