sorting (alphabetizing) while keeping data in tact.
 

have xp prof and excel 2000. consider the following list:
smith, dale
1222 avondale st
anytown, usa 11111
656-245 5656
myers, ethel
jans, harvey
xerox corp
plays golf on wed
carter, andy

what i'd like to do is alphabetize the list by last name BUT, keeping the
info that goes with each name intact. when i try to do it, the program will
alphabetize the names but the personal information does't stay under each
name like it appears in the above list.

any help would be app.
tks
--
5string

You have to organize your data in a table-style, so that each entry is one
row. You than select all rows and sort by the column you want (e.g. Name).

"5string" escreveu:

have xp prof and excel 2000. consider the following list:
smith, dale
1222 avondale st
anytown, usa 11111
656-245 5656
myers, ethel
jans, harvey
xerox corp
plays golf on wed
carter, andy

what i'd like to do is alphabetize the list by last name BUT, keeping the
info that goes with each name intact. when i try to do it, the program will
alphabetize the names but the personal information does't stay under each
name like it appears in the above list.

any help would be app.
tks
--
5string

What Fred said is where you would need to go if you were to create
a name and address list. In the meantime it would be possible to sort
you list by creating two more columns strictly for sorting.

One column for the name carried down from above if the
data is not indented. The second for sequence numbers
of the original data. Both must be constants not formulas.

If you have column A with only the names in it and the other
are in column B then you can rely on Excel keeping the
original order for sort fields with same value. And you can
simply use the technique(s) provided at

Replicate values into blank cells (#fill_empty)
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel...htm#fill_empty

Basically the technique is to identify the blank cells using
Special Cells and then to Fill Down.
Then as long as you have constants you sort by selecting
all cells and then sorting on Column A (Data, Sort)
http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/sorting .

Some techniques for putting data that has a strict consistency to it
can be found on my snakecol.htm page, but your data as shown
is not consistent.

---
HTH,
David McRitchie, Microsoft MVP - Excel [site changed Nov. 2001]
My Excel Pages: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/excel.htm
Search Page: http://www.mvps.org/dmcritchie/excel/search.htm

"Fred" wrote in message ...
You have to organize your data in a table-style, so that each entry is one
row. You than select all rows and sort by the column you want (e.g. Name).

"5string" escreveu:

have xp prof and excel 2000. consider the following list:
smith, dale
1222 avondale st
anytown, usa 11111
656-245 5656
myers, ethel
jans, harvey
xerox corp
plays golf on wed
carter, andy

what i'd like to do is alphabetize the list by last name BUT, keeping the
info that goes with each name intact. when i try to do it, the program will
alphabetize the names but the personal information does't stay under each
name like it appears in the above list.

any help would be app.
tks
--
5string