I had a recent query regarding checking time in a column that had both date and time. There is an easy way to extract time from a date-time combination.
Excel Chart Label Line Break
When adding labels to a chart sometimes you need a line break. Well it is possible.
Handling Multiple Columns in Power Query
Choose Columns drop down
In general, you should reduce the number of columns you import via Power Query to the minimum you require. Here is a quick technique to make that a bit easier.
Show the cells to be removed by Remove Duplicates in Excel
A formula-based Conditional Format
Excel has a Remove Duplicates option in the Data ribbon. It keeps the first item and removes any further items that match.
Excel Power Query and Data Types
Get the Type right
Data types are an important part of Power Query in Excel and Power BI. They define the type of data that should be in a column. When performing some calculations, getting the column data type right is vital.
Display a New Window
If you have two or more screens (I have three) you can have separate Excel windows on separate screens. This can make copying and linking much easier.
The keyboard shortcut to open a new window in the current file is Alt W N pressed in sequence not held down.
This allows you to have the same file visible in two separate windows. Each window can have a separate sheet.
The New Window icon is on the View ribbon tab.
Excel and Emojis
Have some fun with emojis
Yes, you can use emojis (those little images you see in text messages, tweets and posts) in Excel. You can even use them in formulas. š
Conditional Format to Display Only the First Entry
In my previous blog post I showed a technique to reduce clutter. The technique used a manual formatting method. Here is the automated version.
You can see my previous post here.
Below is the original table.
We can use a Conditional Format to only display the first entry of each date in the Date column.
Select the range A2:A11.
Click the Conditional Formatting drop down and select New Rule (third from the bottom).
Select the last option in the top section āUse a formula to ā¦ā.
In the formula box enter the following formula.
=COUNTIF($A$2:A2,A2)>1
Click the Format button and use the Font tab and change the font colour to White and click OK and then OK again.
The result is shown below.
The formula for a conditional format must return TRUE to trigger the format. The type of formula that you use is called a logical test, which returns either TRUE or FALSE.
The use of the $ signs is very important in this formula. The COUNTIF function counts the number of entries in a range. If the COUNTIF result is above 1 it is a duplicate. In cell A2 the formula will ALWAYS return 1 as it is counting itself.
When creating a formula-based condition across a range you need to build the formula to refer to the top left cell of the range. In this case we need the range to expand as the range extends down the sheet. Hence, we didnāt use any $ signs on the last two A2 references used.
In cell A3 the formula will be.
=COUNTIF($A$2:A3,A3)>1
This is because the A2 references in the original formula had no $ signs, so they will change with the cell to A3. In our case this COUNTIF will return 2 because the date in cell A3 is a duplicate of the date in A2. This will trigger the format.
This formula expands as the range extends. It uses the cell reference of the cell it is in to determine if the entry is the first entry or a duplicate. This formula will not change the format of the first entry, but it will change the formats of any duplicates.
Input Data Display Hack for Excel
Getting the format white
When creating data input sheets, it is a good idea to use a table layout. Sometimes they can end up looking a little bit busy, especially if you are repeating entries down rows. To help users focus on what they need to do, you can use a little formatting hack to make the layout look a little less cluttered.
One Minute to Excel #23 – Text numbers to real number again
Another solution
One thing you learn quickly about Excel is that there are many ways to achieve the same outcome.
This is another example. In an earlier video I showed two separate ways to convert text numbers into real numbers.
Well, I have just learned another way. An Excel MVP Rick Rothstein shared a third way.Ā I tweaked it and share a keyboard shortcut to do it as well.
Hope you enjoy it.
Added Nov 27, 2021
If you use Text to Columns for other conversion in the same session, you may need to use Alt A E W F as the Delimiter defaults may interfere with the conversion.
Display an Excel Pop-up Message Without a Macro
Data Validation to the rescue
Would you like to display a pop-up message when a user enters a value into a cell? You don’t need a macro to achieve this.
Another Excel Custom List Tweak
Adding Total to the end
I posted recently about how you can amend a custom list to change the sequence of a slicer ā read it here. Here is another tweak I learned from Mr Excel (Bill Jelen).
Letās TRIM with Dynamic Arrays in Excel
Removing problematic spaces with a single function
Dynamic arrays allow you to use a function normally built to handle a cell, with a range of cells. The TRIM function can remove extra space characters in cells. So with dynamic arrays it can handle ranges.
Excel Macro to Clean the Data
Before Power Query, this is how we cleaned data
Yes, I know you should use Power Query to clean data and I demonstrated how to do that in my previous post. Sometimes it is easier to record a macro because a macro can clean the data in place.
Convert text time to real time in Excel
Three different ways
I recently downloaded an example file for an Excel challenge. The challenge had a lot of things to do but they were all based on a Timestamp column that had text instead of times.
Comma Format
The comma format for numbers is pretty popular.
There are a couple of keyboard shortcuts to apply it.
Hold the Ctrl and Shift keys down and press 1 on the keyboard.
The next one uses the Alt key. Use the left Alt key. Keys pressed in sequence (don’t hold them down).
Alt H K
Remember Hong Kong.
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Excel Alt key Shortcuts
Short video at bottom of post
The Alt key offers a way to use icons without using the mouse. In some cases, these Alt key shortcuts can be quicker than using the mouse.
Old Macros XL4 macros
If you use the old Excel macro language – known as XL4 macros – you may need to update a setting to keep using them.
This is the macro language before VBA was introduced in the Excel 5 back in the 90’s.
Not many people use these macros any more but there a couple of techniques that they are used for.
Microsoft will soon disable them automatically and you will need to turn them back on if you want to use them.
The setting to update is in the Trust Center Macro settings – see image below.
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Find the Closest Value in Excel
Dynamic array solution
On LinkedIn recently someone posted an Excel formula solution lamenting that it was long and complex. That of course was a challenge to me to simplify it.
A good teacher does not teach facts, he or she teaches enthusiasm, open-mindedness and values.
Gian-Carlo Rota
One Minute to Excel #22 – Normalise a budget
Power Query can be quick
The standard budget layout isn’t great for pivot tables. You can easily and quickly convert it in to data using Power Query
See now in this short video.
Monitor Cells with Excelās Watch Window
Don't wait, watch
When you are developing a file for a report, budget or forecast you may need to keep track of certain cells. They could be validations or profits or some other important value. The Watch Window can help you monitor multiple cells in one place.
In the Formulas tab in the Formula Auditing section is the Watch Window icon.
Clicking the icon opens the Watch Window. It will be blank.
You can click the Add Watch button to add a cell to monitor. You can chose cells from any sheet.
Click Add to watch the cell. You can widen the Watch Window and change column widths as well.
You can click the column headings to sort by the column.
You can also select a range to watch. but it will list the range as a series of cells ā see images below.
When you save and close the file the watch entries are saved. When you open the file the Watch Window wonāt be open, you will have to re-open it.
The shortcut Alt M W (pressed in sequence, not held down) will open the Watch Window. The same shortcut also closes the Watch Window.
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One Minute to Excel #21 – Hiding Zeroes
Two ways
If you want to display a blankĀ cell instead of a zero there are two ways to do it.
See both in this short video.
Power Query Shortcut
Have you tried right clicking a formatted table recently?
There is a new option to Get Data from Table/Range – which means to import the table into Power Query so you can data cleanse the table.
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Time differences in Excel
ABS to the rescue again
Hereās a technique to calculate the time differences when you arenāt sure which time is first or last. Note with standard Excel settings you cannot report negative time.
One Minute to Excel #20 – Custom Lists
Built-in feature
Do you have a list or lists that you use all the time? Would you like to write the first entry and then drag it like January to get the rest of the list? Here’s how.
Back when text was just text
Text functions revisited
20 years ago my last article for the Accountants Weekly magazine was published. They spelled my name wrong after getting it right for all the other articles, maybe thatās why I stopped.
One Minute to Excel #19 – Skip Blanks
Paste Special Technique
If you have data that has blanks in it you may be able to combine columns using Paste Special – Skip Blanks.
Power Query Zoom
I used this today in a live webinar.
I zoomed into the Power Query window in Excel to make it easier to see.
Ctrl + Shift + + (plus)
Excel Shortcut keys revisited 20 years on
Some things don't change much
20 years ago I had an article published on Excel shortcuts keys ā letās revisit it.