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[h=2]Cell Basics
[h=4]To Delete Content Within Cells:
- Select the cells which contain content you want to delete.
- Click the Clear command on the ribbon. A dialog box will appear.
- Select Clear Contents.
You can also use your keyboard's Backspace key to delete content from a
single cell or Delete key to delete content from multiple cells.
[h=2]Cell Basics
[h=4]To Delete Cells:
- Select the cells that you want to delete.
- Choose the Delete command from the ribbon.
There is an important difference between deleting the content of a cell and deleting the
cell itself. If you delete the cell, by default the cells underneath it will shift up and replace the deleted cell.
[h=2]Cell Basics
[h=4]To Copy and Paste Cell Content:
- Select the cells you wish to copy.
- Click the Copy command. The border of the selected cells will change appearance.
- Select the cell or cells where you want to paste the content.
- Click the Paste command. The copied content will be entered into the highlighted cells.
[h=2]Cell Basics
[h=4]To Cut and Paste Cell Content:
- Select the cells you wish to cut.
- Click the Cut command. The border of the selected cells will change appearance.
- Select the cells where you want to paste the content.
- Click the Paste command. The cut content will be removed from the original cells and entered into the highlighted cells.
[h=2]Cell Basics
[h=4]To Access More Paste Options:
There are more Paste options that you can access from the drop-down menu on the Paste
command.These options may be convenient to advanced users who are working with cells that contain formulas or formatting.
[h=2]Cell Basics
[h=4]To Access Formatting Commands by Right-Clicking:
- Select the cells you want to format.
- Right-click on the selected cells. A dialog box will appear where you can easily access many commands that are on the ribbon.
[h=2]Cell Basics
[h=4]To Drag and Drop Cells:
- Select the cells that you wish to move.
- Position your mouse on one of the outside edges of the selected cells. The mouse changes from a white cross to a black cross with 4 arrows.
- Click and drag the cells to the new location.
- Release your mouse and the cells will be dropped there.
[h=2]Cell Basics
[h=4]To Use the Fill Handle to Fill Cells:
- Select the cell or cells containing the content you want to use. You can fill cell content either vertically or horizontally.
- Position your mouse over the fill handle so that the white cross becomes a black cross .
- Click and drag the fill handle until all the cells you want to fill are highlighted.
- Release the mouse and your cells will be filled.
[h=2]Cell Basics
[h=3]Challenge
- Open an existing Excel 2010 workbook. If you want, you can use this example.
- Select D3 and notice how its cell address appears in the Name box and its content appears in the Formula bar.
- Try inserting text and numbers.
- Use the Fill handle to fill in data to adjoining cells both vertically and horizontally.
- Cut cells and paste them into a different location.
- Delete a cell and note how the content underneath it shifts up to fill in its place.
- Try dragging and dropping some cells to other parts of the worksheet.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=3]Introduction
When you open a new, blank workbook, the cells are set to a default size.You do have the ability to modify cells, and to insert
and delete columns, rows, and cells, as needed. In this lesson, you will learn how to change row height and column width; insert
and delete rows and columns; wrap text in a cell; and merge cells.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=3]Working with Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=4]To Modify Column Width:
Position your mouse over the column line in the column heading so that the white cross becomes a double arrow .
Click and drag the column to the right to increase the column width or to the left to decrease the column width.
Release the mouse. The column width will be changed in your spreadsheet.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=4]To Set Column Width with a Specific Measurement:
Select the columns you want to modify.
Click the Format command on the Home tab. The format drop-down menu appears.
Select Column Width.
The Column Width dialog box appears. Enter a specific measurement.
Click OK. The width of each selected column will be changed in your worksheet.
Select AutoFit Column Width from the format drop-down menu and Excel will
automatically adjust each selected column so that all the text will fit.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=4]To Modify the Row Height:
Position the cursor over the row line so that the white cross becomes a double arrow .
Click and drag the row downward to increase the row height or upward decrease the row height.
Release the mouse. The height of each selected row will be changed in your worksheet.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=4]To Set Row Height with a Specific Measurement:
Select the rows you want to modify.
Click the Format command on the Home tab. The format drop-down menu appears.
Select Row Height.
The Row Height dialog box appears. Enter a specific measurement.
Click OK. The selected rows heights will be changed in your spreadsheet.
Select AutoFit Row Height from the format drop-down menu and Excel will
automatically adjust each selected row so that all the text will fit.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=4]To Insert Rows:
Select the row below where you want the new row to appear.
Click the Insert command on the Home tab.
The new row appears in your worksheet.
When inserting new rows, columns, or cells, you will see the Insert Options button by the
inserted cells. This button allows you to choose how Excel formats them. By default, Excel formats
inserted rows with the same formatting as the cells in the row above them. To access more options, hover
your mouse over the Insert Options button and click on the drop-down arrow that appears.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=4]To Insert Columns:
Select the column to the right of where you want the new column to appear. For
example, if you want to insert a column between A and B, select column B.
Click the Insert command on the Home tab.
The new column appears in your worksheet.
By default, Excel formats inserted columns with the same formatting as the column to the left
of them. To access more options, hover your mouse over the Insert Options button and
click on the drop-down arrow that appears.
When inserting rows and columns, make sure you select the row or column by clicking on its
heading so that all the cells in that row or column are selected. If you select just a cell in the
row or column then only a new cell will be inserted.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=4]To Delete Rows:
Select the rows you want to delete.
Click the Delete command on the Home tab.
The rows are deleted from your worksheet.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=4]To Delete Columns:
Select the columns you want to delete.
Click the Delete command on the Home tab.
The columns are deleted from your worksheet.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=3]Wrapping Text and Merging Cells
If a cell contains more text than can be displayed, you can choose to wrap the text within the cell
or merge the cell with empty, adjoining cells. Wrap text to make it display on multiple lines of
the cell. Merge cells to combine adjoining cells into one larger cell.
[h=2]Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
[h=4]To Wrap Text:
Select the cells with text you want to wrap.
Select the Wrap Text command on the Home tab.
The text in the selected cells will be wrapped in your worksheet.
If you change your mind, re-click the Wrap Text command to unwrap the text.
