Microsoft KB Archive/131391

= 7.0 and 5.0 for NT Sort Order Different from MS Excel 5.0 =

Article ID: 131391

Article Last Modified on 8/15/2005

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 95 Standard Edition
 * Microsoft Excel 5.0 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q131391







SYMPTOMS
In Microsoft Excel version 7.0 and Microsoft Excel for Windows NT (32 bit), the order that is used for sorting is different from that used for Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows or the Macintosh (16 bit).



CAUSE
This behavior occurs because Microsoft Windows NT, and Microsoft Windows 95 use a different sort order than the Microsoft Windows version 3.x operating system.

The differences in sorting are described in the following sections:
 * Special Characters
 * Extended Characters
 * Case Sensitive

SPECIAL CHARACTERS
The following table displays the differences in the sort order of special characters in Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows NT or Microsoft Excel version 7.0 from the order in Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows or the Macintosh:   Microsoft Excel 5.0 for NT                 Microsoft Excel version 5.0 or version 7.0 for Windows                for Windows or the Macintosh A1: -                                       A1: ! A2: ! A2: # A3: #                                       A3: $ A4: $                                       A4: % A4: %                                       A5: & A6: &                                       A6:(            A7: (                                        A7:)            A8: )                                        A8: * A9: *                                       A9: + A10:,                                      A10: , A11:. A11: - A12: ? A12:. A13: @                                      A13: = A14: \                                      A14:? A15: ^                                      A15: @ A16: _                                      A16: \ A17: +                                      A17: ^ A18: =                                      A18: _

EXTENDED CHARACTERS
When you sort extended characters (used, for example, in international versions) in Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows NT or Microsoft Excel version 7.0, the international characters are sorted as US English alphabetic characters. In Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows or the Macintosh, extended characters are sorted BEFORE alphabetic characters. The following table displays some of these differences.   List          Result in 5.0 for NT        Result in 5.0 for Windows or 7.0                     or the Macintosh ---

A1: b               A1: b                        A1: e*   A2: e*               A2: e*                       A2: b   A3: f                A3: f                        A3: f

A1: a               A1: a                        A1: a** A2: a**             A2: a**                      A2: e*** A3: e               A3: b                        A3: a   A4: e***             A4: e                        A4: b   A5: b                A5: e***                     A5: e

* Lowercase e with the Umlaut character (ALT+0233) ** Lowercase a with the Caret character (ALT+0226)
 * Lowercase e with the Caret character (ALT+0234)

CASE SENSITIVE
When you select the Case Sensitive check box in the Sort Options dialog box (Ascending order, Top To Bottom), in Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows NT and Microsoft Excel version 7.0, your list is sorted with the lowercase entries at the top of the list. Under the same conditions in Microsoft Excel version 5.0 for Windows, the list is sorted with the uppercase entries at the top of the list. The following table displays some of the differences.    List             Result in 5.0 for NT        Result in 5.0 for Windows or 7.0                          or Macintosh A1: A                  A1: a                           A1: A   A2: AAA                 A2: A                           A2: a   A3: a                   A3: AAA                         A3: AAA

A1: Add                A1: add                         A1: ADD A2: ADd                A2: Add                         A2: ADd A3: ADD                A3: ADd                         A3: Add A4: add                A4: ADD                         A4: add

