Sort Special

NOTE-- We retired the MacNail estimating program in 2000, and replaced it with Goldenseal construction estimating software. There are still a significant number of die-hard MacNail users, so we keep the manuals online for them! Goldenseal is an integrated program that also includes accounting, scheduling and contract writing features. Goldenseal also lets you sort accounting and estimating records.

Sort Special

Choose Sort Special to arrange a Customizing file into a different order. You can sort Price Masters, Material Price Sheets, Assemblies files, and Comparisons files.

NOTE: Don't confuse the Sort Special command with the regular Excel Sort command (also in the Data menu). Sort will not work on a protected worksheet. It can also damage your files unless you are extremely careful with it.

To sort a worksheet in the MacNail construction estimating software:

1. Make sure the desired worksheet is the active document (in front).
2. Choose Sort Special from the Data menu.
3. Choose the column you'd like to use to set the sort order, and use the check box at the bottom to determine whether to sort in ascending or descending order. Then click OK.
4. The worksheet will be sorted automatically. In this example, the entire worksheet will be arranged with the lowest code numbers at the top, and the largest ones at the bottom.

If you'd like to get a very precise arrangement of rows, you can sort more than once. For example, if you sort a Price Master first by cost category, and then by flag, you'll be able to see each of the flagged items grouped together, with each type of flagged item arranged in ascending category order.