onlyoffice · Data organization · Intermediate
Group Rows into a Collapsible ONLYOFFICE Outline
Build nested row groups and a column outline without deleting data or double-counting summary formulas.
Quick answer
Create the summary formulas first, then group detail rows with Data → Group. Keep each summary outside its child group and the grand total outside the parent. Collapse and expand to check that visibility changes without changing values.
Version and evidence
ONLYOFFICE Desktop Editors 10.0.0 documentation baseline, English desktop interface on Windows/Linux; official help and desktop changelog checked 2026-10-19. No native application execution or screenshots were obtained. Exact installed build, OS behavior and saved-file round trips remain manual verification requirements; hosted and mobile behavior is outside scope. The steps below are a documented procedure with independently calculated checkpoints, not a native test report. Use an editable .xlsx practice copy. Do not treat the online help as proof of every older desktop build.
Use an outline when a reader needs to alternate between a short report and its supporting detail without deleting records. This exercise creates a parent group, two nested row groups, and an independent column group. The totals are ordinary formulas you create first; grouping does not calculate them.
Lay out the report
Create outline-practice.xlsx with one sheet named Costs. Enter the following cells. Row numbers are worksheet row numbers, not another data column.
| Row | A: Description | B: Actual | C: Budget |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Description | Actual | Budget |
| 2 | East labor | 120 | 150 |
| 3 | East materials | 80 | 100 |
| 4 | East travel | 50 | 50 |
| 5 | East total | =SUM(B2:B4) |
=SUM(C2:C4) |
| 6 | West labor | 90 | 100 |
| 7 | West materials | 60 | 80 |
| 8 | West travel | 40 | 50 |
| 9 | West total | =SUM(B6:B8) |
=SUM(C6:C8) |
| 10 | Grand total | =B5+B9 |
=C5+C9 |
In D1 type Variance; enter =B2-C2 in D2, and copy it down through D10. Expected East total: actual 250, budget 300, variance -50. West: 190, 230, -40. Grand total: 440, 530, -90. Check the formulas in row 10: SUM(B2:B9) would incorrectly count both detail and regional totals, returning 880.
Build the outline in a controlled order
Keep Costs active. Select A2:D9, use Data → Group, choose Rows, and confirm. This is the parent group; row 10 deliberately remains outside it. Then select A2:D4 and group Rows for East detail. Finally select A6:D8 and group Rows for West detail. Each inner group is contained within the parent. Leave summary rows below detail, matching the placement of rows 5, 9 and 10.
The official grouping documentation describes numbered levels and plus/minus controls. Collapse the inner groups first. You should retain rows 1, 5, 9 and 10 in the report while rows 2–4 and 6–8 disappear from view. Read the three totals again; they must stay 250, 190 and 440. The skipped row numbers help distinguish collapsed detail from deleted records.
Now collapse the parent. Only the header and grand-total row of this report remain visible. The grand total must still be 440 actual and 530 budget. Expand the parent, then the nested groups, or use the deepest numbered level to show every detail row. Confirm B2=120 and B8=40 survived unchanged.
Add a column outline without hiding the answer
With every row expanded on Costs, select B1:C10. Use Data → Group and choose Columns. Collapse the column group. Columns B and C should be hidden from view, while description A and variance D remain visible. D10 must remain -90. Expand the column group before continuing.
This layout lets a reader inspect variances alone, but its meaning depends on the labels. Add a note in A12: Variance = Actual - Budget; negative means under budget. Do not label a negative result as a loss without that business context. Grouping hides presentation detail; it is not a way to keep sensitive data secret.
Save the intended view and reopen
For the final view, keep columns expanded, parent rows expanded and both inner detail groups collapsed. Save, close and reopen outline-practice.xlsx. Activate Costs and check the outline controls, row visibility, regional totals and grand total. If the saved expansion state differs in your installed build, record that limitation and restore the intended view; do not claim persistence solely from the live screen.
Advanced recovery: remove one group only
Use Save As to create outline-ungroup-test.xlsx. Expand all row levels in this copy. Select A2:D4 and use Data → Ungroup → Rows. The East detail should no longer have its own inner group. The West child and parent still require inspection: removing the wrong level can flatten more of the outline than intended. All cells and totals must remain intact.
If you want a flat report, expand everything before removing the remaining groups with their original ranges. Remove the West inner row group, then the parent, and finally the B:C column group. Check all nine data/report rows and all four columns. Avoid substituting Clear outline: its documented wording differs from ungrouping, so it is not the removal operation used here.
Troubleshooting
- Grand total disappears when collapsing: row 10 was included in the parent selection. Rebuild the parent over rows 2–9 in a fresh copy.
- Totals double: inspect formula ranges before changing outline settings. The grand total must combine regional summaries once.
- Controls appear above detail: check the summary-position setting; it changes control placement, not your formulas.
- A row is still invisible after expanding: it may have been separately hidden or filtered. This fixture uses neither; do not diagnose every hidden row as an outline problem.
Keep the saved main workbook. Recovery experiments are isolated copies and never depend on Undo surviving a close and reopen.