Since preeti/kantipur font uses a different scripting internally, sorting using normal excel function will result in sorting according to the english alphabet rather than the preeti/kantipur font text.
So, the only solution this was to convert the text from preeti/kantipur font to unicode, and then sort it and convert it back. I had implemented the online version of it sometime back which is available here:
https://sajanmaharjan.com.np/preeti-kantipur-font-sorting/
I got many request to implement the same in excel, but the problem was that there is no function available for the conversion from preeti/kantipur font to unicode. So, i tried my best to come up with the function. And with rigorous testing, I am finally happy to announce that the function is available in excel now. Please download the latest version of Nepali Functions Addin for Excel v7 from the link below:
https://sajanmaharjan.com.np/nepali-functions-addin-for-excel/
After you have installed the addin following the instructions in the above link. Follow the instructions below to perform sorting in Excel:
Assuming we have the following table that needs to be sorted according to name.
Step 1: Insert a new column after the name.
Step 2: Type the heading text as "Unicode Name" or anything of your preference.
Step 3: Type the formula "=font2unicode(A2)" in cell B2.
Step 4: Check the result of the conversion on cell B2
Step 5: Drag and drop the formula from cell B2 upto B11, to see the result for all the rows.
Step 6: Select the whole table and use "Format as Table" and choose a format.
Step 7: Check "My table has headers" and click on OK, since we have headers defined for the table.
You should see your table as shown below, with sortable headings and formatting.
Step 8: Click on the drop down besides "Unicode Name" header and choose "Sort A to Z".
If you inspect the result, the data is sorted by "Unicode Name", which also automatically sorts the row data.
Additionally, we can hide the "Unicode Name" column according to our needs.
In this way, we are able to sort by Preeti/Kantipur font data. Please feel free to leave any comments below if you have any issues.