Forum Discussion
Sorting from a template
I downloaded a check register template, and after entering a few things to test it out, I want to sort it by date. I grab what I want to sort, but it will not let me uncheck 'my data has headers'. Any ideas why not?
First of all, it's a template. Templates sometimes come with odd quirks. It's possible that the creator of the template locked some aspects.
That aside, if you're sorting by date, why not accept that (presumably) your data DOES have headers and let it sort on that basis? When you say you "grab what I want to sort" that raises a question in my mind: are you not sorting the entire set of entries, all columns, all rows, on the basis of date? If not, why not? That would be, I should think, the "normal" way to sort a set of checkbook entries by date. Are you trying to sort a subset of the whole database?
Thanks for the response. It does the same thing on each template I try. I am attaching one to show what I'm talking about.
Say I'm entering transactions, and I forget one from a prior date. I should be able to re-sort by date, with the prior balance being left alone. If I let it sort the way it wants, I lose the current balance. Does that make sense?
I see what you're saying and share your frustration. Frankly, I'd stop trying to make this template serve your needs.
As I implied in my first response, Templates, despite what one might hope, are often quite idiosyncratic. You'd hope they'd be simple starters for new users, spreadsheets that could easily be modified to meet your own needs. Instead, they often have hidden formulas, hidden tables, and so on. They focus on looking pretty on top of those less-than-user-friendly quirks. This one exemplifies that. The @Balance formula is off in a hidden spot, not readily accessed, certainly not by an Excel novice.
If you have any knowledge at all of how to make Excel add and subtract, a check register is one of the first and easiest things to create for yourself. It might take some playing around for a while: (1) rest assured you can't break anything (2) you'll learn more by trial and error than by asking for help, though by all means do that when you get stuck.
One suggestion (and I've done it on the attached sample) is to separate the transactional database (Input) from the Output end of things. You can create (as I've done) an output page that will sort all transactions in order by date. You can also create an output page that will display total credits, debits and resulting balance for any date you specify.
There is a LOT more that could be done with these concepts, a lot more that could be done to give you what you want. My challenge to you would be to see what you can create on your own. Use Exceljet.net as a reference for functions and how they work.