ROW and COLUMN in Excel

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Updated on Nov 16, 2023 17:27 IST

MS Excel, a powerful spreadsheet software, utilizes this grid-like structure to organize and analyze data effectively. Rows, represented by horizontal divisions, traverse the spreadsheet from top to bottom, while columns, represented by vertical divisions, extend from left to right. Each cell, uniquely identified by its row number and column label, serves as a repository for data. The article talks about ROW and COLUMN in Excel, the syntax of rows and columns, and how to transpose data from row to column in Excel.

Rows and columns in Excel play a crucial role in organizing and manipulating data. They provide a framework that facilitates data entry, analysis, and visualization. This article will explore the significance, functionality, and practical applications of rows and columns.

What Are Row and Column In Excel?

Excel represents datasets in a tabular format. In this tabular format. These tables comprise Row and Column. We need rows and columns to define the location of the data in the spreadsheet. The article covers Row and Column in Excel.

Columns in Excel
Rows in Excel
What is a Cell Address?
ROW Syntax
Column Syntax
Transpose Data From Row To Column in Excel Or Vice Versa

Read MS Excel Tutorials

What are Columns in Excel?

Columns are vertical groupings of cells on any spreadsheet. They appear from top to bottom in the Excel workbook. You can identify them because each Column is named after a letter.

Thus, the first Column will be A, the second B, then C, D, E… and so on up to Z. After Z come the columns AA, AB, AC… and so on until the end in the XFD column.

When we talk about an “active column”, we refer to the Column in which we are working.

What are Rows in Excel?

Rows are groups of horizontal rows which appear from left to right in the Excel workbook. Rows range from 1 to 1,048,576.

Difference Between Rows and Columns

Below are some of the important differences between row and column in Excel –

	Row	Column
Arrangement	Horizontal	Vertical
Direction	Left to Right/Right to Left	Top to bottom/Bottom to Top
Result presentation	The total is presented at the extreme right	The total is presented at the bottom
Representation	By Numbers	By Alphabets

What is a Cell Address?

The intersection between a column and a row is the cell address, the area where we will insert the text, the numbers, a date or any data we need to work within that Excel workbook. Excel cells are named according to their intersection, citing the Column first, then the row. For example, if we have a cell in column P and row 15, its cell address will be P12.

ROW Syntax

The ROW( ) function returns the row number for reference.

Syntax:

=ROW([reference])

Example :

=ROW(C3); Returns 3 as output

as C3 is in the 3rd row in the Excel sheet.

If you don’t write any argument inside the ROW( ), it will return the row number of the cell where you have written the formula.

Column Syntax

The column syntax returns the column number of a reference. As mentioned above, there are 16,384 columns in Excel, so that it will return the value between 1 and 16,384.

=COLUMN([reference])

In the below example, we have entered the formula for the Column with the reference number for the last Column of the sheet, which is XFD.

16384 is the last Column of Excel, and the Column function returns the value.

Transpose Data From Row To Column in Excel Or Vice Versa

While working on a spreadsheet, you sometimes rotate columns to rearrange them in rows. To do so, you can use the Transpose feature, which allows you to move data from columns to rows or vice versa.

Let’s take an example to understand how to move row to Column in Excel. You have the below dataset, with Expenditure in the column headings and the amount in the top row.

Transpose Data From Row To Column in Excel Or Vice Versa 1

Use the Transpose feature to rearrange the table such that the Expenditure is presented in the rows and the Amounts in the column headings. To do this –

Select the data range to rearrange and copy them (not Cut)

Transpose Data From Row To Column in Excel Or Vice Versa 2

You can select a new location in the worksheet where the transposed table will appear; I have chosen A10. Remember that the new data will override previous data, so do it carefully.

Transpose Data From Row To Column in Excel Or Vice Versa 3

Right-click on the top-left cell where you want to paste the transposed table. Hover on the Paste Option and select Transpose (T) from the available options.

Transpose Data From Row To Column in Excel Or Vice Versa 4

Your data is now transposed along with its previous formatting.

Transpose Data From Row To Column in Excel Or Vice Versa 5

FAQs

What are the columns of an Excel sheet?

Excel spreadsheet consists of columns and rows, where columns appear vertically on the screen. They contain data of the same class.

How will you identify columns in a spreadsheet?

Columns are identified by the letters of the alphabet. These are the group of boxes that runs from the left side of the spreadsheet to the right.

What is a row and how many rows does an Excel sheet have?

A row is the group of cells located horizontally in the workbook. They are identified through numbers being the headers of the rows and they range from 1 to 1,048,576.

How will you identify rows in a spreadsheet?

The rows are arranged horizontally and are identified by numbers arranged on the left side of the page and down. These numbers are the row headers. The intersection of a column and row is called a cell. Cells are identified by their positions in rows and columns.

How to freeze row and column excel with the keyboard?

Use ALT + W + F + R one by one to freeze row 1. To freeze column 1, use ALT + W + F + C one by one. Another option is, to select the column you want to freeze and then click the Freeze Panes command under View.

How do you insert or delete rows and columns in Excel?

To insert or delete rows and columns Select any cell in the column Go to Home > Insert > Insert Columns in Sheet or Delete Columns in Sheet. Or, right-click at the top of the column, and then select Insert or Delete.

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About the Author

Rashmi Karan