Excel: Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells

TL;DR

Learn how to modify the size and layout of cells, insert, delete, and move columns and rows, hide and unhide data, wrap text, and merge cells in Excel.

Transcript

In Excel, every workbook is different. That means you may want to modify certain things—like the size and layout of your cells—to better fit the data you're working with. This column has been resized, for example, but not quite enough—most of the text is still getting cut off. I'm going to increase the width a little more by positioning my mouse ov... Read More

Key Insights

• 🤨 Excel workbooks can be customized by adjusting the size and layout of cells, including columns and rows.
• 🤨 Columns and rows can be resized manually or automatically using the auto-size feature.
• 🤨 New columns and rows can be inserted, and existing columns and rows can be deleted, moved, or hidden.
• 🫥 Text wrapping is a useful tool to display large amounts of text in cells on multiple lines.
• ↖️ Merging cells can create a single large cell, but caution should be exercised as it discards all but the contents of the upper left cell.

Questions & Answers

Q: How can I adjust the width of a column in Excel?

To adjust the width of a column, you can either manually drag the column heading to the right or double-click the line in the column heading to auto-size it to fit the contents of the cells exactly.

Q: How can I make all the rows in my worksheet the same height?

Click the Select All button in the top left corner, then resize any row to the desired height. The change will be applied to the entire worksheet.

Q: How do I insert a new row between existing rows?

Select the row heading below where you want the new row to appear, then click the Insert command. The new row will be added in the desired location.

Q: Is there a difference between deleting and clearing cells in Excel?

Yes, deleting cells removes them from the worksheet and causes the other cells to move and fill in the gap automatically. Clearing cells, on the other hand, only removes the contents without deleting the cells themselves.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• Excel workbooks can be customized by resizing columns and rows to fit the data, either manually or automatically using the auto-size feature.

• New rows and columns can be easily inserted by selecting the appropriate heading and using the Insert command.

• Deleting columns and rows is simple; select the ones to be deleted and use the Delete command.

• Columns and rows can also be moved to different locations by using the Cut and Insert Cut Cells commands.

• Certain columns or rows can be temporarily hidden to focus on specific data, and they can be unhidden by selecting adjacent columns or rows and using the Unhide command.

• Text wrapping can be used to display a large amount of text in a cell on multiple lines.

• Cells can be merged and centered to create a single large cell, but caution should be exercised as merging cells with data discards all but the contents of the upper left cell.