Need to scroll up to access the ascending/descending option in fil

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MichelleBest - 21 Jun 2006 11:07 GMT

I may be alone here, but I use filters on Excel sheets quite a lot, mainly
for the ease of sorting data without having to select the cells first.

Anyway, I find it quite annoying that everytime I want to sort my data in
ascending or descending order, I access the filter and then have to scroll
up. Why isn't it just the first option in the drop down list by default? I
am being very picky here, but if anyone else experiences this frustration,
let it be known please!

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Gord Dibben - 21 Jun 2006 18:42 GMT

The primary use of Autofilter is for filtering values, not sorting, so values to
filter naturally are listed first as would seem logical.

Data>Sort is for sorting.

Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

>I may be alone here, but I use filters on Excel sheets quite a lot, mainly
>for the ease of sorting data without having to select the cells first.
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
>http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=c80bbca6-ffa5-4
ac6-b808-07116d26734a&dg=microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions

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Dave Peterson - 21 Jun 2006 22:25 GMT

Except that xl2003 (IIRC) added Sort Ascending and Sort Descending to the top of
the autofilter list.

I'm not sure if this will help the original poster, but...

I've added a ShowAll button to my favorite toolbar. I can click that to see all
the rows in the filtered range.

And the two sort options are right at the top of the drop down.

Tools|Customize|commands tab|data category
scroll down looking for "Show All" and drag it to your toolbar.

> The primary use of Autofilter is for filtering values, not sorting, so values to
> filter naturally are listed first as would seem logical.
[quoted text clipped - 20 lines]
> >
> >http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=c80bbca6-ffa5-4
ac6-b808-07116d26734a&dg=microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions

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Dave Peterson

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Gord Dibben - 21 Jun 2006 23:08 GMT

I am/was aware of the Sort Ascending and Descending options in the Autofilter
list, but consider these to be secondary functions so they don't need to be the
default selections in a filter list as far as I am concerned.

Others will differ, but won't change my mind.

You wanna sort....sort

You wanna filter....filter.

Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

>Except that xl2003 (IIRC) added Sort Ascending and Sort Descending to the top of
>the autofilter list.
[quoted text clipped - 33 lines]
>> >
>> >http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=c80bbca6-ffa5-4
ac6-b808-07116d26734a&dg=microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions

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Dave Peterson - 22 Jun 2006 02:00 GMT

To be honest, each time I see those Sort options in that list, it's like the
first time I see them.

"Hey, look at that. They added Sort options to the Filter dropdown!"

(I don't use them either. Something about learning something new????)

> I am/was aware of the Sort Ascending and Descending options in the Autofilter
> list, but consider these to be secondary functions so they don't need to be the
[quoted text clipped - 45 lines]
> >> >
> >> >http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=c80bbca6-ffa5-4
ac6-b808-07116d26734a&dg=microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions

Signature

Dave Peterson

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Gord Dibben - 22 Jun 2006 02:09 GMT

It's an "old dog" thing in my case.

>To be honest, each time I see those Sort options in that list, it's like the
>first time I see them.
[quoted text clipped - 52 lines]
>> >> >
>> >> >http://www.microsoft.com/office/community/en-us/default.mspx?mid=c80bbca6-ffa5-4
ac6-b808-07116d26734a&dg=microsoft.public.excel.worksheet.functions

Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

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MichelleBest - 22 Jun 2006 09:25 GMT

Thanks very much to both of you.

To David, thanks for that Show All tip. I've added that to my toolbar now.
I should have been clearer in my original post though, because when the
filter gets 'annoying' to me, is when I have a lot of different values in my
spreadsheet and so the filter then has a need for a scroll bar. That's when
the two 'secondary features' start to disappear up above the filter values.

To Gord, I agree that probably initially a filter is a filter, but since
adding the functionalilty of the sort to the filter it's made my life a lot
easier. I'm using spreadsheets with thousands of rows and using the filter
to sort them is much better for me. It's a personal preference I guess and I
won't change my mind... :-)

> It's an "old dog" thing in my case.
>
[quoted text clipped - 56 lines]
>
> Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

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Gord Dibben - 22 Jun 2006 20:21 GMT

Stick with it Michelle.

Don't let some "old dog" push you around<g>

Gord

>Thanks very much to both of you.
>
[quoted text clipped - 70 lines]
>>
>> Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

Gord Dibben MS Excel MVP

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