C#: Sort Data in Excel

Sorting data in Excel is a fundamental skill that enhances data organization and analysis. By rearranging rows based on specific criteria—such as alphabetical order, numerical value, or date—users can easily identify trends, patterns, and outliers. In this article, you will learn how to sort data in Excel using C# with Spire.XLS for .NET.

• Sort a Single Column in Excel
• Sort Multiple Columns in Excel
• Sort by a Custom List

Install Spire.XLS for .NET

To begin with, you need to add the DLL files included in the Spire.XLS for .NET package as references in your .NET project. The DLL files can be either downloaded from this link or installed via NuGet.

PM> Install-Package Spire.XLS

Sort a Single Column in Excel in C#

Sorting a single column in Excel enables quick organization of your data in ascending or descending order for easier analysis. However, this method leaves other columns unchanged, potentially leading to misalignment of related data.

Spire.XLS for .NET provides the Workbook.DataSorter.SortColumns.Add(int key, SortComparisonType sortComparisonType, OrderBy orderBy) method. This method enables developers to set sorting criteria by selecting a specific column, defining the comparison type, and specifying the sort order (ascending or descending). To apply the sorting to the defined range, use the Workbook.DataSorter.Sort(CellRange range) method.

Here are the steps to sort a single column in Excel using C#:

• Create a Workbook object.
• Load an Excel file using the Workbook.LoadFromFile() method.
• Get a specific worksheet using the Workbook.Worksheets[index] property.
• Get the column where you want to sort data using the Worksheet.Range property.
• Create sorting criteria for the selected column using the Workbook.DataSorter.SortColumns.Add() method.
• Execute sorting within the column using the Workbook.DataSorter.Sort() method.
• Save the workbook to a different Excel file.

using Spire.Xls;

namespace SortSingleColumn
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Create a Workbook object
            Workbook workbook = new Workbook();

            // Load an Excel file
            workbook.LoadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\Input.xlsx");

            // Get a specific worksheet
            Worksheet sheet = workbook.Worksheets[0];

            // Get the cell range (a single column) where you want to sort data
            CellRange cellRange = sheet.Range["F1:F6"];

            // Sort values in the specified column in descending order
            workbook.DataSorter.SortColumns.Add(5, SortComparsionType.Values, OrderBy.Descending);

            // Sort in the specified cell range
            workbook.DataSorter.Sort(cellRange);

            // Save the workbook
            workbook.SaveToFile("SortSingleColumn.xlsx", ExcelVersion.Version2013);

            // Dispose resources
            workbook.Dispose();
        }
    }
}

Sort Multiple Columns in Excel in C#

Sorting data across multiple columns ensures that all related data across the selected columns remains aligned and meaningful, which is useful for complex datasets where relationships between data points matter.

Sorting data across multiple columns is similar to sorting a single column. The main difference lies in the CellRange parameter used in Workbook.DataSorter.Sort(CellRange range), which specifies multiple columns instead of just one.

Here are the steps to sort multiple column in Excel using C#:

• Create a Workbook object.
• Load an Excel file using the Workbook.LoadFromFile() method.
• Get a specific worksheet using the Workbook.Worksheets[index] property.
• Get the cell range (columns) where you want to sort data using the Worksheet.Range property.
• Create sorting criteria for the selected column using the Workbook.DataSorter.SortColumns.Add() method.
• Execute sorting within the range using the Workbook.DataSorter.Sort() method.
• Save the workbook to a different Excel file.

using Spire.Xls;

namespace SortMultipleColumns
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Create a new workbook
            Workbook workbook = new Workbook();

            // Load an Excel file
            workbook.LoadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\Input.xlsx");

            // Get a specific worksheet
            Worksheet sheet = workbook.Worksheets[0];

            // Get the cell range (multiple columns) where you want to sort data
            CellRange cellRange = sheet.Range["A1:F6"];

            // Sort values in the specified column in descending order
            workbook.DataSorter.SortColumns.Add(5, SortComparsionType.Values, OrderBy.Descending);

            // Sort in the specified cell range
            workbook.DataSorter.Sort(cellRange);

            // Save the workbook
            workbook.SaveToFile("SortMultipleColumns.xlsx", ExcelVersion.Version2013);

            // Dispose resources
            workbook.Dispose();
        }
    }
}

Sort by a Custom List in C#

Sorting by a custom list in Excel allows you to arrange data based on specific, non-alphabetical criteria tailored to your needs, ensuring the order is meaningful for your analysis or reporting.

To accomplish this, create an array of strings that defines the custom sorting order. Next, set the sorting criteria using the Workbook.DataSorter.SortColumns.Add(int key, OrderBy orderBy) method. Finally, invoke the Workbook.DataSorter.Sort(CellRange range) method to sort the specified cell range.

Here are the steps to sort data by a custom list in Excel using C#:

• Create a Workbook object.
• Load an Excel file using the Workbook.LoadFromFile() method.
• Get a specific worksheet using the Workbook.Worksheets[index] property.
• Get the cell range where you want to sort data using the Worksheet.Range property.
• Define the custom sorting order with an array of strings.
• Create sorting criteria for the selected column using the Workbook.DataSorter.SortColumns.Add() method.
• Execute sorting within the range using the Workbook.DataSorter.Sort() method.
• Save the workbook to a different Excel file.

using Spire.Xls;

namespace SortMultipleColumns
{
    class Program
    {
        static void Main(string[] args)
        {
            // Create a new workbook
            Workbook workbook = new Workbook();

            // Load an Excel file
            workbook.LoadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\Input.xlsx");

            // Get a specific worksheet
            Worksheet sheet = workbook.Worksheets[0];

            // Get the cell range where you want to sort data
            CellRange cellRange = sheet.Range["A1:F6"];

            String[] customList = { "Central", "North", "South", "East", "West" };

            // Sort a specified column using the custom list
            workbook.DataSorter.SortColumns.Add(0, customList);

            // Sort in the specified cell range
            workbook.DataSorter.Sort(cellRange);

            // Save the workbook
            workbook.SaveToFile("SortByCustomList.xlsx", ExcelVersion.Version2013);

            // Dispose resources
            workbook.Dispose();
        }
    }
}

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