Unit 5.  Manipulating cells (V).

We are going to look at the different techniques availible at the time of moving or displacing cells within a worksheet in order to use the most suitable option according to the operation to perform.

Move cells using the clipboard

The move operation displaces a cell or range of cells to another position. When we use the clipboard the Cut and Paste operations come into play. The Cut operation displaces the selected cells to the Windows clipboard, and the Paste copies the information from the clipboard to where we find ourselves situated.

To move the cells to another position, follow these next steps:

Select the cells to move.

Select the Edit menu, and then the Cut option. If this does not appear, first situate yourself over the button to enlarge the menu.

Or, click on the Cut button on the toolbar.

Observe how a mark line appears around the copied cells indicating to us that the information is situated in the clipboard.

Next select the cells where we want the cut cells to be situated (no need to select the entire range, as when one cell is selected Excel2003 extends and adjusts the paste area to alike the cut area. The selected cell will be the upper left corner of the paste area).

Select the Edit menu, and then the Paste option. If this does not appear, first situate yourself over the button to enlarge the menu.

Or, click on the Paste button on the toolbar.

Be carefull when pasting cells over others that are not empty as the contents of these will be erased, we can not use the paste special seen in the previous theme.

The relative references found in the associated formula will also not be edited to the cell we are moving to.

Move cells using the mouse.

To displace a range of cells to a new position within the same sheet without using the clipboard, follow these next steps:

Select the cells to move.

Situate yourself on the edge of the selection.

The mouse pointer will convert to a white arrow pointing left and a cross with 4 points, seen here:.

Clic and maintain on the mouse, and drag to where you want to move the range.

Observe how a box appears, indicating to us where the range will be situated if we release the mouse button.

Release the mouse button when you are in the area where you want the range copied to.

If we want to move a range to another sheet we can follow these next steps:

Select the cells to move.

Situate yourself on the edge of the selection.

The mouse pointer will convert to a white arrow pointing left and a cross with 4 points, seen here:

Clic and maintain on the mouse and depress the ALT key, then move the pointer over the tab of the sheet to which you want to move the selected range of cells, you will see how this sheet becomes the active sheet.

Once situated in the sheet release the ALT key.

After this release the mouse when you are situated in the are where you choose to leave the cells.

To practise these operations we recommend you to perform the Moving cells exercise.

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