Excel Tips & Tricks > Part 1

Bittersweet moments often accompany the program that is quite possibly the most complex, versatile, elusive and remarkable Microsoft application ever created – Excel.

Wrapping your mind around the hundreds of functions, formulas, forms, macros and calculations can seem daunting. Most Excel users have also been elated to discover some previously mysterious element of Excel that has literally increased their productivity by hours each week.

This is undoubtedly the reason we continue to explore this application, hunting for new tricks to transform our mundane, time-consuming activities into easy ‘click of the button’ functions.

How will you get to know Excel? Use it. Don’t be afraid to dig in and explore how all those menus, submenus and shortcuts can work for you. Helpful hint: Practice on data that you don’t mind losing – and learn right now that pressing ctrl + z, or selecting undo from the edit menu, will undo any mistake you make. Read more for tips and tricks that will simplify your life right away.

Data Layout

If you’ve ever spent time carefully setting up a document with all the right fields, only to find out that your data is in columns when it should be in rows, just select and copy data currently in a row or column. Move the cell pointer to the desired starting cell, and choose Edit and then Paste Special. In the dialog, check Transpose – then click OK. Data that was in a row will now be oriented as a column or vice versa without having to copy and paste each individual cell.

Easy Charting

If you’ve already mastered transposing your data, here’s a quick way to create a chart with just one click. Just Select your chartable data on the spreadsheet (and the respective labels) and press f11 to create a default column chart with just one click.

Format Hints

Polish the look of your data quickly and professionally. If labels are making your spreadsheets too wide, try angling them so columns only need to be the width of the actual data, not the labels. Choose the label cells and do a right click. Select Format Cells. Select the Alignment tab and drag the angle slider to the desired angle. This not only saves room but can also add visual interest and set labels apart from data, making your spreadsheets easier to read. Remember to use the bold and underline tools to make your labels stand out.

Linking Dynamic Data

Imagine knowing that each of your worksheets and workbooks are dynamically linked, making it possible for you to enter data into one cell and witnessing it ‘magically’ updating 6 other linked cells on different sheets. Just use the Paste Special command to really save time and keep your data accurate in more than one place.

Next Issue

Imagine using Excel Macros to set up documents you use every day, and saving yourself the headache of setting up each new document.

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