How do I use Excel to random sort?

Hi everyone,

I'm new to the forums! I have a copy of a post that was made to my thread on another forum, but I don't understand any of it. It's like what is he talking about? It's like he went advanced on me that I wasn't expected such a reply. It's like I read it over a million times. I mean I never ever used Excel in my life before. I don't even know where to get it from and I honestly don't know if its free.

Alright, here's the reply.

1. Using an Excel spreadsheet, write the complete title for every CD in alphabetical order by row in Column A.
2. In the adjacent Column B, write the total number of letters in the title of the CD from Column A.
3. In Column C, write a formula to calculate the cube root of the number in Column B to the 13th decimal place (or you may use any Fibonacci number of your choice).
4. Custom sort the value returned in Column C in ascending order.


1.) I understand the part by writing in alphabetical order, but what is row by Column A?

2.) OK, that means count every single letter and enter the number into Column B?

3.) I suck at Math, I don't know how to figure that out and I don't know how to write a formula, and what are Fibonacci numbers? Could someone please throw in a few numbers to make a choice? That would be easier than writing cube formulas.

4.) What does custom sort the order in ascending order means? Ascending means in order from A to Z, right? Won't the result come back the same as in#1 when I wrote them in alphabetical?

OK - you gave us no question - just answer from the other forum.

Based on this - you wanted to have your column A randomly (independently on title) sorted.

If you do not like this idea of generating your own random (or to be more precise - not correlated with alphabetical order of titles) numbers, you can do it quicker way.

In column B write formula
=RAND()
which returns a pseudo-random number
copy it down
now select both columns and sort using column B as key.
remove column B and your titles in column A are in random order).

Just a final comment - excel is not free.
But there are several other programs with very similar functions which are free.

Hi and welcome to the forum

From the looks of your post (and the style of writing), Im guessing this is a homework question?

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Here is the discography http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grateful_Dead_Discography and just counting the studio, retrospective live, ****'s Picks series, Road Trips series, Dave's Picks series. What order would someone buy them by purchasing them on CDs, but purchasing them individually and not all at once? And would someone buy them from Amazon? And where could View from the Vault I, II, III, and IV soundtracks be purchased from at not high prices? And if someone wouldn't purchase everything from Amazon than where should be purchased from?

just to clarify this was the question you asked?

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i suspect the person was trying to tell you he had no idea and it was anyone's guess,and you might as well buy them at random and suggested a complicated way to make a random list in excel as a joke!
but right clicking doesn't delete a column
and to sort you just select column a and b then sort by column b
http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/ME//mes4p1.html
oops ive just seen the mods request but i cant see whats really wrong with the thread title

fill down =rand() in col b down to the last entry in column A then sort by column b
http://www.techrepublic.com/blog/mic...crosoft-excel/

http://www.homeandlearn.co.uk/ME//mes4p1.html

follow the links i posted one tells you how to sort

yep but make sure you select both cols a and b for the sort

drag it down using the fill handle instead instead of double left clicking it
left clickit and hold the button down than drag down
http://www.gcflearnfree.org/excel2013/7.4

sorry i cannot help you any more,there are plenty of examples on google about fill handle excel

you just dont get it do you ,someone is Yanking your chain ,there is no practical reason to take the number of characters then find the cube root and sort,the number of decimal places is irrelevent as excel stores them all anyway. and sorting
by the whole number or the cube root of a number will give the same result. if you really dont understand how to do some of these excel basics you need to get someone to show you how its done one to one
last attempt there is tutorial on how to use fill handle in excel 2003
http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/exc...ill_handle.htm

Post # 2 explained what you need to do, pretty clearly.

Assuming your data starts in B2, and column A is empty (if not, pick a different column, and then change the rest of the references accordingly)

In A2, type in =rand()
click back onto that cell if the cursor moved to a different cell
press and hold the CTRL key and press C at the same time (this is the "copy" short-cut)
Highlight all the cells in column A, down to the last cell in column B
press and hold CTRL V (this is the "paste" short cut)

Now, highlight both ranges
If you are using excel 2003 (your profile says you are), click Tools and select Sort
click sort by column A
select ascending or descending
If your data has a heading, check that option at the bottom
click OK

If you have 2007 or later, click Cata tab, click Sort (the 1 that says sort), then proceed as above

Hey Php,

You needn't understand it - just do it

Originally Posted by php111

Hi FDibbins,

it replaces what I wrote in column A with the =rand() numbers

Thats is what it was supposed to do.

Upload your sample, otherwise we are all just going to waste time guessing