Microsoft KB Archive/115310

= Results of AutoFilter Criteria Different from Advanced =

Article ID: 115310

Article Last Modified on 8/15/2003

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q115310





SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel, when you use a single character as the criteria in the Custom AutoFilter dialog box to filter data, you receive different results than you do when you use a single character as the criteria for the list in the Data Form or the Advanced Filter dialog boxes.



CAUSE
This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel. The behavior occurs because you can use the wildcard character (*) in the Custom AutoFilter dialog box to represent any series of characters. Because of this capability, only records that exactly match the criteria you enter (the exact characters you enter) are displayed.

When you use the Data Form or the Advanced AutoFilter dialog box, all of the records that begin with the characters you enter as the criteria are displayed as if a wildcard character is added to the characters that you enter as the criteria.



WORKAROUND
When you use the AutoFilter feature to match all records that contain data that begins with the characters you use as the criteria, type the wildcard character (*) at the end of the characters you enter in the Custom AutoFilter dialog box.



In Excel 97
For more information about filtering a list using AutoFilters, click Contents And Index on the Help menu, click the Index tab in Excel 97 Help, type the following text

filters, autofilter

and then double-click the selected text to go to the "Display a subset of rows in a list by using filters" topic. If you are unable to find the information you need, ask the Office Assistant.

In Excel 5.0
For more information about filtering a list using AutoFilters, click the Search button in Help and type:

filtering lists

Additional query words: 5.00a 5.00c 7.00a 97 XL97 XL7 XL5 XL

Keywords: kbprb KB115310

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