Selecting ranges, rows and columns

Module 2 of 11 Spreadsheet in your browser

Shortcut drill What you'll do

Intro

Select cells, columns, rows and whole tables from the keyboard.

Hold Shift while you move to select. Shift+Space picks a row, Ctrl+Space a column, Ctrl+A the table.

This lesson is about keyboard shortcuts, so it needs a computer with a keyboard.

Type to enter a value or a formula starting with =. F2 edits, F4 adds $ to a reference.

Study notes

In a bit more detail

How does Shift select?

Hold Shift while you move and the selection stretches from where you started. Shift+↓ adds one row at a time.
How do I select to the end of the data?

Ctrl+Shift+Arrow is Ctrl+Arrow with Shift held: it selects all the way to the edge of the data. Do it once down and once across to select a whole block.
How do I select a whole row or column?

Shift+Space selects the row the cursor is in. Ctrl+Space selects the column.
What does Ctrl+A select?

The block of data around the cursor, headers included. Press it again to select the whole sheet.
Why select at all?

A selection is what most commands work on: copy, fill, format, sort. And the status bar under the grid shows its Sum, Count and Average without a formula.

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