Section C.9. Window Menu

C.9. Window Menu

The Window menu is designed primarily for helping you work with multiple open Excel documents at once. It also has some features that let you view the same workbook from different vantage points simultaneously . Finally, at the bottom of the Window menu is a list of open documents. To switch from one window to the next , just choose the workbook you want to see from this list.

C.9.1. New Window

This command creates a new window that shows the current document. In other words, you'll end up with two separate windows that you can use for editing the same file. This technique (although a little confusing) can be handy if you want to edit data that's in different parts of a large worksheet or on different workbooks. However, the Window Split command provides an easier technique that solves the same problem.

C.9.2. Arrange

The Arrange Windows dialog box (Window Arrange) lets you arrange all the open Excel windows in the main Excel window. For example, you can choose to tile them so they all appear in adjacent rectangles, or you can choose to cascade them so the windows are layered one over the other. For an easier way to look at just two documents at once, consider the Window Compare Side by Side with menu command instead.

C.9.3. Compare Side by Side with

Use this command to view two windows side-by-side in the main Excel window. If you have only one document open, this command isn't available. If you have more than two documents open, when you use this command, Excel asks you which document you wish to see. It then tiles the current window and the window you selected in the main Excel window, so you can see both at once.

C.9.4. Hide

Use this command to hide the current window. Excel will still prompt you to save the file (if it has unsaved changes) when you exit Excel, but you won't see it in the taskbar or the list of open documents in the Windows menu. To reveal a hidden document, choose Window Unhide.

C.9.5. Unhide

Use this command to unhide one of the hidden windows (you can hide windows with the Window Hide command). When you use this command, Excel shows a list of all the hidden windows. Select the one you want to show, and click OK.

C.9.6. Split

The Split command splits your worksheet into four separate panes, letting you see different parts of a large worksheet at once. However, the scrolling behavior for split windows can be a little quirky. To learn how it works, see Chapter 6. You can use Window Remove Split to get back to normal.

C.9.7. Freeze Panes

This command freezes all the rows that are above the current cell, and all the columns that are to the left of the current cell . Frozen rows and columns remain visible, even as you scroll down or to the right of your worksheet. For more information, see Section 6.1.3 (Chapter 6). You can use Window Unfreeze Panes to return to normal.