Working with columns and sorting

Reordering columns

You can reorder the columns by clicking the drop-down menu at the top of the first column (labelled ‘All’), and choosing ‘Edit columns’ > ‘Re-order / remove columns …’.

You can then drag and drop column names to reorder the columns, or remove columns completely if they are not required.

Renaming columns

You can rename a column by opening the drop-down menu at the top of the column that you would like to rename, and choosing ‘Edit column’ > ‘Rename this column’. You will then be prompted to enter the new column name.

Sorting data

What if you want to organize your data in a way that will let you detect outliers (blanks, errors, etc.) more easily? You can accomplish this by sorting your data in OpenRefine. You can do this by clicking on the drop-down menu for the column you want to sort on, and choosing Sort. You can then sort your data by text, numbers, dates or booleans (TRUE or FALSE values). You can also specify what order to put blanks and errors in the sorted results.

Once applied, locate the new “Sort” button at the top of the grid.

New Sort menu appears above grid after first sort command

After clicking on the new “Sort” button, OpenRefine will present you with additional sorting options:

• Remove sort - This option allows you to undo your sort.
• Reorder rows permanently - This option allows you to permanently change the order of your data to the sort.
• By *column name* - This option allows you to make changes to your pre-existing sort.

Unlike in Excel, ‘Sorts’ in OpenRefine are temporary - that is, if you remove the Sort, the data will go back to its original ‘unordered’ state.

You can sort on multiple columns at the same time by adding another sorted column (in the same way).