Using Tables to Present Content > Sorting tables

Sorting tables

You can perform a simple table sort based on the contents of a single column. You can also perform a more complicated table sort based on the contents of two columns.

You cannot sort tables that contain COLSPAN or ROWSPAN attributes—that is, tables that contain merged cells. (For details about merged cells, see Splitting and merging cells.)

To sort a table:

1	Select the table and choose Commands > Sort Table.
2	In the dialog box that appears, choose from the following options:
	Select the column to sort in the Sort By option.
	Select whether you want to sort the column alphabetically or numerically in the Order option.
	This option is important when the contents of a column are numerical. An alphabetic sort applied to a list of one- and two-digit numbers will result in an alphanumeric sort (such as 1, 10, 2, 20, 3, 30) rather than a straight numeric sort (such as 1, 2, 3, 10, 20, 30).
	Select Ascending (A to Z or low to high) or Descending for the sort order.
3	To perform a secondary sort on a different column, specify the sort options in the Then By pop-up menu.
4	Select the Sort Includes First Row option to include the first row in the sort. If the first row is a heading that shouldn't be moved, leave this option deselected.
5	Click Apply or OK to sort the table.