Calc - how to move (drag-n-drop using mouse) or cut/insert rows/columns

Tanstaafl · February 26, 2014, 2:28pm

Ok, Ive messed with this in the past, never been able to figure it out, but something always stopped me from pursuing it until now.

I'm just looking for the quickest/easiest way to MOVE rows/columns.

Is this even possible? I've NEVER been able to get it to work, even in Excel...

If not, then what is the shortest route to MOVE a row/column using CUT+INSERT?

In Excel it takes just 4 clicks/steps:

1. Right-click a row/column header,

2. Click CUT,

3. Right-click the row/column header above/to-the-right-of the
row/column you want the one you CUT to go, and last

4. Click 'Insert cut cells'

which moves the row/column you cut and place it before or above the one you right-clicked on.

In Calc it takes 6:

1. Right-click a row/column header,

2. Click CUT,

3. Right-click the row/column header above/to-the-right-of the
row/column you want the one you CUT to go,

4. Click 'Paste Special',

5. Change 'Shift cells' to either 'Right' (for columns) or 'Down'
(for rows), and last

6. Click 'OK'

Dries_Feys1 · February 26, 2014, 2:40pm

Hi

I select the part of the spreadsheet I want to move. Then I click in
the middle of that area and drag the selection to the new position.

I hope my brief explanation is clear enough.

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Brian_Barker · February 26, 2014, 2:54pm

What happens if you:
o Select the row or column.
o Drag it to the new position.
o Hold down the Alt key whilst you drop?

I trust this helps.

Brian Barker

Nino_Novak1 · February 26, 2014, 2:55pm

For me it's just

1. (Left-) Click a row/column header to mark it,

2. Click just somewhere inside the marked column (into the data area,
not the header) and hold/drag it to the desired destination

3. Release it.

What happens when you try this?

Nino

Pedro_Lino · February 26, 2014, 3:00pm

Tanstaafl wrote

In Calc it takes 6:

1. Right-click a row/column header,

2. Click CUT,

3. Right-click the row/column header above/to-the-right-of the
row/column you want the one you CUT to go,

4. Click 'Paste Special',

5. Change 'Shift cells' to either 'Right' (for columns) or 'Down'
(for rows), and last

6. Click 'OK'

No, it takes eight, which is twice the number of actions for the same
result...

You forgot to mention that cutting a column fails to remove it so in order
to get the same result as in Excel you also need to

7. Right click again on the (now empty) original column

8. Choose "Delete Column"

On the other hand, thank you for the Paste Special tip. I didn't know LO
could do that (it's not intuitive to choose Paste Special) so in step 3 I
would Insert Column and then Paste (and then Delete the original column...)

One day LO will be as efficient/intuitive as Excel

Looking forward to read other solutions

Pedro_Lino · February 26, 2014, 3:07pm

Nino wrote

For me it's just

1. (Left-) Click a row/column header to mark it,

2. Click just somewhere inside the marked column (into the data area,
not the header) and hold/drag it to the desired destination

3. Release it.

What happens when you try this?

That would be lovely but it doesn't work. It works for moving to empty
cells. Otherwise it will replace contents, not move the contents...

Pedro_Lino · February 26, 2014, 3:11pm

Hi Brian

Brian Barker wrote

What happens if you:
o Select the row or column.
o Drag it to the new position.
o Hold down the Alt key whilst you drop?

Yes! That works!

I'm glad there is an easy way to do it! Thanks!!!

Unfortunately (for LO) it is not obvious even for advanced users... Which
means that for the average user the conclusion is that LO can't do that...

Thanks!
Pedro

Brian_Barker · February 26, 2014, 3:20pm

I have to admit that I'd always assumed there was no easy way. But seeing the question made me experiment - so I've learned this useful technique too.

Brian Barker

Pedro_Lino · February 26, 2014, 3:29pm

Brian Barker wrote

Unfortunately (for LO) it is not obvious even for advanced users...
Which means that for the average user the conclusion is that LO
can't do that...

I have to admit that I'd always assumed there was no easy way. But
seeing the question made me experiment - so I've learned this useful
technique too.

That just proves my point, unfortunately. "Experiment" and use of key
modifiers or shortcut keys is *not* for the average user...

I'm glad you found a solution and shared it, though

Tom_Davies1 · February 26, 2014, 3:46pm

Hi
That is brilliant!! So far i have been doing an insane method of
inserting an empty column and then pasting the copied one into it and
deleting the old one. Excel seemed much easier as it's easy to just
drag the column to a new position. However now Calc seems even
easier.

I had to combine Brian's and Nino's answer. Brian's didn't seem to
work for me until i saw Nino's saying to move the mouse arrow down
into the data part rather than trying to use the header part.

So it's not completely intuitive to Excel users but it's not far off
Regards from
Tom

Pedro_Lino · February 26, 2014, 4:46pm

Hi Tom, all

TomD wrote

That is brilliant!! So far i have been doing an insane method of
inserting an empty column and then pasting the copied one into it and
deleting the old one. Excel seemed much easier as it's easy to just
drag the column to a new position. However now Calc seems even
easier.

I had to combine Brian's and Nino's answer. Brian's didn't seem to
work for me until i saw Nino's saying to move the mouse arrow down
into the data part rather than trying to use the header part.

So it's not completely intuitive to Excel users but it's not far off

I have been using the same insane 8 step method...

Indeed Calc's hidden feature is better than Excel, but few users will find
it...

You are right about combining the instructions. The proper way to do it is:

1 - Left click a row/column header to mark it,
2 - Left click somewhere inside the marked row/column (into the data area,
not the header)
3 - Drag it to the new position
4 - Hold down the Alt key and release the left mouse button (you can
release the Alt button now )

Thanks to all that contributed!

Mark_Bourne · February 26, 2014, 7:05pm

Pedro wrote:

Hi Brian

Brian Barker wrote

What happens if you:
o Select the row or column.
o Drag it to the new position.
o Hold down the Alt key whilst you drop?

Yes! That works!

I'm glad there is an easy way to do it! Thanks!!!

Unfortunately (for LO) it is not obvious even for advanced users... Which
means that for the average user the conclusion is that LO can't do that...

There are also the following alternatives:
- Hold down Ctrl whilst dropping, to copy a column overwriting any content already in the column you're dropping onto
- Hold down Ctrl and Alt whilst dropping, to copy to a new column inserted in between two existing columns

Although not particularly obvious, all these options are documented in the help - from the index, look up "moving" > "cells by drag-and-drop".

Holding Ctrl while dragging to copy is quite common in other applications too. Not so common, but I have seen holding Alt while dragging to move things in other applications where copying in the default (i.e. with no key held down) action. So now you know about them, it might be worth trying Ctrl+drag and Alt+drag in applications other than LibreOffice too ;o)

Mark.

Tanstaafl · February 27, 2014, 11:46am

I know you can drag-n-drop cells. But you only have the choices to 'Move' or 'Copy'.

As the subject/body make extremely clear:

1. I'm looking for INSERT function,

2. I want to be able to do this with entire rows and columns.

But thanks for the attempt.

Tanstaafl · February 27, 2014, 11:49am

Wow. Just freakin wow.

I never tried clicking and dragging on one of the CELLS down inside the column, I always only tried 'grabbing' the column or row HEADER after selecting it.

Thank you SO much Brian!

Amazing how easy it is to miss little things like this.

Tanstaafl · February 27, 2014, 11:53am

Heh, right you are (forgot about that, and every time I had to do it it always irritated the heck out of me).

But now, after Brian's painfully obvious (in retrospect) answer, this is no longer an issue...

Tim_Deaton · February 27, 2014, 6:33pm

Some time ago I created bug 39936 asking asking for an enhancement that would work the way Excel does. Maybe some more encouragement on that issue might move it up in terms of priority.

-- Tim

Tanstaafl · February 27, 2014, 7:26pm

Did you miss my request for anyone who knows how Excel does this to please chime in?

I still can't figure out how to do this in Excel.

Mark_Bourne · February 27, 2014, 8:44pm

Tanstaafl wrote:

Some time ago I created bug 39936 asking asking for an enhancement that
would work the way Excel does. Maybe some more encouragement on that
issue might move it up in terms of priority.

Did you miss my request for anyone who knows how Excel does this to
please chime in?

I still can't figure out how to do this in Excel.

It's much the same in Excel, except it's Shift+drag rather than Alt+drag. I think you also have to drag from the few-pixels-wide border around the selection, rather than from anywhere within the selection as LO allows.

Mark.

Tom_Davies1 · February 27, 2014, 7:57pm

Hi
I think in Excel you can't drag the column. The best work-flow seems
to be right-clicks to "cut" and "insert" columns using the column
headers. I can never remember if the inserted column is to the left
or the right of the one you selected to insert besides
Regards from
Tom

Tim_Deaton · February 28, 2014, 3:28am

225 Janice Drive Athens, GA 30606-1638 email: tim@timdeaton.org home: 706-543-0592 cell: 706-248-6544 fax: 888-415-5991 web: www.timdeaton.org =========================== I know the plans I have for you: Plans to prosper you and not to harm you; Plans to give you hope and a future. --- God (Jeremiah 29:11)On 2/27/2014 2:26 PM, Tanstaafl wrote:

Some time ago I created bug 39936 asking asking for an enhancement that
would work the way Excel does. Maybe some more encouragement on that
issue might move it up in terms of priority.

Did you miss my request for anyone who knows how Excel does this to please chime in?

I still can't figure out how to do this in Excel.

I guess I did miss that. In Excel, I:
1. right-click the row or column header
2. hit "Cut" or "Copy"
3. right-click the destination row or column header
4. hit "Insert cut cells" or "Insert copied cells" (whichever is visible)

-- Tim