Syllabus Reference: AutoFill, Sorting & Filtering, Freezing Panes.

AutoFill

AutoFill is a feature that allows you to quickly fill cells with repetitive or sequential data. The Fill Handle is the small square at the bottom-right corner of an active cell.

Sequential Series

Type "Jan" in a cell, drag the fill handle down, and it will auto-fill "Feb", "Mar", "Apr", etc. Works for days of the week and dates too.

Number Series

To fill a number sequence (1, 2, 3...), type 1 in the first cell, 2 in the next, highlight both, and drag the fill handle.

Copying Formulas

Dragging a formula down a column using the fill handle automatically adjusts the relative cell references.

Sorting and Filtering

When working with large datasets, sorting and filtering are essential for organizing and analyzing information.

FeatureDescriptionExample
Sort A to Z (Ascending)Arranges data alphabetically (A-Z) or numerically (smallest to largest).Sorting a list of student names alphabetically.
Sort Z to A (Descending)Arranges data reverse-alphabetically (Z-A) or numerically (largest to smallest).Sorting students by their total marks from highest to lowest.
FilterHides rows that do not meet specific criteria, displaying only the data you want to see.Filtering a sales report to only show sales from "Delhi".

Freezing Panes

Freeze Panes locks specific rows or columns in place so they remain visible while you scroll through the rest of the worksheet. This is highly useful for keeping header rows (like "Name", "Marks", "Total") visible when scrolling down a long list.

  • Freeze Top Row: Locks row 1.
  • Freeze First Column: Locks column A.
  • Freeze Panes (Custom): Locks all rows above and all columns to the left of the currently selected cell.