How do I Set Up Tables in Microsoft Excel?
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application that organizes data of any kind into columns and rows. You can use Excel for numerical data or text data, such as lists of names and phone numbers. A "table" is simply an organization of this data into a clearly labeled set of columns, where all the rows contain the same type of data. Creating a table in Excel is straightforward and a prerequisite to using other Excel features, such as sorting or filtering.
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Instructions
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Open Excel. A new blank spreadsheet should automatically display on the screen. If it does not, press the "New" button or select the "File" menu and choose "New" to create a new spreadsheet.
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Click in the first cell of the spreadsheet, cell A1. Type a header for the first column in your table. For example, if you are creating a simply two-column table of names and phone numbers, this header might say "Name."
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Click in cell B1. This is the first cell in the second column. Type the header name for this column. This might be called "Phone Numbers."
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Type header names into the other cells in row 1 for each column you need in your table. Do not skip any columns. For example, a five-column table will have header names in A1 to E1.
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Type data into your table, starting with row 2 in cell A2. Type one piece of information into each cell in the table. For example, you might type a particular name in cell A2 and that individual's phone number into cell B2. Continue with the other columns. Add as many rows as you need for your set of data.
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Click in cell A1 and drag your mouse to the right and down until the entire table, with its header names and data cells, is selected. Release the mouse button when you finish.
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Click the "Table" button in the "Insert" tab of the Excel "ribbon bar" at the top of the program window. The ribbon bar is the tool bar that contains all the program buttons. A pop-up window will appear.
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Click the checkbox labeled "My table has headers." Press "OK" when finished. Your table is now created and recognized as a table by Excel.
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Tips & Warnings
After your table is officially set up as a table in Excel, the "Design" tab on the ribbon bar provides additional features available for manipulating the style and layout of your table.
