If you’re an intermediate Excel user, you may have heard of a tool called split. Similar to freeze panes, split is a view option that makes it easier for you to use your spreadsheet by changing the way your data shows up on the screen. In this tutorial, we’ll take a closer look at split, how it works, and why you should be using it.
To start, let’s look at a quick example. Say you have a spreadsheet of music by various genres, but you’re concerned that adding more of one genre will obscure the other genres. By using split, you can set up a split view of your screen that allows you to scroll within a specific section of your spreadsheet while keeping the entire view in sight.
To do this, simply select the row or column where you want the split to occur, then click on “split” under the “View” tab. A horizontal line will appear above the row you selected, allowing you to scroll just the bottom portion of the spreadsheet while keeping the top viewable. You can also split your screen vertically, which is useful for scrolling horizontally on the right differently and separately from your scroll horizontally on the left.
The best part of using split is that it doesn’t change your content; it only changes how you view it. And if you regret where you put the split, simply click and drag the line to reposition it. To remove the split, double-click on it, and it will disappear.
While you can also split the screen by clicking on a cell rather than a row or column, this technique can get a little confusing and is less commonly used. Keep in mind that split is a helpful tool for viewing large spreadsheets and allows you to see just about any portion of your data no matter how far apart they are.
In conclusion, if you’re an intermediate Excel user looking to optimize your workflow, consider using split. It’s a simple but effective tool that can make a big difference in how you manage and view your data.