One way to pick out the leading numbers is to use this kind of array formula:

=--LEFT(A4,MIN(MATCH(TRUE,
ISERROR(-MID(A4&"x",ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A4)+1)),1)),0))-1)

This is an array formula. Hit ctrl-shift-enter instead of enter. If you do it
correctly, excel will wrap curly brackets {} around your formula. (don't type
them yourself.)

If you need to extract the remaining stuff, you can use this formula:

=MID(A1,LEN(B1)+1,255)

I put the data in A1.
That array formula in B1.
and that final formula in C1.

Then sort all the columns by B and C.

maacmaac wrote:

Alan,

The formula did not quite work; I should have used real numbers. The
actual numbers are as follows (I have an actual list of about 500 that
need to be sorted)

45624X456
692000111
69200R345
23563Y403
893000222
89300G234

Thanks

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maacmaac
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Dave Peterson