How to Sort an Excel Table by a Custom Combination of Columns in WPS Office
Question details
The user wants to sort an Excel table by the combined values of two columns, e2IdSpec_Tech_Severity and L1Ground_Severity, instead of sorting by a single column or an existing formula.
- Product
- WPS Office Spreadsheets
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- The user has a table with separate severity columns and needs a row order based on their concatenated values.
- Observed behavior
- The table can be sorted by one column, but there is no direct built-in way to sort by a formula-based combination of two columns without a helper key or query.
Identify the exact two columns that make up the combined sort key and create space for a helper column. If you choose the formula-only method, confirm that your WPS Office version supports LET, CHOOSECOLS, and SORTBY dynamic array functions.
Create a Helper Column and Sort by the Combined Key
Best for most workbooks because it preserves the original table while making the combined sort key visible and reusable.
A helper column is the most reliable way to sort by a custom combination of two columns. It shows the concatenated sort key directly in the table and keeps the original columns unchanged.
In WPS Spreadsheets, select the first empty column beside your table and type a header such as Combined_Sort_Key.
In the first data row of the helper column, enter =B2&C2, replacing B2 and C2 with the actual cells containing e2IdSpec_Tech_Severity and L1Ground_Severity. Press Enter and double-click the fill handle to copy it down.
Select any cell in the table, go to the Data tab, click Sort, choose the helper column as the sort key, set the order, and click OK.
If the helper column should not appear in reports, right-click its column letter and choose Hide. The sort order remains intact.
Use a Dynamic Array Formula to Create a Sorted Copy
Use this when you want a formula-driven sorted copy without adding a helper column to the source table.
Sort Combined Fields in Power Query Before Loading Data
Use this if your workbook already uses Power Query or you need a repeatable query-based sort.
Sort Excel Tables by a Custom Combination of Columns in WPS Office
WPS Office Spreadsheets gives you a direct way to sort a table by a custom combination of columns. Add a helper column that joins the two severity values, sort by that key, or use a dynamic formula to build a sorted copy while keeping the original table intact.
- 1. Open your Excel table in WPS Spreadsheets: Launch WPS Office Spreadsheets and open the .xlsx workbook that contains the table.
- 2. Create a combined sort key in a helper column: Insert a helper column and enter a formula such as =B2&C2 to join e2IdSpec_Tech_Severity and L1Ground_Severity.
- 3. Sort by the helper column: Select the table, go to Data > Sort, choose the combined helper column as the sort key, set the order, and click OK.
- 4. Save the workbook: Save the file as .xlsx to keep the sorted order and remain fully compatible with Excel.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sort an Excel table by two columns without adding a helper column?
Excel and WPS Spreadsheets do not provide a built-in sort-by-formula option for a combined key. You can either add a helper column that concatenates the two columns, use a LET/SORTBY dynamic array formula to create a sorted copy, or merge the fields in Power Query before loading.
Which formula creates a sorted copy using the combined values of two columns?
Use a formula like =LET(specTech,CHOOSECOLS(Table1,2),ground,CHOOSECOLS(Table1,3),combined,specTech&ground,sorted,SORTBY(Table1,combined),IF(sorted<>"",sorted,"")) and adjust the table name and column positions. It requires dynamic array support.
Will the helper column change my original data?
No. A helper column only adds a new calculated column. You can hide it after sorting, and the source columns remain unchanged.
Does WPS Office support Power Query for sorting combined columns?
If your WPS Spreadsheets version includes Power Query, you can load the table into Power Query Editor, merge the two columns, sort by the merged column, and close and load the result into the spreadsheet.
