Filtering columns in excel

Excel Column Filter (Table of Contents)

• Filter Column in Excel
• How to Filter a Column in Excel?

Filter Column in Excel

Filters in Excel are used for filtering the data by selecting the data type in the filter dropdown. By using a filter, we can make out the data that we want to see or on which we need to work.

To access/apply a filter in any column of excel, go to the Data menu tab; under Sort & Filter, we will find the Filter option.

How to Filter a Column in Excel?

To filter a column in excel is a very simple and easy task. Let’s understand the working of how to filter a column in Excel with an example.

You can download this Column Filter Excel Template here – Column Filter Excel Template

We have some sample data tables in excel, where we will apply the filter in columns. Below is the screenshot of a data set, which has multiple columns and multiple rows with various data sets.

For applying Excel Column Filter, select the top row first, and the filter will be applied to the selected row only, as shown below. Sometimes when we work for a large set of data and select the filter directly, the current look of the sheet can be applied.

As we can see in the above screenshot, row 1 is selected, and it is ready to apply the filters.

Now for applying filters, go to the Data menu, and under Sort & Filters, select Filters.

Once we click on Filters, we can see the filters will be applied in the selected row, as shown in the below screenshot.

The top row 1 now has the dropdown. This drop-down is those things by which we can filter the data as per our need.

To open the drop-down option in an applied filter, click on the down arrow (as shown below) or go to any column top and press Alt + Down.

A drop-down menu will appear, as shown in the below screenshot.

As we can see in the above screenshot, there are few filter options provided by Microsoft.

• Sort A to Z / Sort Oldest to Newest (for dates) / Sort Smallest to Largest (for numbers)
• Sort Z to A / Sort Newest to Oldest (for dates) / Sort Largest to Smallest (for numbers)
• Sort by Color
• Clear Filter From “Product Type” (This would entitle the name of columns where a filter is applied)
• Filter by Color
• Text Filters
• Search/Manual Filter

As we can see in the first screenshot, where data is in a randomly scattered format. Let us apply the filter and see what changes happen in the data. For that, go to column A and in the drop-down menu, select only Desktops, as shown in the below screenshot, and click on OK.

Once we do it, we will see, the data is now filtered with Desktop. And whatever the data is there in w.r.t. Desktop in the rest of the columns will also get filtered, as the screenshot below.

As we can see in the above screenshot, data is now filtered with Desktop, and all the columns are also sorted with data available for Desktop. Also, the line numbers, which are circled in the above screenshot, are also showing the random numbers. This means that the filter which we have applied was in a random format, so the line numbers have also been scattered when we applied the filter.

Now, let’s try to apply the text filter, which is a very interesting part of filtering the data. For that, go to any of the columns, and click on the drop-down button to see the filter options.

Now go to Text Filters.

We will find a few more options available for filtering the data, as shown in the below screenshot.

The highlighted portion of Text Filters in the box has Equals, Does Not Equal, Begins With, Ends With, Contains, Does Not Contain, and Custom Filter.

• Equal: With this, we can filter the data with an exact equal word available in the data.
• Does Not Equal: With this, we can filter the data with a word that does not match the available words in the data.
• Begins With: This filters the data, which begins with a specific word or letter, or character.
• Ends With – This filters the data, which ends with a specific word or letter, or character.
• Contains: With this, we can filter the data which contains any specific word or letter, or character.
• Does Not Contain: With this, we can filter the data which does not contain any specific word, letter, or character.
• Custom Filter: With this, we can apply any combination of the above-mentioned Text Filters in data together to get data filtered more deeply and specific to our requirement. Once we click on Custom Filter, we will get a box of Custom AutoFilter, as shown in the below screenshot.

As we can see in the above screenshot of Custom AutoFilter, it has to two filter options at the left sides, which And and Or check-in circles separate. And the other two boxes provided on the left side are for filling the criteria values. This can be called a smart filter.

There are different ways of applying the Excel column filter.

• Data menu -> Filter
• By pressing Ctrl + Shift + L together.
• By pressing Alt + D + F + F simultaneously.

Pros of Excel Column Filter

• By applying filters, we can sort the data as per our needs.
• By filters, performing the analysis or any work becomes easy.
• Filters sort the data with words, numbers, cell colors, font colors, or with any range. Also, multiple criteria can be used as well.

Cons of Excel Column Filter

• Filters can be applied to all kinds of range sizes, but it is not useful if the data size increases up to a certain limit. For some cases, if the data is going beyond 50,000 lines, then it becomes slow, and sometimes it does not show data available in any column.

Things to Remember 

• If you are using filter and freeze panel together, then first apply the filter and then use freeze panel. By doing this, data will be frozen from the middle portion of the sheet.
• Avoid or be cautious while using a filter for huge sets of data (maybe for 50000 or more). It will take a lot more time to get applied, and sometimes the file also gets crashed.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to Filter Column in Excel. Here we discuss how to filter a column in Excel along with practical examples and a downloadable excel template. You can also go through our other suggested articles –

1. Excel AutoFilter
2. Excel Data Filter
3. Advanced Filter in Excel
4. VBA Filter

FILTER function

The FILTER function allows you to filter a range of data based on criteria you define.

In the following example we used the formula =FILTER(A5:D20,C5:C20=H2,»») to return all records for Apple, as selected in cell H2, and if there are no apples, return an empty string («»).

The FILTER function filters an array based on a Boolean (True/False) array.

The array, or range to filter

A Boolean array whose height or width is the same as the array

The value to return if all values in the included array are empty (filter returns nothing)

An array can be thought of as a row of values, a column of values, or a combination of rows and columns of values. In the example above, the source array for our FILTER formula is range A5:D20.

The FILTER function will return an array, which will spill if it’s the final result of a formula. This means that Excel will dynamically create the appropriate sized array range when you press ENTER. If your supporting data is in an Excel table, then the array will automatically resize as you add or remove data from your array range if you’re using structured references. For more details, see this article on spilled array behavior.

If your dataset has the potential of returning an empty value, then use the 3rd argument ( [if_empty]). Otherwise, a #CALC! error will result, as Excel does not currently support empty arrays.

If any value of the include argument is an error (#N/A, #VALUE, etc.) or cannot be converted to a Boolean, the FILTER function will return an error.

Excel has limited support for dynamic arrays between workbooks, and this scenario is only supported when both workbooks are open. If you close the source workbook, any linked dynamic array formulas will return a #REF! error when they are refreshed.

Examples

FILTER used to return multiple criteria

In this case, we’re using the multiplication operator (*) to return all values in our array range (A5:D20) that have Apples AND are in the East region: =FILTER(A5:D20,(C5:C20=H1)*(A5:A20=H2),»»).

FILTER used to return multiple criteria and sort

In this case, we’re using the previous FILTER function with the SORT function to return all values in our array range (A5:D20) that have Apples AND are in the East region, and then sort Units in descending order: =SORT(FILTER(A5:D20,(C5:C20=H1)*(A5:A20=H2),»»),4,-1)

In this case, we’re using the FILTER function with the addition operator (+) to return all values in our array range (A5:D20) that have Apples OR are in the East region, and then sort Units in descending order: =SORT(FILTER(A5:D20,(C5:C20=H1)+(A5:A20=H2),»»),4,-1).

Notice that none of the functions require absolute references, since they only exist in one cell, and spill their results to neighboring cells.

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

Источник

Quick start: Filter data by using an AutoFilter

By filtering information in a worksheet, you can find values quickly. You can filter on one or more columns of data. With filtering, you can control not only what you want to see, but what you want to exclude. You can filter based on choices you make from a list, or you can create specific filters to focus on exactly the data that you want to see.

You can search for text and numbers when you filter by using the Search box in the filter interface.

When you filter data, entire rows are hidden if values in one or more columns don’t meet the filtering criteria. You can filter on numeric or text values, or filter by color for cells that have color formatting applied to their background or text.

Select the data that you want to filter

On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Filter.

Click the arrow in the column header to display a list in which you can make filter choices.

Note Depending on the type of data in the column, Microsoft Excel displays either Number Filters or Text Filters in the list.

Filter by selecting values or searching

Selecting values from a list and searching are the quickest ways to filter. When you click the arrow in a column that has filtering enabled, all values in that column appear in a list.

1. Use the Search box to enter text or numbers on which to search

2. Select and clear the check boxes to show values that are found in the column of data

3. Use advanced criteria to find values that meet specific conditions

To select by values, in the list, clear the (Select All) check box. This removes the check marks from all the check boxes. Then, select only the values you want to see, and click OK to see the results.

To search on text in the column, enter text or numbers in the Search box. Optionally, you can use wildcard characters, such as the asterisk ( *) or the question mark ( ?). Press ENTER to see the results.

Filter data by specifying conditions

By specifying conditions, you can create custom filters that narrow down the data in the exact way that you want. You do this by building a filter. If you’ve ever queried data in a database, this will look familiar to you.

Point to either Number Filters or Text Filters in the list. A menu appears that allows you to filter on various conditions.

Choose a condition and then select or enter criteria. Click the And button to combine criteria (that is, two or more criteria that must both be met), and the Or button to require only one of multiple conditions to be met.

Click OK to apply the filter and get the results you expect.

Next steps

Experiment with filters on text and numeric data by trying the many built-in test conditions, such as Equals, Does Not Equal, Contains, Greater Than, and Less Than. For more information, see Filter data in a range or table.

Note Some of these conditions apply only to text, and others apply only to numbers.

Create a custom filter that uses multiple criteria. For more information, see Filter by using advanced criteria.

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Горизонтальная фильтрация столбцов в Excel

Если вы не совсем начинающий пользователь, то, должно быть, уже заметили, что на 99% всё в Excel устроено для работы именно с вертикальными таблицами, где по столбцам идут параметры или атрибуты (поля), а в строчках располагается информация об объектах или событиях. Сводные таблицы, промежуточные итоги, копирование формул двойным щелчком — всё заточено именно под такой формат данных.

Однако же, нет правил без исключений и с достаточно регулярной периодичностью меня спрашивают что делать если в работе попалась таблица с горизонтальной смысловой ориентацией, либо таблица, где строки и столбцы имеют одинаковый по смыслу вес:

И если сортировать по горизонтали Excel ещё умеет (командой Данные — Сортировка — Параметры — Сортировать столбцы), то с фильтрацией всё обстоит хуже — встроенных инструментов для фильтрации столбцов, а не строк в Excel просто нет. Так что, если перед вами встала такая задача, придется придумывать обходные пути разной степени сложности.

Способ 1. Новая функция ФИЛЬТР

Если вы работаете на новой версии Excel 2021 или в подписке Excel 365, то можно воспользоваться недавно появившейся функцией ФИЛЬТР (FILTER) , умеющей фильтровать исходные данные не только по строчкам, но и по столбцам. Для работы эта функция требует вспомогательный горизонтальный одномерный массив-строку, где каждое значение (ИСТИНА или ЛОЖЬ) определяет показываем ли мы или, наоборот, скрываем очередной столбец в таблице.

Добавим такую строку над нашей таблицей и пропишем в ней статус каждого столбца:

• Допустим, мы всегда хотим отображать первый и последний столбцы (заголовки и итоги), поэтому для них в первой и последней ячейках массива зададим значение =ИСТИНА.
• Для остальных столбцов содержимое соответствующих ячеек будет формулой, которая проверяет нужное нам условие с помощью функций И (AND) или ИЛИ (OR) . Например, что итог находится в интервале от 300 до 500.

После этого останется лишь использовать функцию ФИЛЬТР для отбора столбцов, над которыми в нашем вспомогательном массиве есть значение ИСТИНА:

Аналогичным образом можно отфильтровать столбцы и по заданному списку. В этом случае поможет функция СЧЁТЕСЛИ (COUNTIF) , проверяющая количество вхождений очередного названия столбца из шапки таблицы в разрешённый список:

Способ 2. Сводная таблица вместо обычной

На текущий момент встроенная горизонтальная фильтрация по столбцам есть в Excel только в сводных таблицах, поэтому если нам удастся преобразовать нашу исходную таблицу в сводную, то можно будет воспользоваться этим встроенным функционалом. Для этого наша исходная таблица должна удовлетворять следующим условиям:

• иметь «правильную» однострочную строку заголовка без пустых и объединенных ячеек — иначе не получится построить сводную таблицу;
• не содержать дубликатов в подписях строк и столбцов — они «схлопнутся» в сводной в список только уникальных значений;
• содержать только числа в области значений (на пересечении строк и столбцов), т.к. сводная таблица обязательно применит к ним какую-то агрегирующую функцию (сумму, среднее и т.д.) и с текстом это не сработает

Если все эти условия выполняются, то для построения сводной, внешне похожей на нашу исходную таблицу, её (исходную) нужно будет развернуть из кросс-таблицы в плоскую (нормализовать). А это проще всего сделать с помощью надстройки Power Query — мощного инструмента преобразования любых данных, встроенного в Excel начиная с 2016-й версии.

1. Преобразуем таблицу в «умную» динамическую командой Главная — Форматировать как таблицу (Home — Format as Table) .
2. Загружаем в Power Query командой Данные — Из таблицы/диапазона (Data — From Table/Range).
3. Фильтруем строку с итогами (в сводной будут свои итоги).
4. Щёлкаем правой кнопкой мыши по заголовку первого столбца и выбираем Отменить свёртывание других столбцов (Unpivot Other Columns) . Все невыделенные столбцы преобразуются в два — имя сотрудника и значение его показателя.
5. Фильтруем столбец с итогами, который ушёл в колонку Атрибут.
6. Строим сводную таблицу по получившейся плоской (нормализованной) таблице командой Главная — Закрыть и загрузить — Закрыть и загрузить в. (Home — Close & Load — Close & Load to. ) .

Теперь можно пользоваться имеющейся в сводных таблицах возможностью фильтрации столбцов — привычными галочками напротив имён и пунктами Фильтры по подписи (Label Filters) или Фильтры по значению (Value Filters) :

И само собой при изменении данных нужно будет обновить наш запрос и сводную сочетанием клавиш Ctrl + Alt + F5 или командой Данные — Обновить всё (Data — Refresh All) .

Способ 3. Макрос на VBA

Все предыдущие способы, как легко заметить, представляют собой не совсем фильтрацию — мы не скрываем столбцы в исходном списке, а формируем новую таблицу с заданным набором столбцов из исходной. Если же требуется именно фильтровать (скрывать) столбцы в исходных данных, то нужен принципиально другой подход, а именно — макрос.

Предположим, что мы хотим «на лету» фильтровать столбцы, где имя менеджера в шапке таблицы удовлетворяет заданной в жёлтой ячейке А4 маске, например, начинается с буквы «А» (то бишь получить в результате «Анна» и «Артур»).

Как и в первом способе, сначала реализуем вспомогательный диапазон-строку, где в каждой ячейке формулой будет проверяться наш критерий и выводиться логические значения ИСТИНА или ЛОЖЬ для видимых и скрытых столбцов соответственно:

Затем добавим простой макрос. Щёлкните правой кнопкой мыши по ярлычку листа и выберите команду Исходный код (Source code) . В открывшееся окно скопируйте и вставьте следующий VBA-код:

Логика его работы следующая:

• В общем и целом — это обработчик события Worksheet_Change, т.е. этот макрос будет автоматически запускаться при любом изменении любой ячейки на текущем листе.
• Ссылка на изменённую ячейку всегда будет лежать в переменной Target.
• Сначала мы проверяем, что пользователь изменил именно ячейку с критерием (A4) — это делает оператор if.
• Затем запускается цикл For Each. для перебора серых ячеек (D2:O2) со значениями-индикаторами ИСТИНА / ЛОЖЬ для каждого столбца.
• Если значение очередной серой ячейки равно ИСТИНА (true), то столбец не скрывается, в противном случае — скрываем его (свойство Hidden).

Источник

What is Filter in Excel?

The filter in excel helps display relevant data by eliminating the irrelevant entries temporarily from the view. The data is filtered as per the given criteria. The purpose of filtering is to focus on the crucial areas of a dataset. For example, the city-wise sales data of an organization can be filtered by the location. Hence, the user can view the sales of selected cities at a given time.

A filter is necessarily required when working with a huge database. Being a widely used tool, the filter converts a comprehensive view into an easy-to-understand one. To apply filters, the dataset must contain a header row which specifies the name of every column.

How to Filter in Excel?

You can download this Filter Column Excel Template here – Filter Column Excel Template

It is good to work with filters because they fit our needs the way we want to. In order to filter data, select the entries to be visible and deselect the rest of the items.

The three methods to add filters in excel are listed as follows:

1. With filter option under the Home tab
2. With filter option under the Data tab
3. With the shortcut key

Let us consider a dataset to go through the three methods of adding filters.

The following table shows the invoices issued to the buyers of different cities. We want to filter the data using different methods.

Method 1: With Filter Option Under the Home tab

In the Home tab, there is a “filter” option under the “sort and filter” drop-down of the “editing” section, as shown in the following image.

Step 1: Select the data and click “filter” under the “sort and filter” drop-down.

Step 2: The filters are added to the selected data range. The drop-down arrows, shown within the red boxes in the following image, are filters.

Step 3: Click the drop-down arrow of the column “city” to view the different names of the cities.

Step 4: To see the invoice values of “Delhi” only, select “Delhi” and uncheck all the remaining boxes.

Step 5: The data for the city “Delhi” is filtered and displayed in the following image.

Method 2: With Filter Option Under the Data tab

In the Data tab, there is a “filter” option under the “sort and filter” section, as shown in the following image.

Method 3: With the Shortcut key

The keyboard shortcutsAn Excel shortcut is a technique of performing a manual task in a quicker way.read more are a good way to speed up the daily tasks. Select the data and add the filter using either of the following shortcuts:

• Press the keys “Shift+Ctrl+L” together.

• Press the keys “Alt+D+F+F” together.

Note: The preceding shortcuts for adding filtersUsing sorting and filtering, we can see the data category wise. With filtering data quickly you can easily navigate through menus or clicking through a mouse in less time.read more are toggle keys. Repetitive pressing helps to turn on and turn off the filters.

How to Add Filters in Excel?

We can filter numbers using advanced techniques. Let us consider some examples to understand the working of filters in Excel.

Example #1–“Number Filters” Option

Working on the data under the preceding heading (methods of filtering in Excel), we want to apply the following filters:

a. To filter column B (invoice value) for numbers greater than 10000

b. To filter column B for numbers greater than 10000 but less than 20000

Let us go through the two cases one by one.

a. Filter numbers greater than 10000

Step 1: Open the filter in column B (invoice value) by clicking on the filter symbol.

Step 2: In “number filters,” choose the “greater than” option, as shown in the following image.

Step 3: The “custom autofilter” box appears.

Step 4: Enter the number 10000 in the box to the right of “is greater than.”

Step 5: The output displays the invoice values greater than 10000. The symbol within the red box is the filter icon. It indicates that the filter has been applied to column B.

b. Filter numbers greater than 10000 but less than 20000

Step 1: In “number filters,” choose the “greater than” option.

Step 2: In the “custom autofilter” box, select “is less than” in the second box to the left-hand side. This is shown in the following image.

Step 3: Enter the number 10000 in the box to the right of “is greater than.” Enter the number 20000 in the box to the right of “is less than.”

Step 4: The output displays the invoice values greater than 10000 but less than 20000.

Example #2–“Search Box” Option

Working on the data under the preceding heading (methods of filtering in Excel), we have replaced the first column (city) with product IDs.

We want to filter the details of product ID “prd 1.”

The steps are listed as follows:

Step 1: Add filters to the columns “product ID” and “invoice value.”

Step 2: In the search boxA search box in Excel finds the needed data by typing into it, then filters the data and displays only that much info. When working with large datasheets, this simple tool may save a lot of time.read more, enter the value that is to be filtered. So, enter “prd 1.”

Step 3: The output displays only the filtered value from the list, as shown in the following image. Hence, we can see the invoice value of the product ID “prd 1.”

Option while you Drop Down the Filter Function

1. Sort A to Z and Sort Z to A: If you wish to arrange your data ascending or descending order.
2. Sort by Color: If you want to filter the data by color if a cell is filled by color.
3. Text filter: When you want to filter a column with some exact text or number.
4. Filter cells that begin with or end with an exact character or the text
5. Filter cells that contain or do not contain a given character or word anywhere in the text.
6. Filter cells that are exactly equal or not equal to a detailed character.

For example:

• Suppose you want to use the filter for a specific item. Click on to text filter and choose equals.

• It enables you the one dialogue, which includes a Custom Auto-Filter dialogue box.

• Enter fruits under category and click Ok.

• Now you will get the data of fruits category only as shown below.

The Techniques of Filtering in Excel

The following techniques must be followed while filtering data:

• If the dataset is large, type the value to be filtered. This filters all the possible matches.
• If numerical data has to be filtered by specifying the greater than or the less than number, use the “number filters” option.
• If data has to be filtered by the color of specific rows, use the “filter by color” option.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to Filter in Excel. Here we discuss how to use/add filters in excel along with step by step examples and a downloadable template. You may learn more about Excel from the following articles –

• VBA FilterThe VBA Filter tool is used to sort out or fetch the desired data. However, this function accepts optional arguments, and the only required argument is an expression that covers the range, such as worksheets(«Sheet1»). Range(“A1”).read more
• How to Filter Pivot Table?By right-clicking on the pivot table, we can access the pivot table filter option. Another approach is to use the filter options available in the pivot table fields.read more
• Advanced Filter in ExcelThe advanced filter is different from the auto filter in Excel. This feature is not like a button that one can use with a single click of the mouse. To use an advanced filter, we have to define criteria for the auto filter and then click on the “Data” tab. Then, in the advanced section for the advanced filter, we will fill our criteria for the data.read more
• Types of Filters in Power BIThe filter function in Power BI is more commonly used to read data or reports based on multiple criteria. Visual level filters, page-level filters, report-level filters, drill-through filters, and so on are all available filters in Power Bi.read more