As a follow-up to yesterdays netcast, Episode 450 shows you how to unhide column A and a cool trick left over from Lotus 1-2-3 where you can see what is in the hidden columns without unhiding them.
This blog is the video podcast companion to the book, Learn Excel from MrExcel. Download a new two minute video every workday to learn one of the 277 tips from the book!
This blog is the video podcast companion to the book, Learn Excel from MrExcel. Download a new two minute video every workday to learn one of the 277 tips from the book!
Transcript of the video:
Hey, welcome back to the MrExcel Netcast.
Yesterday we talked about hiding columns.
So let's say that I hide several columns.
"Format" "Column" "Hide" and now I need to unhide those columns usually what we do is we select the column to the left and the column to the right of the two columns and use "Format" "Column" "Unhide" but what if one of the columns you've hidden is column A.
There's no way to select the column to the left of it.
So let me select a few columns here.
"Format" "Column" "Hide" Now if I select column E and do "Format" "Column" "Unhide".
It's not going to know what I'm talking about. It's going to think that I just want to unhide column E.
The trick is to actually click on the E and drag over until you're above the row numbers and you'll see the little tool tip there so that I've selected five columns.
Now if I do "Format" "Column" "Unhide" I'm able to unhide that data. Let me hide some columns again and here's the fantastic trick, but it only works if you have one obscure setting on the computer Let's say that I need to see some of the data that's in a hidden column but I don't actually want to unhide the column if I go to a blank cell type an = sign and then pretend that I'm using The Lotus Arrow Key method of creating a formula, so in other words I'm going to go point to a cell by hitting the left arrow.
As soon as I do that excel unhides all of the hidden columns, and I'm able to see what's going on.
Now I've been using this trick for years and years and years and when I put it in the book, people say whoa wait a second that doesn't work for me.
Turns out that you have to go to "Tools" "Options" and on the "Transition" Tab, choose "Transition navigation keys". Now of course if you're using all the excel navigation keys this will cause more problems then it's worth but give it a try if you're usually using hidden columns.
Great way to be able to see the data without unhiding the columns.
Hey thanks for stopping by. We'll see you tomorrow for another netcast from MrExcel.
Yesterday we talked about hiding columns.
So let's say that I hide several columns.
"Format" "Column" "Hide" and now I need to unhide those columns usually what we do is we select the column to the left and the column to the right of the two columns and use "Format" "Column" "Unhide" but what if one of the columns you've hidden is column A.
There's no way to select the column to the left of it.
So let me select a few columns here.
"Format" "Column" "Hide" Now if I select column E and do "Format" "Column" "Unhide".
It's not going to know what I'm talking about. It's going to think that I just want to unhide column E.
The trick is to actually click on the E and drag over until you're above the row numbers and you'll see the little tool tip there so that I've selected five columns.
Now if I do "Format" "Column" "Unhide" I'm able to unhide that data. Let me hide some columns again and here's the fantastic trick, but it only works if you have one obscure setting on the computer Let's say that I need to see some of the data that's in a hidden column but I don't actually want to unhide the column if I go to a blank cell type an = sign and then pretend that I'm using The Lotus Arrow Key method of creating a formula, so in other words I'm going to go point to a cell by hitting the left arrow.
As soon as I do that excel unhides all of the hidden columns, and I'm able to see what's going on.
Now I've been using this trick for years and years and years and when I put it in the book, people say whoa wait a second that doesn't work for me.
Turns out that you have to go to "Tools" "Options" and on the "Transition" Tab, choose "Transition navigation keys". Now of course if you're using all the excel navigation keys this will cause more problems then it's worth but give it a try if you're usually using hidden columns.
Great way to be able to see the data without unhiding the columns.
Hey thanks for stopping by. We'll see you tomorrow for another netcast from MrExcel.
