Sorting multiple columns
 

Howdy everyone,

I'm having a problem in excel that I can't figure out, and I thought someone here might have a good solution.

Basically what I am trying to do, is take anywhere from 2-10ish columns of data, sort it, and have identical data lined up on the same row. The data will always be names.

For example....

The original data might look like:

Then after sorting it I'd like it to look like:

I can obviously sort each column one by one, and then drag it around to be lined up... but I didn't know if there was some simple function or macro that I wasn't aware of that would do what I want.

Thanks for any suggestions.

Sorting multiple columns
 

One way ..

Assuming source data in sheet: X
where the key* col is assumed col A
*i.e. col A contains the full list of all names

In another sheet: Y,

Copy paste col A from X into col A
Do a data sort ascending

Then place in B1:
=IF(ISNUMBER(MATCH($A1,X!B:B,0)),$A1,"")
Copy across to D1, fill down

Y will return the required results
--
Max
Singapore
http://savefile.com/projects/236895
xdemechanik
---
"Hexius" wrote in message
...

Howdy everyone,

I'm having a problem in excel that I can't figure out, and I thought
someone here might have a good solution.

Basically what I am trying to do, is take anywhere from 2-10ish columns
of data, sort it, and have identical data lined up on the same row. The
data will always be names.

For example....

The original data might look like:


Code:
--------------------
A B C D
1 Bill Chuck Dave Derek
2 Chuck Bill Derek Dave
3 Jane Jane Fred Murphy
4 Jim Murphy Murphy Chuck
5 Fred Jim Jane
6 Murphy Derek Jim
7 Dave Chuck
8 Derek
--------------------


Then after sorting it I'd like it to look like:


Code:
--------------------
A B C D
1 Bill Bill
2 Chuck Chuck Chuck Chuck
3 Dave Dave Dave
4 Derek Derek Derek Derek
5 Fred Fred
6 Jane Jane Jane
7 Jim Jim Jim
8 Murphy Murphy Murphy Murphy
--------------------


I can obviously sort each column one by one, and then drag it around to
be lined up... but I didn't know if there was some simple function or
macro that I wasn't aware of that would do what I want.

Thanks for any suggestions.


--
Hexius

Thank you for the reply Max! While the method you suggested isn't exactly what I was looking for, it works great and will probably be what I wind up using. I'll have to tweak the way my excel sheet is set up a bit, but that is done easily enough.

Ideally, I would like to use a macro or script of some sort that I could just run once on the one sheet to have it automatically sort the columns.

Thanks for your suggestion though, it gets the job done!

Sorting multiple columns
 

Glad it helped !
Thanks for the feedback
--
Max
Singapore
http://savefile.com/projects/236895
xdemechanik
---
"Hexius" wrote in message
...

Thank you for the reply Max! While the method you suggested isn't
exactly what I was looking for, it works great and will probably be
what I wind up using. I'll have to tweak the way my excel sheet is set
up a bit, but that is done easily enough.

Ideally, I would like to use a macro or script of some sort that I
could just run once on the one sheet to have it automatically sort the
columns.

Thanks for your suggestion though, it gets the job done!