Filters to find Information

You can easily isolate particular data in any column or columns of the spreadsheet, using the “Filter views”. Users familiar with Microsoft Excel or Access will recognize this interface in the Google Sheet.

  • Click on “Data” at the top of the Google Sheet, and in the Pull-down menu click on “Filter Views > Create new temporary filter view”
    The data-screen turns blue, and at the top right of each column before the first line of data 3 short lines appear.
  • Click on the 3 lines at the top of the column whose data you want to filter
    A pop-up screen appears, containing (in alphabetical order) each unique value contained in that column, as in this Filter view of Performer Types:
Filter for Performer Type
  • Click on “Clear” to de-select all values, and then scroll down the list, selecting each type of data desired — in this case, the Performer Types you want.
  • Click on “OK” to apply the filter

If desired, filter(s) can be applied in the same way to other column(s), at the same time as your first column is filtered. So you can, say, select “Acrobat” as Performer Type and  “Friday” as Day of Week, and discover that one Acrobat performed on a Friday. A silly but illustrative example!
A filter for any column can be changed anytime by clicking again on the 3 short lines at top right of the column

To exit from the Temporary filter view

  1. Click on the funnel icon at the top left of each column you have filtered, and wish to unfilter.
  2. on the pull-down click on “Select All”.

Your filter is still available, as “Temporary filter #”, and you can click on it to restore the filter.

You can build other filters in the same way, and save them under their own numbers. Filters remain available until you exit from your Google Sheets session.

The “Explore” Button (bottom right of the Google Sheet).

This allows various kinds of statistical analysis, limited only by your curiosity! Go ahead and explore! You cannot do any damage, because everything is restored to its original state when you exit from the Google Sheets session.

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