Word tables are great tools for listing and comparing values. I use them a lot because they’re so easy to create and manipulate. In addition, I’m always learning new tricks to use with them. For instance, I recently learned that you can copy an entire row or column to create a new row or column, already filled with values. Now, you’ll seldom want to reproduce an entire column or row, but occasionally the data is so similar that it’s quicker to copy all of the values from a row or column and then change a few. Here’s how to copy a column or row in a table:
- Quickly select the column or row you want to copy. To select a column, move the insertion point to the column’s top border. When it turns into a thick arrow pointing down (to the column), click to select the entire column. To select a row, click in the margin, just to the left of the first cell in the row.
- Press and hold down the Ctrl key.
- Click anywhere inside the selected column or row until the insertion point appears.
- Continue to hold down the Ctrl key and drag the column or row to where you want to insert the new column or row. Usually, that will be just before the existing value in the first cell of the row or column.
- Release the mouse button.
This technique won’t write over existing data. Instead, it inserts data to create a new column or row.
