XL: Sample Macro to Sort List Based on Custom Sort Order

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, versions 5.0, 5.0a
• Microsoft Excel 98 Macintosh Edition

SUMMARY

In Microsoft Excel, you can create your own custom sort lists and you can use these lists to specify sort orders when you sort a list of information. This article describes the procedures for creating a custom sort list and includes a sample Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications macro (Sub procedure) that uses this custom list to sort a range of cells according to the custom sort order.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft provides programming examples for illustration only, without warranty either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability and/or fitness for a particular purpose. This article assumes that you are familiar with the programming language being demonstrated and the tools used to create and debug procedures. Microsoft support engineers can help explain the functionality of a particular procedure, but they will not modify these examples to provide added functionality or construct procedures to meet your specific needs. If you have limited programming experience, you may want to contact the Microsoft fee-based consulting line at (800) 936-5200. For more information about the support options available from Microsoft, please see the following page on the World Wide Web:

   http://www.microsoft.com/support/supportnet/refguide/default.asp

1. In a new worksheet, enter the following:

         A1: red
         A2: blue
         A3: green
         A4: yellow
         A5: pink
   

2. On the Tools menu, click Options (Preferences if you are using Excel for the Macintosh), and in the Options (Preferences) dialog box click the Custom Lists tab.

3. In the Import List From Cells box, type A1:A5, click Import, and then click OK.

   You should now have a custom sort list based on the list in step 1.

4. Enter the following data in a new worksheet. (This data will be the data that is sorted by the sample macro.)

         A1: pink
         A2: blue
         A3: green
         A4: blue
         A5: yellow
         A6: pink
         A7: red
         A8: blue
         A9: red
   

5. In a new module sheet, type the following macro code:

         Sub Custom_Sort()
            Range("A1").Sort Key1:=Range("A1"), Order1:= _
               xlAscending, Header:=xlGuess, OrderCustom:=6, _
               MatchCase:=False, Orientation:= xlTopToBottom
         End Sub
   
      NOTE: The number for the "OrderCustom" argument is the position of
      your custom list in the list from the Custom Lists tab of the Options
      dialog box. The number you use may be different from the one used in
      this example. To find out what number you should use, click Options
      on the Tools menu, and click the Custom Lists tab. By default, there
      are four default sort lists in Microsoft Excel. Their values for the
      "OrderCustom" argument would be 2, 3, 4, and 5, respectively.
      Therefore, the first custom sort list would be 6. If you have only
      the custom sort list created in steps 1 through 3 above, this is the
      value you would use for the "OrderCustom" argument. Use this value
      because the number 1 item in the list is reserved for the "New List"
      item.
   
   

6. Activate the worksheet where you entered the value in step 4, and then run the Custom_Sort macro.

   The list should be sorted according to the custom sort list you created in steps 1-3, and your data should resemble the following:

         A1: red
         A2: red
         A3: blue
         A4: blue
         A5: blue
         A6: green
         A7: yellow
         A8: pink
         A9: pink
   

   ARTICLE-ID: Q134913
   TITLE     : XL: GetCustomListNum Returns Unexpected List Number

REFERENCES

For more information about Custom Lists, click Answer Wizard on the Help menu and type:

   tell me about creating custom lists

   custom lists