Modifying a Worksheet

Help Center > Microsoft Excel 2007 > Modifying a Worksheet

Moving Through Cells

Use the mouse to select a cell you want to begin adding data to and use the keyboard strokes listed in the table below to move through the cells of a worksheet.

Movement Action Key Combination
One cell up up arrow key
One cell down down arrow key or <Enter> key
One cell left left arrow key
One cell right right arrow key or <Tab> key
Top of the worksheet (cell A1) <Ctrl> + <Home>
End of the worksheet (last cell containing data) <Ctrl< + <End>
End of the row <Ctrl> + right arrow key
End of the column <Ctrl> + down arrow key
Any cell Enter cell number in Cell number box and press < Enter>

Adding Worksheets, Rows, and Columns

  • Worksheets - Add a worksheet to a workbook by selecting the Insert Worksheet tab that is to the right of the existing worksheet tabs.
  • Row - To add a row to a worksheet, select Insert > Rows from the menu bar, or highlight the row by clicking on the row label, right-click with the mouse, and choose Insert.
  • Column - Add a column by selecting the Home tab and select Insert from the Cell group and then Insert Sheet Rows from the menu. Alternatively, highlight the column by click on the column label, right-click with the mouse, and choose Insert.

Resizing Rows and Columns

There are two ways to resize rows and columns.

  • Resize a row by dragging the line below the label of the row you would like to resize. Resize a column in a similar manner by dragging the line to the right of the label corresponding to the column you want to resize.
    - OR -
  • Click the row or column label and select the Home tab and select Format from the Cell group and then Row Height or Column Width from the menu to enter a numerical value for the height of the row or width of the column.

Selecting Cells

Before a cell or cells can be modified or formatted, it must first be selected (highlighted). Refer to the table below for selecting groups of cells.

Cells to Select Mouse Action
One cell Click once in the cell
Entire row Click the row label
Entire column Click the column label
Entire worksheet Click the Whole Sheet button located above the column of row labels and to the left of the row of column labels, or press <Ctrl> + A
Cluster of cells Drag mouse over the cells or hold down the <Shift> key while using the arrow keys

To activate the contents of a cell, double-click on the cell or click once and press <F2>.

Moving and Copying Cells

Moving Cells
To cut cell contents that will be moved to another cell select the Home tab and select Cut from the Clipboard group.

Copying Cells
To copy the cell contents, select the Home tab and select Copy from the Clipboard group.

Pasting Cut and Copied Cells
Highlight the cell you want to paste the cut or copied content into and select the Home tab and select Cut from the Clipboard group.

Drag and Drop
If you are moving the cell contents only a short distance, the drag-and-drop method may be easier. Simply drag the highlighted border of the selected cell to the destination cell with the mouse.

Freeze Panes

If you have a large worksheet with column and row headings, those headings will disappear as the worksheet is scrolled. By using the Freeze Panes feature, the headings can be visible at all times.

  • Click the label of the row below the row that should remain frozen at the top of the worksheet.
  • Select the View tab and select Freeze Panes from the Window group and select a type of Freeze Pane.
  • Select the View tab and select Unfreeze Panes from the Window.
    Freeze panes has been added to row 1 in the image below. Notice that the row numbers skip from 1 to 4. As the worksheet is scrolled, row 1 will remain stationary while the remaining rows will move.
last modified on 03/25/2008 11:25