How to Select Multiple Objects in Excel Easily and Quickly

Have you ever encountered difficulties when you want to select multiple objects, pictures, or charts in Excel? Do you feel frustrated because you have to click one by one the objects you want to select? Do you want to know how to select multiple objects in Excel easily and quickly? If your answer is yes, then this article is for you.

In this article, Bardimin will explain how to select multiple objects in Excel by using several different methods. You will learn how to select multiple objects using Selection Pane, Select Objects, Ctrl + Click, and Shift + Click. You will also learn how to select all objects, pictures, or graphs that are in your worksheet by using Ctrl + A. In addition, you’ll also learn how to select some objects based on certain criteria, such as color, size, or object type.

Why Do You Need to Select Multiple Objects in Excel?

There are many reasons why you may need to select multiple objects in Excel. For example, you might want to:

• Change the size, color, or style of multiple objects at once.
• Group or group several objects into one object.
• Copy, cut, or paste multiple objects to different locations.
• Delete or hide some objects from your worksheet.
• Arrange the position or layout of several objects neatly and symmetrically.
• Apply animations, transitions, or special effects to multiple objects.

To do the above things, you should be able to select multiple objects in Excel easily and quickly. If you don’t know how to select multiple objects in Excel, you will spend a lot of time and effort to click each object you want to select. This is of course inefficient and impractical.

How to Select Multiple Objects in Excel with Selection Pane

One way to select multiple objects in Excel is to use Selection Pane. Selection Pane is a pane that displays a list of all objects, pictures, or graphics present in your worksheet. You can use Selection Pane to select, rename, sort, hide, or show the objects you want.

To open Selection Pane, you can follow these steps:

1. Click the Home tab in Ribbon.
2. Click the Editing group.
3. Click the Find & Select button.
4. Select Selection Pane from the menu that appears.

You can also open Selection Pane by using the shortcut Alt + F10.

After you open Selection Pane, you will see a list of all objects, pictures, or charts that are in your worksheet. You can select multiple objects using the following methods:

• To select an object, simply click the name of the object you want to select in Selection Pane. The object you select will be marked with a blue line around it.
• To select multiple objects in order, click the name of the first object you want to select, then press and hold the Shift key, and click the name of the last object you want to select. All objects that are between the first and last objects will be selected together.
• To select multiple objects that are not sequential, click the name of the first object that you want to select, then press and hold the Ctrl key, and click the names of other objects that you want to select. You can select as many objects as you want this way.
• To select all objects, pictures, or graphics that are in your worksheet, click the Ctrl + A button on your keyboard.

How to Select Multiple Objects in Excel with Select Objects

Another way to select multiple objects in Excel is to use Select Objects. Select Objects is a tool that lets you select all objects, images, or graphics that are within an area you specify with your mouse. You can use Select Objects to select multiple objects quickly and easily.

To use Select Objects, you can follow these steps:

1. Click the Home tab in Ribbon.
2. Click the Editing group.
3. Click the Find & Select button.
4. Select Select Objects from the menu that appears.

You can also use Select Objects by pressing the Esc key on your keyboard.

Once you select Select Objects, your mouse cursor will change to an arrow with a square icon next to it. You can select multiple objects using the following methods:

• To select an object, just click on the object you want to select. The object you select will be marked with a blue line around it.
• To select multiple objects, click and hold your mouse in a blank spot on your worksheet, and then drag your mouse to create a selection area. All objects, images, or graphics located within the selection area will be selected together.
• To select all objects, pictures, or graphics that are in your worksheet, click and hold your mouse in the upper-left corner of your worksheet, and then drag your mouse to the lower-right corner of your worksheet. All objects, pictures, or charts that are in your worksheet will be selected together.

How to Select Multiple Objects in Excel with Ctrl + Click and Shift + Click

The third way to select multiple objects in Excel is to use Ctrl + Click and Shift Click. Ctrl + Click and Shift Click are the simplest and most common ways to select multiple objects in Excel. You can use Ctrl + Click and Shift Click to select multiple objects using your mouse.

To use Ctrl + Click and Shift + Click, you can follow these steps:

• To select an object, just click on the object you want to select. The object you select will be marked with a blue line around it.
• To select multiple non-consecutive objects, click the first object that you want to select, then press and hold the Ctrl key, and click the other objects that you want to select. You can select as many objects as you want this way.
• To select multiple objects in order, click the first object that you want to select, then press and hold the Shift key, and click the last object that you want to select. All objects that are between the first and last objects will be selected together.

How to Select Multiple Objects in Excel Based on Specific Criteria

Besides the above ways, you can also select multiple objects in Excel based on certain criteria, such as color, size, or object type. To do this, you can use VBA (Visual Basic for Applications), a programming language integrated with Excel. By using VBA, you can create a code that can select multiple objects in Excel according to the criteria you specify.

To use VBA, you can follow these steps:

1. Press the Alt + F11 key on your keyboard to open Visual Basic Editor.
2. Click the Insert menu, then select Module. This will create a new module where you can write your VBA code.
3. Type the VBA code that matches the criteria that you want. You can use the code example below as a reference.
4. Press the F5 key on your keyboard to run your VBA code. It will select multiple objects in Excel according to your specified criteria.

The following are some sample VBA codes that you can use to select multiple objects in Excel based on specific criteria:

'VBA code example to select all red objects
Sub SelectRedShapes()
    Dim shp As Shape
    For Each shp In ActiveSheet.Shapes
        If shp.Fill.ForeColor.RGB = RGB(255, 0, 0) Then
            shp.Select Replace:=False
        End If
    Next shp
End Sub

'VBA code example to select all objects larger than 100 x 100 pixels
Sub SelectLargeShapes()
    Dim shp As Shape
    For Each shp In ActiveSheet.Shapes
        If shp.Width > 100 And shp.Height > 100 Then
            shp.Select Replace:=False
        End If
    Next shp
End Sub

'VBA code example to select all objects of type circle
Sub SelectCircleShapes()
    Dim shp As Shape
    For Each shp In ActiveSheet.Shapes
        If shp.AutoShapeType = msoShapeOval Then
            shp.Select Replace:=False
        End If
    Next shp
End Sub

Conclusion

In this article, you have learned how to select multiple objects in Excel easily and quickly. You’ve learned how to select multiple objects using Selection Pane, Select Objects, Ctrl + Click, Shift + Click, and VBA. You’ve also learned how to select objects based on certain criteria, such as color, size, or object type.

By knowing how to select multiple objects in Excel, you can perform various tasks related to objects, pictures, or charts in Excel more efficiently and practically. You can change the size, color, or style of multiple objects at once, group or group multiple objects into one object, copy, cut, or paste multiple objects to different locations, delete or hide multiple objects from your worksheet, neatly and symmetrically position or layout multiple objects, or apply animations, transitions, or special effects to multiple objects.

Hope this article is useful and helps you in selecting multiple objects in Excel. Thank you for reading this article. Good luck!