Section 6.1. Controlling Your View | Excel 2007 for Starters. The Missing Manual

6.1. Controlling Your View

So far, most of the worksheets in this book have included only a small amount of data. But as you cram your worksheets with dozens of columns , and hundreds or even thousands of rows, editing becomes much trickier. The most challenging problems are keeping track of where you are in an ocean of information and making sure the data you want stays visible. Double that if you have multiple large worksheets in one workbook.

The following sections introduce the basic tools you can use to view your data, along with a few tips for managing large worksheets.

6.1.1. Zooming

Excel's zoom feature lets you control how much data you'll see in the window. When you reduce the zoom percentagesay from 100 percent to 10 percentExcel shrinks your individual cells , letting you see more of them at once, which also makes it harder to read the data. Very small zoom percentages are ideal for looking at the overall layout of a worksheet. When you increase the zoom percentagesay from 100 percent to 200 percentExcel magnifies your cells, letting you see more detail but fewer cells. Larger zoom percentages are good for editing.

Note: Excel lets you zoom in to 400 percent and out all the way to 10 percent.

You can most easily adjust the zoom percent by using the zoom slider in the bottom-right part of the status bar. The zoom slide also displays the current zoom percentage. But if you want to specify the exact zoom percentage by hand (say, 142 percent), then you can choose View Zoom Zoom. A Zoom dialog box appears (Figure 6-1).

Figure 6-1. Left: Using the Zoom dialog box, you can select a preset zoom percentage or, in the Custom box, type in your own percentage.
Right: But using the Zoom slider is almost always faster than making frequent trips to the Zoom dialog box.

The standard zoom setting is 100 percent, although other factors like the size of the font you're using and the size and resolution of your computer screen help determine how many cells fit into Excel's window. As a rule of thumb, every time you double the zoom, Excel cuts in half the number of rows you can see. Thus, if you can see 20 rows at 100 percent, then you'll see 10 rows at 200 percent.

Note: Changing the zoom affects how your data appears in the Excel window, but it won't have any effect on how your data is printed or calculated.

You can also zoom in on a range of cells. When your data extends beyond the edges of your monitor, this handy option lets you shrink a portion to fit your screen. Conversely, if you've zoomed out to get a bird's eye view of all your data, and you want to swoop in on a particular section, Excel lets you expand a portion to fit your screen. To zoom in on a group of cells, first select some cells (Figure 6-2), and then choose View Zoom Zoom to Selection (Figure 6-3). (You can perform this same trick by highlighting some cells, opening the Zoom dialog box, and then choosing "Fit selection.") Make sure you select a large section of the worksheetif you select a small group, youll end up with a truly jumbo- sized zoom.

Figure 6-2. To magnify a range of cells, select them, as shown here, and then choose View Zoom Zoom to Selection to have Excel expand the range to fill the entire window, as shown in Figure 6-3.

Tip: If you're using a mouse with a scroll wheel, you can zoom with the wheel. Just hold down the Ctrl key, and roll the scroll wheel up (to zoom in) or down (to zoom out).

Figure 6-3. The zoom slider (lower-right corner) shows that Excel automatically zoomed your data from 57 percent (to 97 percent in this figure).

6.1.2. Viewing Distant Parts of a Spreadsheet at Once

Zooming is an excellent way to survey a large expanse of data or focus on just the important cells, but it won't help if you want to simultaneously view cells that aren't near each other. For example, if you want to focus on both row 1 and row 138 at the same time, then zooming won't help. Instead, try splitting your Excel window into multiple panes separate frames that each provide a different view of the same worksheet. You can split a worksheet into two or four panes, depending on how many different parts you want to see at once. When you split a worksheet, each pane contains an identical replica of the entire worksheet. When you make a change to the worksheet in one pane, Excel automatically applies the same change in the other panes. The beauty of panes is that you can look at different parts of the same worksheet at once.

You can split a window horizontally or vertically (or both). When you want to compare different rows in the same worksheet, use a horizontal split. To compare different columns in the same worksheet, use a vertical split. And if you want to be completely crazy and see four different parts of your worksheet at once, then you can use a horizontal and a vertical splitbut that's usually too confusing to be much help.

Excel gives you two ways to split the windows . Here's the easy way:

Find the splitter controls on the right side of the screen .

Figure 6-4 shows you where to find them.

Figure 6-4. Every Excel window contains both horizontal and vertical splitter controls.
Drag either control to split the window into two panes. As you drag, Excel displays a gray bar showing where it'll divide the window. Release the splitter control when you're happy with the layout. (At this point, you don't need to worry about whether you can actually view the data you want to compare; you're simply splitting up the window.)

If you want to split the window into an upper and lower portion, drag the horizontal control down to the location where you want to split the window.

If you want to split the window into a left and right portion, drag the vertical control leftwardsto the location where you want to split the window.

Note: If for any reason you do want to split the window into four panes, use both controls. The order you follow isn't important.

If you don't like the layout you've created, simply move the splitter bars by dragging them just as you did before.
Within each pane, scroll to the cells you want to see .

For example, if you have a 100-row table that you split horizontally in order to compare the top five rows and the bottom five, scroll to the top of the upper pane, and then scroll to the bottom of the lower pane. (Again, the two panes are replicas of each other; Excel is just showing you different parts of the same worksheet.)

Using the scroll bars in panes can take some getting used to. When the window is split in two panes, Excel synchronizes scrolling between both panes in one direction . For example, if you split the window into top and bottom halves , Excel gives you just one horizontal scroll bar (at the bottom of the screen), which controls both panes (Figure 6-5). Thus, when you scroll to the left or right, Excel moves both panes horizontally. On the other hand, Excel gives you separate vertical scroll bars for each pane, letting you independently move up and down within each pane.

Tip: If you want the data in one panefor example, column titlesto remain in place, you can freeze that pane. The next section tells you how.

The reverse is true with a vertical split; in this case, you get one vertical scroll bar and two horizontal bars, and Excel synchronizes both panes when you move up or down. With four panes, life gets a little more complicated. In this case, when you scroll left or right, the frame that's just above or just below the current frame moves, too. When you scroll up or down, the frame that's to the left or to the right moves with you. Try it out.

Figure 6-5. Here you can see the data in rows 1 through 6 and rows 709 through 715 at the same time. As you move from column to column, both panes move in sync, letting you see, for instance, the phone number information in both panes at once. (You can scroll up or down separately in each pane.)

Note: If you want to remove your panes, then just drag the splitter bars back to the edges of the window, or double-click it.

You can also create panes by using the ribbon command View Window Split. When you do, Excel carves the window into four equal panes. You can change the pane sizes as described above, or use View Window Split again to return to normal.

Note: If you use Excel's worksheet navigation toolslike the Go To and Find commands all your panes move to the newly found spot. For example, if you use the Find command in one pane to scroll to a new cell, the other panes display the same cell .

GEM IN THE ROUGH
Filling the Screen with Cells

If you really want to see the maximum number of cells at once, Excel provides a little-known feature that strips away the ribbon, the formula bar, and all other extraneous screen elements, making more room for cells. To make the switch, choose View Workbook View Full Screen. To return things to the way they were, right-click anywhere on the worksheet grid, and then choose Close Full Screen.

Most people find that Full Screen mode is just a little too drastic. Another good option is to collapse the ribbon, which reclaims a significant portion of screen real estate. To do so, in the ribbon, double-click any tab title. Excel hides the ribbon surface, but leaves just the tab titles above your worksheet. Even when the ribbon is collapsed, you can still use itjust click a tab title (which pops that tab back into view), and then click the command you want. The ribbon disappears again as soon as you're done. If you're an unredeemed keyboard lover, then you can use the ribbon in the same way whether it's collapsed or expanded. Just press Alt, and then follow the KeyTips (Section 3.2.2). And if you get tired of the collapsed ribbon, you can double-click any tab title or press Ctrl+F1 to show the full ribbon once again.

6.1.3. Freezing Columns or Rows

Excel has another neat trick up its sleeve to help you manage large worksheets: freezing . Freezing is a simpler way to make sure a specific set of rows or columns remains visible at all times. When you freeze data, it remains fixed in place in the Excel window, even as you move to another location in the worksheet in a different pane. For example, say you want to keep visible the first row that contains column titles. When you freeze that row, you can always tell what's in each columneven when you've scrolled down several screenfuls. Similarly, if your first column holds identifying labels, you may want to freeze it so that when you scroll off to the right, you don't lose track of what you're looking at.

Tip: Excel lets you print out worksheets with a particular row or column fixed in place. Section 6.2.5.3 tells you how.

You can freeze rows at the top of your worksheet, or columns at the left of your worksheet, but Excel does limit your freezing options in a few ways:

You can freeze rows or columns only in groups . That means you can't freeze column A and C without freezing column B. (You can, of course, freeze just one row or column.)
Freezing always starts at column A (if you're freezing columns) or row 1 (if you're freezing rows) . That means that if you freeze row 13, Excel also freezes all the rows above it (1 through 12) at the top of your worksheet.
If a row or column isn't visible and you freeze it, you can't see it until you unfreeze it . For example, if you scroll down so that row 100 appears at the top of the worksheet grid, and then freeze the top 100 rows, you can't see rows 1 to 99 anymore. This may be the effect you want, or it may be a major annoyance.

Note: As far as Excel is concerned , frozen rows and columns are a variation on panes (described earlier). When you freeze data, Excel creates a vertical pane for columns or a horizontal pane for rows. It then fixes that pane so you can't scroll through it.

To freeze a row or set of rows at the top of your worksheet, just follow these steps:

Make sure the row or rows you want to freeze are visible and at the top of your worksheet .

For example, if you want to freeze rows 2 and 3 in place, make sure they're visible at the top of your worksheet. Remember, rows are frozen starting at row 1. That means that if you scroll down so that row 1 isn't visible, and you freeze row 2 and row 3 at the top of your worksheet, then Excel also freezes row 1and keeps it hidden so you can't scroll up to see it.
Move to the first row you want unfrozen , and then move left to column A .

At this point, you're getting into position so that Excel knows where to create the freeze.
Select View Freeze Panes Freeze Panes .

Excel splits the worksheet, but instead of displaying a gray bar (as it does when you create panes), it uses a solid black line to divide the frozen rows from the rest of the worksheet. As you scroll down the worksheet, the frozen rows remain in place.

To unfreeze the rows, just select View Freeze Panes Unfreeze Panes.

Freezing columns works the same way:

Make sure the column or columns you want to freeze are visible and at the left of your worksheet .

For example, if you want to freeze columns B and C in place, make sure they're visible at the edge of your worksheet. Remember, columns are frozen starting at column A. That means that if you scroll over so that column A isn't visible, and you freeze columns B and C on the left side of your worksheet, Excel also freezes column Aand keeps it hidden so you can't scroll over to see it.
Move to the first column you want unfrozen , and then move up to row 1 .

At this point, you're getting into position so that Excel knows where to create the freeze.
Select View Freeze Panes Freeze Panes .

Excel splits the worksheet, but instead of displaying a gray bar (as it does when you create panes), Excel uses a solid black line to divide the frozen columns from the rest of the worksheet. As you scroll across the worksheet, the frozen columns remain in place.

To unfreeze the columns, select View Freeze Panes Unfreeze Panes.

Tip: If you're freezing just the first row or the leftmost column, then there's no need to go through this whole process. Instead, you can use the handy View

Freeze Panes

Freeze Top Row or View

Freeze Panes

Freeze First Column.

Figure 6-6. Here, both column A and row 1 are frozen, and thus always remain visible. The easiest way to create these frozen regions is to scroll to the top of the worksheet, position the active cell at B2, and choose View Freeze Panes Freeze Panes. Excel then automatically freezes the rows above and the columns to the left in separate panes.

Tip: You can also create a horizontal or vertical pane by using one of the splitter bars, and then freezing that pane. Just drag the splitter bar to the appropriate position, and select View

Freeze Panes

Freeze Panes.

6.1.4. Hiding Data

In some cases your problem isn't that you need to keep data visible, but that you need to hide it. For example, say you have a column of numbers that you need only for a calculation but don't want to see when you edit or print the sheet. Excel provides the perfect solution: hiding rows and columns. Hiding doesn't delete information, it just temporarily tucks it out of view. You can restore hidden information any time you need it.

Technically, hiding a row or column is just a special type of resizing. When you instruct Excel to hide a column, it simply shrinks the column down to a width of 0. Similarly, when you hide a row, Excel compresses the row height.

You can hide data a few ways:

To hide a column, right-click the column header (the letter button on the top of the column), and then choose Hide. Or, put your cursor in any row in that column, and then select Home Cells Format Hide & Unhide Hide Columns.
To hide a row, right-click the row header (the number button at the left of the row), and then choose Hide. Or, put your cursor in any column in that row, and then select Home Cells Format Hide & Unhide Hide Rows.
To hide multiple rows or columns, just select all the ones you want to disappear before choosing Hide.

To unhide a column or row, select the range that includes the hidden cells. For example, if you hid column B, select columns A and C by dragging over the numeric row headers. Then choose Home Cells Format Hide & Unhide Unhide Columns (or Unhide Rows). Or just right-click the selection, and then choose Unhide. Either way, Excel makes the missing columns or rows visible and then highlights them so you can see which information youve restored.

Tip: To unhide all columns (or rows) in a worksheet, select the entire worksheet (by clicking the square in the top-left corner of the grid), and then select Home

Cells

Format

Hide & Unhide

Unhide Columns (or Unhide Rows).

Figure 6-7. This worksheet jumps directly from column A to column O, which tells you that B through N are hidden.

6.1.5. Saving View Settings

If you regularly tweak things like the zoom, visible columns, and the number of panes, you can easily spend more time adjusting your worksheet than editing it. Fortunately, Excel lets you save your view settings with custom views . Custom views let you save a combination of view settings in a workbook. You can store as many custom views as you want. When you want to use a particular view you've created, simply select it from a list and Excel applies your settings.

Custom views are particularly useful when you frequently switch views for different tasks , like editing and printing. For example, if you like to edit with several panes open and all your data visible, but you like to print your data in one pane with some columns hidden, custom views let you quickly switch between the two layouts.

Note: You can't save a custom view for one worksheet and apply it to another.

Custom views can save the following settings:

The location of the active cell. (In other words, your position in the worksheet. For example, if you've scrolled to the bottom of a 65,000-row spreadsheet, then the custom view returns you to the active cell in a hurry.)
The currently selected cell (or cells).
Column widths and row heights, including hidden columns and rows.
Frozen panes (Section 6.1.3).
View settings, like the zoom percentage, which you set using the ribbon's View tab.
Print settings, like the page margins.
Filter settings, which affect what information Excel shows in a data list (see Chapter 8).

To create a custom view, follow these steps:

Adjust an open worksheet for your viewing pleasure .

Set the zoom, hide or freeze columns and rows, and move to the place in the worksheet where you want to edit.
Choose View Workbook Views Custom View .

The Custom Views dialog box appears, showing you a list of all the views defined for this workbook. If you haven't created any yet, this list is empty.
Click the Add button .

The Add View dialog box appears.
Type in a name for your custom view .

You can use any name, but consider something that'll remind you of your view settings (like "50 percent Zoom"), or the task that this view is designed for (like "All Data at a Glance"). A poor choice is one that won't mean anything to you later ("View One" or "Zoom with a View").

The Add View dialog box also gives you the chance to specify print settings or hidden rows and columns that Excel shouldn't save as part of the view. Turn off the appropriate checkboxes if you don't want to retain this information. Say you hide column A, but you clear the "Hidden rows, columns, and filter settings" checkbox because you don't want to save this as part of the view. The next time you restore the view, Excel won't make any changes to the visibility of column A. If it's hidden, it stays hidden; if it's visible, it stays visible. On the other hand, if you want column A to always be hidden when you apply your new custom view, then keep the "Hidden rows, columns, and filter settings" checkbox turned on when you save it.

After you've typed your view name and dealt with the inclusion settings, click OK to create your new view. Excel adds your view to the list.
Click Close .

You're now ready to use your shiny new view or add another (readjust your settings and follow this procedure again).

Applying your views is a snap. Simply select View Workbook Views Custom Views to return to the Custom Views dialog box (Figure 6-8), and then select your view from the list and click Show. Because Excel stores views with the workbook, theyll always be available when you open the file, even if you take that file to another computer.

Figure 6-8. You can use this dialog box to show or delete existing views or to create new ones (click Add, and then follow the procedure from step 4, above).

Tip: For some examples of custom views in action, visit this book's "Missing CD" page at www.missingmanuals.com and download CustomViews.xls, a sample spreadsheet with an array of custom views already set up.