Sorting tables

PagePlus lets you sort words, numbers or a combination of both in a single row or column, any selected table area or the entire table. Sorting can be carried out in ascending (A to Z, or 0 to 9) or descending order (Z to A, or 9 to 0) to a set priority: punctuation marks first, then numbers, letters, and symbols last.

More complex multi-row or multi-column sorting is possible—especially useful when sorting first names and surnames. Typically you’d want to order by surname but for people with identical surnames (e.g., Walker) you may also want to additionally order their first names (Andrew, Kate, and Paul).

PagePlus table sort1 Sorting tables

Sort by columns: First By Column B, then by Column A

PagePlus arrow Sorting tables

PagePlus table sort2 Sorting tables

A key point in table sorting is the issue of dependencies. This means the linkage of “connected” data contained within one cell and another which, when broken, destroys the value of the information stored (think of a person’s first name becoming disconnected from his/her last name by sorting). To avoid breaking such dependencies, you have to select the whole table rather than just selecting a table region or row/column.

  • Take care not to break dependencies by sorting specific regions, rows or columns within your table (especially on more complex database tables)!

To sort a table:

  1. Select the table in which you want to sort data.

  2. Select the PagePlus tbr contexttext sort Sorting tables Sort button from the context toolbar.
    – or -
    Select     Sort from the Table menu.
    – or -
    Right-click on the selected range and choose     Table>Sort….

  3. In the dialog’s Order tab, choose to sort Rows or Columns from the Sort by drop-down menu.   

  4. Three drop-down menus (First by, Then by, Then by) let you set the first row/column to be sorted, a subsequent row/column (for identical first row/column data), then a final row/column (for identical second row/column data) in either Ascending or Descending order.

  5. Enable the A header button if you’ve used named headers above or preceding your row or column. Specify the named row or column headers from the above drop-down menus to ignore the headers during the sorting process.

  6. Swap to the Options tab, and pick the Primary sort key order. Keep the setting at Normal unless your list contains weekdays or months, in which case pick a date format from the same drop-down menu (this must match your list’s date format). This will then sort on month order rather than alphabetic order.

  7. Check Case Sensitive to separate out lower case characters from upper case characters (which list first).

  8. To check Treat numbers as text to order number lists as 1, 10, 12, 3, 5 instead of 1, 3, 5, 10, 12.

Sorting tables