02 Modifying your Worksheet

Difficulty Level: Beginner

Excel Version: XP

Assumed Knowledge: None

 

The aim of the tutorial is to:

show you how to add rows and columns to a worksheet, resize rows and columns, use freeze frames, and set worksheet margins, sizes and orientations.

Adding Rows and Columns

Rows and columns can be added to the worksheet before or after data has already been entered.

To add a row:

  1. Click on a cell that is in the row that you want to move down, with the additional row being inserted above.
  2. Click on Insert on the menu bar.
  3. Click on row.

Or

  1. Right-click on the row label (number on the left) so the entire row is selected (black border and highlighted in pale blue). This row will move down when you insert a row above it.
  2. In the pop-down menu click on Insert.

To add a column:

  1. Click on a cell that is in the column that you want to move to the right, with the additional column being inserted to the left.
  2. Click on Insert on the menu bar.
  3. Click on column.

Or

  1. Right-click on the column label (letter along the top) so the entire column is selected (black border and highlighted in pale blue). This column will move right when you insert a column before it.
  2. In the pop-down menu click on Insert.

Changing the sizes of rows and columns

There are two ways to change the sizes of rows and columns:

To resize a row:

  1. Use the mouse to move the pointer onto the row labels (numbers on the left).
  2. Ensure the pointer is on the line between two row lables until the pointer arrow changes to a double-ended arrow.
  3. Drag the arrow up to reduce the row height or drag it down to increase the row height.
  4. Release the mouse at the new row height.

Or

  1. Click on the label of the row.
  2. Click on Format on the menu bar.
  3. In the pop-down menu move the pointer to row.
  4. Move the pointer to the new menu and click on height.
  5. Type in the new row height.
  6. Click OK.

To resize a column:

  1. Use the mouse to move the pointer onto the column labels (letters along the top).
  2. Ensure the pointer is on the line between two column lables until the pointer arrow changes to a double-ended arrow.
  3. Drag the arrow left to reduce the column width or drag it right to increase the column width.
  4. Release the mouse at the new column width.

Or

  1. Click on the label of the column.
  2. Click on Format on the menu bar.
  3. In the pop-down menu move the pointer to column.
  4. Move the pointer to the new menu and click on width.
  5. Type in the new column width.
  6. Click OK.

Selecting Cells

When you have decided which cell is to be modified select it before you can actually modify it.

To select cells:

Cells to select
Mouse action
One cell Click once in the cell
Entire row Click the row label
Entire row Click the column label
Entire worksheet Click the while sheet button
Cluster of cells drag mouse over the cells

If you select only one cell it will have a black border around it.

If you select more than one cell they will be highlighted in pale blue and a black border will surround all the cells.

Using Freeze Panes

If you have a large worksheet with several column and row headings, those headings will disappear as your worksheet gets bigger and bigger and as you scroll around it. The Freeze Panes feature can be used to keep headings visible at all times as shown in the illustration below.

In this illustration a freeze pane has been added to row 1 which contains the column headings. As the worksheet is scrolled row 1 will remain stationary while the remaining rows move.

To freeze a pane:

  1. Decide which row should remain frozen at the top of the worksheet.
  2. Click on the label of the row below.
  3. Click on Window on the menu bar.
  4. In the drop-down menu click on Freeze Panes.

To remove the frozen panes:

  1. Click on Window on the menu bar.
  2. Click on Unfreeze Panes.

Setting Preferred Worksheet Margins

Setting the Worksheet Size and Orientation

Exercises

  1. Open a new document in Excel.
  2. Insert the word Row in cell A4.
  3. Insert a row below row 3 so that row 4 becomes row 5. The word Row that you typed in should move down a row to cell A5.
  4. Insert the word Column in cell D1.
  5. Insert a column after column C so that column D becomes column E. The word Column that you typed in should move along to cell E1.
  6. Change the height of rows 1 to 5 to size 10.
  7. Change the width of columns A to E to size 20.
  8. Cut the text from cell E1 and paste it into cell B2.
  9. Close the document without saving it.

 

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