How to Insert, Delete and Edit Rows and Columns in Excel

 

In previous article we saw how to edit/delete individual cells. In this post,we will see how to insert/delete a row or column.

 - To insert a row, first select the row before which you want to add new row(s) by pressing Shift+Spacebar.  

Once the row is selected, use Alt+I+R to insert new row(s).

Insertrowsandcolumns12 How to Insert, Delete and Edit Rows and Columns in Excel

 

- Now, we will see how to insert a new column. First select the column before which you want to insert new column(s) by pressing Ctrl+Spacebar

- Once the column is selected, use Alt+I+C to insert new column(s).

Insertrowsandcolumns2 How to Insert, Delete and Edit Rows and Columns in Excel

 

Like mentioned in previous post, it is a bad practice to insert or delete individual cells as your entire worksheet can get disturbed. So always deal with entire rows or columns instead of individual cells.

Now, we will see how to delete entire row or column.

 

To delete a row or column, select the entire row (using Shift+Spacebar ) or column (using Ctrl+Spacebar ) and press ALT+E+D . ALT+E+D deletes the entire row or column.

Insertrowsandcolumns3 How to Insert, Delete and Edit Rows and Columns in Excel

 

Insertrowsandcolumns41 How to Insert, Delete and Edit Rows and Columns in Excel

So this is how we delete rows/columns.

 

Next very important key which we use very frequently while working in investment banking is F4 key. What F4 key does is, it repeats the last action that you performed.  

 

For example, if you have deleted any column using ALT+E+D, and again you want to delete some more columns, then you just need to press F4 key to repeat the delete action.

 

So, these were the shortcut keys to insert/delete rows and columns in excel. Now, we will proceed with the sample exercise. As always, try doing this exercise with the shortcut keys mentioned above.

Sample Exercise

1. Create an excel sheet with data on similar lines given in the sceen shots. Delete the extra rows and columns.

2. Insert a new customer row before an existing customer.

3. Insert new column Order Date before column Product Type.

Become Excel and financial modeling expert.

 

How to Edit and Delete Cells in Excel

This is third post in the series, Excel for Finance Professionals. In this post, we will see how to edit individual cells in excel.

First,we will see how to edit/delete individual cells.

To insert individual cell, press Ctrl+Shift+Plus keys.

editanddeletecells1 How to Edit and Delete Cells in Excel

 

editanddeletecells2 How to Edit and Delete Cells in Excel

Please note that even though this shortcut can be useful at times, one should avoid using it because it changes the cell alignment in excel. Instead, one should keep the practice of adding entire rows or columns instead of individual cells.

To edit a particular cell, press F2 key. If the cell contains more than one word, then you can use the combination of Ctrl+Arrow keys to skip the words in the cell.

For example, if there are two words “Pune City” in a cell and if you press Ctrl+Left arrow key near the word “City”, then the control skips the word “City” and goes to previous word i.e. “Pune”. 

- While editing a cell, Ctrl+Shift+Arrow keys highlight the word in the cell.

 

editanddeletecells3 How to Edit and Delete Cells in Excel

- We can add a new line in a cell by using Alt+Enter.

editanddeletecells4 How to Edit and Delete Cells in Excel

 

- To delete the contents of a cell, just go to the cell and press Del key.

 

Note: NEVER use backspace key for deleting as it creates unnecessary white spaces and distortions.

 

However, you can use backspace key to delete individual text but not entire cell.

Another way to delete the cell contents is simply press F2 key to get the cell in editable more and then delete whatever is required. 

 

So these were the shortcuts to edit/delete cells.

 

Now try solving the sample exercise using the keys mentioned above. 

 

Now try this:

1. Create an excel sheet with some data, go to any particular row, go to any cell in that row and try modifying data in that cell. For example, in first row, modify the Product Quantity to 20 instead of 10.

2. Go to the Customer name in the excel sheet, delete one Industry  and enter some new industry name there.

Become Excel Expert

 

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