So let's take a look at some simple filtering. These are often called auto filters. So filtering is when we've got a big block of data and we want to see less of it. So we're filtering out the data that doesn't match our criteria. So the first thing to know is how do we turn these things on. First thing we need to have our cursor somewhere in the data. Doesn't matter where as long as it's in the data, it can either go via the ribbon. So that is Alt + A + T to do our filter. Or you can do a special shortcut, Ctrl + Shift + L will also turn these things on. You'll also notice that the shortcut Ctrl + Shift + L turns them off as well. So Ctrl + Shift + L is both a toggle to turn on and off. So we've got our filters turned on. How do we now go about using them? Well, obviously we can use the mouse but we wanna try and avoid that where possible. So I'll show you a few keyboard shortcuts to help you with auto filters. The first one is when you are examining your data. Sometimes of course you can be a long way down your list. So it's worth just refreshing our memory to the fact that if I want to go to the top of a list of data, it's Ctrl and up arrow to take me straight to the top. If I now do Alt + down arrow key, that will drop down the auto filter. So Alt and down arrow to drop down the auto filter and allow me to go and filter this on a particular item. So let's imagine I only want to see Betsy's sales, so I'm gonna use the down arrow cursor to come down to my filters. And when I'm on the select all option here, I'm gonna press the space bar. So that's deselected everybody. So now I've got nobody selected. Now I'm gonna come down to the one I want to select, space bar, so I've just selected Betsy and now I can hit the Enter key, which is gonna press OK.

You'll notice that the row numbers turn blue and they're no longer completely sequential. It's indicating that there are hidden items in here. You'll also notice that the icon of the column filter up here has changed to indicate that this now has a filter in place. And in fact, as your mouse moves over it, it'll even remind you what filter is in place. Now, if I want to remove this filter, then I can do so just by dropping down the arrow again, so Alt + down arrow, and then you'll notice that clear filter or C will remove the filter. So let me do that again. So Alt + down arrow to go and select, down cursor, only select the one you want. So let's do Ashley this time, Enter to select and then we've got our filter in place and obviously I can go and filter other items as well. So let's say, now I imagine that actually I'm only interested in Ashley's sales of lipstick. So Alt + down arrow, cursor down, space bar on Select All, come down to lipstick, space bar, Enter. So now we are looking at Ashley's lipstick sales. How about I only want Ashley's lipstick sales in a particular location. So Alt + down arrow, come down, Select All, only interested in the midwest, space bar, Enter. So there we go. And you can see the more filters we add, the less data we get. Okay, now we've talked about how we can remove a single filter. Just to remind you, we come to the item that we'd like to remove. So I'm gonna remove the product filter, Alt + down arrow + C, simple as that, Alt + down arrow + C to clear. If I want to remove all the filters in place and go back to a completely unfiltered list rather than remove the filters one at a time. The quickest way to do this is you remember the shortcut to turn on and off the filters was Ctrl + Shift and L. If I turn them off and on again. So I just hold down Ctrl and Shift and do a little double tap on the L key. That's gonna both remove all the filters and then put the auto filters back on again, ready for me to start filtering again. So, Ctrl + Shift + L + L, yeah, removes all the filters, goes back to an unfiltered data list.

So in all those examples, we were looking at filters on textual items. Let's have a little look and see what happens when we filter a numeric item, like sales amount here. So if I'd use the Alt + down arrow key, then you'll notice that obviously I can start picking off individual items, like we could before with our textual columns. But much more common with numeric filters is I want to be using some kind of range of values, not an exact number. So if we go to the number filters area here and then use the right arrow key, we get a series of very useful, commonly used numeric filters. So things like equals a particular value, does not equal something, greater than or equal to, greater than, less than, between two values, even handy things like top 10 and above average and below average. So using these built-in number filters are a really useful way of working with numeric items. Let's have a look and see what happens when we pick a date column. So let's go across here to a date column and drop down our auto filter, remember Alt + down arrow, let's have a look and see what we get in our date filters. So instead of the numeric filters we get, we get date related filter material and this is really, really handy. So we get things like before and after, like you might imagine, between two dates, tomorrow, today, yesterday, so we've got a lot of concepts that are really useful for us. You know, this month, last month, you know, all these kind of things. There are some very, very useful filters in here for date ranges. So it's worth having a little play with those.

Let's just come out of there.

So that's all we need to say on auto filters. I hope you found that useful.