Comments on: Sorting Formulas with Sheet Names

By: Andrey

Andrey — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 22:55:00 +0000

I’m coming across this 2 years after the last post but this is still an issue in 2007 and 2010 and I think it happens a lot more than folks think…a simple exercise like doing a plain sumif on sheet1 when the data is on sheet2 will generate a same-sheet reference which I bet most folks won’t bother with assuming that it is relative. Seems like a huge friggin bug or feature with really unintended consequences.

By: Lindsay

Lindsay — Fri, 21 Aug 2009 18:42:00 +0000

Thank you Jason! Whew.

By: Page

Page — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 21:23:00 +0000

I'm glad I Googled this topic and found you. I have had this problem for years, and have finally decided the best answer is to get the formula results, and copy/paste special/values and then sort to get the desired result. I usually copy and paste the formula back in after the sort.
I agree it's a bug they need to fix! BTW if it matters I use version 2007

By: Rob

Rob — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:07:00 +0000

bump!

I've got a use for this! So i'm thinking it's a UDF (undocumented feature)

The use - I've got a pivot table which contains data I'm using in a formula (user-defined) in cells next to the pivot. I want to be able to sort the pivot table using the result of the formula but you can't sort a pivot table using something not in the pivot table.

In order to sort it then, I've linked other cells to the values in the pivot table, used these to calculate the formula and then I can sort...? Nope - because all the references are relative so when they're sorted, they just update to there new place and so don't appear changed. BUT, if you use the sheet-qualified references, the references don't update and the data is sorted as required.

So 2.5 yrs after the original post - a use for it!!!

By: Robert

Robert — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:32:00 +0000

Thanks Jason. This was the answer/solution that I was looking for. I had this problem when using the index function, and must have created the sheet referenced links while clicking back and forth between the sheets that are referenced in the formula. I consider this a bug. The cell references aren’t absolute, so they shouldn’t be treated as absolute references. Note, I’m using excel 2002 which doesn’t have the same filtering capabilities as excel 2003, so not sure if this problem applies to both versions – but I imagine it does. Cheers, Robert

By: earl

earl — Tue, 09 Jan 2007 22:07:00 +0000

Is it possible to sort 1 sheet based on the column of another sheet?

thanks

earl

By: Jim T.

Jim T. — Thu, 19 May 2005 18:10:00 +0000

Just to make you really shake your head. Sort Column E using A->Z… Nothing Happens. Now use Z->A and the results resort themselves. Use Z->A agan and they resort themselves back again. I have not found a legitimate use for this. More it is something to watch out for. I found it in a spreadsheet created by a coworker who did not know that anything was wrong.

By: Rob van Gelder

Rob van Gelder — Mon, 16 May 2005 21:25:00 +0000

This problem could show itself if you build formula strings using references returned from RefEdit controls.
They tend to attach sheet names to references.

Something like this would solve:

Private Sub refGetAddress_Exit(ByVal Cancel As MSForms.ReturnBoolean)
If IsRange(refGetAddress.Text) Then _
If Range(refGetAddress.Text).Worksheet Is ActiveSheet Then _
refGetAddress = Range(refGetAddress.Text).Address
End Sub

ActiveSheet is an assumption - if you know the destination sheet up front then use that.

(in this example, IsRange is a function which returns boolean if the parameter looks like a range)

By: Jason

Jason — Mon, 16 May 2005 18:05:00 +0000

This is a known issue (in all versions of Excel, I think). You only get those same-sheet references in a formula if you write a formula using your mouse that points to another sheet first. For example, you might write/click

=match(sheet2!A:A,sheet1!A1,0)

That sheet1 reference happens automatically which doesn't seem like a bad thing - until you try to sort! The sheet1 reference in the formula gets treated like an absolute reference. Best practice is to clean up same-sheet formula elements of this type.

By: doco

doco — Mon, 16 May 2005 14:31:00 +0000

I am using Excel 2000 Premium 9.0.6926 SP-3

I cannot reproduce the problem you speak of. It works as expected both ascending and descending. However, if I hand type the formula in Sheet2 and hit enter I get #NAME error, which is kinda strange...