Keeping Things In Order

Occasionally I will make up a list of stuff using a spreadsheet. Each item in the list will have a number which will go in the first column. I don't like typing in long lists of individual numbers, so I will put the number one in the first cell at the top, and then I will use a formula like =A1+1, which I can then copy and paste in the rest of the column, and presto! I have a column of sequential numbers for my list.

The whole point of putting a list in a spreadsheet is so that you can sort it by various columns so you can easily see just how many you have of each color, size, perversion, or whatever talents you included.

It seems to me that I've done this before and somehow the numbers magically stayed with their item. I just finished making a list today and when I sorted it by color, the data in the item-number column disappeared. Hmmm, that's not good. Control-Z brings it back. I kind of suspected it was too good to be true, so I am not disappointed. I just have to figure out how to convert these formulas to numbers. Turns out it is simple enough:

• insert a column adjacent to the item number column
• select the item-number column and COPY (Control-C)
• select the new, empty column
• from the EDIT menu, select PASTE VALUES
• delete the original item number column

That concludes our lesson for today. Now you can tell your spouse you learned something new, and they will be happy. If you already knew how to do this, well, you can spend the rest of the day feeling superior.