Microsoft Excel displays data in tabular format. This means that information is arranged in a table consisting of rows and columns.
Rows and columns are different properties that together make up a table.
These are the two most important features of Excel that allow users to store and manipulate their data.
Below we'll discuss the definitions of a row and a column, along with the differences between these two features.
What is a row in Excel?
Each row is denoted and identified by a unique numeric value that you'll see on the left hand side.
The row numbers are arranged vertically on the worksheet, ranging from 1-1,048,576 (you can have a total of 1,048,576 rows in Excel).
The rows themselves run horizontally on a worksheet.
Data is placed horizontally in the table, and goes across from left to right.
Row 1 is the first row in Excel.
As you can see in the example below, you can select the whole row with the number 3 by clicking on the number itself.
To navigate through the numbers and reach the last row, you can use:
- For Windows Users:
Control down navigation arrow. You first press the Control key and then, while holding it down, press the down navigation arrow. - For Mac Users:
Command down navigation arrow. You first press the Command key and then, while holding it down, press the down navigation arrow.
To get back to the first row (the top) again, press Control up navigation arrow for Windows and Command up navigation arrow for Mac.
What is a column in Excel?
Columns are denoted and identified by a unique alphabetical header letter, which is located at the top of the worksheet.
Column headers range from A-XFD, as Excel spreadsheets can have 16,384 columns in total.
Columns run vertically in the worksheet, and the data goes from up to down.
Column A is the first column in Excel.
In the example below, you can see that the whole column with header B is selected by pressing/clicking on the letter at the top.
To move to the last column:
- For Windows Users:
Control right navigation arrow. First press the Control key and then, while holding it down, press the right navigation arrow. - For Mac Users:
Command right navigation arrow. First press the Command key and then, while holding it down, press the right navigation arrow.
To get back to the first column again, press Control left navigation arrow for Windows and Command left navigation arrow for Mac.
What is a cell in Excel?
A cell is the intersection of a row and a column. A row and a column adjoined make up a cell.
You can define a cell by the combination of a row number and a column header.
For example, below the selected cell is C3. It has a column header C and a row number 3.
We can also select an entire row or column from a cell.
To select the whole row when in any cell, press Shift Space.
To select the whole column when in any cell, press Ctrl Space.
Conclusion
Now you know the definitions of rows and columns in Excel. You've learned their main differences and how they work.
In summary, information in a row is presented horizontally, whereas in a column information is vertical.
Thanks for reading!