Wasim Akram
While working in Microsoft Excel sometimes we need to select an entire column so that we can edit and organize data according to our choice. It might seem difficult to you to select an entire column quickly. Today in this article, I am sharing with you how to select an entire column in Excel. Stay tuned!
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5 Easy Methods to Select an Entire Column in Excel
In the following, I have explained 5 easy and simple methods to select an entire column in Excel.
Suppose we have a dataset of some Student Name, Department, and their Obtained Mark in a table. Now, we will select an entire column using some shortcuts and features of Excel.
1. Clicking Column Letter to Select an Entire Column
The simplest way to select an entire column in Excel is to click the column letter placed at the top of the worksheet. Follow the instructions below-
Steps:
- First, opening the worksheet, choose any column letter from the top to select the whole column. Here I have chosen “D” to select the entire column-D.
- As you can see, we have successfully chosen the entire column in our worksheet.
Read More: How to Add Columns in Excel (5 Quick Ways)
2. Using Keyboard Shortcut to Choose an Entire Column
We always look for shortcuts to increase our productivity at the workstation. In this method, I have explained a keyboard shortcut to select an entire column.
Steps:
- Presently, open the worksheet and choose any cell from a column which you want to select.
- Gently, press the CTRL + SPACEBAR key from the keyboard.
- Finally, the entire column is selected at a glance. Simple isn’t it?
Read More: How to Group Columns in Excel (5 Easy Methods)
3. Utilize Name Box Feature to Select Column from a Worksheet
If you want you can also utilize the name box feature to choose an entire column from any worksheet. For that,
Steps:
- To start with, choose the name box and type “C:C”. Here, I wrote “C:C” in the name box as I want to choose the entire column-C.
- Within a moment, the entire column-C is selected from the worksheet.
Read More: How to Swap Columns in Excel (5 Methods)
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- How to Hide Columns in Excel (4 Simple Methods)
- Lock Columns in Excel (4 Methods)
- How to Freeze Columns in Excel (5 Methods)
4. Using Shortcuts to Select Multiple Columns
You must be wondering if it’s easy to select an entire column but is it possible to choose multiple columns from a worksheet? Well, the answer is yes. You can choose both contiguous and non-contiguous columns with the help of some shortcuts.
4.1. Contiguous Columns
In this sub-method I have described about selecting contiguous columns. Follow the steps below-
Steps:
- First, choose a column (C) and drag the mouse toward another column when the “Handle” icon appears.
- Simply, other multiple columns in the worksheet will be selected.
4.2. Non-Contiguous Columns
In some cases, you might need to choose multiple non-contiguous columns. For that,
Steps:
- Similarly, choose any column (C) and hold the CTRL key from the keyboard.
- While holding the CTRL key choose any column of your choice and it will be selected for further editing.
Read More: How to AutoFit All Columns in Excel (3 Easy Ways)
5. Utilize Named Range to Choose an Entire Column
Sometimes you might need to change data or edit columns multiple times from a workbook. In that situation, you can define a name from the “Formulas” feature to work with great productivity. Below I have explained the procedures. Please follow-
Steps:
- First, choose any column (E) and click the “Define Name” option from the “Formulas” feature.
- A new window will pop-up named “New Name”.
- From the new window select a name in the “Name” section and press OK to continue.
- Next, coming back to the worksheet, choose “Column_E” from the drop-down list of “Name Box”.
- Thus, we have successfully selected the entire column from the worksheet.
Read More: How to Unhide Columns in Excel (8 Methods)
Keyboard Shortcut to Select Column with Data in Excel
Often we might feel the need to select an entire column with data instead of the whole column. In that situation-
Steps:
- Presently, choose any cell (D14) from the column which you want to select.
- Then, press the CTRL + SHIFT + ↑ keys from the keyboard.
- Just like the following screenshot, the entire column with data will be selected.
How to Select Entire Row in Excel
In addition to the ways of selecting an entire column, let’s also learn about selecting an entire row with a simple keyboard shortcut.
Steps:
- Similarly, select a cell (C8) from any row.
- Thereafter, click SHIFT + SPACEBAR to select the whole row.
- In conclusion, the entire row will be selected within a blink of an eye.
Read More: How to Group and Ungroup Columns or Rows in Excel
Things to Remember
- If you are using Mac then you can press COMMAND + SPACE to select an entire column in Excel.
Conclusion
In this article, I have tried to cover all the methods to select an entire column in Excel. Take a tour of the practice workbook and download the file to practice by yourself. I hope you find it helpful. Please inform us in the comment section about your experience. We, the Exceldemy team, are always responsive to your queries. Stay tuned and keep learning.
