How to: Programmatically sort data in worksheets

Applies to: yesVisual Studio noVisual Studio for Mac

Note

This article applies to Visual Studio 2017. If you're looking for the latest Visual Studio documentation, see Visual Studio documentation. We recommend upgrading to the latest version of Visual Studio. Download it here

You can sort data that is contained in worksheet ranges and lists at run time. The following code sorts a multi-column range named Fruits by the data in the first column, and then by the data in the second column.

Applies to: The information in this topic applies to document-level projects and VSTO Add-in projects for Excel. For more information, see Features available by Office application and project type.

Sort data in a document-level customization

To sort data in a NamedRange control

  1. Call the Sort method of the NamedRange control. The following example requires a NamedRange control named Fruits on a worksheet. This code must be placed in a sheet class, not in the ThisWorkbook class.

    this.Fruits.Sort(
        this.Fruits.Columns[1, missing], Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
        this.Fruits.Columns[2, missing], missing, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
        missing, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
        Excel.XlYesNoGuess.xlNo, missing, missing, 
        Excel.XlSortOrientation.xlSortColumns,
        Excel.XlSortMethod.xlPinYin,
        Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal,
        Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal,
        Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal);
    
    Me.Fruits.Sort( _
        Key1:=Me.Fruits.Columns(1), Order1:=Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending, _
        Key2:=Me.Fruits.Columns(2), Order2:=Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending, _
        Orientation:=Excel.XlSortOrientation.xlSortColumns, _
        Header:=Excel.XlYesNoGuess.xlNo, _
        SortMethod:=Excel.XlSortMethod.xlPinYin, _
        DataOption1:=Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal, _
        DataOption2:=Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal, _
        DataOption3:=Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal)
    

    Place the following code in Sheet1.vb or Sheet1.cs to sort data in a ListObject control. The code assumes that you have a ListObject control named fruitList in a worksheet named Sheet1.

To sort data in a ListObject control

  1. Call the Sort method of the Range property of the ListObject host control.

    this.fruitList.Range.Sort(
        this.fruitList.ListColumns[1].Range, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
        this.fruitList.ListColumns[2].Range, missing, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
        missing, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending, 
        Excel.XlYesNoGuess.xlYes, missing, missing, 
        Excel.XlSortOrientation.xlSortColumns,
        Excel.XlSortMethod.xlPinYin, 
        Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal,
        Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal,
        Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal);
    
    Me.fruitList.Range.Sort( _
        Key1:=Me.fruitList.ListColumns(1).Range, Order1:=Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending, _
        Key2:=Me.fruitList.ListColumns(2).Range, Order2:=Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending, _
        Orientation:=Excel.XlSortOrientation.xlSortColumns, _
        Header:=Excel.XlYesNoGuess.xlYes)
    

Sort data in a VSTO Add-in

To sort data in a native range

  1. Call the Sort method of the native Excel Range control. The following example requires a native Excel control named Fruits on a worksheet.

    Excel.Range Fruits = Application.get_Range("A1", "B3");
        Fruits.Sort(
        Fruits.Columns[1], Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
        Fruits.Columns[2], missing, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
        missing, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
        Excel.XlYesNoGuess.xlNo, missing, missing,
        Excel.XlSortOrientation.xlSortColumns,
        Excel.XlSortMethod.xlPinYin,
        Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal,
        Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal,
        Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal);
    
    Dim Fruits As Excel.Range = Me.Application.Range("A1", "B2")
    Fruits.Sort( _
        Key1:=Fruits.Columns(1), Order1:=Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending, _
        Key2:=Fruits.Columns(2), Order2:=Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending, _
        Orientation:=Excel.XlSortOrientation.xlSortColumns, _
        Header:=Excel.XlYesNoGuess.xlNo, _
        SortMethod:=Excel.XlSortMethod.xlPinYin, _
        DataOption1:=Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal, _
        DataOption2:=Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal, _
        DataOption3:=Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal)
    

To sort data in a ListObject control

  1. Call the Sort method of the Range property of the native Excel ListObject control. The following example assumes that you have a native Excel ListObject control named fruitList in the active worksheet.

    Excel.ListObject fruitList = 
         ((Excel.Worksheet)Application.ActiveSheet).
             ListObjects.Add(Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.XlListObjectSourceType.xlSrcRange,
             Application.get_Range("A1", "B3"), 
             missing, Microsoft.Office.Interop.Excel.XlYesNoGuess.xlNo); 
        fruitList.Range.Sort(
            fruitList.ListColumns[1].Range, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
            fruitList.ListColumns[2].Range, missing, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
            missing, Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending,
            Excel.XlYesNoGuess.xlYes, missing, missing,
            Excel.XlSortOrientation.xlSortColumns,
            Excel.XlSortMethod.xlPinYin,
            Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal,
            Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal,
            Excel.XlSortDataOption.xlSortNormal);
    
    Dim fruitList As Excel.ListObject = CType(Application.ActiveSheet,  _
        Excel.Worksheet).ListObjects.AddEx(Excel.XlListObjectSourceType.xlSrcRange, _
        Application.Range("A1", "B2"))
    fruitList.Range.Sort( _
    Key1:=fruitList.ListColumns(1).Range, Order1:=Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending, _
    Key2:=fruitList.ListColumns(2).Range, Order2:=Excel.XlSortOrder.xlAscending, _
    Orientation:=Excel.XlSortOrientation.xlSortColumns, _
    Header:=Excel.XlYesNoGuess.xlYes)
    

See also