Drag a column (1 Viewer)

[Dick7Access]

Is it possible to drag a column in Excel like you can in datasheet view in Access?

And ALSO: select all in Excel like Access

I have googled it but did not find an answer, so I assuming it can’t be done, but in case I am wrong I am asking here.

It is a pain to have to cut and paste every time I need to move a column.

If not somebody wake up Redmond, Washington

 

[June7]

Drag? I haven't figured that out.

Select ALL by clicking upper left corner of worksheet.

 

[Micron]

Click on the column header. Mouse over border until you see 4 little black arrows. Click and drag.
Not sure what your other question means - . Maybe you need to click the arrow head in the space beside A and above 1 - or Ctrl + A?

 

[June7]

@Micron, I am not seeing 4 little black arrows in worksheet border.

 

[Micron]

What worksheet border? He said column, not worksheet, or did I misunderstand?
I have tried to make an image capture of it but neither my usual utility or a screen dump will capture the black arrows cross. All I can do is make a fuzzy pic with a phone.

 

[Galaxiom]

Select the cells you want to move. (Click the header for the whole column.)
Move the pointer to the boundary of the selection to get the four way arrow cursor. (Like Micron;s picture above)
Drag to the new location.
Hold down Shift to move and insert the selection at the new location before releasing the mouse button. (The destination cell addresses with show in a tool tip.)
Hold down Ctrl to copy the selection overwriting the corresponding area. (A little plus sign appears)
You will get a warning if you are going to overwrite something.

 

[Micron]

Hold down Shift to move and insert the selection at the new location before releasing the mouse button.

Never knew that simple trick. I've always dragged cells or columns out of the way to make room if the location was occupied. You forgot to mention the green bar that shows whether you're going to insert as rows or a column?

Signing off...

 

[Galaxiom]

You forgot to mention the green bar that shows whether you're going to insert as rows or a column?

Further to this, moving the selection into the Row or Column depends on the cell boundary the pointer is hovering over or near.

I prefer to use Cut and Insert Cut Cells on the context menu to move columns as it doesn't require so much coordination.

 

[June7]

"Mouse over border" - I read as worksheet border instead of column border - my bad.

Picture is worth a thousand words.

 

[arnelgp]

there is a shortcut.
highlight first the colum/columns, ctrl-x.
click on the "desired" column to insert, ctr-+.
the desired column will move to the right.

 

[Gasman]

"Mouse over border" - I read as worksheet border instead of column border - my bad.

Picture is worth a thousand words.

Plus if you do it on the column header and get the 4 arrows, it just changes the column width?

 

[Dick7Access]

Plus if you do it on the column header and get the 4 arrows, it just changes the column width?

Thanks

 

[Isaac]

And more. If the range in question is a Table, you actually can Select only the header cell, then hover over the bottom edge, and when the 4 arrows appear, click and drag...it will move the entire column.

 

[Dick7Access]

And more. If the range in question is a Table, you actually can Select only the header cell, then hover over the bottom edge, and when the 4 arrows appear, click and drag...it will move the entire column.

It is not working for me, but I might not be understanding your instructions. When you say table, is not all Excel spreadsheets a table. When I click on the header cell it highlight the whole column. When I hover over last cell it gives me the four way arrow but when I click and drag it just highlights the cells next to it.

 

[Isaac]

When you say table, is not all Excel spreadsheets a table

No, I mean when you create an explicit Table item in Excel. I've not embraced them fully, but Excel guru's swear by them. If you select your entire Range, whatever range is in question, and then go to to Insert > Table (it will then automatically read your existing Selection of cells as the Table source range), that converts it into a table.

After that, if you Select one single cell that is a Header cell, and then generate the "cross" by hovering over the edge of just that one cell, and drag it, the whole column moves.

I wasn't able to generate a useful screenshot of that part.

 

[Gasman]

It is not working for me, but I might not be understanding your instructions. When you say table, is not all Excel spreadsheets a table. When I click on the header cell it highlight the whole column. When I hover over last cell it gives me the four way arrow but when I click and drag it just highlights the cells next to it.

 

[Dick7Access]

No, I mean when you create an explicit Table item in Excel. I've not embraced them fully, but Excel guru's swear by them. If you select your entire Range, whatever range is in question, and then go to to Insert > Table (it will then automatically read your existing Selection of cells as the Table source range), that converts it into a table.

View attachment 83191

After that, if you Select one single cell that is a Header cell, and then generate the "cross" by hovering over the edge of just that one cell, and drag it, the whole column moves.

I wasn't able to generate a useful screenshot of that part.

I have never inserted a table in Excel and wasn’t even aware such an animal existed. Just now I studied it briefly but can’t think of a use I might have so doesn’t warrant my time to study it more. I use excel very briefly. Some of my income breakdown arrives via a MS Word file. It has data that is not relative to anything I need. I copy it and paste in in a blank Excel workbook then delete columns I don’t use and move columns in a easy to read order, and alphabetize it. I have to cut and paste them in a blank column. It just would be easier to click and drag.

I don’t know how true it is, but I have heard that at MS people that work in Word, Excel and Access hate each other. That might explain why there is not more similarities of options between all their products.

 

[Isaac]

Yeah it's certainly nothing like the ease of sliding columns around willy nilly in Access data sheet view.
As to your last statement - ha ha, that's funny. I guess most places I've worked there's been an undercurrent of barely perceptible "friendly animosity", if such a thing can be said, between..say..the .net and the oracle developers (etc).
Everyone thinks their group is best, better, smarter, or something-er. Sad display of human nature.

 

[Dick7Access]

Yeah it's certainly nothing like the ease of sliding columns around willy nilly in Access data sheet view.
As to your last statement - ha ha, that's funny. I guess most places I've worked there's been an undercurrent of barely perceptible "friendly animosity", if such a thing can be said, between..say..the .net and the oracle developers (etc).
Everyone thinks their group is best, better, smarter, or something-er. Sad display of human nature.

Reality. Human nature. It is a fact of life. I should be making more than the next guy. Again I don’t believe everything I read on internet, but I did read where a project manager at MS told another project manager, get your “Little People” out here and I will straighten this app out. He was referring to people that were adviser to the hands on of an APP but were not programmers.
I also just read on the news where some protester said the violence was necessary to bring about change other wise nobody would have noticed. People often don’t take their intentions to their ultimate conclusion. If he did, he would realize that all will not agree with his changes. So that means the other side need to get a bigger stick to reach what they need to do to get change, so instead of a civilize exchange we have the side with the bigger stick wins.

 

[Isaac]

Yep. The squeaky wheel gets the grease.