Cells: Content, Selection and Data Entry
What a cell holds
A cell is the intersection of a row and column, addressed like B7. Content has three layers: the underlying value (number, date, text, TRUE/FALSE), the formula behind it if any, and the formatting applied. Many questions turn on this separation, because changing a format never changes the stored value.
Selecting and entering
Know the difference between clicking a cell, dragging a range (A1:C5), selecting a whole column or row by its header, and selecting non-adjacent ranges with Ctrl. The Name Box jumps to a reference; Ctrl+Arrow jumps to the edge of a data block; Ctrl+Home returns to A1. Enter confirms and moves down, Tab confirms and moves right, F2 or a double-click edits in place, and Esc cancels an entry.
Copying, filling and finding
Copy then Paste duplicates everything; Paste Special pastes only values, formulas, formats or a transposition. The fill handle copies or continues a series such as months or 1, 2, 3. Undo reverses recent actions but has limits, and Find and Replace can silently change every match in the sheet.
Traps
- Typing 007 gives 7; type an apostrophe first ('007) or pre-format the cell as Text to keep leading zeros.
- Numbers aligned to the left are usually text and will not sum.
- Dragging a copied formula can shift references unexpectedly.
Worked example
To keep a product code 0012 intact, type '0012 or set the column to Text before entry. A date typed as 12/03/2024 is stored as a serial number and displayed according to the cell's date format.