Data lives in rectangular grids. Rows are numbers; columns are letters (A, B, … Z, AA, AB). Ranges use colon notation: B2:B100.
Selecting ranges
Click-drag or Shift+arrow. Entire column: click header letter. Entire row: click row number.
Insert/delete
Right-click row/column → Insert/Delete. Inserting shifts cells—update formulas that reference moved ranges.
Fill handle
Drag the small square at a cell corner to copy values or extend series (1,2,3… or dates).
Important interview questions and answers
- Q: Range A1:C3?
A: Rectangle from A1 through C3. - Q: Fill handle?
A: Copies or extends patterns.
Self-check
- How do you select an entire column?
- What does A1:C3 mean?
Tip: Double-click the fill handle to auto-fill down to the last adjacent row with data.
Interview prep
- Range notation?
A1:C10 rectangle from top-left to bottom-right.