Automation in Excel: the choices.
Traditionally, the way to automate tasks in Excel, was to use VBA. See this post for how to turn on the developer tab and access this amazing tool. The new kid on the block in terms of automation in Excel is Office Scripts. Both allow you to record your actions, so no real programming knowledge […]
New Window on the world, or at least on your spreadsheet.
When you want to see two parts of your spreadsheet at once, New Window is what you want to be using. Found in the View menu, in the Window Section. (Shortcut keys Alt, W, N) Activating New Window will open another window to the current workbook almost as if it was another workbook. So now […]
Side by side (With thanks to Harry M. Woods)
You can view two workbooks side by side and scroll them together. Very handy if you are comparing them. View Menu, Window Section, View Side by Side. (Shortcut Alt, W, B) If you have more than one other workbook open, you will then get to choose which workbook you would like to put with the […]
Split: See your spreadsheet differently.
When you want to view two different parts of your spreadsheet at once, you can use Split. Split is found in the View Menu, Window Section. (Shortcut Key Alt, W, S) This will cut your spreadsheet into four sections, based on the current active cell, creating sections above, and to the left of the active […]
Freeze, in the name of being able to see what is what.
When you have a large sheet and you want to be able to see the top rows, even if you have scrolled down, then Freeze Panes is your friend. For example, if you have headings in the top row and want to be able to see them, even when you are at the end of […]
Easily add names for cells.
I have written about naming cells and why it is a good idea before. Here is an easy way to do a whole lot of those at once. Your data has to be set out in a particular way. I have a small example here. Select all the data, from the Income cell to the […]
Trace dependents and precedents
I am often working on spreadsheets that have been started by someone else. Two tools that are really helpful are trace dependents and trace precedents. Found on the Formula Menu in the Formula Auditing section, (short cut key Alt, M, P and Alt, M, D) Trace dependent/precedents allows you to see if a cell is […]
Make your spreadsheet look less like a spreadsheet.
If you want your spreadsheet to look less like a spreadsheet, or you want more space for your data when showing it to others, then you can change the look of your sheet with a few clicks. Turning off the gridlines and the headings (the letters across the top, and the numbers down the side) […]
What is faster than scrolling? Jumping. Go To…
Home menu, Editing section, Find & Select, Go To… or Shortcut key Ctrl + G, or F5. You can type in a cell reference, click OK and be taken right there. You can use it to jump to another sheet, but have to type in the name of the sheet, then !, then the cell […]
I still haven’t found what I am looking for… solved.
Hiding under the Find & Select drop down is Go To Special… Find & Select, can be found on the Home Menu and is the Editing section. Click on the drop down and choose Go To Special… Shortcut key F5 will open the Go To dialogue box, and from here you can choose Go To […]