Sorting cells
cells in multiple adjoining columns - can they be linked so that Column 1 may be sorted alphabetically whilst retaining the link to the adjoining cells?
iMac (2017 – 2020)
Question marked as
Top-ranking reply
HI Dumfie,
Sorting a table in Numbers rearranges the rows of the table according to the data in the column specified for the sort. Here's an example.
Table 1 is the original table.
The other three are duplicates of the original showing the results of sorting:
- Ascending by the contents of column A (Table 1-1)
- Descending, by the contents of column C (Table 1-1-1)
- Ascending, by the contents of column E Table 1-1-1-1)
As can be seen in the examples, the position of a row may change due to a sort, but the content of the row does not change.
Table X has an added column, with the formula shown below the table entered in cell F2, then filled down to the last cell in that column.
In F10, the filled down formula dropped the reference to the 'cell in the row below this' reference.
Resorting the table (Descending on column C) brought these results:
Each copy of the formula(s) was carried to it's new row, and automatically adjusted to its new position. The formula originally in F3, sorted into F10 was not altered (to drop the 'cell in the row below' reference) and threw an error because it was now referencing cell F11—a cell which does not exist in the table).
The formula that was in F10 is now in F3, and kept the SUM(F10) format it had there, with the row number adjusted to its current position in row 3.
Does this answer your question? If not, please clarify "retaining the link to adjoining cells."
Regards,
Barry