Inserting a Row

Having inserted a few columns, we are in danger of forgetting what the data represent. We would like some labels across the top of the columns, and to achieve this we will need to insert a row across the top of the columns.

Your spreadsheet looks like this. We want to insert a single row above the first row of data.

Use Ctrl-Home to go to the top-left cell, known to amateurs as "The cell ay-one", although I urge you not to call it that.

From the menu system choose Insert, Rows (Alt-I, R) and a fresh empty row appears above your data columns.

Your data have been shunted one row down.

(So for the first time you see the danger of thinking of your data in terms of "Cell Ay-One", your data no longer starts in "Cell Ay-One")

In the top-left cell, type the four characters "Date", without the quotes, and tap the Right-Arrow key. The cell pointer (the selected cell, if you will) should jump one cell to the right.

In the current cell, type the characters "Weekday", without the quotes, and tap the Right-Arrow key.

In the current cell, type the characters "Weight", without the quotes, and tap the Right-Arrow key.

There are many ways of keying in data, and Excel will help you in automating the task, but for now, note that tapping the arrow keys to move to the "next cell" (be it to the right, left, up or down) is more efficient than tapping the Enter key and THEN tapping an arrow key!

CGreaves@ChrisGreaves.com

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