M365 Excel Basics Video 12: SORT and

FILTER Features in Excel

Table of Contents

Topics covered in the M365 Excel Basics Video 12: ................................................................................... 2

Data Analyzing Tools ............................................................................................................................... 3

Sort ........................................................................................................................................................ 4

Filter....................................................................................................................................................... 7

Text Join Formula .................................................................................................................................. 10

Flash Fill ............................................................................................................................................... 11

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Topics covered in the M365 Excel Basics Video 12:

Learn How to Organize Data using the Sort and Filter Feature, Flash Fill and Text
Join Formula
▪ Sort Feature
▪ Filter Feature
▪ Text Join Formula
▪ Flash Fill

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Data Analyzing Tools

We use the Sort Feature, Filter Feature, Flash Fill and Text Join Formulas as useful tools to analyze our data.
These tools help us to convert Raw Data into useful information. In this class we have studied some other
useful Data Analysis Tools in Excel. We have learned the Excel Table Feature, PivotTables, Slices, Different
Types of Formulas like XLOOKUPS, and SUMIFS, we have also learned the Relationship feature in Excel and
Data Model.

In this video/lesson we will learn the Sort and Filter Feature, Flash Fill and we will also learn the Text Join
Formula.

We learned for us to be able to use the Data Analysis Tools in Excel, it is very important that we have a
proper Dataset. Refer to M365 Excel Basics Video 02. We learned that a Proper Dataset is also known as a
Table, and we have been using these terms interchangeably in this class.

A Proper Dataset has:

▪ Column Headers or Field Names in the first row. The Column headers at the top of each column
indicates what data the column contains
▪ Records in the subsequent Rows
▪ Proper Dataset must also be surrounded by empty cells or worksheet column headers (Letters) and
Worksheet row headers (Numbers)

We learned that a Proper Dataset is Important because:

▪ It helps to avoid repetition by having each field listed once, for example the Month field is listed
once.
▪ It enables you to easily make calculations, perform data analysis and create formulas
▪ Many of the tools and features in Excel require proper datasets, for example PivotTables, Filtering,
Power Query and Power Pivot).

Knowing that we need to have a proper dataset for our Data Analysis, this is helpful as we dive into these
new features that we are learning in this lesson.

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Sort
By default, records appear in the order in which they were entered. You can use the Sort Feature in your
data by arranging the records by one or more chosen fields.

What does Sorting Do?

▪ Sorting organizes a Proper Dataset (Table) or a single column alphabetically, numerically, by color
or you can also do a Custom Sort to organize your data.
▪ Sorting Data helps to effectively organize, analyze and visualize data
▪ If you sort one field/column in a proper dataset, the entire Proper Dataset is sorted so the records
remain intact.

Sorting Options

▪ A to Z (Lowest to Highest also known as Smallest to Largest or Ascending)

▪ Z to A (Highest to Lowest also known as Largest to Smallest)
▪ Sort by Color
▪ Custom List

How to Sort:

1. Select one cell in the column that you want to sort and use the Sorting feature.
2. On the Data Ribbon Tab, in the Sort & Filter group.
a. Click the A to Z button to sort ascending sort (smallest to the largest number)
b. Click on the Z to A button to sort descending sort (largest to smallest number)

3. Sort by a specified criterion

a. Select one cell in the column that you wat to sort
b. On the Data Ribbon Tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click the Sort to open the Sort dialog box

c. In the Sort by dropdown list, select the first column on which you want to sort.

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d. In the Sort On list, choose Cell Values, Cell Color, Font Color, or Conditional Formatting
Icon.
i. If you select to sort by color
1. Click on any single cell inside the data set
2. On the Data Ribbon Tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Sort
3. In the dialog box, choose the column you want to sort by
4. Under ‘Sort On” select “Cell Color”
5. Choose the preferred color of sorting
6. Add as many levels as needed
7. Click OK to apply the sorting by color

e. In the Order list, choose the order that you want to apply to the Sort operation—
alphabetically or numerically, ascending or descending (that is, from A to Z (or Z to A) for
text, or lower to higher, or higher to lower for numbers), or the Custom List.
i. If you select the Custom List, Custom Lists dialog box will open, if you do not have a
custom list already created you can create one, or you can delete the one that is
already created and create a new one.
1. Select New List and on the List Entries box, enter your custom sort list. Press
Enter to separate list entries. Once you are done creating your custom List,
click Add to add your custom list to the Customs Lists box and click Ok to
create the list and return to the Sort dialog box.
2. Click OK to apply this Sort order to your selected column/field.

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Note: Any custom list that you create will remain part of your Excel settings and is available to all other
workbooks. If you want to remove the custom list, select the custom list in the Custom Lists dialog box, and
click Delete. This will remove the custom list from your Excel Settings.

f. If you have a mixed data, the A to Z sort would sort like:

o Numbers
o Text/words
o FALSE
o TRUE
o Errors (in the order they occur)
o Empty Cells (Empty Cells are always sorted to the bottom whether or not you do A
to Z or Z to A).
g. If you want to sort more than 1 column.
i. Buttons: Major Sort is last
ii. Sort Dialog Box: Major Sort on top
h. If you are sorting a list that does not have a field name, highlight the entire list and be sure to
uncheck the “My data set has headers” checkbox.

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Filter
What does Filter do?

▪ Filter feature allows to hide records that don't match criteria.

▪ Apply criteria and records that match are displayed, and records that don't match are hidden. Copy
the Filtered Records to a new worksheet.
▪ The Filter feature helps you to show the data you want and hide the rest. You can clear the filter to
redisplay all the data.

How to add Filter dropdown arrows?

1. Filter button in Data Ribbon Tab, Sort & Filter group,

2. Keyboard Ctrl + Shift + L,
a. Converts Proper Data Set to an Excel Table.

Filter Dropdown arrows:

▪ ** Filter is perfect Feature to Extract Records that match a set of criteria and to show only the data
you want to see.
▪ Filter dropdown Arrows always shows a Unique List of Items from the Field/Column
▪ Filter allows you to filter in these ways:
• Check Box from Unique List
• Built-in features for the Data Types: Date, Text, Numbers
• Search textbox
• You can use an AND Logical Test, Or Logical Test, or a Between Logical Tests
AND Logical Test (using AND Criteria):
o You can have two or more criteria for an AND Logical Test.
o If we select the check the boxes for “Tiana” on the Sales Rep Field AND “LOL
Surprise” on the Product Field:
For each record we are asking two questions:
“Is the Sales Rep Tiana?”
AND
“Is the Product sold LOL Surprise?”
o For each Record we can get these possible answers:
❖ TRUE, FALSE
❖ FALSE, TRUE
❖ FALSE, FALSE
❖ TRUE, TRUE
o For an AND Logical Test you must get "All Are TRUE", in order for the record to be
included in the filtered data set.
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BETWEEN Logical Test is a form of AND Logical Test that has an upper and lower limit:

o Only items that are between the upper and lower limit are included.
o Example: Date Filters that only want records that are between October 1, 2024 and
October 31, 2024.

OR Logical Test (using OR Criteria):

o You can have two or more criteria for an OR Logical Test.
o If we select the check the boxes for “Cinderelli” and “Miles” in the Sales Rep
Field:
For each record we are asking two questions:
“Is the Sales Rep Cinderelli?”
OR
“Is the Sales Rep Miles?”
o For each Record we can get these possible answers:
o TRUE, FALSE
o FALSE, TRUE
o FALSE, FALSE.
o For an OR Logical Test you must get "At Least 1 TRUE", in order for the record to be
included in the filtered data set.
o For Filtering, when we are asking the OR Criteria Question, we are often asking the
question of only ONE Column.

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Turn Off Filter

▪ To Remove a Filter Single Column Filter:

▪ Click on Filter dropdown at the top of the column and select “Clear Filter”

To Remove all Filters:

▪ Use “Clear” button in Sort & Filter group in Data Ribbon Tab. Keyboard: Ctrl + Shift + L, L

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Text Join Formula

Join Operator = & = Ampersand or And Symbol

▪ Join Operator allows to join to items together into one cell, like joining First and Last Name
▪ Formula like; ="Item # "&D28 joins text in double quotes and a number from a cell
▪ Anytime you have to put text into a formula, you must use Double Quotes "Item # " will not change

Text String

▪ “Text String” is the term used to describe words or text.

Examples”
o “Excel” is a Text String
o “Product name is “Hot Wheels” is a text string
o 105 is not a Text String because it is a number

Text Functions:

▪ LEFT
o LEFT will extract from the left (start of text string) a specified number of characters in the text
string.
Formula Syntax
= LEFT(text, [num_chars])
• text = The text string that contains the characters you want to extract.
• num_chars = Specifies the number of characters you want extract from the left,
where 1 is first character, 2 is second character and so on.

▪ RIGHT
o RIGHT will extract from the right (end of text string) a specified number of characters in the text
string.

Formula Syntax
= RIGHT(text, [num_chars])

• text = The text string that contains the characters you want to extract.
• num_chars = Specifies the number of characters you want extract from the right, where
is last character, 2 is second to last character and so on

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Flash Fill
What does Flash Fill do?

▪ Flash Fill is a fast way to “clean” a column of data, like combining first and last name or extracting
the State Abbreviation from a description.
▪ What does “Cleaning Data” mean?
o You convert non-useful data into useful data.

Examples:

• Combine First and Last Name

• Extract State Abbreviation from a description

How does Flash Fill work?

▪ Type enough examples to illustrate the pattern for the "cleaned data" to the right of your column
and when you see the "Ghost List", hit Enter.
▪ You give Excel one or more examples to the right of your data, and it tries to figure out what you
want.
▪ If Excel can see your "Pattern", it will perform the action for the whole column. Actions include;
Combine, Extract, Insert, Reverse
▪ Keyboard to run Flash Fill: Ctrl + E
▪ Flash Fill is in the Data Tools group in the Data Ribbon Tab
▪ Microsoft calls it “Program by example” because you give it an example and behind the scenes it
creates a program that does what you want.

When to use Formulas?

▪ When you want the solution to update when source data changes.

When to use Flash Fill?

▪ When it is a one-time data cleaning task, when you know the pattern of your data, and you can
provide enough examples for Flash Fill to understand what you want.

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