Sorting columns in ascending or descending order

Spreadsheet sequences enable you to group items in a logical, hierarchical order so that you can easily view the information that is most important to you. You can also sort items quickly in ascending or descending order within each overline in the current spreadsheet sequence, displaying information in even more meaningful ways.

Example: You are viewing an estimate using a spreadsheet sequence grouped by phase. You want to see items with the largest labor amounts first within each phase group, so you decide to sort the contents of the Labor Amount in descending order. You simply right-click the Labor Amount column header, and then select Sort Descending from the shortcut menu (or press the Alt key while you click the column header).

You can sort on a single data column, or you can sort multiple columns. The up or down arrow in the column header indicates the direction of the sort on that column, while the number indicates the order in which each you applied each sort to the spreadsheet.

Note:

Sorts you perform on one spreadsheet sequence do not carry over to other sequences and are not saved to the layout.
You cannot select columns for a quick sort if they are already used in the spreadsheet sequence.

To sort by a single column:

Right-click the data column header, and then click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending on the shortcut menu, depending on the order you want to sort.

Estimating displays the data in alphabetic or numerical order, depending on the type of data in the column.
To remove the sort on a column, right-click the column header, and then click Clear Sort on the shortcut menu.

Tip: To use keyboard keys to sort a column:

Press the Alt key, and then click the data column header you want to use as the primary sort.
To reverse the sort order from ascending to descending, press the Alt key, and then click the data column header again.
To stop using a column to sort, press the Alt key, and then click the data column header a third time.

To sort by additional columns after selecting the primary sort column:

For each additional column on which you want to sort, right-click the column, and then on the shortcut menu select either:
- Add to Sort Ascending
- Add to Sort Descending
Estimating uses the additional columns as secondary and tertiary sort orders (and so on) in the order you select them.

An up or down arrow in the column header indicates the direction of the sort on that column, while a number in the header indicates the order in which each you applied each sort to the spreadsheet.
To remove the sort on a particular column included in the multiple sort, click Remove from Sort on the shortcut menu.
To remove the sort on all the columns in the current sequence, click Clear Sort on the shortcut menu.

Tip: To use keyboard keys to sort multiple columns:

Hold down Alt+ Shift while you click additional column headers.

To reverse the sort order from ascending to descending, hold down Alt+ Shift, and then click the primary data column header again.
To stop using a column to sort, press Alt + Shift, and then click the data column header again.