Introduction of Filter & Advance Filter in Excel

In general sense, filter is a method or tool that is used to show only certain amount of information from selected data and in Microsoft excel, filters can be used to narrow down the data in your worksheet and allowing you to view only the information you need.

Filter can be apply to perform various types of operations on both types of data (Number & Text) and by using it, we can perform the following tasks.

1. Sorting in data: Arrange data in ascending or descending order.
2. Hide and unhide: By using of this feature we can hide any data item or unhide an already hidden data item.
3. Filter the data: This feature is used to filter the selected data item.

 

Let’s start with simple Filter

1. Open the Microsoft excel
   

Run -> excel -> Click on ‘Ok’ button

1. Enter the following data items
   

1. Go on “Data” Menu and click on “Filter” tool
   

Note: As you click on “Filter” option, it will automatically add filter buttons in the head of selected columns, see the below image.

4. Now click on any filter button and select the filter conditions (with help of filter options, we can easily filter our desired data)

Advance Filter

Advance filter is an extension of normal filter and by help of it, we can perform additional operation like copy filtered data in another location in same worksheet. (which cannot perform by normal filter)

Difference between Filter and Advance Filter

Normal or simple filter is used to only filter the selected data items and advance filter is used to filter selected data item like normal filter along with an additional feature (Copy filtered data in another location)

Let’s start the Advance Filter

1. Open any already existing file or create a new file in Microsoft excel.
2. Define the criteria for selected data items

1. Click on “Data” menu
2. Click on “Advance filter”
3. Enter actual data cell address in the range box
4. Enter the condition address in criteria
5. Enter the cell, in which you want to paste the filtered data.
6. Now click on “Ok” button.

Explanation: In the above image “Advance filter” contain three arguments, which are described below.

1. List Range: The “List Range”contains address of actual data items, in which in we want to perform filter operation.
2. Criteria Range: It contains the address of conditions, which actually filter the data and to define criteria, we have use relation operators, which are described in the below table.

1. Copy to: It contain those cell addresses in which you want to insert filtered data.

Note: We can define multi-number of conditions (Criteria) in simple filter or advance filter.