Spreadsheet what is a cell

When a cell reference is used, if the data in cell G5 changes, the formula in cell D1 also changes. By default, all cells in a worksheet use the same formatting, but this makes large worksheets containing lots of data difficult to read. Formatting a worksheet draws attention to specific sections and makes data easier to read and understand.

Cell formatting involves making changes to the cell, such as changing the background color, adding borders, or aligning the data in the cell. In contrast, number formatting deals with the way numbers in the cells are displayed, for example, to reflect a currency or percent.

In both Excel and Google Sheets, when number formats are applied, the number that displays in the cell may differ from the number that is stored in the cell and used in calculations. When formatting changes are made to numbers in a cell, those changes affect the appearance of the number and not the number itself.

For example, if the number 5. When using formatted cells of data in calculations, the entire number, in this case, 5. A worksheet has an unlimited number of cells, so you don't need to add more to the sheet. But, you can add data inside the spreadsheet by adding a cell or group of cells between other cells. To add a cell to a worksheet:. Right-click or tap-and-hold the cell location where you want to add a cell.

This moves every cell in that direction one space and inserts a blank cell in the selected area. Select OK to insert the cell. If you select more than one cell, the program inserts that many cells into the worksheet. For example, highlight one cell to insert just one cell or highlight five cells to add five cells to that location. The cells move and blank cells are inserted. Individual cells and their contents can be deleted from a worksheet.

When this happens, cells and their data from either below or to the right of the deleted cell move to fill the gap. Highlight one or more cells to be deleted. Right-click the selected cells and choose Delete. In a spreadsheet, a cell range is defined by the reference of the upper left cell minimum value of the range and the reference of the lower right cell maximum value of the range.

Eventually separate cells can be added to this selection, then the range is called an irregular cell range. In Excel, the minimum and maximum value are included. A symmetrical cell range can appear as below. Unlike copying and pasting, which duplicates cell content, cutting allows you to move content between cells.

Instead of cutting, copying, and pasting, you can drag and drop cells to move their contents. If you're copying cell content to adjacent cells in the same row or column, the fill handle is a good alternative to the copy and paste commands. The fill handle can also be used to continue a series. Whenever the content of a row or column follows a sequential order, like numbers 1, 2, 3 or days Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday , the fill handle can guess what should come next in the series.

In most cases, you will need to select multiple cells before using the fill handle to help Excel determine the series order. Let's take a look at an example:. You can also double-click the fill handle instead of clicking and dragging. This can be useful with larger spreadsheets, where clicking and dragging may be awkward.

The cell address will also appear in the Name box. Note that a cell's column and row headings are highlighted when the cell is selected. You can also select multiple cells at the same time. A group of cells is known as a cell range. Rather than a single cell address, you will refer to a cell range using the cell addresses of the first and last cells in the cell range, separated by a colon.

If the columns in your spreadsheet are labeled with numbers instead of letters, you'll need to change the default reference style for Excel. Review our Extra on What are Reference Styles? You can also select cells using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Any information you enter into a spreadsheet will be stored in a cell.

Each cell can contain different types of content , including text , formatting , formulas , and functions. You can use the Delete key on your keyboard to delete content from multiple cells at once. The Backspace key will only delete one cell at a time. There is an important difference between deleting the content of a cell and deleting the cell itself.

If you delete the entire cell, the cells below it will shift up and replace the deleted cells. Excel allows you to copy content that is already entered into your spreadsheet and paste that content to other cells, which can save you time and effort. Unlike copying and pasting, which duplicates cell content, cutting allows you to move content between cells.

You can also access additional paste options , which are especially convenient when working with cells that contain formulas or formatting.

Rather than choose commands from the Ribbon, you can access commands quickly by right-clicking. Simply select the cell s you want to format , then right-click the mouse. A drop-down menu will appear, where you'll find several commands that are also located on the Ribbon.

Rather than cutting, copying, and pasting, you can drag and drop cells to move their contents. There may be times when you need to copy the content of one cell to several other cells in your worksheet. You could copy and paste the content into each cell, but this method would be time consuming. Instead, you can use the fill handle to quickly copy and paste content to adjacent cells in the same row or column.