Excel is a very powerful tool that is used for storing and analyzing data, both textual and numerical. The sort function is one of the many features available in Excel. Sorting the cells of an Excel sheet allows you to quickly access the data you need, and its relationships with other cells or columns. In Excel, you can do data sorting in two different ways, let's see what they are.
Steps
Method 1 of 2: Two-Click Sorting
Step 1. Type the text you want to sort in the cells of a column
Step 2. Select the data you want to sort
To make the selection you simply have to select the first cell, and drag the mouse cursor to the last cell of your interest, holding down the left mouse button. If you want to select an entire column, simply select the cell that contains the letter identifying the column of your interest.
Step 3. Look for the 'AZ Sort' or 'ZA Sort' icons in the toolbar, in the 'Sort & Filter' section
Select the 'AZ Sort' icon to sort the data in ascending order, selecting the 'ZA Sort' icon instead, you will sort it in descending order. The selected cells will be sorted according to your choice.
If you do not find the 'AZ Sort' icon in the default toolbar, add it by opening the 'View' menu and selecting the 'Toolbar' item and then tick the 'Standard' item. The standard toolbar will now be visible, look for the 'AZ Sort' icon inside it
Step 4. Finished
Method 2 of 2: Sorting Using the Sort Function
Step 1. Enter your data into the Excel sheet
Step 2. Select the entire worksheet
To do this you can use the key combination 'Ctrl + A' or 'Command + A' (if you are using Windows or Mac). Alternatively, select the cell from which the header row of the columns and the column with the row numbering originate, located in the upper left corner of your worksheet.
Step 3. Open the 'Data' menu and select the 'Sort' item
The sorting options panel will appear. If you have entered the header row for your data, you will need to tick the 'List includes headers' button. If not, do not select this button.
Step 4. Choose the column to sort by selecting it from the 'Sort by' drop-down menu
If you have selected the 'Data with header' option, the 'Sort by' menu options will represent the headings of your columns; if you have not selected the 'The list includes headings' button in this menu you will find only the standard letters that identify the individual columns.
Step 5. Select the 'A to Z' option to sort your data in ascending order
Alternatively, select the 'Z to A' item to get a descending sort.
