"Some people see things as they are, and say 'Why?' I dream of things that never were, and say 'Why not?'"
-- George Bernard Shaw
Grouping shortcut
Keyboard shortcut to group and ungroup
By Neale Blackwood, 24 Dec 09
If you frequently hide and unhide certain columns or rows then its time to consider using Excel's Group feature. The Group option is on the Data Menu or Ribbon depending on your version, but there is a keyboard shortcut that makes it easy to use.
Select a range of columns by selecting the column letters. Hold the Alt key and Shift key down and then press the right arrow key. This automatically puts in a small minus sign above the column to the right. Clicking this minus button hides the column and clicking the small plus button unhides it. The technique also works with rows.
Notice the small numbers added in the top left corner above the Excel grid. These allow you hide and unhide all the Groups at once. You can create hierarchies using this Group feature that allow you to show summary data and the underlying detail on the same sheet.
To Ungroup select the range and use Alt + Shift + Left arrow.
If you use the Group feature frequently in your sheets, then consider using the Auto Outline feature. This automatically adds the Grouping buttons based on the SUM and SUBTOTAL formulas in your sheet ...
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