Transcription
In this section, we'll take a look at how to insert, delete, hide, and group rows and columns. we're gonna start with this table that we have here. I want to insert a column between columns B and C. In order to do that I'll click on column C and then I'll head over to the Home tab. There is a ribbon command that I can use to insert a brand new column. I just have to head over to the sales group, click the drop-down for insert and there I will see the option to insert a sheet column. In one click I've inserted a column. Now if I want to delete that column I won't have far to go. Right next to insert is the delete command. If I click the drop-down there I will choose to delete the sheet column.
Insert/Delete Using Mouse
Now, most of you are probably familiar with how you can do this using your mouse. You'll simply select the column by right-clicking and from the right-click menu you'll see the insert command. If I click that I will insert a brand new column between B and C and if I want to delete that column all I have to do is right-click and choose delete. Now there are people who see you do this, people who use keyboard shortcuts, who see you do this who think that's way too long a process for you to insert and delete a column almost as long as it would take for you to go to the ribbon and then head over to the cells group and then click insert and so on.
Insert/Delete with Keyboard Shortcuts
Their method only involves using the keyboard. For instance, I have this cell selected called new column. I'm even going to select the column by using my keyboard. The keyboard shortcut to select the column is ctrl spacebar that automatically selects the column. Now, what's the keyboard shortcut to add a new column well you can think to yourself what is the mathematical symbol for addition and then you'll say to yourself the plus sign. therefore the keyboard shortcut to insert a new column is going to be ctrl +. now logically the keyboard shortcut to remove a column is going to be ctrl -. this also works for rows so let's give equal time two rows I'm gonna head over to new row and the keyboard shortcut to select a row instead of a column is going to be shift spacebar and then if I want to add a new row I'll use the same shortcut that I used to add a column. this time it'll be ctrl + now if you're on a laptop you should be aware that if you press ctrl + this may not occur and that's because you'll have to press the shift key. so you'll press ctrl shift + to insert a column or row but if you're using a full-size keyboard you can use the plus sign by the number keypad and then you won't have to worry about that extra keyboard key. If I wanted to delete the rows that I just added the keyboard shortcut for that is going to be control - and I can just hold on to control and keep pressing - to delete all those extra rows.
Hide/Unhide
Something else you may want to do as you're working with table data is you may want to hide some information in your spreadsheet, maybe information that's in a column, so I'm gonna head over to column H and I'm gonna right-click and I have the option right there to hide that column. now if I want to reveal that column I will need to select the columns that surround the hidden column basically G and I and in between them is H so I'll right-click and then choose to unhide that will reveal the hidden column.
Grouping
You also have another method that you can use to do this that method involves selecting the column going over to the Data tab and moving all the way over to the right until you get to the outline group within the outline group you'll see there's a command called group. If I click it doesn't automatically hide the column but it does give me a grouping button that I can click on to hide that column this makes it a little bit more obvious that there is a hidden column this might be useful because you may not want to forget there's a hidden column with information that you may not want to share but if you have this button this makes it a little bit more obvious that there is something hidden in the spreadsheet that you may need to delete before you send the spreadsheet out. if I click on the plus sign I will reveal that hidden column if I want to get rid of the grouping button I can simply make sure that the column is selected head over to the outline group and choose ungroup and now my spreadsheet is back to normal.
Additional Use for Grouping
Hiding columns and rows are not the only reason that you would use the grouping buttons. if we take a look at this table down below we have inventory and we have values if I click on the plus sign next to row 35 I may choose to hide and reveal certain information related to product A. if I click the plus sign I will see I have sub-products and these sub-products provide greater detail for a product a and so I may need to hide information that I don't want to display and display it if I need to explain a little bit more about the values that make up product A. In this section we took a look at how to insert delete hide as well as group rows and columns.