Let’s say you have an input range that covers the whole year. You only want users to make entries in the current month column. How can you limit the month entry? The answer is a custom Data Validation.
Power Query Fill Down Doesn’t Work
The fix is easy
Sometimes when working with CSV files in Power Query you may strike the situation where Fill Down doesn’t fill down. Don’t worry there is an easy fix.
Twelve months of free Excel webinars
Free monthly Excel webinars
This month celebrates 12 consecutive free monthly Excel training webinars. One a month since August 2018.
You can view the recordings and download the materials using the table below. Sorted by Skill Level.
12 hours of free, practical CPD. Remember to keep your own records of recording viewing for CPD purposes.
Please share with the your network, enjoy!
Latest Free Excel Webinars
| Free Courses (One hour each) | Level | Recording Link | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|
| Excel Keyboard Shortcuts | Beg | Recording | Materials |
| Excel Mouse Shortcuts | Beg | Recording | Materials |
| Excel Formatting Tips | Beg | Recording | Materials |
| Excel 2016 Conditional Formats | Int | Recording | Materials |
| Excel Custom Number Formats | Int | Recording | Materials |
| Excel Financial Functions Part 1 | Int | Recording | Materials |
| Excel Financial Functions Part 2 | Int | Recording | Materials |
| Dashboard Guidelines & Techniques | Int | Recording | Materials |
| Format As Table Features | Int | Recording | Materials |
| Excel Yourself 2018 | Beg/Int/Adv | Recording | Materials |
| Mastering Excel's Form Controls | Adv | Recording | Materials |
| Excel 2016 What-If Techniques | Adv | Recording | Materials |
| Excel Budget Challenge | Adv | Recording | Materials |
| Excel Recorded Macros | Adv | Recording | Materials |
| Interactive Excel Chart | Adv | Recording | Materials |
| Introduction to Power Query | Adv | Recording | Materials |
Level Beg = Beginner, Int = Intermediate, Adv = Advanced
Handling Exceptions in Excel
Two ways to consider
When developing budgets and financial models you may need the same rate/value (say debtor days) for 10 months of the year but need to adjust it for 2 months. It is usually December and January as they tend to be a little different due to the Christmas / New Year period. Here’s a couple of ways to handle exceptions in Excel.
Excel ISDATE Function
A few solutions
Unfortunately Excel doesn’t have an ISDATE function. Excel’s macro language, VBA does, but there is no spreadsheet function that let’s you know if a cell contains a date. Well there is a partial workaround and you can also use VBA.
Autofit Rows with a Maximum Row Height
Follow up post
In March I wrote a post on using a macro to apply column Autofit on a sheet but with a maximum column width. This is a follow up post as someone requested the same functionality for row height.
Keyboard shortcut to insert a Text Box
A quick way to insert a Text Box is by pressing, in sequence (not held down) Alt N X.
A blank Text Box is placed in the middle of the sheet.
Default Function Arguments in Excel
What to leave out
Many of Excel’s functions have default arguments. What are arguments? Arguments are the sections within a function that you separate with commas and some of these arguments are optional.
Free Excel Webinar Recording – Financial Functions Part 1
Feedback score 93%
In June 2019 I explained and demonstrated a number of Excel’s financial functions – see below for more details.
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.
These functions take three or more arguments, but there are a few things you need to know to use them correctly. Most involve loans or calculations associated with the time value of money.
This session covered the following six functions
- PV – Present Value of future regular cash outflow
- PMT – periodic loan repayment calculation
- CUMIPMT – cumulative interest – great for loan schedules
- RATE – interest rate
- FV – future value of regular investment
- NPER – number of periods
The session finishes with a loan model that calculates the “missing” value for a loan scenario based on two out of three inputs. The IFERROR function is also discussed.
Format as Table Extends Data Validation
Another advantage to formatted tables
Excel’s Format as Table feature on the Home ribbon has many advantages. One advantage that isn’t mentioned much is the automatic extension of Data Validations.
Fastest way to copy an image, graphic or chart
To copy an image, graphic or chart simply have the object selected and press Ctrl + D. You can press multiple time to paste multiple times.
If you line the first one up then the others will also line up as you duplicate them.
Related Posts
Avoiding keyed in values in Excel formulas
Table solution
One of the cardinal rules of Excel is don’t key-in a value into a formula if that value could change. Tracking the value down could be problematic if you need to change the value. Tables can be the solution to avoiding keyed-in values.
Zeroing an input range in multiple cells
Range names make it easy
In some cases you may have to make manual inputs across multiple cells that are spread across a sheet. Before making the entries you need to clear the existing entries. Creating a range name can make that process much quicker.
Selecting a single word in Excel
Mouse shortcut
If you are editing a sentence or a heading and you need to replace a single word there is a quick and easy way to do it.
Excel Comments (Notes) and Freeze Panes
Row height solution
Inserting a Comment (renamed to Notes in newer versions of Excel) in the first row and then using Freeze Panes to keep that first row visible can cause issues displaying the Comment (Note). Here’s how to fix it.
Free Excel Webinar Recording – Dashboard #1 Guildelines & Techniques
Feedback score 92%
In May 2019 I examined and demonstrated some guidelines and techniques for creating charts for dashboards.
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.
In this session I focused on chart and dashboard guidelines plus some techniques used to create small charts for dashboards.
I also looked at creating a bullet chart, which is an alternative to gauge, speedo or dial chart.
The session covered
- general chart guidelines
- questions to ask yourself to develop better charts
- best charts to use
- charts and formats to avoid
- using text boxes on dashboards
- how to create small charts
- chart templates
- lining up and re-sizing charts
- useful number formats for dashboard charts
- using the #N/A error with charts
- how to create a bullet chart
As always I shared a few other tips.
Multiple Entries in an Excel Filtered List
Ctrl key to the rescue
When a list is filtered you are only seeing the rows that match the filter. The other rows are still there, just hidden. If you want to make the same entry in a group of filtered cells you can’t use the fill handle to drag and copy as you will overwrite the hidden rows. There is an easy way to do it.
Switching Rows and Columns in a PivotChart
Finding the hidden option
Switching between rows and columns in a normal chart is easy via a button on the Design tab. But how do you do it with a PivotChart?
Excel has Icons
New feature
If you have the subscription version of Excel, check out the Insert tab – you have Icons!
Free Excel Webinar Recording – Custom Number Formats
Feedback score 92%
In April 2019 I demonstrated many of Excel’s Custom Number Formats.
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.
In this brand new webinar we examine Custom Number Formats which hide away at the bottom of the Number Format tab. These custom made formats offer some useful techniques.
They can
- display negatives in red and with brackets
- format mobile phone numbers correctly
- display numbers and text together and still perform calculations
- hide zeroes
- display rounded numbers to thousands and millions
- display the day of the week
- create customised dates
- be saved and be available in new sheets and files using a Template
- be saved as a Style
See examples and demonstrations of many different custom number formats and learn how to create your own.
As always I will share a few other tips.