Editing with the Keyboard

When you click a cell that already contains data, pressing virtually any key on your keyboard temporarily replaces your content with the character or code associated with the key pressed. In your use of Excel, you’ll find that you can use this feature to your own benefit (for intentional replacements) or in error (by pressing a key accidentally). To familiarize yourself with the keys that will edit your cell content, review the following:

• Alphanumeric keys (all the letters of the alphabet, the numbers 0 through 9, and all symbols and punctuation) will, when pressed, replace your selected cell content.

• The numeric keypad (active if Num Lock is on) will replace your content with numbers and mathematical symbols (/ * - + .).

• The spacebar will replace selected cell content with a space.

Editing a Group of Cells

You also can edit a group of selected cells, whether in a single block or a group of two or more noncontiguous selections. This enables you to edit several cells quickly, saving you the time of selecting and editing each cell individually.

To edit a group of selected cells, follow these steps:

1.	Select the group of cells you want to edit. If the cells are noncontiguous, hold down the Ctrl key as you drag over them to add them to the selection.
2.	Starting with the cell that remains white (the first cell or active cell in your most recent selection), type your corrected data and/or make your corrections using the Formula bar.
3.	Press the Enter key to move to the next cell in the block (see Figure 3.2). Hold down the Enter key to scroll through the information more quickly. If you prefer to move left to right through your selection, use the Tab key rather than Enter. Shift+Enter moves backward vertically; Shift+Tab moves backward horizontally. Figure 3.2. Excel moves down the selected block’s columns and then starts at the top of the next column as you press the Enter key to complete each cell’s edits.
4.	Continue editing the cells in your selection, pressing Enter or Tab after each cell’s edits are complete.
5.	When you finish editing the cells, click any cell or use one of the arrow keys to deselect your block(s) of cells.

Editing Using the Formula Bar

The Formula bar obviously displays more than formulas. If an active cell contains text or a number that isn’t the result of a formula, this content also appears in the Formula bar. Figure 3.3 shows the Formula bar content for a selected cell.

Figure 3.3. When a cell or range is selected the Formula bar shows the cell or active cell’s contents.

To use the Formula bar to edit cell content, follow these steps:

1.	Click the cell you want to edit. The cell’s content appears in the Formula bar. You could also press F2 to edit directly in the cell.
2.	In the Formula bar, use your mouse to select some or all of the cell’s content (see Figure 3.4). You can select individual characters, words, or any portion of the cell content. Figure 3.4. Press the Shift+arrow keys to select cell content. Tip From Use your Backspace or Delete keys to remove a cell’s content, one character at a time, on the Formula bar.
3.	Type the replacement content—this will simultaneously remove and replace the Formula bar’s selected content.
4.	Press Enter to place your edited content in the cell.

If your selected cell contains a formula, the result of the formula appears in the cell, but the formula itself appears in the Formula bar with the formula syntax tip showing, as shown in Figure 3.5. To edit the formula, click in the Formula bar and delete/replace the numbers, operators, and cell addresses you need, and then press Enter. The formula is recalculated, and the new result appears in the cell.

Figure 3.5. To see whether a cell’s content is a number typed directly into the cell or the result of a formula check the entry in the Formula bar.

Moving Cell Content with Drag and Drop

You can drag any selection from one place to another by following these steps:

1.	Select the cell or cells you want to move.
2.	Point your cursor to the edge of the cell or block of cells, and look for your mouse to turn into a left-pointing arrow with four small black arrows attached. Note You cannot move (or copy) noncontiguous selections with drag and drop.
3.	Click and drag the cell(s) to the desired location on the worksheet.
4.	Release the mouse button to drop the selection in its new location.

If you attempt to drop the moved cell(s) where data already exists, you’ll be prompted to confirm your desire to replace the contents of the destination cells.

If you need to move or copy cells between worksheets or workbooks, you can choose Window, Arrange, Tile or Cascade to position windows so that you can use drag and drop between them. If you prefer, you can use the Clipboard to move (cut) and copy.

Copying Cell Content with Drag and Drop

Moving cell content implies that it isn’t in the right place or that it’s no longer needed in its current location. Copying, on the other hand, allows you to leave the original cell and its content right where it is, and place a duplicate elsewhere on the worksheet. Just like moving, you can use drag and drop to copy a cell or cells from one place to another on your worksheet—again, it’s a task best performed within a small area.

To copy a cell or group of contiguous cells to another location on the active worksheet, follow these steps:

1.	Select the cell or cells you want to copy.
2.	Point your cursor to the edge of the selected cell(s). Your mouse pointer turns into a left-pointing arrow with four small black arrows attached.
3.	Press and hold the Ctrl key.
4.	Drag your selected cells to another location, keeping the Ctrl key depressed as you drag. Figure 3.6 shows a block of cells being copied to another location. Figure 3.6. Select a range and hold Ctrl to copy cells to a new location.
5.	When your desired location is reached, release the mouse button.
6.	Release the Ctrl key.