Word: Sorting by Individual Table Cells
PSS ID Number: Q70120 Article last modified on 03-07-1997
====================================================================== 4.00 5.00 5.10 MACINTOSH kbusage
| The information in this article applies to: |
| - Microsoft Word for the Macintosh versions 4.0, 5.0, 5.1 |
SUMMARY
Microsoft Word for the Macintosh can sort tables by column, but it cannot treat the cells of a table as individual objects to be sorted. However, you can do this as follows (for before and after examples of a table sorted with this type of sort, see “More Information” below):
Determine the number of rows and columns that are in the table and keep these numbers handy.
Select the entire table by holding down the OPTION key and double-clicking in the table. (Note: Keep the entire table selected throughout this procedure.)
Proceed to the next appropriate step, depending on which version of Word you are using.
Word Version 5.0 or 5.1
The sort will not function correctly if there is more than one paragraph within any cell. If this is the case, do the following to convert carriage returns to new line characters:
From the Edit menu, choose Replace.
From the Special pop-up menu, choose Paragraph Mark for the Find What box.
From the Special pop-up menu, choose End Of Line Mark for the Replace With box.
Click the Replace All button.
After the changes have been made, click the Cancel button.
From the Insert menu, choose Table To Text and then click the OK button for paragraph-delimited text.
From the Tools menu, choose Sort.
From the Insert menu, choose Text To Table, and enter the number of rows and columns as determined in step 1 and click the OK button. The cells in the table should now be properly sorted.
Note: the original column widths have been lost and may need to be reset.
Word Version 4.0
The sort will not function correctly if there is more than one paragraph within any cell. If this is the case, do the following to convert carriage returns to new line characters:
From the Utilities menu, choose Change.
Type “^p” (without quotation marks) in the Find What box.
Type “^n” (without quotation marks) in the Change To box.
Click the Change Selection button.
After the changes have been made, click the Cancel button.
From the Document menu, choose Table To Text and then click the OK button for paragraph-delimited text.
From the Utilities menu, choose Sort.
From the Document menu, choose Insert Table, and enter the number of rows and columns as determined in step 1 and click the OK button. The cells in the table should now be properly sorted.
Note: The original column widths have been lost and may need to be reset.
MORE INFORMATION
Using the above steps, this table
| | parrot | moose | bird | |
|---|
| zebra | aardvark | dog | |
| frog | deer | seal | ———————————-
will be sorted as follows:
| | aardvark | bird | deer | |
|---|
| dog | frog | moose | |
| parrot | seal | zebra | ———————————-
KBCategory: kbusage KBSubCategory: kbtable Additional reference words: macword macword5 4.00 5.00 5.10 picture caption ====================================================================== ============================================================================= Copyright Microsoft Corporation 1997.
