Filtering is a simple yet powerful way to analyze data. When you apply filters to any list of values, Excel gives you some really useful pre-defined filters so that you can analyze the data in a variety of ways.
So, assuming you have data like this:
We all know how to filter data for Bananas.
We also know how to filter data where Sales > 70
But, what if you want to filter data such that Fruit is Banana OR Sales is more than 70?
Sounds tricky, Right?!?
Well, not so tricky. We can use Advanced Filters to do just this (and more).
Here is how we can filter values with Fruit=Banana OR Sales>70
1. Insert a few blank rows above your data
2. We will use this space to define the conditions for our Advanced Filters
As you can guess, to use Advanced Filters, you must write down the conditions for filtering in cells.
3. Now, set up cells like this.
4. In first row, write =”=Bananas” against Fruit column
Note: we use =”=Bananas” instead of =Bananas because whenever you write = Excel thinks you are writing a formula.
5. In second row, write >70 in the Sales column
If you write this in first row, then the filtering would happen for Fruit=Banana AND Sales>70
6. Now, select any cell with actual data and go to Data > Advanced Filter
7. Select cells as shown below.
8. Click OK, and your list is filtered
Pretty cool, eh?
Some Tips about Advanced Filters:
- Use Copy to Another Location Option to copy the filtered values elsewhere.
- Excel creates a named range criteria upon the first time you apply advanced filters. As you can guess, this range contains the filtering criteria. With some creativity, you can dynamically change this (or create it) and make advanced filters even more advanced 😉
- Do not select blank criteria rows: Make sure you only select criteria rows with some data in them. Otherwise, Excel will not filter.
- Use with VBA: Advanced filters are pretty powerful & very fast. So, if you need to process a large list and create a sub-list that meets a criteria, you can do that thru Advanced Filters and even automate the process with a bit of VBA (more on this during next 2 weeks).
- Few more advanced filter tips on Contextures: Debra shares some really nice examples on advanced filters. Check them out.
Download Advanced Filter Example Workbook:
Click here to download Excel workbook with Advanced Filter Example. Play with it to understand how you can filter like a fine coffee maker.
Do you use Advanced Filters?
I have rarely used advanced filters before writing this example. A reader’s email prompted me to learn this technique. And now, I am very eager to play with this so that I can share few more awesome implementations with you.
What about you? Do you use Advanced Filters? What do you use them for? What are your favorite tips & ideas? Please share using comments.
17 Responses to “Custom Number Formats – Colors”
You are right, Chandoo. I was playing with the colour numbers last week and some of them don't appear different from each other. Others are totally different from yours.
@Duncan
Each version of Excel, post 2003, renders colors slightly differently
Different language versions may also have different default color palettes
Hello in french
excel 2010
colo1 = couleur1 = black
[couleur1]; [couleur2]; etc..
@Hui, thank you very much again for this great post.
However - under Excel 2007, Hungarian version your solution does not work with color names. I've tried both English and Hungarian names, but drops an error message "not valid formats"
Do you have any idea how to solve this issue?
thanks in advance
@Andras
Without a Hungarian version of Excel 2003 I don't think I can assist
Have you tried using the colour numbers? I couldn't get the names to work (despite using an english version of excel). but it did work with the numbers though. I left out the "u" and was easily able to produce burgundy using [color9]
Here a possible solution: find an English version of Excel, write there the formats using English names, then open the file in the Hungarian version and see the translation.
In Excel 2007 I can't get the colour names to work e.g Sea Green but the numbers do e.g color3 - colour3 does not work so I must bow to the country that has stolen my language (ha ha!)
Hey chandoo, nice Tip!
Wouldn't be easier just apply some conditional formatting for negative numbers and another for positive numbers? Or there's some cases that you can't do that?
Unfortunately the TEXT function doesn't color the cell as number formatting does.
Hi Hui,
Great post Sir, love the new way of formatting with color numbers.
I am using 2007, and it leads me to the last color number 56.
Thanks Hui.
[…] explains how to set up custom number formats with a wide array of […]
Thanks Hui - works a treat!
Thank you, very helpful.
Trying to figure out if it is possible to apply color only to a part of the cell?
E.g. I have a value formatted as Accounting with a currency symbol.
Those I find somewhat distracting though necessary. If I could make them less obtrusive by coloring them gray while the number would stay black, that would be great. Tried tinkering with the format string, but didn't get the desired result. Single color for complete cell value works, but coloring just part of it could not be achieved. Maybe somebody managed that?
Exactly what I was looking for - thank you!
colour in the Australian doesn't work - we have to go American and no problem.
I always thought is was 56 colours notice you have 57. Cool.
thanks
Analir Pisani
Customised Microsoft Office Training Specialist
Sydney - Australia
http://www.azsolutions.com.au
Thank You!