simple grouping question

  • Thread starter Thread starter Cindy B
  • Start date Start date
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Cindy B

Hi-
I think this must be doable, but can not quite "get it". I want to group a
sheet by the first column - and be able to expand it to see the detail when
wanted.
If I do a subtotal and do a count or sum - I pretty much get what I want -
but I really have no field to logically count or sum - so when someone else
is looking at it- it doesn't make sense.
Can I get that same expansion capability by using grouping instead of using
Subtotal????

thanks for help! - Cindy
 
What you're looking for is called "Group & Outline",
under <Data> in the Menu Bar.

Some keyboard shortcuts:

Select rows 1, 2, and 3 by clicking on the row headers.
Then:
<Shift> <Alt> < Right Arrow>
To group those selected rows.

<Shift> <Alt> < Left Arrow>
To ungroup them.

Same works for columns.

To toggle the outline symbols to hide and unhide:

<Ctrl> < 8 >
Using the #8 from the numbers under the function keys, *not* the number on
the num keypad.

--

HTH,

RD
=====================================================
Please keep all correspondence within the Group, so all may benefit!
=====================================================



Hi-
I think this must be doable, but can not quite "get it". I want to group a
sheet by the first column - and be able to expand it to see the detail when
wanted.
If I do a subtotal and do a count or sum - I pretty much get what I want -
but I really have no field to logically count or sum - so when someone else
is looking at it- it doesn't make sense.
Can I get that same expansion capability by using grouping instead of using
Subtotal????

thanks for help! - Cindy
 
Thanks for the reply - I must be doing something wrong- I'm just just not
getting the expected results....
My spreadsheet has Acct #, Acct disc, then several columns of detail
information.
When I highlight the rows and select Group (or the key board shortcut) I get
only 2 levels - it is all or nothing. I do not have the option to toggle by
the acct number column. Literally everything hides at level 1 - everything
shows at level2. What I would expect/want is the option to show a list of
acct #'s or toggle that open to show Acct detail. I am able to get that
using the subtotal count.
If I try to do Group-Outline I get a message "cannot create an outline".
Does this have anything to do with ranges - tables - data types???

thanks again for your help
 
It sounds as though you are selecting ALL the rows, and that won't work.

You need to select the contiguous subsets of rows that will be grouped so,
for your first Acct's detail, select JUST those detail rows, then press
Shift-Alt-Right Arrow
 
OK - thanks for your reply... I guess I still need more claification...
I have Acct #, Disc, detail1, detail2, detail3, detail 4
I want a list of Acct # -- if I toggle I want to see all details.
Which do I select? - the data cells for everything except the Acct # column?
When I try that I still get only 2 levels - one shows only header line - the
other shows everything.... sam as when I selected the full row.

thansk again for your help....
 
If you read about this feature in the Help files, one of it's main precepts
is the *necessity* to *always* have a totaling or title row (column)
*between* groups.

Select rows 1, 2, and 3, and group them.
Select 5, 6, and 7, and group them.

You see the outline symbols ( - ) at row 4 and row 8.

Click on them to compress the groups (rows).

Row 4 and 8 have to be visible as labels (totals) for the groups,
so you can click on them to expand the group(s).

NOW, select rows 10, 11, and 12, and group them.
Then, select rows 13, 14, and 15, and group them.

You see what XL does!

It combines the groups into a *single* group, and makes row 16 the title
row.

If you don't have or need these intervening rows as part of your data, just
use empty rows where you can minimize them.
If you hide them, you hide the controlling outline symbols for that group.

Also, the default setting for these title (summary / total) rows is to be
beneath the detail rows.
You can change that if you wish.
From the Menu Bar,
<Data> <Group & Outline> <Settings>
And make your choices from the dialog box.

*Don't* change it to TOP, and then decide to group rows 1, 2, and 3.
You'll never see the outline symbol.<bg>

We've been talking about single level grouping here.

It's exactly the same rules for multi-levels, you need that row (column) in
between
 
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