In the Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet editor there is line numbering - these numbers can be seen to the left of the table itself. However, these numbers are used to indicate the coordinates of the cells and are not printed. In addition, the beginning of a user-created table does not always fit into the very first cell of a column. To eliminate such inconveniences, you have to add a separate column or row to the tables and fill it with numbers. There is no need to do this manually in Excel.
Necessary
Microsoft Office Excel spreadsheet editor 2007 or 2010
Instructions
Step 1
If you need to number the data in an existing table, the structure of which does not have a column for this, you will have to add it. To do this, select the column in front of which the numbers should stand by clicking on its heading. Then right-click the selection and choose Paste from the context menu. If the numbers need to be placed horizontally, select the line and add an empty line through the context menu.
Step 2
Enter the first and second numbers in the starting cells of the selected column or row for numbering. Then select both of these cells.
Step 3
Hover your mouse over the lower right corner of the selection - it should change from a raised plus to a black and flat plus. When this happens, press the left mouse button and drag the border of the selection to the very last cell of the numbering.
Step 4
Release the mouse button, and Excel will fill in all the cells highlighted in this way with numbers.
Step 5
The described method is convenient when you need to number a relatively small number of rows or columns, and for other cases it is better to use another version of this operation. Start by entering a number in the first cell of the created row or column, then select it and expand the Fill drop-down list. On the "Home" tab in the spreadsheet editor's menu, it is placed in the "Edit" command group. Select the Progression command from this list.
Step 6
Specify the direction of numbering by checking the box next to "By Rows" or "By Columns".
Step 7
In the "Type" section, select the method of filling the cells with numbers. Regular numbering corresponds to the item "arithmetic", but here you can set and increase the numbers in geometric progression, as well as set the use of several options for calendar dates.
Step 8
For regular numbering, leave the default (one) in the Step field, and if the numbers are to increase in a different increment, enter the desired value.
Step 9
In the "Limit value" field, specify the number of the last cell to be numbered. After that, click OK, and Excel will fill the column or row with numbers according to the specified parameters.
