XL97: Error When Sorting a Range Containing Merged Cells

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

In Microsoft Excel 97, when you attempt to sort a range on a worksheet, the following message may appear:

   This operation requires the merged cells to be identically sized.

CAUSE

This behavior may occur when you sort a range of cells when the following conditions are true:

• You previously merged some, but not all, cells in the sort range.

      -or-
  

• You previously merged all cells in the sort range, and the cells are not all the same size.

WORKAROUND

To work around this problem, either unmerge all the merged cells in the range, or merge all the cells in the range such that the merged cells are the same size. Each merged cell in the range must occupy the same number of rows and columns as the other merged cells in the range.

STATUS

This is by design in Microsoft Excel 97.

MORE INFORMATION

The following example demonstrates the problem:

1. In an worksheet, type the following:

      A1:     B1  Name      C1: Value
      A2:     B2  Sue       C2: 1
      A3:     B3  Tom       C3: 2
   
   

2. Merge cells A1 and B1, A2 and B2, and A3 and B3. To do this, select each pair of cells, click Cells on the Format menu, click the Alignment tab, click "Merge cells," and click OK.

   Do not merge cells in column C.

3. Select cells A1:C3, click Sort on the Data menu, and click OK.