Sorting a table using multiple columns

[v4anand18]

Hi All,

Is it possible to sort a table using multiple columns?

 Revenue table

My table looks like this and i would like to sort by "Year" first and then by "Month". Is it possible?

[StevePBennett]

I see this tread is quite old, but sorting a visual by one column and then a second column is as simple as clicking the 1st column header to sort ascending or decending. Then simply hold the <Shift> key down and click on the header of the second column. 

I hope this helps. 
Steve B

[Inigo_Montoya]

Someone give Steve B some love over here because THIS IS THE ANSWER IN JUNE 2022, PEOPLE!

[MattRasmussen]

This is THE REAL ANSWER we need.  Thank you for sharing this!  I didn't like the accepted answer from 2018, so I'm glad I kept reading down the thread.

[Doyin]

Hi all! Is it possible to sort a table by multiple columns using "contain" in Power Query?

[Hennadii]

Hi @Doyin , use expression like this

= Table.Sort(#"Previous Step",{{"Column1", Order.Ascending}, {"Column2", Order.Ascending}})

[roselilly23]

As of March 2020 it is now possible from the visual side by using shift+click on the column headers. For more info: https://powerbi.microsoft.com/en-us/blog/power-bi-desktop-march-2020-feature-summary/#_Multi-column_...

[Hennadii]

@roselilly23 , Finally I get your post in the thread. That is great!
@v4anand18 , I think you should mark as solution the @roselilly23 's post

[TickboxPhil]

Well noted @roselilly23 , and OMG thank god - finally!!!!

[micwebnet]

Provided accepted solution is incorrect. It only sorts PQ table and doesn't affect the visual. You'll need to add an Index column after the multi-column PQ sort and then sort your table on that column in PBI Desktop. Here's a video on how to do it: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHhITmZjuDA.

Best,  Michael

[Anonymous]

Coming from a Tableau environment, I don't understand why this functionality doesnt exist in this tool. 

Sorting by mulitple columns is very basic stuff in Excel. 

Sorting within Power Query is not a good solution; a different VIZ, using the same data, might require a different sort.  

[Arklur]

The "Accepted Solution" is definitely wrong. With that sample data, even if you don't specify an order in Power Query, the result is the same:

And no matter what sort order you specify in it, it will stay the same. In a table visual data will be sorted from left to right. In this case Team > Country > Plan > Actual. If you sort by a specific column, then - I think - the sort order will be "Selected Column" then from left to right. If you want to sort a table by multiple columns, the only option you have is to have a concatenated column with the necessary columns and specify the sort order on that column, which is obviously not a nice workaround, but might work in some cases.

Likely you can verify this using DAX Studio and check the executed query behind the curtains.

[Anonymous]

Hello,

I found this thread and am doing somethign similar. I am using this method with the M code, and it works perfectly. I am tryign to now get the table to display as the data in the query does, but cannot figure out why it is sorting columns alphabeticlly and not following the source sorting?

New to Power Bi, so would need simple or easy to follow help.

Thank you, 

[v-jiascu-msft]

Hi @v4anand18,

Can you mark the proper answer as a solution please?

Best Regards,

Dale

[v4anand18]

Hi v-jiascu-msft,

Marked the suitable answer. 

Thanks.

Best Regards

Vivek.S 

[roopsnegi]

Hi,

I am trying to apply this step in my query editor as a step, but it throws an error. Could you please suggest how to resolve it.

Expression.Error: The name 'Changed Type' wasn't recognized.  Make sure it's spelled correctly.

Thank you,

Roopali

[Thejeswar]

Hi @roopsnegi,

There is a break in your steps present in the Query Editor.

Check if all the steps are properly linked to each other. In simple words, there is a problem (mostly name related) with the steps before, in or after the Changed Type Step. 

If you post the M-Query of your query, it will be easy to solve this error....

[gustavoleo]

The m code you’ve mentioned solve the problem to sort on the matrix visual? Would you post an example with repeated names? Cheers!

[Thejeswar · Accepted solution]

@v4anand18,

Yes it is possible, but not from the visual side

You will have to do all the sorting based on multiple columns in the Power Query and then build you visual using the table.

If you have already built a visual, changing the sorting now might not show the proper sorting. In such case you will have to re-create the visual from scratch

Here's how the M code will look once you sort in Power Query

= Table.Sort(#"Changed Type",{{"Team", Order.Ascending}, {"Plan", Order.Descending}})

You can see from the below image that inspite of not applying sorting in the visual, due to the sorting at power Query, my data looks sorted as expected

i.e. In the Visual Team is sorted in Ascending Order and then Plan is getting sorted in descending order with in each Team.

[emrc]

You can sort multiple columns in a table just by holding the shif key and clicking the column  headers you want to sort.

[ncoop]

Hello,

I successfully edited M code in the query to sort how I would like, but after closing and applying the sort is not how I intended. I tried sorting the column by itself (default), but no success.

Suggestions?

Thank you,