Excel: Sorting Alphanumeric Strings with Numeric Strings

Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
Article ID: Q60114

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0
Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 2.x, 3.0, 4.0

SUMMARY

The Microsoft Excel Sort command (on the Data menu) sorts numeric characters, then alphanumeric characters. It is not possible to sort a combination of these characters.

In cases where alphanumeric and numeric characters do not need to be computed, they can be changed to text and then sorted.

Numeric and alphanumeric characters sort as follows:

Numeric and alphanumeric characters changed to text sort as follows:

To change numeric characters to text, enter them as follows:

   ="12295"

By default, strings such as "12296a" are text; they do not need an equal sign and quotation marks around them.

KBCategory: kbusage
KBSubcategory:
Additional reference words: 2.0 2.00 2.01 2.1 2.10 2.2 2.20
3.0 3.00 4.0 4.00

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Last reviewed: November 30, 1994
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