Inserting Columns in Excel

[dbell]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Intel When I select a column or columns to enabalize inserting additional columns, nothing happens. I can't get columns to insert in either the page layout view or the normal view. Why is something so simple not working? All I get is a little paintbrush icon that wants me to decide if I want the formatting of the adjacent column or not. Please help, it can't be that hard!

 

[CyberTaz]

No offense, but my guess is that you're misinterpreting the feature &
perhaps using it on a blank sheet. The command does not increase the number
of columns -- that number is fixed. All the Insert> Columns command does is
snatch empty columns from the right edge of the sheet, stick them in where
you're calling for them & shift everything to the right to make room for
them & fill to 'gap' at the right end of the sheet. Long story short, if
there is no content when you insert columns [or rows] you won't see anything
appear to change -- you're just swapping one set of empties for another.

If I'm missing with my guess you'll need to be a lot more descriptive of
what you're trying to do, how you're going about it, the circumstances
involved and why you think it isn't working as well as what you expect.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[dbell]

Thank you, my problem was that I was trying to work with a blank sheet, and even though I don't understand why you can't do that it was the premise for my problem. Easy enough, thank you.

db

No offense, but my guess is that you're misinterpreting the feature &

> perhaps using it on a blank sheet. The command does not increase the number
> of columns -- that number is fixed. All the Insert> Columns command does is
> snatch empty columns from the right edge of the sheet, stick them in where
> you're calling for them & shift everything to the right to make room for
> them & fill to 'gap' at the right end of the sheet. Long story short, if
> there is no content when you insert columns [or rows] you won't see anything
> appear to change -- you're just swapping one set of empties for another.
>
> If I'm missing with my guess you'll need to be a lot more descriptive of
> what you're trying to do, how you're going about it, the circumstances
> involved and why you think it isn't working as well as what you expect.
>
> HTH |:>)
> Bob Jones
> [MVP] Office:Mac
>
>
> On 12/3/09 12:55 PM, in article (e-mail address removed)2ac0,
> "[email protected]" wrote:
>

> > Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Intel When
> > I select a column or columns to enabalize inserting additional columns,
> > nothing happens. I can't get columns to insert in either the page layout view
> > or the normal view. Why is something so simple not working? All I get is a
> > little paintbrush icon that wants me to decide if I want the formatting of the
> > adjacent column or not. Please help, it can't be that hard!

>
>

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi db;

The "why" is very simple -- perhaps I didn't explain it clearly enough

In Excel 2008 each sheet has 1,048,576 rows by 16,384 columns, period. You
cannot increase or decrease those numbers. What's a little deceptive is the
command names of "Insert" & "Delete" because what actually happens is that
the existing columns & rows simply get *moved*.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Thank you, my problem was that I was trying to work with a blank sheet, and
even though I don't understand why you can't do that it was the premise for my
problem. Easy enough, thank you.

db

No offense, but my guess is that you're misinterpreting the feature &

perhaps using it on a blank sheet. The command does not increase the number
of columns -- that number is fixed. All the Insert> Columns command does is
snatch empty columns from the right edge of the sheet, stick them in where
you're calling for them & shift everything to the right to make room for
them & fill to 'gap' at the right end of the sheet. Long story short, if
there is no content when you insert columns [or rows] you won't see anything
appear to change -- you're just swapping one set of empties for another.

If I'm missing with my guess you'll need to be a lot more descriptive of
what you're trying to do, how you're going about it, the circumstances
involved and why you think it isn't working as well as what you expect.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Intel
When
I select a column or columns to enabalize inserting additional columns,
nothing happens. I can't get columns to insert in either the page layout
view
or the normal view. Why is something so simple not working? All I get is a
little paintbrush icon that wants me to decide if I want the formatting of
the
adjacent column or not. Please help, it can't be that hard!