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Sorting tabular data

You can sort the rows of a table based on the contents of a single column. For example, if you have a Names column in a table, you can sort items in that column alphabetically.

You can also perform a more complicated table sort based on the contents of two columns. You cannot sort on a column that contains merged cells.

To sort a table:

  1. In your draft, select the table to sort or place the insertion point in any cell in the table.
  2. Select Table > Sort Table.
  3. The Sort Table dialog box appears.


    Sort Table dialog box

  4. From the Sort by pop-up menu, select the column whose values you want to sort.
  5. From the Order pop-up menu, specify whether to sort the column alphabetically or numerically, then specify whether to sort it in ascending order (A to Z, lower numbers to higher numbers) or descending order.
  6. Tip: When a column contains numbers, select Numerically. An alphabetic sort applied to 1, 2, 3, 10, 20, 30 yields the sequence 1, 10, 2, 20, 3, 30.

  7. From the Then by pop-up menu, select a secondary column to sort.
  8. From the Order pop-up menu, specify whether to sort the secondary sort column alphabetically or numerically, and whether to sort it in ascending order or descending order.
  9. In the Options section, select any of the following additional options:
  10. Sort includes first row specifies that the first row of the table is included in the sort. If the table has a header row, the header is the first row of the table.

    Sort header rows specifies to sort header rows using the same criteria as the body rows.

    Sort footer rows specifies to sort table footer rows using the same criteria as the body rows.

    Leave row colors in original positions specifies that table row colors should remain associated with the same content after the sort.

    For example, do not select this option if your table has rows of alternating colors and you want to preserve the alternating pattern in the sorted table. If the color denotes a type of content, then select this option to ensure that color remains associated with the content after the sort.

  11. Click OK.
  12. Contribute reorders the table.


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