Microsoft Excel Tips
and Tricks
Use Your Spreadsheet Like a Database with AutoFilter
You can use AutoFilter to analyze the data in your Excel
spreadsheet based on specific criteria. For example, if you
are a salesperson who has a spreadsheet listing all the
clients you have in each region you cover, you can use
AutoFilter to sort by a specific region and get a snapshot
of just the clients in that region. Here's how you to use
the feature:
1.
Click a cell in the list you want to filter. You should
choose a cell that appears in a row that contains a heading
and related data, such as a set of client names or phone
numbers.
2.
On the Data menu, point to Filter, and then
click AutoFilter. Arrows appear at the heading of
each column.
3.
Click an arrow, and choose your filter criteria from the
drop-down menu. (For example, you could filter for a number
that's greater or less than a target figure.)
Only rows containing data that meet the criteria are
displayed. Great for reporting!
Editor's Note:
To see an example of AutoFilter in action, visit the How Ed
Viesturs Uses Excel page, which shows how America's premier
mountaineer uses AutoFilter to sort his packing list.
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