NewDeal Hot Tip 1010

[Hot Tips for...] NewCalc

NewCalc Sorting Tips

Sort lists with NewCalc

To use NewCalc to sort lists made in NewWrite, try the following:
  1. Copy the list from NewWrite and paste it into Text File editor.
  2. Each item must be a paragraph that ends in a carriage return.
  3. Each item should be no longer than about 500 characters.
  4. Use Find and Replace to eliminate all quotes and commas. You can replace them with some other characters (@, #, %, anything that isn't otherwise used in your list) and then you can replace them back to normal after sorting. The point here is that your list must qualify as a CSV file, probably with one field per record. Save the file. Exit TFE.
  5. Import to NewCalc as if it was a CSV file.
  6. In NewCalc, sort.
  7. After sorting, select all, copy, and paste back into Text File Editor.
  8. There may be an extra TAB character at the end of each line now. Use Find and Replace to eliminate those, if you like, and to replace your commas and quotes if you need to.
  9. Copy and Paste back into NewWrite.

NewCalc Sorting Tip

I used to think you could only sort by the top-most row or the left-most column of a selected block, but I've recently found out that you can sort on ANY row or column.

When you select a block (range) of cells, one of the cells remains white. Usually it's the top-most and left-most cell. It's called the active cell. The location of this cell determines the row or column that is used to sort the block.

After selecting your block of cells, you can toggle the active cell with the TAB key. It toggles across the first row, then goes down to the second row and across, then down to the third, etc. You can reverse the direction by holding down the SHIFT key while tapping the TAB key.

Select the block, then use the TAB key to position the active cell in the row or column you wish to sort by, making sure that you leave the entire block selected--then sort.

One caveat: if you sort based on a row or column that contains formulas, the sort will be based on the formulas themselves, instead of the results of the formulas.

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Last Modified 28 Feb 1999