Sort a range from A to Z [Array formula]
Question: How do I sort a range alphabetically using excel array formula?
Answer:
Cell range $B$2:$E$5 contains text values in random order, the formula in cell B8 extracts values sorted from A to Z.
Array formula in B8:
Filter unique distinct values sorted from A to Z with no blanks from a multi-column and multi-row cell range:
Recommended articles
This article demonstrates formulas that extract sorted unique distinct values from a cell range containing also blanks. Unique distinct values […]
How to enter an array formula
- Double press with left mouse button on cell B8
- Copy an paste above formula
- Press and hold CTRL + SHIFT simultaneously
- Press Enter once
Learn how to filter unique distinct values from a multi-column and multi-row cell range:
Recommended articles
This article demonstrates ways to list unique distinct values in a cell range with multiple columns. The data is not […]
How to implement array formula to your workbook
If your list starts at, for example, F2. Change $B$8:B8 in the above formula to F2:$F$2.
The following article demonstrates how to filter a unique distinct list sorted from A to Z, from a multi-column and multi-row cell range:
Recommended articles
The image above shows an array formula in cell B8 that extracts unique distinct values sorted alphabetically from cell range […]
How to copy array formula
Copy cell B8 and paste to cells below.
How to filter duplicate values from a multi-column and multi-row cell range:
Recommended articles
This article describes two formulas that extract duplicates from a multi-column cell range, the first one is built for Excel […]
Explaining formula in cell B8
Step 1 - Rank values based on their relative position if they were sorted
The COUNTIF function counts cells based on a condition, however, in this case, I am using a cell range instead of a single cell in the second argument.
Also, the ampersand & concatenates each value with a less than sign. This makes the COUNTIF function compare each value against the others, the number returned represents the corresponding values position if the list were sorted.
COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5)
returns {1, 10, 13, 8; 6, 15, 0, 11; 12, 7, 9, 3; 14, 4, 5, 1}.
The image above shows the array in cell range B7:E10, "Apple" is 0 (zero) which is the first position if the list were sorted.
Step 2 - Extract the k-th smallest value in array
The SMALL function lets you get the k-th smallest value from a cell range or array.
SMALL(array, k)
SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROWS($B$8:B8))
The ROWS function allows you to keep track of the number of cells, the cell reference is expanding as we copy the formula and paste to cells below.
SMALL({1, 10, 13, 8; 6, 15, 0, 11; 12, 7, 9, 3; 14, 4, 5, 1}, ROWS($B$8:B8))
becomes
SMALL({1, 10, 13, 8; 6, 15, 0, 11; 12, 7, 9, 3; 14, 4, 5, 1}, 1) and returns 0 (zero).
Step 3 - Compare value to array
The logical expression in the following IF function determines if the value of the position corresponding to the k-th smallest value will be a row number or FALSE.
IF(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROWS($B$8:B8))=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)
becomes
IF(0=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)
becomes
IF(0={1, 10, 13, 8; 6, 15, 0, 11; 12, 7, 9, 3; 14, 4, 5, 1}, ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)
becomes
IF({FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, TRUE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE}, ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)
becomes
IF({FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, TRUE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE}, {1;2;3;4})
and returns {FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, 2, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE}.
Step 4 - Extract the smallest number from array
The MIN function ignores boolean values TRUE and FALSE.
MIN(IF(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROWS($B$8:B8))=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1))
becomes
MIN({FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, 2, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE;FALSE, FALSE, FALSE, FALSE})
and returns 2. We now know that the first value to be extracted is located on row 2 relative to cell range $B$2:$E$5.
Step 5 - Find column
In this case, the MATCH function returns the relative position horizontally of the value we are looking for.
MATCH(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROWS($B$8:B8)),COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&INDEX($B$2:$E$5,MIN(IF(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROWS($B$8:B8))=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)),,1)),0)
becomes
MATCH(SMALL({1, 10, 13, 8; 6, 15, 0, 11; 12, 7, 9, 3; 14, 4, 5, 1},ROWS($B$8:B8)),COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&INDEX($B$2:$E$5,MIN(IF(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROWS($B$8:B8))=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)),,1)),0)
becomes
MATCH(SMALL({1, 10, 13, 8; 6, 15, 0, 11; 12, 7, 9, 3; 14, 4, 5, 1},1),COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&INDEX($B$2:$E$5,MIN(IF(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROWS($B$8:B8))=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)),,1)),0)
becomes
MATCH(0,COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&INDEX($B$2:$E$5,MIN(IF(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROWS($B$8:B8))=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)),,1)),0)
I will be using the INDEX function to extract the values we need based on a row number.
MATCH(0,COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&INDEX($B$2:$E$5,MIN(IF(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROWS($B$8:B8))=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&$B$2:$E$5),ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)),,1)),0)
becomes
MATCH(0,COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&INDEX($B$2:$E$5,2,,1)),0)
becomes
MATCH(0,COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5,"<"&B3:E3),0)
becomes
MATCH(0,{6,15,0,11},0)
and returns 3. The value we are looking for is in column 3 relative to cell range $B$2:$E$5.
Step 6 - Return value based on row and column
INDEX($B$2:$E$5, MIN(IF(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROWS($B$8:B8))=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)), MATCH(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROWS($B$8:B8)), COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&INDEX($B$2:$E$5, MIN(IF(SMALL(COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROWS($B$8:B8))=COUNTIF($B$2:$E$5, "<"&$B$2:$E$5), ROW($B$2:$E$5)-MIN(ROW($B$2:$E$5))+1)), , 1)), 0))
becomes
INDEX($B$2:$E$5, 2, 3)
and returns "Apple" in cell B8.
Get Excel *.xlsx file
This post shows you how to filter a multi-column and multi-row cell range based on frequency:
Recommended articles
The formula in cell B8 extracts a list sorted based on frequency. Array formula in B8: =TEXTJOIN("", TRUE, IF(MIN(IF((MAX(IF(COUNTIF($B$7:B7, $B$2:$E$5)=0, […]
Recommended article
Recommended articles
Array formulas allows you to do advanced calculations not possible with regular formulas.
Recommended article
Recommended articles
I will in this article demonstrate three different techniques to sort a data set in Excel. The first method sorts […]
This blog article is one out of five articles on the same subject.
Recommended articles
Recommended articles
Table of Contents Sort text from two columns combined (array formula) Sort text from multiple cell ranges combined (user defined […]
Recommended articles
Question: How do I create a drop-down list with unique distinct alphabetically sorted values? Table of contents Sort values using […]
Recommended articles
Sort values category
Table of Contents Sort a column - Excel 365 Sort a column using array formula Two columns sorting by the […]
This article demonstrates a formula that extracts values based on a condition and sorts the returned values based on values […]
Table of Contents Sort text from two columns combined (array formula) Sort text from multiple cell ranges combined (user defined […]
Excel categories
5 Responses to “Sort a range from A to Z [Array formula]”
Leave a Reply
How to comment
How to add a formula to your comment
<code>Insert your formula here.</code>
Convert less than and larger than signs
Use html character entities instead of less than and larger than signs.
< becomes < and > becomes >
How to add VBA code to your comment
[vb 1="vbnet" language=","]
Put your VBA code here.
[/vb]
How to add a picture to your comment:
Upload picture to postimage.org or imgur
Paste image link to your comment.
[…] = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Hi, I'm working on a simple macro that would insert a simple sorting formula depending on the user selection. I took few lines of code to call a form enabling the range […]
Hi, What if I want to sort alphabetically from B2 to E5 and keep the words within the range B2:E5? Thanks
how i sort a column through an excel formula
and can u explain about tbl in your formula because i did not get that
if u now about autofilter through a formula please give the formula
Hi
Thank you for all the info your providing
How do I create a formula to consider a range of numbers, sort them in descending order then add up only the 6 highest numbers?
yours truely
Markus
in this case "Sort a range from A to Z [Array formula]"
how about remove blank cell ?
thanks