Bind Columns

First post here, scanned through a few pages of the forum but didn't find the answer and didn't know what search query would answer my question.

I want to have 2 columns: one with a certain set of numbers and another with letters and what I want Excel to bind them together so that I can sort them numerically or alphabetize but keep the cells that are next to each other always next to each other.

That's the best way I can explain my problem and thanks for any helpful replies.

In the column next to the two you're using, put in the following formula and
sort based on that column.

=CONCATENATE(A1,B1)



"DarkChylde" <[email protected]> wrote
in message news:[email protected]...
>
> First post here, scanned through a few pages of the forum but didn't
> find the answer and didn't know what search query would answer my
> question.
>
> I want to have 2 columns: one with a certain set of numbers and another
> with letters and what I want Excel to bind them together so that I can
> sort them numerically or alphabetize but keep the cells that are next
> to each other always next to each other.
>
> That's the best way I can explain my problem and thanks for any helpful
> replies.
>
>
> --
> DarkChylde
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> DarkChylde's Profile:
http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=28728
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=484190
>

That's not quite what I needed it to do. If I could relate it to Photoshop, it'd be like locking layers, where I could lock 2 layers together and when I move one, both of them would move together, but could still be individually modified. I want to be able to do the same thing with certain cells.

Bump for reply.

Not much point "bumping" if you don't include the text of your origial
question.

Tim.

"DarkChylde" <[email protected]>
wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> Bump for reply.
>
>
> --
> DarkChylde
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> DarkChylde's Profile:
> http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=28728
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>

Does "next to" mean on the same row?

If yes, then select your range (all of it!) first, then use Data|sort. Each row
in the selection will be kept together.

DarkChylde wrote:
>
> First post here, scanned through a few pages of the forum but didn't
> find the answer and didn't know what search query would answer my
> question.
>
> I want to have 2 columns: one with a certain set of numbers and another
> with letters and what I want Excel to bind them together so that I can
> sort them numerically or alphabetize but keep the cells that are next
> to each other always next to each other.
>
> That's the best way I can explain my problem and thanks for any helpful
> replies.
>
> --
> DarkChylde
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> DarkChylde's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=28728
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=484190

--

Dave Peterson

if you click on a column header, then sort the column, the rows will
stay bound...

this is related: does anyone know how to alphabetize by first name in
a spreadsheet that has the last name first? (YGIAGAM why my boss wants
this)
-felix

That depends on how the data is laid out.

Me--I'd be reluctant to let excel guess at what I wanted.

===
For your question, I'd separate the names into multiple columns.

Insert a couple to the right of the lastname/firstname column.

Then select data|text to columns
delimited by space

This works well when the names have two components. It doesn't work very well
for names like:

Reginald Osgood Smythe-Jones, Esquire III.



[email protected] wrote:
>
> if you click on a column header, then sort the column, the rows will
> stay bound...
>
> this is related: does anyone know how to alphabetize by first name in
> a spreadsheet that has the last name first? (YGIAGAM why my boss wants
> this)
> -felix

--

Dave Peterson

I guess a better wording for my question using kamchatka1's scenario. I have a list with 2 columns, one with last names, and one with first names. I depending on the situation I want to sometimes sort by first name, sometimes by last name, but always keep their last name and first name next to each other.

Select the entire range (all the columns that should be kept together).

Then Data|sort


DarkChylde wrote:
>
> I guess a better wording for my question using kamchatka1's scenario. I
> have a list with 2 columns, one with last names, and one with first
> names. I depending on the situation I want to sometimes sort by first
> name, sometimes by last name, but always keep their last name and first
> name next to each other.
>
> --
> DarkChylde
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> DarkChylde's Profile: http://www.excelforum.com/member.php...o&userid=28728
> View this thread: http://www.excelforum.com/showthread...hreadid=484190

--

Dave Peterson