Chapter 4: Working with Excel Ranges and Tables
4
FIGURE 4.20
Use the Create Table dialog box to verify that Excel guessed the table dimensions correctly.
Adding data to a table
If your table doesn’t have a total row, the easiest way to enter data is simply to start typ-
ing in the row just below the table. When you enter something in a cell, Excel automatically
expands the table and applies the formatting, formulas, and data validation to the new
row. You can also paste a value in the next row. In fact, you could paste several rows’ worth
of data and the table will expand to accommodate.
If your table does have a total row, you can’t use that technique. In that case, you can
insert rows into a table just like you would insert a row into any range. To insert a row,
select a cell or the entire row and choose Home ➪ Cells ➪ Insert. When the selected
range is inside a table, you’ll see new entries on the Insert menu that deal with tables
specifically. When you use these, the table is changed, but the data outside the table is
unaffected.
When the selected cell is inside a table, the shortcut keys Ctrl− (minus sign) and Ctrl+ (plus
sign) work on the table only and not on data outside the table. Moreover, as opposed to
when you’re not in a table, those shortcuts work on the whole table row or column regard-
less of whether you’ve selected the whole row or column.
Sorting and filtering table data
Each item in the header row of a table contains a drop-down arrow known as a Filter Button.
When clicked, the Filter Button displays sorting and filtering options (see Figure 4.21).