Spreadsheets
Unit 1
Column Width & Selecting Cells
Column width
• You will see that most of the data in
column A of the spreadsheet below is too
long to fit in the current width of the
column.
• For example, though the first entry is
“Adams, Brian” not all of the name is
visible. However, it is easy to correct this
problem by widening the column.
• There are several methods of adjusting
column widths in Excel and we describe
two of them below.
Column width
Alter a column width - method 1
• To make a column wider or narrower:
• 1. Move the mouse to the border between
the letter of the column you want to adjust
and the letter to its right.
• 2. The cursor changes as shown.
• 3. Click and hold down the left mouse
button.
• 4. Drag the mouse to the right to widen the
column and to the left to make it narrower.
• 5. Release the mouse button when the
column is at the correct width.
Method 2
• If you want to make a column just wide enough
to display all of the contents of every cell in the
column:
• 1. Move the mouse to the border between the
letter of the column you want to adjust and the
letter to its right.
• 2. The cursor changes as shown.
• 3. Double click the left mouse button. The column
width will be automatically set to the correct width.
Selecting cells
• There will be many occasions when you need to
perform the same action on a block of cells
rather than just a single cell.
• For example, you might want to format a column
of figures to show two decimal places, or you
might want to change the font for a group of cells
in a worksheet, or perhaps you need to move a
group of cells to a different location on the
worksheet.
• There are several methods of selecting groups,
or ranges, of cells in Excel.
Select a single cell
• To select a single cell prior to performing
some action on the contents of the cell:
• 1. Position the mouse pointer over the
cell or on its border.
• 2. Click the left button of the mouse.
The border of the cell will turn dark to show
that it has been selected.
Select a row of cells
• To select a complete row of cells prior to
performing some action on the contents of
the cells in the row:
• 1. Position the mouse over the row number.
• 2 Click the left button of the mouse.
The complete row of cells will be highlighted
to show that it has been selected.
Select a column of cells
• To select a complete column of cells prior to
performing some action on the contents of
the cells in the row:
• 1. Position the mouse over the column letter.
• 2 Click the left button of the mouse.
The column of cells will be highlighted
to show that it has been selected.
Select a rectangular group of cells.
• To select a rectangular group of cells:
• 1. Position the mouse pointer over the cell
in one corner of the rectangular group of
cells.
• 2. Click and hold down the left mouse
button.
• 3. Drag the mouse to the opposite
diagonal corner.
• 4. Release the mouse button.
A rectangular group of cells will become
highlighted.
Select the complete worksheet
• To select all cells
in a worksheet:
• 1. Position the
mouse pointer over
the blank square at
the corner of the
worksheet.
• 2 Click the left
button of the
mouse.
The complete worksheet will be highlighted
to show that it has been selected.
Cancel a selection of cells in a
worksheet
• To cancel a selection of cells:
• Click with the mouse over any cell in the
worksheet.
• Only the clicked cell will be selected.