Re: [libreoffice-users] Sorting ranges with merged cells

At 18:45 25/02/2015 -0500, Alan Bonly wrote:
> On Wed, Feb 25, 2015 at 10:47 AM, Lera Goncharuk wrote:
> > «Ranges containing merged cells can only be 
> > sorted without formats». This message implies 
> > that such ranges can be sorted without splitting cells.
>
> I believe this is a poorly worded information 
> message. I have not found any way to sort a 
> range with merged cells including selecting the 
> whole range, right-clicking and selecting "Clear 
> direct formatting". It seems merging of cells is 
> treated as a formatting option, at least in the case of this message.

Well, the message has certainly misled you. You 
are suggesting here that "without formats" means 
that you cannot sort cells to which some sort of 
formatting has been applied. But no: that's not what it means.

When you sort cells generally, the range may have 
different formatting applied to different cells: 
imagine, for example, that one of the cells has a 
different font colour. Is that colouring 
associated with the particular cell or with the 
value it contains? It could be either. When you 
sort the values, do you want that colouring to 
stay in the same cell or to move with the value 
as the range is sorted? That will depend on why 
you have applied that colouring, so you have a 
choice. This is controlled by "Include formats" 
on the Options tab of the Sort dialogue. If you 
have this ticked, then formatting moves with the 
values; otherwise it stays in the same cells.

You can certainly sort a range that includes 
merged cells, but you can do so only if you leave 
the formatting where it is, not move it with the 
values. If you try to sort a range including 
merged cells with the "Include formats" option 
ticked (which appears to be so by default), you 
will be warned that - although you can sort the 
range - you can do so only with that option deselected.

Brian Barker  


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