Re: Calc: Sort double columns

Hi Dotan,
If you're willing to jump through a couple of hoops and the real database is not too different from your example it can be done. I've attached your example that I sorted using the following steps:

1) In E1 enter =A1&"A"
2) In E2 enter =A1&"B"
3) Select E1..E2 and copy.
4) Select column E down to the end of the data and paste.
5) Select the used cells in E, copy and paste values.
6) Sort columns B to E by E.
7) In A2 enter =A1+1
8) Clear the format (merge) from column A below A2.
9) Select A2 and copy.

10) Select column A down to the end of the data and paste.
11) Unmerge column A to the end of the data.

11) Select the used cells in A, copy and paste values.

12) Merge A1..A2 and copy.
13) Select the used cells in A (+1) and paste format
14) Delete the data in E.
tc




>________________________________
>From: Dotan Cohen <[email protected]>
>To: openoffice-users. <[email protected]>
>Sent: Monday, October 3, 2011 7:40:48 AM
>Subject: [users] Calc: Sort double columns
>
>I am reviewing the records of a local shop to help him convert to Open
>Office. I have found no problems with the simple Word documents that
>he uses, but he is using MS Excel where he should have a real
>database. We all know about efforts to teach an old dog new tricks, so
>let's just be glad that he is interested in this new trick called Open
>Office. He will _not_ be moving to Base or anything else, it will be
>either in Excel or another spreadsheet.
>
>In this particular case, he has information that should be in a single
>row (record) divided into to rows, with the A column's cells merged
>between the two and the "sorting key" stored in that cell. He now
>wants to sort based on the merged cells, keeping the dual-row records
>intact.
>
>Example:
>---------------------------
>1 | Some info
>    | More info
>---------------------------
>3 | Yet some more info
>    | And more info
>---------------------------
>2 | Some important info
>    | More important info
>---------------------------
>
>He now needs to sort that! Does anybody know how this can be done?
>Trying the regular sort function returns an error that range
>containing merged cells can only be sorted without formats.
>
>Example document here:
>http://dotancohen.com/images/examples/sort-example.ods
>
>Thanks.
>
>-- 
>Dotan Cohen
>
>http://gibberish.co.il
>http://what-is-what.com
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