Filter+Types+and+Function

//Data, in most circumstances, is not simply stated. Rather, it is multi-faceted and placed under various categories. When asked to interpret large quantities of data it is common to feel overwhelmed. Excel provides an easy, time-efficient solution for interpreting text data. This solution is applying a filter. Filters allow the user to instantly categorize data based on certain factors. These factors are: Cell Value, Cell Color, Font Color, and Icon. Advanced Filters are also available, but this document will cover three basic filters(Cell Value, Cell Color, Font Color), in order that you may have a generalized understanding of the functionality and practicality of using filters and therefore be successful in the categorization of your data.//

Where to Locate the Filter Functions - Under the //Data Tab// -



The first filter option is //**CELL VALUE**//. This filter allows you to categorize data by the value that is recognized in the cells selected. Below is an example of the Cell Value Filter. On the left is uncategorized data. On the right is the categorized data. As can be seen in row B1, an icon appears when a filter is applied.



The second filter option is //**CELL COLOR**//. This filter allows you to categorize data by the color of the cell. As an example, I randomly colored cells red and green. I wanted to categorize it so that the green cells were followed by the red cells. In order to do this, a few steps were required. The first step was to apply the Cell Color Filter. After applying the filter, I clicked on the filter drop down box option. In this menu, under "Sort: by color," I selected custom sort. Another menu then appears. In this menu, a custom sort is able to be applied; in this case, green cells followed by red cells. After this option is filled out, Excel successful accomplished categorizing the data by color. Visual aids for each step are provided below.







The third filter option is //**FONT COLOR.**// This filter allows you to categorize data by the color that is applied to the font in a cell. As an example, I colored the text data in purple and red. The steps required for categorizing data by this filter is very similar to applying the Cell Color Filter. I applied the Font Color Filter, then I clicked on the filter drop down box option. In this menu, under "Sort: by color," I selected custom sort. Another menu then appears. In this menu, a custom sort is able to be applied; in this case, purple font followed by red font. After this option is filled out, Excel successful accomplished categorizing the data by font color. Visual aids for each step are provided below.







Want to further your knowledge and application of filters in Excel? Copy and paste the html code below into your browser to discover the benefits of using the advanced filter, as well as step by step instructions.
 * ---> http://www.ozgrid.com/Excel/advanced-filter.htm <---**