What would be a typical use of the Sort tool in data preparation?

The Sort tool in data preparation is primarily used to prioritize data for analysis by organizing records in a specified order, based on one or more fields. When data is sorted, it can help analysts and data scientists to easily identify patterns, relationships, and outliers within the dataset. Sorting is essential for performing tasks such as data comparison, ranking, and ensuring that data is arranged in a logical sequence for subsequent analysis steps.

For example, if you have sales data, sorting by date allows you to observe trends over time, and sorting by sales volume can help prioritize which products to focus on. This process sets the foundation for further analysis or reporting, as it allows users to work with data that is logically sequenced, making it easier to draw insights and make data-driven decisions.

Other options relate to different functionalities or purposes not directly aligned with what the Sort tool is designed for. Conditional statements involve logical evaluation of data rather than arranging it, analyzing historical trends typically requires more complex statistical methods rather than just sorting, and creating detailed reports often necessitates a combination of tools beyond simple data sorting.