Microsoft KB Archive/48530

Word: Method for Sorting All Cells in a Table

PSS ID Number: Q48530 Article last modified on 03-07-1997

=
========================================================= 4.00 5.00 5.10 MACINTOSH kbusage

= SUMMARY =

When Word sorts a table, cells in a row are kept together. Although the vertical position of the row in the table may change, the horizontal position of each cell in that row remains constant. Therefore, the Sort command will not sort cells so that each cell is in alphabetical order.

To sort all cell entries in alphabetical order, do the following:

  Create a copy of the table you want to sort. (Select the table, choose Copy from the Edit menu, place insertion point two lines below the table, and choose Paste from the Edit menu).   Select the original table. From the Insert menu (the Document menu in Word 4.0), choose the Table To Text command. In the Table To Text dialog box, select the Paragraphs option. Choose the OK button to make each cell entry a separate paragraph (these paragraphs will be lined up vertically above the copy of the table).   Select the paragraphs and choose Sort from the Tools menu (the Utilities menu in Word 4.0). This will sort the entries alphabetically. 

To create a table with entries arranged in order across the first row, then across the second row, and so on, proceed as follows:


 * 1) Select the entries.
 * 2) From the Edit menu, choose Cut.
 * 3) Select the copy of the original table.
 * 4) Choose Paste from the Edit menu. In the Text To Table dialog box that follows, verify that the number of rows and columns is correct.
 * 5) Under Convert From, select the Paragraphs option. Choose the OK button. This will paste the entries in alphabetical order over the old table entries.

To create a table with entries arranged in order down the first column, then down the second column, and so on, do the following:


 * 1) From the sorted paragraphs, select as many entries as there are rows in the first column. For instance, if the first column in the table has four rows, select the first four paragraphs.
 * 2) From the Edit menu, choose Cut. Select the first column of the table you copied in step 1.
 * 3) From the Edit menu, choose Paste. Check to see that the number of columns is 1 and the number of rows is the same as the number of rows in that column.
 * 4) Under the Convert From heading, make sure that the Paragraphs option is selected. Choose the OK button.

The first sorted entries will fill the first column of the table. Repeat these steps for each column.

Note: This method assumes one paragraph per cell. If any of the cells contain more than one paragraph, adjustments must be made because the Text To Table conversion assumes that the table being filled contains a cell for each paragraph.

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubCategory: kbtable Additional reference words: macword macword5 4.00 5.00 5.10 ====================================================================== ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1997.