Let’s say you want the active cell to be A1 in all the sheets in a file before you save the file. There is an easy and quick way to do it. It doesn’t matter how many sheets are involved, but it does come with a warning.
Category Archives: Tips & Tricks
Automate Input Cell Colour
Use a CELL function option
It is best practice in Excel to have a consistent colour for input cells so that users know where they can and need to make changes. You can automate this process by using a Conditional Format.
Excel, Subtraction and Accuracy
Binary takes a byte
It’s not mentioned a lot, but some of Excel’s subtraction calculations are not exact. When you look at them at 15 decimal points they are slightly out. Most times this make no measurable difference to the result. But sometimes when you round, it does.
Moving Images in Excel
Make the Shift
When you are moving images, charts or other objects that float above the grid you can use the Shift key to make it easier.
Entering Dates in Excel
Stop the full stop
There are only two characters Excel recognises when separating numeric days, months and years in dates. They are the / and – characters.
Please don’t use the full stop as Excel won’t recognise it as a date.
Below you can see examples of using / and – in dates.
When you use the full stop Excel won’t recognise it as a date – see below.
Its left aligned and will be treated a text.
Pasting or inserting with a Formatted Table
When a little icon makes all the difference
When you need to paste new rows to the bottom of a formatted table, or insert blank rows at the bottom, one way is much quicker than others when working with large, complex models.
Increasing Excel Formula Bar Font Size
Good for training
I recently saw a good post on Linkedin from Leila Gharani MVP on increasing the Excel Formula Bar font size. It seems useful for training, so I wrote a simple macro to simplify the process.
Stop Sentences Moving to the Next Page in MS Word
Default setting pain
I recently had to re-install Office and I found an annoying Microsoft Word default setting. The setting causes a sentence to go to the next page for no valid reason. Here is the setting to change.
Handling plurals with the IF function
Singular or plural?
Sometimes when creating text you need to handle plurals correctly. The IF function makes it easy.
Improved Data Structure
Tables rule
I ran a webinar in January 2019 where I presented and explained a budget challenge file I had submitted in November 2018. I mentioned during the session that I didn’t like the layout of the Data tab. Well someone asked how should it look? So here is how I would have arranged it.
Data Validation Shortcut
Two options
The Data Validation dialog allows you to limit or control what a user enters into a cell. There are two keyboard shortcuts to open it.
Make a Dent
Do you use Indenting in reports? Example below.
If you do, you make like this keyboard shortcut.
To increase Indenting press Alt H 6 pressed in sequence, not held down.
To decrease Indenting press Alt H 5 (is that an Outdent?)
Related Posts
Sort by value ignoring the sign
An absolutely simple function to the rescue
I recently received an unusual request about sorting. They wanted to sort in ascending order but they wanted to ignore the sign of the values. So -44 would be next to 44.
Navigation in the VBA Window
An Excel shortcut
I recently found a useful keyboard shortcut for the VBA code window. I tried an Excel shortcut that helped in the VBA window.
Free Excel Webinar Recording – Excel Yourself 2018
Feedback score 89%
In December 2018 I reviewed four of my articles from the INTHEBLACK magazine from 2018. Download the materials using the button below and watch the video.
CPD note – if you are claiming CPD for watching this recording you need to keep your own records. People who attend the live sessions receive an annual listing of attendances.
Includes extra content not included in the magazine.
This year’s smorgasbord webinar includes
- how to handle validations
- dynamically highlighting the current row in a table (uses a macro)
- centralising logic – how and why to do it – alternatives to the IF function
- creating a slope chart (includes a macro to speed up the process)
As always there will be a few more tips and tricks shared in the session.
Open Filter the Drop Down
If you have filters turned on and you are in the heading row of the table you can press Alt + down arrow to open the filter drop down.
You can then use the arrow keys to move up and down.
Related Posts
Free Excel Webinar Recording – Mouse Shortcuts
Feedback score 93%
When I ran some face to face training sessions recently I was reminded how much people LOVE shortcuts. I did a keyboard shortcut webinar session in October 2018.
In November 2018 I shared lots of mouse shortcuts. Download the materials using the button below and watch the video.
CPD note – if you are claiming CPD for watching this recording you need to keep your own records. People who attend the live sessions receive an annual listing of attendances.
Some of the topics and techniques you will learn include:
- the various cursor shapes and how to use them correctly
- right clicking options you may not know exist
- copying anything quickly with the mouse, even sheets
- drawing perfect circles and squares
- lining up charts and other shapes perfectly
- cool techniques with the Fill Handle
- something you may never have tried with the right mouse button
- using the the Office clipboard
- a trick to use the Series dialog
This session will demonstrate lots of techniques using the mouse and also using the mouse with the keyboard.
Even if you prefer using the keyboard you might learn a few useful new techniques.
Bold Your Headings
Apparently this is not widely known, but you should always bold the headings in your tables.
Then when you use Format as Table (Ctrl + t) on the Home ribbon tab the header row will be correctly identified.
This also applies to the Ctrl + Shift + L shortcut to insert the filter drop downs.
It also applies to the ranges used for charts.
In general ALWAYS BOLD your headings – it is something Excel looks for.
Ctrl + b is the bold shortcut.
Change in Ctrl Key Selections
Latest versions
Do you use the Ctrl key and the mouse to select multiple ranges? Well you may want to watch this short video.
Missing Sheet Gridlines in Excel
Its a format
Ever seen a sheet with what looks like missing gridlines? Wondered what happened? The issue is a format.