How do I get more than 256 columns in a worksheet ?

[Guest]

I'm using Excel 2000 and need to create a worksheet with about 2000 rows and 1000 columns.

Is it possible ?

 

[Don Guillett]

NO

 

[Bob Sullivan]

Hello,

In a word, no. However, you can spread your data over
several sheets so that you can fit it into one workbook.

Bob Sullivan
Springhouse

-----Original Message-----
I'm using Excel 2000 and need to create a worksheet with

about 2000 rows and 1000 columns.

 

[Norman Harker]

Hi regking!



Can it be increased? No!



Increases have been at the top of many wish lists for a long time but
it appears that it would require a major re-write of the Excel program
and that there could be major backward compatibility problems. It
appears that we will have to wait until the next occasion that
Microsoft decides to issue a version that has little or restricted
backwards compatibility.



In the meantime there are workarounds.



If you are using Excel as a database and want more than 255 fields
plus the record number, then you are probably better off using a
program like Access.



You might find it better to transpose your data so that your (more
limited) rows become columns and the columns become rows. An example
of this might be cash flows on a monthly basis over (say) 25 years.



In many cases you will be able to "wrap" your columns to other rows
and use varied formulas to handle the two ranges of data.



One point to make is that a vertical alignment of a worksheet is far
easier to print off at a reasonably readable size than a worksheet
where the data is horizontally aligned.



For further details on Excel specifications use Help and search on
Excel Specifications.



Quattro Pro provides a lot more columns as does OpenOffice. For Excel
we wait with baited breath but it really looks like it will have to be
a non-backwards compatible version.


--
Regards
Norman Harker MVP (Excel)
Sydney, Australia
(e-mail address removed)
Excel and Word Function Lists (Classifications, Syntax and Arguments)
available free to good homes.

 

[onedaywhen]

If you are using Excel as a database and want more than 255 fields
plus the record number, then you are probably better off using a
program like Access.

The limit of columns in an MS Access table is the same for the limit
of columns on an Excel worksheet. Given this, and the fact the
estimated number of rows is low (2K), I don't think there is
justification for using MS Access.

--

 

[Lloyd H. London]

There is no limit to the number of rows in an Acxcess table. There is a
limit to the number of tables: Actually that should be a limit to the
number of Objects which includes Table, Queries, etc. That limit is 32,768.
The true limit is file size. Access 97 is 1GB, Access 2000 and 2002, 2GB.
I have worked with an Access database with 250,000 records in one of 28
tables (no I cant take credit for most of the developement).
Theoretically you could support millions of record, but I doubt if
Access would be happy.

 

[onedaywhen]

There is no limit to the number of rows in an Acxcess table.

I never said there was a row limit. I was referring to the limit for
columns in a table.

--

 

[David McRitchie]

split the table up between spreadsheets

if you have significantly few rows than 256 rows you can
TRANSPOSE the rows and columns.

Use a different spreadsheet program

Wait for Microsoft to see the light. Once they see the light
you still won't see anything for several years. But if you're
real patient and in good health you may see more than 256
columns in Excel. It would take a major rewrite of Excel
and the file structure to make the change.