Sort, filter and search

Three ways to find what you want

A long sheet is hard to read from top to bottom. Flicx Sheet gives you three ways to get to the rows you need.

None of these changes what is in your sheet. Nothing is deleted. The rows that are out of sight come back as soon as you clear the filter or the search.

Sorting by a column

Sort when you want the rows in order: names from A to Z, amounts from small to large, dates from the earliest.

1. Click the name of the column. An arrow pointing up appears. Words go from A to Z, numbers from the smallest, and dates from the earliest.
2. Click the name again. The arrow points down and the order is turned round.
3. Click a third time. The arrow goes away and the rows return to the order of the sheet.

• Empty cells always go to the bottom, whichever way you sort.
• Cells that hold a photo or a file are kept together, after the words and numbers. Files are put in order by their names.
• The pinned row, if the sheet has one, always stays at the bottom.
• A to-do column has no name to click. Open its menu with the three dots and choose To-do first or Done first. Choose Unsort to go back.

Please noteSorting is only for looking. It does not move the rows in the sheet, and other people who have the sheet open do not see your sort. While a sort is on, rows cannot be dragged to a new place.

Filtering a column

Filter when you want to see only some of the rows: the unpaid bills, the guests from one city, the amounts above ₹1,000.

1. Move your pointer to the column heading and press the small funnel button, Filter. A box opens under the heading.
2. Cells chooses between All, only the Filled cells, or only the Empty ones. Use Empty to find rows where something is missing, such as guests with no phone number.
3. Contains shows only the rows whose cell has the letters you type.
4. Values lists everything found in the column, the most common first, with how many times each appears. Tick the ones you want to see. You can tick more than one.
5. Press Done to close the box. Press Clear to remove this column's filter.

The sheet changes as you choose, so you can see the result before closing the box. The funnel button stays coloured while that column has a filter.

The box shows only what makes sense for the kind of column:

• When the Values list has more than eight entries, a Find a value box appears above it. Type a few letters to shorten the list.
• A very long list shows the 200 most common values, and says so with the words top 200.
• In an Image column the list has Embedded image and Linked image. In a Document column it has the kinds of file, such as PDF and Word.

Several filters together, and clearing them

You can filter more than one column. A row is shown only when it passes every filter. For example, City is Pune and Coming is Yes.

1. Each small label is one column that has a filter. Press a label to remove that one filter.
2. Clear all removes every filter and shows the whole sheet again.

• The bar tells you how many rows are showing out of the total, for example 4 of 32 rows.
• If nothing fits, the sheet says No rows match the current filters. Clear a filter to see rows again.
• Your filters are remembered. When you open the sheet next time, on any of your devices, they are still on. They are yours alone: other people who use the sheet have their own.

Please noteAdding a row, pinning a row, or adding, moving, hiding or deleting a column clears the filters of the sheet. Set them again afterwards if you need them.

Searching inside a sheet

Search when you remember a word but not where it is. The Search box is in the bar above the sheet.

1. Click the Search box and type. The sheet at once shows only the rows that have what you typed.
2. A list opens under the box. Each line is one find. Under it you read the column and the row, and at the end the cell, such as A3. Click a line to jump to that cell. It is chosen and flashes for a moment.
3. Lines with a small star are rows that are close in meaning. They are explained in the next section.

You can also move through the list with the up and down arrow keys and press Enter to go to the line that is lit. Esc closes the list. The small cross in the box clears the search and brings every row back.

The search is forgiving. You do not have to type exactly what is in the sheet.

• Capital and small letters are treated as the same.
• The beginning of a word is enough: anit finds Anitha.
• A small spelling slip in a longer word is forgiven: recieve finds receive.
• If you type two or more words, a row is found when it has all of them, in any order and in any columns: pune yes finds the guests from Pune who are coming.
• It works in any language you type in.
• It also looks at column names, the names of files kept in cells, and the titles of notes linked from cells. A line that reads Column is a column name. Clicking it picks that whole column.
• Photos are not searched.

The list shows up to 30 finds. If there are more, it says The first 30. Type more to narrow it. The sheet itself still shows every matching row.

Searching by meaning

Sometimes the sheet uses a different word from the one in your head. You type marriage, but the row says wedding. You type phone bill, but the row says mobile recharge. Flicx Sheet also looks for rows that mean the same thing, even when the words are different.

• You do nothing extra. Type in the same Search box and wait a moment. While it is looking, the bottom of the list says Looking by meaning….
• Rows found this way are added at the end of the list, with a small star. Under each you read Close in meaning and the row number. The number at the end, such as 78%, says how close it is.
• Click such a line to go to that row. Because your words are not in that row, the search box is cleared so that the row can be shown.
• It starts when you have typed at least three letters, and it shows at most five rows.
• It shows a row only when the meaning is clearly close. Often it finds nothing, and that is correct.
• In a very long sheet it looks through the first 1,500 rows.

TipThe first search by meaning in a sheet takes a little longer. After that it is quick, because the sheet has already been read once on that device.

On your phone

1. Tap the search button in the bar at the top and type in Search this sheet. The records or the grid show only the matching rows. Tap the small cross to clear, or the arrow at the left to close the search.
2. The number at the end is how many rows match.
3. To sort on a phone, switch to the grid and tap a column name. Choose Sort A → Z, smallest first or Sort Z → A, largest first. To undo it, tap the name again and choose Back to the sheet's order.

On a phone the search has no drop-down list and does not search by meaning. It simply shows the matching rows.

Please noteColumn filters are set from the column heading on a computer. A filter you have set there stays on when you open the same sheet on your phone, so the phone may show fewer rows than the sheet has. Clear the filter on a computer to see them all.

Common questions

Some of my rows are missing. Where did they go? A filter or a search is on. Look for the bar above the sheet and press Clear all, and clear the Search box. The count under the sheet, such as 4 rows of 32, also tells you that rows are out of sight.

Does sorting or filtering change the sheet for others? No. Your sort, your filters and your search are only for you.

Can I sort by two columns? No. The sheet is sorted by one column at a time.

I cannot see the funnel button. It shows when your pointer is on the column heading. A to-do column has no funnel: use its three dots.

The search found a row but I cannot see my word in it. It may be a row found by meaning, or your word may be in a hidden column or in the name of a file.

Why did the sheet jump to page 1? When you search or change a filter, the rows on show change, so the sheet starts again from its first page.

How does a filter work in a grouped sheet? A group is kept whole. See Grouping rows and columns.