How to use the Outline feature in Excel

Outline feature in Excel is understood as the feature to create a group layout for columns or rows in an Excel table. When working with data tables, we will need to handle a lot of parameters, along with using many functions in Excel and many other Excel calculation formulas. Using this Outline feature will summarize and sort data by type, such as managing column / row containing its own formula, managing columns / rows related to that formula. Excel data tables are now easier to read and also easier to manage. The following article will guide you to read how to use the Outline feature in Excel.

Instructions for using Outline in Excel

Note to create an Outline in Excel, the table needs:

• Each column must have column headers.
• Each column must contain data.
• The range of cells must contain data, and the column or row cannot be empty.

Step 1:

First of all we are highlight all the data areas to create the Outline. Then click Data group at top. Next look down at the Outline group in the bottom right corner and click arrow icon Expanded to customize.

Step 2:

Show interface you set up uncheck the option Summary Rows Below Detail. Besides, if we want, we can check Automatic Styles to set the automatic formatting of cells such as bold or italic for easy distinction later. Click OK to apply.

Step 3:

Then click next Group and choose option Auto Outline in the list shown below.

Step 4:

The data sheet results have displayed an Outline icon with a vertical line next to the Excel table as shown below with the groups marked and managed by numerical order, accompanied by a symbol – and a + sign.

The resulting text uses a formula that is formatted separately from the line above.

You click on the number 1, the data table will collapse, only content using the formula to display the results. Clicking the plus sign will display the full data sheet or click on the number 2. These sequence numbers depend on how your data table looks, classifying the ranks by data group and data type.

Step 5:

To delete the created Outline For the data table, we access the Outline option and then click on Ungroup and select Clear Outline.

Note that after you remove Outline for a table, you are forced to reformat the data in the table, if there are automatic data formats applied to manage.