The SORT function in Excel is a function that allows you to sort a range of cells based on the values in one or more columns. The function takes three arguments: the range of cells to sort, the column number(s) to sort by, and the sort order (ascending or descending).

You can use the “SORT” function in Excel to sort a range of cells based on the values in a specific column. The syntax for the SORT function is as follows:

=SORT(range, sort_index, order)

• “range” is the range of cells that you want to sort, for example, A2:D20
• “sort_index” is the column number (relative to the range) that you want to sort by, for example, 2 if you want to sort by the values in the second column
• “order” is the sort order, either 1 for ascending or -1 for descending

Here are some examples of how to use the SORT function:

• To sort the range A2:D20 by the values in the second column in ascending order: =SORT(A2:D20, 2, 1)
• To sort the range A2:D20 by the values in the third column in descending order: =SORT(A2:D20, 3, -1)
• To sort the range A2:D20 by the values in the first column in ascending order and then by the values in the fourth column in descending order: =SORT(SORT(A2:D20, 1, 1), 4, -1)

Note that the SORT function sorts the range in place and does not return a new range of values.

Alternatively, you can also use the “Sort & Filter” feature in the “Data” tab of the Excel ribbon, it allows you to sort by multiple columns and also by value.

Similiar functions in Excel

In Excel, there are several other functions that can be used to sort data:

1. “SORTBY” function: This function is similar to the SORT function, but it allows you to sort a range of cells based on the values in one or more columns, with the ability to sort by multiple columns.
2. “SORTN” function: This function is also similar to the SORT function, but it allows you to sort a range of cells based on the values in one or more columns, and then return the top n values based on your criteria.
3. “ORDER” function: This function returns a list of numbers that correspond to the position of a value in a list or array. This can be used to sort data based on the order of a given list or array.
4. “FILTER” function: This function allows you to filter a range of cells based on one or more criteria. It can be used to extract a subset of data based on certain conditions, which can then be sorted or analyzed in other ways.
5. “SORT” feature in the “Data” tab of Excel ribbon: This allows you to sort by multiple columns and also by value.

It’s important to note that it will depend on your specific use case and data set to determine which function or feature is the most appropriate for your needs.