Excel: How New and Delete in Data Form Adjust Database Range

SUMMARY

The Delete button in the Data Form dialog box deletes records from an already defined database. Clicking the Delete button deletes the currently displayed record.

Note that using this delete method does not redefine the database range. The database still shows the original cell ranges and shows blank rows when you use the arrow keys to scroll through the database.

In contrast, the New button in the form actually redefines the range of the database, extending it to accommodate the new records if necessary. If the database contains blank rows at the bottom, the blank rows are filled first when you click the New button, instead of automatically adding rows to the database.

If extending the database to add more records would replace existing data on the spreadsheet, an error message appears, telling you that the database range can't be extended.

For more information on the Data Form command, see pages 157-162 of the "Microsoft Excel Reference" version 2.2 manual.