Freezing rows or columns

Data entry in large tables can be complicated, first of all because, by adding new rows, the header disappears from the screen. Therefore, we are not sure in which column we enter which data, so the work is much slower. “Freezing” rows or columns is a technique by which we fix one or more rows or columns so that they always appear on the screen. At the same time, we can continue to fill in the data of new rows and/or columns with a clear idea of where we need to enter.

Freezing rows or columns is done using the Freeze Panes option located in the View ribbon. Clicking this option opens a menu with three variants. The last two variants (Freeze Top Row, Freeze First Column) indicate that the first row or first column in the table will be frozen. They are used when we have a table whose header is in the first row or the first column. However, it often happens that the header consists of multiple rows or columns. In this case, it is first necessary to position itself in the first cell containing the data. For example, if the headers make the first two rows and the first column it will be the B3 cell. Then click on the Freeze Panes icon and in the menu that opens to choose an option with the same name. If we have already frozen some rows or columns, in order to return to the original state, it is necessary to open the Freeze Panes menu again and select the option Unfreeze Panes.

In addition to this option, there is a similar option called Split. Depending on the position of the active cell, it divides the window into two or four regions. Each region behaves as an independent window by which it can move and thus changes the view of the data in the worksheet. This option is most commonly used when we want to view and update different regions in a large table.