← ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

Deleting a spreadsheet column

Right-click a column header and choose Delete to remove the whole column and all its data. Undo with Ctrl+Z if it was a mistake, and check formulas that used the column.

Part of: ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8 — Digital Footprints and Data Minimisation — Module 39

Understanding Deleting a spreadsheet column in ACARA Digital Technologies Years 7–8

What it does: Selecting a range of column headers lets you delete several columns at once, so no personal data column is missed. A formula that pointed to a deleted column loses its reference and shows #REF!, so you need to find it and fix or remove it. Deleting removes the data. This is different from hiding a column, which keeps the data in the sheet. Ctrl+Z undoes your last action, so the deleted column returns. Undo works best straight after the mistake. The formula lost the cells it relied on, so it can show an error such as #REF! or give a wrong result.

Common mistakes: Ctrl+X cuts, it does not undo. Press Ctrl+Z to bring the deleted column back. Hide only covers the column up, so the data is still stored. To remove the column and its data, choose Delete.

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This module's key terms are also in a printable crossword (Modules 752–770) and word search (Modules 696–770).

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Learning

Duo

You want to remove a column of phone numbers from your spreadsheet completely. What do you do?

Select the cells and press the spacebarRight-click the column header and choose Delete

Matches

Right-click column header > Hide

↓

Hide only makes the column invisible. The personal data is still stored in the spreadsheet, so it has not been removed.

Applying

Meanings

Term

Delete column

Meaning

Right-click a column header and choose Delete to remove the whole column and all its data. Undo with Ctrl+Z if it was a mistake, and check formulas that used the column.

Practice

Right-click the header of column C

Testing

Gaps

Right-click a header, choose

Check Answer

Spots

3Column D and its data go

4Press Ctrl+X to undo

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Quick Questions

1. You want to remove a column of phone numbers from your spreadsheet completely. What do you do?

A. Right-click the column header and choose Delete ✓

B. Select the cells and press the spacebar

Right-clicking the column header and choosing Delete removes the whole column and all the data stored in it.

2. After you choose Delete on a column, what happens to the data inside that column?

A. It is kept safely in a hidden spot in the sheet

B. It is removed from the spreadsheet with the column ✓

Deleting removes the data. This is different from hiding a column, which keeps the data in the sheet.

3. You deleted the wrong column by mistake. What is the quickest fix?

A. Press Ctrl+Z to undo the delete ✓

B. Close the spreadsheet and hope it comes back

Ctrl+Z undoes your last action, so the deleted column returns. Undo works best straight after the mistake.

4. Your sheet has a Name column, an Address column and a Phone column. You do not need Address or Phone. Which is a correct way to remove both?

A. Select both column headers, right-click and choose Delete ✓

B. Delete only the first column, as the second goes automatically

You can select several column headers at once, then right-click and choose Delete to remove them all together.

5. Before you delete a column, what should you check?

A. Whether the column header is a bright colour

B. Whether any formulas use data from that column ✓

Formulas that use a deleted column can break or give wrong results, so check them before or after you delete.

Match the Pairs

Right-click column header > Delete → Removes the whole column and all the data stored in it from the spreadsheet

Ctrl+Z → Undoes the last action, so a column deleted by mistake comes back with its data

To get rid of two personal data columns, such as Phone and Address, select both headers together and delete them in one go → Click header C, hold Shift, click header D, right-click > Delete

After deleting a column, check any formula that used it, because it may now show an error → =SUM(B2:D2) now shows #REF!

Right-click column header > Hide → Hide only makes the column invisible. The personal data is still stored in the spreadsheet, so it has not been removed.

Delete column C, then save and close without checking the other formulas → Formulas that used column C may now show #REF! errors. Not checking them means the broken results go unnoticed.

Key Term

Delete column

Right-click a column header and choose Delete to remove the whole column and all its data. Undo with Ctrl+Z if it was a mistake, and check formulas that used the column.

Fill in the Blanks

1. Right-click a header, choose Delete

Hint: Type the menu option that removes the whole column.

2. Made a mistake? Press Ctrl+Z to undo it

Hint: Type the key that goes with Ctrl to undo the last action.

3. Before: =SUM(B2:D2) After deleting column C: =SUM(B2:C2)

Hint: Type the column letter the range now ends at once the column in the middle is gone.

4. =B2+C2 after column C is deleted: #REF!

Hint: Type the error message a formula shows when the cell it used has been deleted.

5. Click B, hold Shift, click D, then Delete

Hint: Type the key you hold to select several columns in a row.

Spot the Error

Question 1

A Right-click the header of D

B Choose Delete

C Column D and its data go

D Press Ctrl+X to undo

Line D — Ctrl+X cuts, it does not undo. Press Ctrl+Z to bring the deleted column back.

Question 2

A Select column C header

B Right-click and choose Hide

C Check formulas that used C

Line B — Hide only covers the column up, so the data is still stored. To remove the column and its data, choose Delete.

Question 3

A Select headers of B and C

B Right-click the selection

C Choose Delete

D Only column B is removed

Line D — Both selected columns are deleted at once. The line should say that columns B and C are removed.

Question 4

A Right-click the row number

B Choose Delete

C The column and its data go

Line A — Right-clicking a row number gives row options, so it would delete a row. To delete a column, right-click the column header.

Question 5

A Total formula: =SUM(B2:D2)

B Delete row 3

C Formula now reads =SUM(B2:C2)

Line B — The formula only shrinks to B2:C2 when a column inside its range is deleted. The step should be Delete column C, not a row.

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