Task: Top rank per group
C++: #include <string>
#include <set>
#include <list>
#include <map>
#include <iostream>


struct Employee
{
    std::string Name;
    std::string ID;
    unsigned long Salary;
    std::string Department;
    Employee(std::string _Name = "", std::string _ID = "", unsigned long _Salary = 0, std::string _Department = "")
    : Name(_Name), ID(_ID), Salary(_Salary), Department(_Department)
    { }

    void display(std::ostream& out) const
    {
        out << Name << "\t" << ID << "\t" << Salary << "\t" << Department << std::endl;
    }
};


struct CompareEarners
{
    bool operator()(const Employee& e1, const Employee& e2)
    {
        return (e1.Salary > e2.Salary);
    }
};


typedef std::list<Employee> EMPLOYEELIST;



typedef std::set<Employee, CompareEarners> DEPARTMENTPAYROLL;

typedef std::map<std::string, DEPARTMENTPAYROLL> DEPARTMENTLIST;

void initialize(EMPLOYEELIST& Employees)
{
    
    Employees.push_back(Employee("Tyler Bennett", "E10297", 32000, "D101"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("John Rappl", "E21437", 47000, "D050"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("George Woltman", "E21437", 53500, "D101"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("Adam Smith", "E21437", 18000, "D202"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("Claire Buckman", "E39876", 27800, "D202"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("David McClellan", "E04242", 41500, "D101"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("Rich Holcomb", "E01234", 49500, "D202"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("Nathan Adams", "E41298", 21900, "D050"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("Richard Potter", "E43128", 15900, "D101"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("David Motsinger", "E27002", 19250, "D202"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("Tim Sampair", "E03033", 27000, "D101"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("Kim Arlich", "E10001", 57000, "D190"));
    Employees.push_back(Employee("Timothy Grove", "E16398", 29900, "D190"));
}

void group(EMPLOYEELIST& Employees, DEPARTMENTLIST& Departments)
{
    
    for( EMPLOYEELIST::iterator iEmployee = Employees.begin();
         Employees.end() != iEmployee;
         ++iEmployee )
    {
        DEPARTMENTPAYROLL& groupSet = Departments[iEmployee->Department];

        
        groupSet.insert(*iEmployee);
    }
}

void present(DEPARTMENTLIST& Departments, unsigned int N)
{
    
    for( DEPARTMENTLIST::iterator iDepartment = Departments.begin();
         Departments.end() != iDepartment;
         ++iDepartment )
    {
        std::cout << "In department " << iDepartment->first << std::endl;
        std::cout << "Name\t\tID\tSalary\tDepartment" << std::endl;
        
        unsigned int rank = 1;
        for( DEPARTMENTPAYROLL::iterator iEmployee = iDepartment->second.begin();
             ( iDepartment->second.end() != iEmployee) && (rank <= N);
             ++iEmployee, ++rank )
        {
            iEmployee->display(std::cout);
        }
        std::cout << std::endl;
    }
}

int main(int argc, char* argv[])
{
    
    EMPLOYEELIST Employees;

    
    initialize(Employees);

    
    DEPARTMENTLIST Departments;

    
    
    group(Employees, Departments);

    
    present(Departments, 3);

    return 0;
}

VB: Private Sub top_rank(filename As String, n As Integer)
    Workbooks.OpenText filename:=filename, Comma:=True
    Dim ws As Worksheet
    Set ws = Sheets.Add: ws.Name = "output"
    ActiveWorkbook.PivotCaches.Create(SourceType:=xlDatabase, SourceData:= _
        "data!R1C1:R14C4", Version:=6).CreatePivotTable TableDestination:= _
        "output!R3C1", TableName:="TableName", DefaultVersion:=6
    With Sheets("output").PivotTables("TableName")
        .InGridDropZones = True
        .RowAxisLayout xlTabularRow
        .AddDataField Sheets("output").PivotTables("TableName"). _
                PivotFields("Salary"), "Top rank", xlSum
        .PivotFields("Department").Orientation = xlRowField
        .PivotFields("Department").Position = 1
        .PivotFields("Salary").Orientation = xlRowField
        .PivotFields("Salary").Position = 2
        .PivotFields("Employee Name").Orientation = xlRowField
        .PivotFields("Employee Name").Position = 3
        .PivotFields("Employee ID").Orientation = xlRowField
        .PivotFields("Employee ID").Position = 4
        .PivotFields("Salary").PivotFilters.Add2 Type:=xlTopCount, _
            DataField:=Sheets("output").PivotTables("TableName"). _
            PivotFields("Top rank"), Value1:=n
        .PivotFields("Salary").Subtotals = Array(False, False, False, False, _
            False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False)
        .PivotFields("Employee Name").Subtotals = Array(False, False, False, _
            False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False)
        .PivotFields("Department").Subtotals = Array(False, False, False, False, _
            False, False, False, False, False, False, False, False)
        .ColumnGrand = False
        .PivotFields("Salary").AutoSort xlDescending, "Salary"
    End With
End Sub

Public Sub main()
    top_rank filename:="D:\data.txt", n:=3
End Sub