Download - 4 useful Excel Filtering Behaviors - TechRepublic

3/17/2015 FourusefulExcelfilteringbehaviorsTechRepublic

http://www.techrepublic.com/article/fourusefulexcelfilteringbehaviors/ 1/18

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



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



TheStatusbardisplaysthenumberofrecordsinafilteredset.

Ifyou'dliketoreturnacountofqualifyingrecordswithinthesheetitself,usethefollowingSUBTOTAL()function,asshowninFigureB:

=SUBTOTAL(2,B4:B10)

Withoutafilter,thefunctionreturnsthetotalnumberofrecords(seven)inthedataset.

FigureB



UseSUBTOTAL()toreturnthenumberofrecordsthatmeetthecurrentfilter.

Now,specifyafilterandwatchthatnumberupdateaccordingly:

1. ClicktheYeardropdown.2. Uncheck(SelectAll).InExcel2014,select2014,andyou'redone.3. Check2014(FigureC).

FigureC



4. ClickOK.Thefilteredsetcontainsthreerecords(FigureD).FigureD



Whenthecountistheresultofafunction,youcaneasilyreusethatvalue.TheStatusbarcountisgoodinformation,butyoucan'treuseit.

TheSUBTOTAL()functionoffersmanypossibilitiesforsummarizingfilteredsets.Forinstance,ifyouwantedtosumAmountvalues,you'dusethefunctionSUBTOTAL(9,C4:C10).TableAdefinesthisfunction'snumberargument.

TableA



Entersamevalueinnoncontiguousrange

Occasionally,you'llendupwithblankcellsthatneedvalues,asshowninFigureE.Whenenteringthesamevalue,youcantakeadvantageoffilteringinacreativeway,evenifyou'renotusingittofilterrecords!

FigureE



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



7. Type2014,butdon'tpressEnteryet.8. Press[Ctrl]+[Enter]toenterthecurrentvalue,2014,ineachselectedcell(FigureG).

FigureG

9. ClearthefilterbyclickingClearintheSort&Filtergroup(FigureH).FigureH



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



Excelgroupsdateswhenfiltering.

Mostusersprobablythinkthisaconvenientshortcut.However,ifyoufindyourselfclickingthroughlayersofdatecomponents,youcanupgroupdatefilteringvaluesasfollows:

1. ClicktheFiletab,andchooseOptions.2. Intheleftpane,chooseAdvanced.3. IntheDisplayoptionsforthisworkbooksection,unchecktheGroupdatesintheAutoFilter

menuoption(FigureJ).FigureJ



4. ClickOK.

DisablingthisoptionforcesExceltodisplayliteraldates,asshowninFigureK.

FigureK



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



5. ClickOK.

InExcel2003,chooseCustomizefromtheToolsmenu.ClicktheCommandstab,andselectDatafromtheCategorieslist.ChoosetheAutoFilteritemanddragittothetoolbar.

Toputthenewoptiontouse,selectanyvalueinthedatasetandclicktheFilterBySelectioniconintheQAT.FigureMshowstheresultsofselecting1/3/2015inB5andthenclickingtheoption(circledinFigureM).

FigureM



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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