Editing and Formatting¶
This guide covers entering data, editing cells, and applying formatting in OpenSheets.
Entering Data¶
Click any cell and start typing to enter data. OpenSheets automatically detects the data type (text, number, date, etc.).
- Enter -- confirm the value and move down one row.
- Tab -- confirm the value and move right one cell.
- Shift+Enter -- confirm and move up.
- Shift+Tab -- confirm and move left.
- Escape -- cancel editing and revert to the previous value.
- Alt+Enter -- insert a new line within the same cell (while editing).
To enter a formula, type = followed by the expression (e.g., =SUM(A1:A10)). The formula bar above the grid displays the raw formula for the active cell.
Editing Cells¶
| Action | How |
|---|---|
| Edit in place | Double-click a cell, or press F2 |
| Edit in formula bar | Click the formula bar input and type |
| Clear contents | Select cells and press Delete |
| Clear and edit | Press Backspace on the selected cell |
| Undo / Redo | Ctrl+Z / Ctrl+Y |
Text Formatting¶
Apply formatting from the toolbar or with keyboard shortcuts. Formatting applies to all cells in the current selection.
| Format | Toolbar Button | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | B | Ctrl+B |
| Italic | I | Ctrl+I |
| Underline | U | Ctrl+U |
| ~~Strikethrough~~ | ~~S~~ | Ctrl+5 |
Font Family and Size¶
Use the dropdown selectors in the toolbar to change the font and size of selected cells.
Available fonts: Arial, Times New Roman, Courier New, Verdana, Georgia, Trebuchet MS, Tahoma, Comic Sans MS.
Available sizes: 8, 9, 10, 11 (default), 12, 14, 16, 18, 20, 24, 28, 36.
Text and Background Colors¶
The toolbar contains two color pickers:
- Text color (A) -- changes the font color of selected cells.
- Background color -- changes the cell background/fill color.
Click the color swatch to open the system color picker and choose any color.
Alignment¶
Align cell content horizontally using the toolbar buttons or shortcuts:
| Alignment | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| Left | Ctrl+Shift+L |
| Center | Ctrl+Shift+E |
| Right | Ctrl+Shift+R |
Number Formats¶
Select a number format from the Number Format dropdown in the toolbar. The format controls how numeric values are displayed without changing the underlying data.
| Format | Description | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| General | Default, auto-detected display | -- |
| Number | Fixed decimal (e.g., 1,234.56) | Ctrl+Shift+1 |
| Currency | Currency symbol prefix (e.g., $1,234.56) | Ctrl+Shift+4 |
| Percent | Multiply by 100 and append % (e.g., 45%) | Ctrl+Shift+5 |
| Scientific | Scientific notation (e.g., 1.23E+03) | Ctrl+Shift+6 |
| Date | Date display (e.g., 2025-01-15) | Ctrl+Shift+3 |
| Time | Time display | Ctrl+Shift+2 |
| Text | Treat value as plain text | -- |
Cell Borders¶
Click the Borders button in the toolbar to toggle borders on or off for the selected cells. Borders are applied to all four sides (top, right, bottom, left) with a solid 1px black line.
Clicking the button again on cells that already have borders will remove them.
Merge Cells¶
To merge cells:
- Select a range of two or more cells.
- Click the Merge button in the toolbar.
The content of the top-left cell is kept; all other cell values in the range are cleared. Clicking Merge again on the same range will unmerge the cells.
Word Wrap¶
Click the Wrap button in the toolbar to toggle word wrap for the selected cells. When enabled, long text wraps within the cell and the row height expands to fit. When disabled, text overflows or is clipped at the cell boundary.
Clear Formatting¶
Press Ctrl+\ to remove all formatting from the selected cells, resetting them to the default style.