Locking Row and Column Titles Onscreen

Again, suppose that you're working in a spreadsheet containing a lot of data. You find, as you scroll around the spreadsheet, that you can't remember what row or column you're viewing. In cases like this one, lock the rows or columns containing labels onscreen so that you always view them. For example, suppose that I want to always view Row 2 as I scroll down the spreadsheet shown in Figure 4.18. I will lock Rows 1 and 2 onscreen so that they are always visible.

Figure 4.18. To lock rows or columns onscreen, place the cell selector in the top left cell of the spreadsheet that you want to be able to see when you scroll.

Tip

You also can right-click the selection and then click Reveal from the menu that appears to redisplay hidden rows or columns.

When you lock rows or columns, Quattro Pro locks the rows above the cell selector and the columns to the left of the cell selector. Therefore, position the cell selector in the cell below and to the right of the area that you want to lock onscreen. To lock Rows 1 and 2 without locking any columns, I placed the cell selector in cell A3. Then, open the View menu and click Locked Titles. Quattro Pro draws a blue line onscreen to separate the locked region from the region that will continue to scroll as you move around the spreadsheet. Notice, in Figure 4.19, the gap between Row 2 and Row 45; I scrolled down, but Rows 1 and 2 remain onscreen.

Figure 4.19. The blue line below row 2 indicates that rows 1 and 2 are permanent fixtures onscreen.

You can only lock rows or columns in Draft view, and when you lock rows or columns, Quattro Pro actually locks both simultaneously. Therefore, make sure that you position the cell selector properly.

To unlock rows and columns, just open the View menu and click Locked Titles; the position of the cell selector doesn't matter.

The Absolute Minimum

In this chapter, you learned how to perform some commonly used editing techniques in a spreadsheet.

• You learned techniques that you can use to move and copy information from one location to another in a spreadsheet.

• I showed you how to change the shape of your spreadsheet by inserting, deleting, hiding, and redisplaying columns and rows.

• I showed you how to lock a set of rows and columns onscreen, a technique that is particularly useful when you have a spreadsheet that extends beyond the visible rows and columns onscreen. By locking rows or columns, you can always identify the information you're viewing or entering.

In the next chapter, you'll explore a few more editing techniques that I believe you'll use on a regular basis.