XL2000: Sample Macro to Sort List Based on Custom Sort Order

• Microsoft Excel 2000

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 that uses this custom list to sort a range of cells according to the custom sort order.

MORE INFORMATION

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1. In a new worksheet, type the following data:




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

2. On the Tools menu, click Options and in the Options dialog box click the Custom Lists tab.



3. In the Import list from cells box, type A1:A5, and click Import.
   
   You should now have a custom sort list based on the list in step 1.



4. Click OK.



5. Type 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 

6. 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.



7. Switch to 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 

REFERENCES

For more information about custom lists, click Microsoft Excel Help on the Help menu, type custom sort order in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topics returned.

Additional query words: xl2000

Keywords : kbdta kbdtacode OffVBA PgmHowto KbVBA
Version : WINDOWS:2000
Platform : WINDOWS
Issue type : kbhowto