Workbook and Worksheet Management
Scope
Workbook and worksheet management tests the container level: creating and organizing sheets, controlling what the window shows, and saving in the right file format.
Sheet operations
- Insert: use the plus button or Shift+F11; the new sheet is placed before the active sheet.
- Rename: double-click the tab, or right-click > Rename.
- Move/Copy: drag the tab (Ctrl+drag copies) or use right-click > Move or Copy, where you can choose another open workbook and tick Create a copy.
- Group sheets: Ctrl+click tabs; entries and formatting then apply to every grouped sheet. Click a single tab to ungroup.
- Deleting a sheet cannot be undone with Ctrl+Z, and at least one visible sheet must remain.
- A very hidden sheet can only be unhidden through the Visual Basic editor.
Window and view control
Freeze Panes locks everything above and to the left of the active cell. Select B2 to lock row 1 and column A; select row 1 to lock only the top row; select A1 to freeze nothing. Split divides the window into independently scrolling panes without locking. New Window opens a second view of the same file, and Arrange All tiles windows.
Formats and properties
.xlsx is the standard workbook, .xlsm stores macros, .xls is legacy, and .csv keeps only the active sheet's values with no formatting. Compatibility Checker flags features lost in older formats. Document properties such as title and author live under File > Info.
Worked example
A user needs row 1 and column A always visible while scrolling to cell M200. Selecting A1 and freezing fails because nothing lies above or left of A1. Selecting B2 and choosing Freeze Panes locks row 1 and column A, leaving the scroll area to the right and below.
Traps
- Grouped sheets silently duplicate every edit you make.
- Drag-and-drop between workbooks works only when both windows are visible.
- Saving a multi-sheet workbook as CSV keeps only the active sheet.
- A hidden sheet still calculates and its values can feed formulas elsewhere.