Today you will

• turn on filters in a spreadsheet
• filter by a word, like Open, or by a number rule, like greater than 20
• answer one question about your project with a filtered view and a screenshot

A filter hides the rows you don't need. It never deletes them.

Warm-up

Think of one question about your project data, such as which tasks are still open. Could a filter answer it?

A filter hides the rows that don't match your rule. They are still in the sheet.

A sort puts the rows in a new order. Every row stays on screen.

To filter by value, you tick the words you want to keep, like Open.

To filter by number, you set a rule, like greater than 20.

Example

A phone-case business filters Cost (€) to greater than 20, so only three rows show. Gaps in the row numbers prove the other rows are hidden, not deleted.

You will build a small practice sheet, try two filters and save a screenshot. Watch your teacher do the first filter, then follow the steps in the box below.

Type this table into your sheet when the steps ask for it. The steps marked Extension are only for when you have time.

Common snags

• If you can't see filter arrows, click a cell in your table and turn the filter on again from the Data menu.
• If rows vanished, don't panic. Gaps in the row numbers mean the rows are only hidden, so clear the filter to bring them back.
• If the colour list is empty, fill a cell with colour first, or skip that extension.

Sort or filter?

Your teacher will read out some situations, one at a time. For each one, decide if you would use a sort or a filter, and say why in one sentence.

For example, listing Work Experience hours from earliest to latest is a sort. Showing only the stock items marked Open is a filter.

Check with the person beside you if you're not sure.