XL97: How to Sort Cells Without Sorting Linked Cells

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SUMMARY

If you create links to a range of cells and you sort the data to which the cells are linked, the linked cells are updated with the sorted data. This article contains an example that sorts linked data without affecting cells that are linked to the original data.

MORE INFORMATION

In the following example, the formulas in column D are linked to cells in columns A and B. When you sort the data in columns A and B, the formulas in column D are not affected. To use this example, follow these steps:

1. On a new worksheet, enter the following values:

         A1: 10     B1: 0     C1:     D1: =Offset($A$1,B1,0)
         A2: 20     B2: 1     C2:     D2: =Offset($A$1,B2,0)
         A3: 30     B3: 2     C3:     D3: =Offset($A$1,B3,0)
         A4: 40     B4: 3     C4:     D4: =Offset($A$1,B4,0)
   
   

2. Select cells A1:B4.

3. On the Data menu, click Sort.

4. Click Column A in the Sort By box and click Descending. Click OK.

NOTE: You must select both column A and column B to sort the list in the example. The formula uses column B as the original offset row number.

REFERENCES

For more information about the OFFSET function, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

   offset