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)
Category Archives: Tips & Tricks
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 – let’s revisit it.
One Minute to Excel #18 – Convert real numbers to text numbers
Two techniques
When you are working with text numbers in tables sometimes you need to convert real numbers into text numbers to do look ups.
There are at least two ways to do this.
Let’s see how to convert real numbers into test numbers, real fast.
Excel Custom List Override
In Australia our financial year starts in July. Excel is set up to work with calendar years and we need to do some date gymnastics to have our reports start in July. Here is a hack for Custom Lists that can make some things better in Excel.
One Minute to Excel #17 – Convert text numbers to real numbers
Two techniques
When you import numbers from other systems they sometimes come in as text and are left aligned.
There are a couple of ways to fix them and they can both be done in less than a minute.
Keyboard Shortcut to Record a Macro
You need the Developer ribbon tab visible to record a macro, or do you?
This old-fashioned keyboard shortcut will open the record macro dialog. Pressed in sequence, not held down.
Alt T M R
You can also use the little icon next to the Ready at the bottom left corner of the screen.
Once you start recording the small square icon to stop recording appears in the same spot.
Excelling at Excel – Twenty Years Ago Today
My first article
My first article was published on 10 August 2001 in the Accountants Weekly magazine.
I have scanned the original article and it is shown below.
20 years later I thought I would update the 10 points from the article.
- The right mouse button is still a time saver and now has even more options. You can now Filter and Sort using the right click. Try right clicking the navigation icons on the left of the sheet tabs for a complete list of sheets. I drag with the right mouse button to copy formats only, or values only.
- Yes, I still use the Ctrl key to copy quickly. Try dragging a sheet tab with the mouse whilst holding the Ctrl key down – it copies the sheet – woohoo!
- Selecting multiple ranges with the Ctrl key and mouse is even better now. In the more recent Excel versions you can de-select ranges. In the old days you had to start from scratch if you wanted to change a selection.
- Toolbars are gone but the Quick Access Toolbar is customisable – see this post on that.
- Toolbars are out, but you can create your own ribbon tabs using Customize The Ribbon – right click the ribbon.
- Conditional Formatting (Home ribbon) now has lots more options and many built-in ones.
- Shift key – still lots of options with Shift.
- Double clicking – yes lots of time savers. Try double clicking the Format Painter (left side of Home ribbon) to apply formats multiple times. Press Esc to stop.
- Comments – now Comments have been re-badged as Notes and Comments are a new threaded commentary system.
- Paste Special – Ctrl + Alt + V opens Paste Special after copying.
When published all those years ago these tips applied to both Excel 97 and Excel 2000. We have come a long way since those days.
One Minute to Excel #16 – Create a useful macro
Wow - a replacement for Merge cells in less than a minute
The Merge cells format has lots of issues. It can crash macros and stop you copying and pasting.
In less than a minute you can use a macro to solve the problem.
VBA Window Tip
Did you know the right-hand side drop-down, above the code window, lists all the Subs and Functions in a module? Now you do.
Related Posts
One Minute to Excel #15 – Replace Colours
It can be done
Replacing colours manually can be a tedious task.
Did you know you can use Excel’s built-in Find & Replace to do the job for you?
One Minute to Excel #14 – Flash Fill
Excel's Super Hero
Joining names; extracting codes or converting dates is usually done with formulas, but there is now a formula-free solution called Flash Fill.
Name box shortcut
Just found out you can double click the re-size control on the Name Box. This quickly shrinks the Name Box width.
I have no idea how long that feature has been there, but I have just found it. Woohoo!
Related Posts
Filter Issue with Excel
Be careful with formatted tables
When you have a filter in place in Excel you typically only affect the visible cells when you edit multiple cells. There is a case when you are affecting all cells not just the visible ones.
One Minute to Excel #13 – Create and Use a Check Box
Tick it to the next level
A check box is an easy interface to create and use.
See how to add one to a sheet and use it in a calculation.
Paste Values and Formats
If you need to paste values and formats then you can use a single keyboard shortcut after you have copied.
Alt H V E will paste both.
One Minute to Excel #12 – Hide Cell Entries
It is a special format
You can’t hide a cell, but you can stop the cell value from displaying on the sheet.
It involves a custom number format.
Open the Power Query Editor
If you have cell selected in the output table from a Power Query, you can press, in sequence (not held down) the following keys Alt P U E to open the Power Query Editor window.
Related Posts
One Minute to Excel #11 – Add % to a Pivot Table
It is not intuitive
Often people perform calculations off to the right of Pivot Tables to calculate percentages.
In this short video I show you those calculations can be done inside the Pivot Table itself.
The solution is not intuitive, but it is easy.
This example builds upon the previous One Minute to Excel post.
Financial Year in Power Query
184 is the magic number
If you need to extract the Australian Financial Year from a date in Power Query here is how to do it.
Data Validation Shortcut
I typically use the shortcut Alt A V V pressed in sequence (not held down) to open the Data Validation dialog.
I like it because you can do it one-handed. The A and V are close together.
There is another shortcut that works the same. Again, pressed in sequence and not held down. Alt D L
Use the one that is easiest for you.
Pivot Table Shortcuts
Here’s a couple of useful keyboard shortcuts for Pivot Tables.
Display/Hide the Pivot Table Field List – this list lets you create or change the Pivot Table.
Alt J T L – pressed in sequence, not held down.
To add Subtotals above the entries in an existing Pivot Table.
Alt J Y T T – again pressed in sequence, not held down.
Microsoft
2021-04-08
2021-04-08
One Minute to Excel #10 – Create a Pivot Table
It is easy
Note sure why, but Pivot Tables are often seen a “hard” or “advanced”.
In the short video we see how easy they are.
Oops – I go over my one minute time limit by a few seconds because I format the Pivot Table as well.
Expand the Formula Bar
The Formula Bar can be expanded using the icon on the end. But there is a keyboard shortcut as well.
You can expand it or return it to one line using the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + Shift + U.
Thanks to Excel MVP Tom Urtis for sharing this shortcut recently on LinkedIn.
One Minute to Excel #9 – Drop down list in a cell
Three techniques
This short video covers different ways to insert a drop down list into a cell.
I go over my one minute time limit by a couple of seconds, but I do cover three techniques.
The wait is over
Well, the wait is finally over in the subscription version.
You can now unhide more than one sheet at a time – woohoo!
Control Pasting from Other Apps
Special paste option
When you paste into Excel from other applications, sometimes the formats can be problematic. Here is a tip to ignore formats.
Excel Drop Down without Data Validation
Alt key solution
Yes, you can create a cell drop down without Data Validation. It uses a built-in technique and is flexible.
One Minute to Excel #4 – Copy Anything
Mouse and keyboard combined
Copying is a common task in Excel. This technique applies to most things in Excel form cells and range to charts, images and sheets.
It also works in Word and PowerPoint.
Have you used the mouse and keyboard together? It is time to start.
Let’s go.
Greyed Out AutoSum Icon In Excel
Get around a sheet protection issue
When you protect a sheet in Excel many icons are turned off (greyed out), including the ever popular AutoSum icon. That’s when it pays to know keyboard shortcuts.
This link above is a great resource for Power Query data connectors.
It is listed alphabetic order.