copying and moving data
Auto fill
When hovered over the main body of the spreadsheet, the mouse normally appears n the screen as a white cross.
If the mouse is hovered over the bottom right corner of a cell, the white cross changes into a black cross. This is the Auto fill cross, which can be used to copy and increment data,
When the white cross has changed to a black cross, click and drag across the columns or down the rows to copy/or increment data. For example, cell A1 may contain the label Week1. Using the Auto fill on the cell will copy the text and increment the value, so that the labels Week2, Week3 and Week4 appear.
The Auto fill can also be used for Dates, Values, days of the Week and Month of the Year:
Creating a Customised Auto fill list
It is also possible to create your own Auto fill lists:
- Click on the Tools menu and select Options
- Click on the Custom Lists tab
- Type in your new list in the List Entries box, pressing Enter after each entry
- Click on Add, then OK
Lists of data can also be imported from elsewhere by clicking on the red arrow in the import list from cells box and selecting the new list, then clicking on the red arrow again. Finially click on the import button:
Exercise
Create your own Auto fill list, e.g. list of colleagues’ names or departments in your organisation
Copying Data
There are many ways to copy data. Whichever is chosen, the data to copy must always be selected first by clicking and dragging with the mouse, from the top left cell to the bottom tight cell.
Having selected data to be copied:
Method 1
Click on the Edit menu and select Copy
Click on the cell where the data is to be copied to
Click on the Edit menu and select Paste
Method 2
Right click over the selected data and select Copy
Click on the cell where the data is to be copied to
Right click and select Paste
Method 3
Press Ctrl and C to Copy
Click on the cell where the data is to be copied to
Press Ctrl and V to Paste
Method 4
Hover the mouse over one of the borders of the selected text until the mouse pointer changes into a white arrow.
Hold down the Ctrl key (a small cross appears), then click and drag to the position where the copied data is to be located, then release the mouse button.
Moving Data
Follow any of the above methods, choosing the Cut option rather than the Copy option in each case.
If Method 4 is used to move data, the Ctrl key is not required - just click and drag with the white arrow.
Exercise
Move and copy a cell range within your spreadsheet, using whichever method you prefer.
Copy another range of cells to Sheet2
Deleting Data
To delete the contents of a cell:
Select the cell(s) whose contents you wish to delete
Press the Delete key on the keyboard, or click on the Edit menu then Delete.
If the second method is chosen, you will be asked to choose from one of the following options:
Then click on OK.
To clear formats from a cell or cell range:
Select the relevant cell(s)
Click on the Edit menu then on Clear
To delete just the formatting in the cell(s), select the Formats option
If you wish to clear all from the cell(s), i.e. contents and formats, select the All option.
