Open Office Calc – Deleting from a Cell or Cells

Open Office Spreadsheet – Deleting from a Cell or Cells

(This blog was written for versions of OpenOffice up to Version 3.4.0)

Save a bit of time and effort when working on an Open Office Spreadsheet and needing to delete the contents from a cell. Click the cell (to make the cell active) - Pressing on the Del(ete) key on the Keyboard brings up the Window 'Delete Contents' with a list of options – Delete all, Text, Numbers, Date and time, Formulas, Notes, Formats, Objects.  Generally from Text down to Notes have a tick in the boxes beside them.  Click on the OK button and all contents of the cell will be removed.

A much easier and quicker way is available. Click in the cell (to make the cell active) – then press the Backspace Key on the Keyboard (instead of the Del(ete) key on the keyboard). This clears the contents of the cell.

If you want to clear a number of adjacent cells - hold the Shift Key down and select all the cells you want to clear (this highlights all the cells) – then press the Backspace Key.  The contents of all the cells selected will be deleted.