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When a spreadsheet becomes difficult to read because the number of columns and rows grows too far, you can use outlining to collapse or expand different columns and rows within the spreadsheet, making it easier to draw comparisons. Back in our budget's spreadsheet, right now we cannot see the entire spreadsheet all the way across the screen. We see our bills over here, and as we scroll to the right the average and percent of pay check columns, have to be difficult to see because they scroll off the screen and we lose track of the actual bill that they go with. To reduce this we are going to outline the spreadsheet. A quick and easy way to do this is to go the data menu, to group an outline, down to auto outline. Excel will determine which columns and rows to group together to different outline levels. Depending on where it sees values, where it sees labels and where it sees formulas. I'll click auto outline and you'll note that this light gray area has appeared around my spreadsheet. There are lines with plus and minus signs actually right now, simply minus signs showing at the end of them. And also buttons, that say 1, 2 and 3 indicating that Excel has created three different outline levels. By clicking the minus signs here, we can collapse different areas of the spreadsheet. Right now it is very easy to see what I have left over for each month. The plus sign can be clicked to expand that again. The middle level of my spreadsheet can be gotten to when we click on this second minus sign. Or I can simply see my labels and then all three of the formula cells at the bottom of each column. Once again much easier to compare these values, now that I've collapsed the detailed section in between. You can also collapse or expand these areas from the buttons that say 1, 2, 3. By clicking the appropriate number, you can collapse or expand automatically from these numbers. I also have groupings across the top. By clicking on the minus signs here, I collapse once again the details between my labels and the formula area of the spreadsheet, making it much easier to look at. Excel does quite a good job of outlining a spreadsheet for you. But when you want it to outline somewhat differently than the way Excel does it through auto outline, you can group rows and columns together on your own. I'll remove the outline that Excel has placed here for us by going to data, to group an outline, to clear outline. Next, if I would like to group together groups of columns or rows that I'd like to hide, I must first select the headings that represent those columns or rows. Once the groups I want to hide are selected, I go to the data menu, to group an outline to the group button. Then I tell it whether I want it to hide the associated row or the columns that each of these headings represent. I'll select columns and click OK. Now one outline level has appeared at the top of the screen. I can collapse those rows or columns that I have selected and expand them again. Let's try this to yet another level. Once again you select the cells that you'd like Excel to hide. In this case we would like to hide everything but the labels and percent of paycheck column at the end. Once again go to data, to group an outline, to group and select columns since that's what we would like to hide. I now have another level at the top. If I collapse this down to one, the only columns appearing to me now are percent of paycheck and my labels. Level-2 will show me all of the formula area and the labels, and level- 1 will only show me these two things. To expand the whole thing, I'll click the level-3 button. The same thing can be done to group rows to hide. I'll select all the details rows here, and group them together. This time, I'll leave rows selected and click OK. And now as you can see, Excel has created these two levels, by grouping together these groups of rows and hiding and expanding them appropriately. Whether you use Excel's auto outline feature, or do the grouping on your own, this is a nice method of being able to organize and look at data, and draw comparisons without having to scroll around the spreadsheet. Once again to remove the outline, go to data to group an outline, to clear outline. t data, and draw comparisons without having to scroll around the spreadsheet. Once again to remove the outline, go to data to group an outline, to clear outline.