Header Row Not Being Recognized When Sorting a Table

ID: Q114009

6.00 6.00a WINDOWS kbusage

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 6.0, 6.0a

SYMPTOMS

If a table contains a column heading name (such as "S" or "ST") that matches the beginning of a previous column heading name (such as "STATE"), Word for Windows sorts based on the first column ("STATE") when you sort based on the shorter, matching name ("S" or "ST").

This only happens if the following conditions are true:

1. The data is in a table.

2. The table contains a header row.

3. The name of the Sort By column is a subset of another column heading

   name that appears to the left of the Sort By column. In other words, the
   name of the column you use as the basis for sorting is the same as the
   beginning of a previous column name.

4. The insertion point is located in the table, but nothing is selected

   when you perform the sort option.

For example, if you sort the table below based on the "ST" column, Word uses the "STATE" column as the basis for sorting instead:

   NAME        ADDRESS        STATE       ZIP       ST
   Jill        123 Main St.   NC          54321     S
   John        P.O. Box 43    TX          76543     M
   Lyle        410 First      WA          98765     W

STATUS

Microsoft has confirmed this to be a problem in Word versions 6.0 and 6.0a for Windows. We are researching this problem and will post new information here in the Microsoft Knowledge Base as it becomes available.

WORKAROUNDS

Method 1: Rename the column so its name does not match the beginning of a

          previous column name. In the above sample, rename "ST" to
          "STATUS".

Method 2: Separate the header row from the table by selecting the second

          row and pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER. Sort the table, and then
          rejoin the header row with the table by deleting the paragraph
          mark between them.

Method 3: If the document is a mail merge data source, use the Sort

          Ascending or Sort Descending buttons on the Mail Merge toolbar to
          perform the sort operation. You do not need to select the column;
          you need only position the insertion point in the column upon
          which you want to base the sort.

Method 4: Select the column before you perform the sort operation.

REFERENCES

"Microsoft Word User's Guide," version 6.0, pages 299-300

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory: kbtable Additional reference words: 6.00 6.00a winword word6

Keywords          : kbtable 
Version           : 6.00 6.00a
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: February 6, 1998