[HistoryGirl]

For my uni dissertation, I'm creating a database of Beaker burials in Kent and Wiltshire. What I would like to know is there a way in the county column of selecting one or another, rather than having all the burials visible.

That's not very clear, basically I want to be able to select either those from Kent or those from Wiltshire is that possible?

I'm fairly certain it is, it's just been a while (about two years)since I've used excel.

Any help would be great, cos this is due in three weeks time.

[spot]

It's what the data filter's for.

If your county column contains just "KENT" or "WILTSHIRE" then it's a simple selection. Find the filter icon - it looks like a funnel I think - and you'll get a pull-down button at the top of each column (there's a form-filling alternative way of doing it too). Click the selector and there'll be two entries,
"KENT" and "WILTSHIRE". Click a county and all the other rows in the spreadsheet will disappear. It terrifies newbies, they think they've lost their data.

The form-filling alternative allows you to say "somewhere in that field contains KENT" in case your county field has more varied content (like a grod reference or a postcode or a survey height as well as the county).

Either of those answers can be attached to a user-defined button you can put into the spreadsheet (or on an existing button toolbar) to click between the two views.

If you can't do it with those hints tell us and someone will put a screendump picture of where to find the right bits but you'll have to say which version of Excel you're using.