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PlanMaker 2026 · Analysis and formulas · Intermediate

PlanMaker 2026 Dynamic Arrays: SORT, UNIQUE and FILTER

Learn what PlanMaker 2026 dynamic array functions do, test a small sorted unique-list example and avoid spill-cell conflicts.

Official documentation reviewed; native application verification pending · Updated 10 October 2026 · Editorial standards

SoftMaker Office 2026 introduces dynamic arrays and functions including SORT, UNIQUE, FILTER, SEQUENCE, TOROW, TOCOL, and RANDARRAY. A dynamic-array formula can return more than one cell’s worth of output. This is a PlanMaker 2026 feature; do not assume the same behavior in older PlanMaker releases.

Example: sort a list containing repeats

Place these text values in A2:A6:

Pear
Apple
Pear
Banana
Apple

In an empty location with several free cells underneath, enter:

=SORT(A2:A6)

The expected sorted list has five entries: Apple, Apple, Banana, Pear, Pear. The UNIQUE function is intended to remove repeated values; for this example its result should contain exactly three distinct names, although the display order is an implementation detail to verify.

Check spill behavior

  1. Put the source list in a single contiguous column.
  2. Choose an empty cell a few columns to the right; leave room below it.
  3. Enter SORT and inspect whether all five results appear in neighboring cells automatically.
  4. Try UNIQUE in a different empty output range and verify the three expected names.
  5. Change one input value and observe whether the results update.

Common problems

  • Spill blocked: another value occupies an output cell; move the formula to a clear region.
  • Function unavailable: confirm you are using a release that supports the new dynamic-array functions.
  • Numbers sort strangely: some imported values may be text; inspect their types.
  • Wrong region: using a fixed input range excludes records added later. Update the range or use an appropriate expanding data source.

FILTER evaluates criteria to return only matching rows; a useful next exercise is filtering a clean sales table by region. Keep the criteria and source ranges aligned, and verify their syntax in your installed build before publishing example formulas.

See PlanMaker AutoFilter for an alternative when you want to hide nonmatching records rather than produce a separate array output.

Verification: Input ordering and distinct values were checked independently; function availability is documented by SoftMaker for 2026. Formula execution in PlanMaker is pending.

Official documentation: Software manual or vendor release notes. This article is part of a staged content batch; confirm the interface and output in the stated software before public deployment.