Question

Getting Excel 2007 Pivot Table dropdown Item Lists to sort alphabetically

Asked by: sim2k_support

I am having a problem with Excel 2007 Pivot Table behavior.  Pivot table has 3 page (?) filters with dropdowns.  Year, Period, Company.  Year has several items (e.g., 2005-2009), Company has 4 (AB, AC, AD, AE), and Period has a wide mix of text values (e.g., JAN-DEC, 01/01/2008, 01/12/2008, 12/31/2006, 12/30/2006 -- dates are actually text values).
So what I think and what appears in this case (EE-21659193) which I thought was absolutely on point  is that the drop downs should present in alpha order (I selected Sort A-Z on the Display tab of Excel 2007 Pivot Table Options after right-clicking in the dropdown field.
So I expect:
Year
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009  which is what happens no matter where I put it in the list of the three filter fields.
Company
AB
AC
AD
AE
but what I get is:
AB
AC
AE
AD  which is what happens no matter where I put it in the list.
Period
What I expect is perhaps
APR
AUG
FEB
DEC
...
SEP
YTD
01/01/2006
01/08/2006
...
02/15/2009
or something reasonable
but what I get is
FEB
AUG
...
SEP
01/01/2006
01/08/2006
...
JAN
DEC  
YTD
...
04/15/2008
04/22/2008
....
01/31/2009
12/31/2006 <---!
02/07/2009
02/15/2009
...
Absolutely perplexing for me.

One other point.  I am in compatibility mode, not 2007 .xlsx mode but, as noted above, I think I'm seeing all the 2007 Pivot Table "new ways to do it."

Any help very much appreciated.

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Asked On
2009-02-26 at 10:46:32ID24181155
Tags

Excel 2007 pivot table sort Office Suite

Topics

Microsoft Applications

,

Microsoft Office Suite

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Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet Software

Participating Experts
2
Points
500
Comments
6

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Answers

 

by: xlvbawizPosted on 2009-02-26 at 11:04:55ID: 23748226

sim2k_support:

If 2007 is anything like 2003 the Pivot I believe that when new data is added it isn't added to the list alphabetically.  To fix this, I would add the field I want alphabetized as the only field in the Row fields, click the top item in the list and then click A-Z sort.  After doing this, adding this field into the page or filter list should show all the values now in alphabetical order.

Kindest Regards,

Jaes

 

by: ProdOpsPosted on 2009-02-26 at 11:06:39ID: 23748255

Pivot fields cannot be sorted if they are in the "Page" position.  Drag them down to a "Row" position and then right mouse click the field and select Sort A-Z.  Then drag it back up to the "Page" position and the sort structure should remain.   It sounds like you may have done this already....

Have you tried sorting the underlying data table individually by these three fields.  Do they sort correctly in the data table?  Is it possible there are unviewable leading or training characters that may be effecting the sort process?  If so, it will show up while sorting the raw data.

 

by: sim2k_supportPosted on 2009-02-26 at 11:09:58ID: 23748307

Thx much for quick comments and suggestions.
I have not attempted dragging the page field to the row, sorting and then returning.  I will do that but with the period field growing entries at least weekly, that isn't encouraging.
I have altered the SQL query that brings the data in to sort in the order I want (variously Year, Company, Period), hasn't seemed to matter.
I will report back as quick as I see something.

 

by: ProdOpsPosted on 2009-02-26 at 11:13:11ID: 23748354

I believe in Excel 2007, once you apply the sort criteria to the field and pull it back into the "Page" position the sort criteria should be maintained as new data items are added to the field over time.

 

by: sim2k_supportPosted on 2009-02-26 at 11:16:50ID: 23748410

ProdOps and Jaes -

Thx very much for your quick thoughts.  I was not aware that in order to sort the field must be on the row level.  I did as Jaes suggested and that worked.  Of course, I now have to find a way to sort the dates(text) in date and not alpha order as all the 01.... came together and 02.... and so on rather than 2006/01...2006/12 then 2007/01, etc.  but that is a procedural not functional issue.
I did see in 2007 when I went to the More Sort Options, More Options that a box is present to check to sort again when new items arrive, which will be good news.

 

by: sim2k_supportPosted on 2009-02-26 at 11:21:15ID: 31551778

I split the points as the responses came in very quickly and were both to point.  I tried to give each 500 but EE wouldn't let me.  If you can advise how to increase the total, I will happily do so.  

20120131-EE-VQP-002

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