i have regular column headings, but my rows are in groups of three. i need
them to stay in tact while i sort by column. for example, rows 3-5 are one
set, then 6-8, then 9-11. when i sort, i want them to stay together.

What are you sorting by?
in the column you are sorting by would the three rows have different values?
You may need a helper column where you can make the three rows have the same
value by what you want the sort to be based on. and sort by that column. If
he three rows have the same value, they will be sorted to gether.

"steve" wrote:

i have regular column headings, but my rows are in groups of three. i need
them to stay in tact while i sort by column. for example, rows 3-5 are one
set, then 6-8, then 9-11. when i sort, i want them to stay together.

the column i sort by would have the same value in the three rows, so they
would stay together. the issue i'm running into is that this is a sheet
where other users will enter data. i don't want them to have to copy a name
three times to keep the rows the same. i tried adding a formula to the rows
straight down. so it copies the name you type twice under it, but if you sort
while there are still blank cells with formulas in them, it gets screwy. i
have a button that does the sorting, is there a way i can say, just sort the
cells with data entries and ignore the others until they get filled in?


"bj" wrote:

What are you sorting by?
in the column you are sorting by would the three rows have different values?
You may need a helper column where you can make the three rows have the same
value by what you want the sort to be based on. and sort by that column. If
he three rows have the same value, they will be sorted to gether.

"steve" wrote:

i have regular column headings, but my rows are in groups of three. i need
them to stay in tact while i sort by column. for example, rows 3-5 are one
set, then 6-8, then 9-11. when i sort, i want them to stay together.

if your rows which would be entered first is 1,4,7,etc. and you wnat to sort
by column D for example try a helper column (G maybe)

in G1 enter
=D1
in G2
=d1
in G3
=d1
copy G1:G3 and paste to the end of your data
sort by G
"steve" wrote:

the column i sort by would have the same value in the three rows, so they
would stay together. the issue i'm running into is that this is a sheet
where other users will enter data. i don't want them to have to copy a name
three times to keep the rows the same. i tried adding a formula to the rows
straight down. so it copies the name you type twice under it, but if you sort
while there are still blank cells with formulas in them, it gets screwy. i
have a button that does the sorting, is there a way i can say, just sort the
cells with data entries and ignore the others until they get filled in?


"bj" wrote:

What are you sorting by?
in the column you are sorting by would the three rows have different values?
You may need a helper column where you can make the three rows have the same
value by what you want the sort to be based on. and sort by that column. If
he three rows have the same value, they will be sorted to gether.

"steve" wrote:

i have regular column headings, but my rows are in groups of three. i need
them to stay in tact while i sort by column. for example, rows 3-5 are one
set, then 6-8, then 9-11. when i sort, i want them to stay together.

that worked pretty well. thanks a lot bj

"bj" wrote:

if your rows which would be entered first is 1,4,7,etc. and you wnat to sort
by column D for example try a helper column (G maybe)

in G1 enter
=D1
in G2
=d1
in G3
=d1
copy G1:G3 and paste to the end of your data
sort by G
"steve" wrote:

the column i sort by would have the same value in the three rows, so they
would stay together. the issue i'm running into is that this is a sheet
where other users will enter data. i don't want them to have to copy a name
three times to keep the rows the same. i tried adding a formula to the rows
straight down. so it copies the name you type twice under it, but if you sort
while there are still blank cells with formulas in them, it gets screwy. i
have a button that does the sorting, is there a way i can say, just sort the
cells with data entries and ignore the others until they get filled in?


"bj" wrote:

What are you sorting by?
in the column you are sorting by would the three rows have different values?
You may need a helper column where you can make the three rows have the same
value by what you want the sort to be based on. and sort by that column. If
he three rows have the same value, they will be sorted to gether.

"steve" wrote:

i have regular column headings, but my rows are in groups of three. i need
them to stay in tact while i sort by column. for example, rows 3-5 are one
set, then 6-8, then 9-11. when i sort, i want them to stay together.