Lesson 18: Freezing Panes and View Options /en/excel2016/basic-tips-for-working-with-data/content/ Introduction Whenever you're working with a lot of data, it can be difficult to compare information in your workbook. Fortunately, Excel includes several tools that make it easier to view content from different parts of your workbook at the same time, including the ability to freeze panes and split your worksheet. Optional: Download our. Watch the video below to learn more about freezing panes in Excel. Other view options If your workbook contains a lot of content, it can sometimes be difficult to compare different sections. Excel includes additional options to make your workbooks easier to view and compare. For example, you can choose to open a new window for your workbook or split a worksheet into separate panes.

To open a new window for the current workbook: Excel allows you to open multiple windows for a single workbook at the same time. In our example, we'll use this feature to compare two different worksheets from the same workbook. • Click the View tab on the Ribbon, then select the New Window command.

• After creating a split, you can click and drag the vertical and horizontal dividers to change the size of each section. To remove the split, click the Split command again.

How to split a cell in Excel depends on whether you want to do so using an Excel formula or a function in Excel's graphical user interface. If you want to split a group of cells according to certain rules, you can use the 'Convert Text to Columns' wizard in Excel for Office 365, Excel 2016 or Excel 2013.

Within our example file, there is A LOT of sales data. For this challenge, we want to be able to compare data for different years side by side. To do this: • Open our.

• Open a new window for your workbook. • Freeze First Column and use the horizontal scroll bar to look at sales from 2015. • Unfreeze the first column. • Select cell G17 and click Split to split the worksheet into multiple panes. Hint: This should split the worksheet between rows 16 and 17 and columns F and G.

• Use the horizontal scroll bar in the bottom right of the window to move the worksheet so that Column N, which contains data for January 2015, is next to Column F. • Open a new window for your workbook, and select the 2012-2013 Sales tab. • Move your windows so they are side by side.

Now you're able to compare data for similar months from several different years. Your screen should look something like this.

Tips: • To remove the panes, on the Window menu, click Remove Split, or drag the split bar back to the edge of the window. • You cannot split a sheet and freeze parts of that sheet at the same time. View multiple sheets in one workbook • Open the workbook that you want to view. • On the Window menu, click New Window. • Switch to the new window, and then click the tab for the sheet that you want to view. Repeat steps 2 and 3 for each sheet that you want to view.

• On the Window menu, click Arrange. • Do one of the following: To arrange windows So that they appear like this Click As equally sized, tiled squares Tiled Horizontally from top to bottom Horizontal Vertically from right to left Vertical In an overlapping cascade from top to bottom Cascade • Select the Windows of active workbook check box. View multiple workbooks • Open all the workbooks that you want to view. • On the Window menu, click Arrange. Alternative to paint tool sai for mac.