Data filtering is a way of organizing spreadsheet data for ease of analysis. Often spreadsheet filters are used to "hide" rows of data that do not meet certain specified criteria. This allows you to analyze (count, observe, etc.) only certain "filtered" subsets of data.
For example, in the list below we might want to filter the data based on a particular course. Here’s how to activate Excel's AutoFilter feature.
1. Within a spreadsheet, click in any of the cells within the list that contains data.
2. Choose Data, Filter, AutoFilter from the menu.
3. Selection arrows will appear at the top of each column.
4. In our example, you could click on the Course down-arrow and choose Biology. Notice that this action causes the spreadsheet to show only records with the words "Biology" in the Course column. The rest of the rows are hidden.
You can filter on two or more criteria (columns) by simply continuing to select the down-arrows of your choice. For example, to filter out only the Biology students from UW - Green Bay, first select "Biology" as the Course filter, and then select "UW - Green Bay" as the School filter.
5. To show the hidden records again, click the down-arrow and select All. If you've selected several down-arrows (columns) for filtering, it may be quicker to choose Data, Filter, AutoFilter from the menu to remove the check and show all records.