I have a list of names and addresses I maintain using OpenOfficeCalc. It does just fine - I don't need any database features. But I was handed a decidedly odd "SORT" screwup this morning.
I intended to sort by ZIP. The lowest numerical ZIP is 97005, and the highest one that would appear in the list is 98685. So I went to "DATA", "SORT", and instructed it to sort by only one column - column "J", the ZIPcode column. What I got back was a list whose sort began, as expected, with 97005. Proceeded on nicely in fine numerical order, right on through to 98685. Trouble is, that only covered up through the 271st item of the 337-item list. Following the 98685, it began over again with a new 97005, and proceeded on through the numbers from there. This is an incomprehensible error, and calls into question the integrity of the code, big-time - because I cannot come up with any form of operator error that could have caused such a thing. There is zero discernible difference in the cell entries of column "J" that are appearing out of sequence. The steps required to generate a sort are simple and unambiguous. So how is this happening, and what must we do to fix it? OO3.1, under Ubuntu 9.10(karmic koala) Thanks, Brewster Gillett -- *********************************************************************** Embrace a sharing community of sustainable justice low-carbon diversity *********************************************************************** W. Brewster Gillett [email protected] Portland, OR USA *********************************************************************** Simply because you don't like to hear it, that doesn't make it untrue. *********************************************************************** --------------------------------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, e-mail: [email protected] For additional commands, e-mail: [email protected]
