1.2 Entering, Editing, and Managing Data
Learning Objectives
- Understand how to enter data into a worksheet.
- Examine how to edit data in a worksheet.
- Examine how Auto Fill is used when entering data.
- Understand how to delete data from a worksheet and use the Undo command.
- Examine how to adjust column widths and row heights in a worksheet.
- Understand how to hide columns and rows in a worksheet.
- Examine how to insert columns and rows into a worksheet.
- Understand how to delete columns and rows from a worksheet.
- Learn how to move data to different locations in a worksheet.
In this section, we will begin the development of the workbook shown in Figure 1.1. The skills covered in this section are typically used in the early stages of developing one or more worksheets in a workbook.
Entering Data
You will begin building the workbook shown in Figure 1.1 by manually entering data into the worksheet. The following steps explain how the column headings in Row 2 are typed into the worksheet:
- Click cell location A2 on the worksheet.
- Type the word Month.
- Press the RIGHT ARROW key. This will enter the word into cell A2 and activate the next cell to the right.
- Type Unit Sales and press the RIGHT ARROW key.
- Repeat step 4 for the words Average Price and then again for Sales Dollars.
Figure 1.15 shows how your worksheet should appear after you have typed the column headings into Row 2. Notice that the word Price in cell location C2 is not visible. This is because the column is too narrow to fit the entry you typed. We will examine formatting techniques to correct this problem in the next section.
Integrity Check
Column Headings
It is critical to include column headings that accurately describe the data in each column of a worksheet. In professional environments, you will likely be sharing Excel workbooks with coworkers. Good column headings reduce the chance of someone misinterpreting the data contained in a worksheet, which could lead to costly errors depending on your career.
- Click cell B3.
- Type the number 2670 and press the ENTER key. After you press the ENTER key, cell B4 will be activated. Using the ENTER key is an efficient way to enter data vertically down a column.
- Enter the following numbers in cells B4 through B14: 2160, 515, 590, 1030, 2875, 2700, 900, 775, 1180, 1800, and 4560.
- Click cell C3.
- Type the number 9.99 and press the ENTER key.
- Enter the following numbers in cells C4 through C14: 12.49, 14.99, 17.49, 14.99, 12.49, 9.99, 19.99, 19.99, 19.99, 17.49, and 14.99.
- Click cell D3.
- Type the number 26685 and press the ENTER key.
- Enter the following numbers in cells D4 through D14: 26937, 7701, 10269, 15405, 35916, 26937, 17958, 15708, 23562, 31416, and 75125.
- When finished, check that the data you entered matches Figure 1.16.
Why?
Avoid Formatting Symbols When Entering Numbers
When typing numbers into an Excel worksheet, it is best to avoid adding any formatting symbols such as dollar signs and commas. Altho