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Excel'sfilteringfeatureishelpful,butaddabitofcreativityanditbecomesmuchmore.SusanHarkinsexplains.
Excel'sAutoFilterfeatureiseasytoimplementanduse,butitcandomorethanfirstmeetstheeye.Thetrickistobeabitcreative.Thetipsinthisarticlearen'trelatedinanywaytheyallextendthefeatureoruseittocompleteanonfilteringtask.
Foryourconvenience,youcandownloadthe.xlsx(http://b2b.cbsimg.net/downloads/Thompson/ExcelFilterDemo.xlsx)or.xls(http://b2b.cbsimg.net/downloads/Thompson/ExcelFilterDemo.xls)demonstrationfile,butyoucanworkwithanysimpledataset.ThearticleincludesinstructionsforExcel2010,butitalsoprovidesstepsforExcel2003whensignificantlydifferent.
AboutAutoFilter
MICROSOFT
FourusefulExcelfilteringbehaviors
BySusanHarkinsMarch16,2015,1:52PMPST
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3/17/2015 FourusefulExcelfilteringbehaviorsTechRepublic
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Excel'sAutoFilterfeatureinsertsaneasytouseinterfacethatmakesfilteringrecordsquickandefficient.Onceyouapplythefiltertothedataset,yousimplychoosethenaturaldatatodisplayrecordsthatmatchthespecifiedvalue.It'slimited,andoftenyou'llneedtobumpupyourfilteringtotheadvancedfeatures,butitmakesquickworkoutofsimplefilteringtasks.
ToengagetheAutoFilterfeature,clickanyvalueinthedataset.ClicktheDataset,andthenclickFilterintheSort&Filtergroup.Excelwilldisplaydropdownstotheheadercellforeachcolumninthedataset.Clickthesedropdownstofilterbyexistingvaluesineachcorrespondingcolumn.Toclearafilter,clickClearinthesamegroup.InExcel2003,chooseFilterfromtheDatamenu,andthenselectAutoFilter(toclearafilter,uncheckAutoFilter).
Countfilteredrecords
YoucanlearnthenumberofrecordsthatsatisfyafilterbyglancingattheStatusbar.AsyoucanseeinFigureA,thecurrentfilterdisplaysthreeofsevenrecordsfound.Withaquickglance,youcanlearntwothings:thedatasethasatotalofsevenrecords,andthreeofthoserecordsmatchthecurrentfilter.It'sahandyfeature,butnotallofthatusefulbecauseyoucan'treusetheinformation.Inaddition,olderversionsofExcelhaveaknownissuewiththisdisplayit'sinconsistent.
FigureA
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TheStatusbardisplaysthenumberofrecordsinafilteredset.
Ifyou'dliketoreturnacountofqualifyingrecordswithinthesheetitself,usethefollowingSUBTOTAL()function,asshowninFigureB:
=SUBTOTAL(2,B4:B10)
Withoutafilter,thefunctionreturnsthetotalnumberofrecords(seven)inthedataset.
FigureB
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UseSUBTOTAL()toreturnthenumberofrecordsthatmeetthecurrentfilter.
Now,specifyafilterandwatchthatnumberupdateaccordingly:
1. ClicktheYeardropdown.2.
Uncheck(SelectAll).InExcel2014,select2014,andyou'redone.3.
Check2014(FigureC).
FigureC
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4.
ClickOK.Thefilteredsetcontainsthreerecords(FigureD).FigureD
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Whenthecountistheresultofafunction,youcaneasilyreusethatvalue.TheStatusbarcountisgoodinformation,butyoucan'treuseit.
TheSUBTOTAL()functionoffersmanypossibilitiesforsummarizingfilteredsets.Forinstance,ifyouwantedtosumAmountvalues,you'dusethefunctionSUBTOTAL(9,C4:C10).TableAdefinesthisfunction'snumberargument.
TableA
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Entersamevalueinnoncontiguousrange
Occasionally,you'llendupwithblankcellsthatneedvalues,asshowninFigureE.Whenenteringthesamevalue,youcantakeadvantageoffilteringinacreativeway,evenifyou'renotusingittofilterrecords!
FigureE
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Youmightendupwithblankcellsthatneedvalues.
Byfilteringtheblanks,youcanquicklyenterthevalueinalltheblanksatonce,asfollows:
1. IfAutoFilterisn'timplemented,enableitforyourdataset.2.
TheblanksareintheYearcolumn,soclickthatdropdownarrow.3.
Uncheck(SelectAll).InExcel2003,select(Blanks),andskiptostep6.4.
Check(Blanks).5. ClickOK.6.
Intheresultingfilteredset,selecttheblanks.Inthiscase,that'sB5:B7(FigureF).
Remember,oneoftherowsishiddenbythefilter.FigureF
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7. Type2014,butdon'tpressEnteryet.8.
Press[Ctrl]+[Enter]toenterthecurrentvalue,2014,ineachselectedcell(FigureG).
FigureG
9.
ClearthefilterbyclickingClearintheSort&Filtergroup(FigureH).FigureH
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10.
Ifyoudon'tneedthefilter,clickFilterintheSort&Filtergrouptoremoveit.
YoumighthavenoticedthattheSUBTOTAL()functionupdatedafewtimes.Thisfunctionexcludesblankswhenevaluating.That'swhyitreturnedfivewhenB5andB7wereemptyandzeroafterfilteringforblanks.
Ungroupdates
Bydefault,Excel'slistoffilteringitemswillgroupdates,asyoucanseeinFigureI.(Toillustratethisbehavior,Ichangedtheyearvaluestofulldates.)Bydefault,theitemsarecollapsed.Clicktheplussign[+]toexpandthelistclicktheminussign[]tocollapsealist.(Thisbehaviordoesn'tapplytoExcel2003.)
FigureI
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Excelgroupsdateswhenfiltering.
Mostusersprobablythinkthisaconvenientshortcut.However,ifyoufindyourselfclickingthroughlayersofdatecomponents,youcanupgroupdatefilteringvaluesasfollows:
1. ClicktheFiletab,andchooseOptions.2.
Intheleftpane,chooseAdvanced.3.
IntheDisplayoptionsforthisworkbooksection,unchecktheGroupdatesintheAutoFilter
menuoption(FigureJ).FigureJ
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4. ClickOK.
DisablingthisoptionforcesExceltodisplayliteraldates,asshowninFigureK.
FigureK
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DisablingthisoptionforcesExceltodisplayliteraldates.
Filterbytheselectedvalue
AccessletsyoufilterbytheselectedvaluethefeatureiscalledFilterBySelection.Excelcandothattoo,butyou'llhavetoaddtheoptiontotheQuickAccessToolbar(QAT)toaccessit.Onceyoudo,youcanbypasstheAutoFilterdropdownsandinsteadselectacellthatcontainsthevalueyouwanttofilterbyandthenclicktheFilterBySelectionoptionontheQAT.
ToaddtheFilterBySelectionoptiontotheQATdothefollowing:
1. ClicktheQATdropdownandchooseMoreCommands.2.
Intheresultingwindow,selectCommandsNotintheRibbonfromtheChoosecommands
fromdropdown.3.
Intheresultinglist,selectAutoFilter(theonewiththeequalssignintheicon).4.
ClickAdd(FigureL).
FigureL
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5. ClickOK.
InExcel2003,chooseCustomizefromtheToolsmenu.ClicktheCommandstab,andselectDatafromtheCategorieslist.ChoosetheAutoFilteritemanddragittothetoolbar.
Toputthenewoptiontouse,selectanyvalueinthedatasetandclicktheFilterBySelectioniconintheQAT.FigureMshowstheresultsofselecting1/3/2015inB5andthenclickingtheoption(circledinFigureM).
FigureM
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UseFilterBySelectionforevenquickerfiltering.
SendmeyourquestionaboutOffice
Ianswerreaders'questionswhenIcan,butthere'snoguarantee.Whencontactingme,beasspecificaspossible.Forexample,"Pleasetroubleshootmyworkbookandfixwhat'swrong"probablywon'tgetaresponse,but"Canyoutellmewhythisformulaisn'treturningtheexpectedresults?"might.Pleasementiontheappandversionthatyou'reusing.I'mnotreimbursedbyTechRepublicformytimeorexpertise,nordoIaskforafeefromreaders.Youcancontactmeatsusansalesharkins@gmail.com.
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AboutSusanHarkinsSusanSalesHarkinsisanITconsultant,specializingindesktopsolutions.Previously,shewaseditorinchiefforTheCobbGroup,theworld'slargestpublisheroftechnicaljournals.
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