subject: Selecting Cell Ranges In Excel 2007 [print this page] If you work with formulas or do any type of formatting within your Excel 2007 worksheet, you'll need to select ranges of cells. There are several ways to include cell ranges, and there's no requirement that cell ranges be contiguous for calculations, formatting or use in formulas.
Range coordinates are used to indicate the cells that should be used in a formula or selected for a particular operation. In general, the range coordinate consists of two cell identifiers. The first range coordinate identifies the cell at the upper left side of the range you want to use. The other range coordinate identifies the cell at the lower right of the range. Range coordinates of A1:E5 would contain the first five rows of cells in columns A through E on an Excel worksheet. Range coordinates are always separated by a colon (:).
To select a range within Excel, you can use either your mouse or keyboard. Using the mouse, you can simply click and drag over the range of cells you want to include. This method works if your desired cells are contiguous. If your desired cells are not contiguous, hold down the Ctrl key and click your starting cell. Drag across the cells you want to use. Release the mouse button, but keep the Ctrl key depressed. Click and drag any other cells you want to use, or highlight individual cells. When all of the cells you want to include have been selected, release the Ctrl key.
If you want to select an entire column or row, click the column or row header. You can also select multiple columns and rows using this method. Be careful about using this technique if you want to apply formatting to each cell, since you can apply formatting to empty cells as well. The inclusion of empty cells in formatting commands may increase Notes for editors: Claire Jarrett is the managing director of Computer Training Solutions in Bristol, Solihull and Bracknell. Computer Training Solutions offer MS Excel Courses call 0800 019 6882 for more details.
