Sorting data refers to organizing the records in a data list so that they are presented in a certain order. If data is arranged in a list structure, data can be automatically sorted by choosing one individual cell within the list to define the sort criteria. All corresponding data will be repositioned on sort order.

The Sort Ascending and Sort Descending button on the Standard toolbar can be used to quickly sort a list by one column.

Follow the steps below to sort by one column:

• Select one cell anywhere within the field (column) upon which the sort will be based.
   
• Click on the Sort Ascending or Sort Descending button.

Excel sorts all rows on the list according to the data in the selected column.

If the data lists contains blank rows, the Sort Ascending and Sort Descending buttons will not produce the desired results.

My next article will tell you how to perform a multi-column sort.

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