12 easy tricks to get things done faster in Excel

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-13 00:26

How to quickly add data, create a smart table, or save an unsaved file.

1. Quickly add new data to the chart

If new data appears on the sheet for the plotted diagram, which needs to be added, then you can simply select a range with new information, copy it (Ctrl + C) and then paste it directly into the diagram (Ctrl + V).

2. Flash Fill

Suppose you have a list of full names (Ivanov Ivan Ivanovich), which you need to turn into abbreviated names (Ivanov I. I.). To do this, you just need to start writing the desired text in the adjacent column by hand. On the second or third line, Excel will try to predict our actions and perform further processing automatically. All you have to do is press the Enter key to confirm, and all names will be converted instantly. Similarly, you can extract names from email, glue names from fragments, and so on.

3. Copy without breaking formats

You are most likely aware of the magic autocomplete marker. This is a thin black cross in the lower right corner of the cell, pulling on which you can copy the contents of a cell or a formula to several cells at once. However, there is one unpleasant nuance: such copying often violates the design of the table, since not only the formula is copied, but also the cell format. This can be avoided. Immediately after pulling the black cross, click on the smart tag - a special icon that appears in the lower right corner of the copied area.

If you select the Fill Without Formatting option, Excel will copy your formula without formatting and will not spoil the layout.

4. Displaying data from an Excel spreadsheet on a map

In Excel, you can quickly display your geodata on an interactive map, such as sales by city. To do this, go to the Office Store on the Insert tab and install the Bing Maps plugin from there. This can be done from the site by clicking the Get It Now button.

Once a module has been added, you can select it from the My Apps drop-down list on the Insert tab and place it on your worksheet. It remains to select your cells with data and click on the Show Locations button in the map module to see our data on it. If desired, in the plugin settings, you can select the type of chart and colors to display.

5. Quick jump to the required sheet

If the number of worksheets in the file has exceeded 10, then it becomes difficult to navigate them. Right-click any of the sheet tabs scroll buttons in the lower left corner of the screen. The table of contents will appear, and you can jump to any desired sheet instantly.

6. Convert rows to columns and vice versa

If you have ever had to move cells from rows to columns by hand, then you will appreciate the following trick:

1. Highlight the range.
2. Copy it (Ctrl + C) or, by clicking on the right mouse button, select "Copy" (Copy).
3. Right-click on the cell where you want to paste the data and select one of the Paste Special options - the Transpose icon from the context menu. Older versions of Excel do not have this icon, but you can fix the problem by using Paste Special (Ctrl + Alt + V) and choosing the Transpose option.

7. Drop-down list in a cell

If in any cell it is supposed to enter strictly defined values from the allowed set (for example, only "yes" and "no" or only from the list of company departments and so on), then this can be easily organized using the drop-down list.

1. Select a cell (or a range of cells) that should have such a limitation.
2. Click the "Validation" button on the "Data" tab (Data → Validation).
3. In the drop-down list "Type" (Allow) select the option "List" (List).
4. In the field "Source" (Source) specify the range containing the reference variants of the elements, which will subsequently drop out when typing.

8. Smart table

If you select a range with data and on the "Home" tab click "Format as a table" (Home → Format as Table), then our list will be converted into a smart table that can do a lot of useful things:

1. Automatically stretches when new rows or columns are added to it.
2. The entered formulas will be automatically copied to the entire column.
3. The header of such a table is automatically fixed when scrolling, and it includes filter buttons for filtering and sorting.
4. On the appeared tab "Design" in such a table, you can add a row of totals with automatic calculation.

9. Sparklines

Sparklines are miniature charts drawn right in cells that visualize the dynamics of our data. To create them, click the Line or Columns button in the Sparklines group on the Insert tab. In the window that opens, specify the range with the original numerical data and the cells where you want to display the sparklines.

After clicking on the "OK" button, Microsoft Excel will create them in the specified cells. On the "Design" tab that appears, you can further customize their color, type, enable the display of minimum and maximum values, and so on.

10. Recover unsaved files

Imagine: you close the report you were messing with for the last half of the day, and in the dialog box that appears "Save changes to file?" suddenly for some reason you press "No". The office announces your heart-rending scream, but it's too late: the last few hours of work went down the drain.

In fact, there is a chance to rectify the situation. If you have Excel 2010, then click on "File" → "Recent" (File → Recent) and find the button "Recover Unsaved Workbooks" in the lower right corner of the screen.

In Excel 2013, the path is slightly different: File → Details → Version Control → File - Properties - Recover Unsaved Workbooks.

In subsequent versions of Excel, open File → Info → Workbook Management.

A special folder from the bowels of Microsoft Office will open, where temporary copies of all created or modified, but unsaved books are saved in such a case.

11. Comparison of two ranges for differences and coincidences

Sometimes, when working in Excel, you need to compare two lists and quickly find items that are the same or different in them. Here's the quickest, most intuitive way to do it:

1. Select both compared columns (hold down the Ctrl key).
2. Select Home tab → Conditional Formatting → Highlight Cell Rules → Duplicate Values.
3. Select the Unique option from the dropdown list.

12. Selection (adjustment) of calculation results for the required values

Ever tinker with the input values in your Excel calculation to get the output you want? At such moments, you feel like a seasoned artilleryman: just a couple of dozen iterations of "undershoot - overflights" - and here it is, the long-awaited hit!

Microsoft Excel can do this for you, faster and more accurately. To do this, click the "What If" button on the "Data" tab and select the "Parameter selection" command (Insert → What If Analysis → Goal Seek). In the window that appears, specify the cell where you want to select the desired value, the desired result and the input cell that should be changed. After clicking on "OK" Excel will execute up to 100 "shots" in order to find the required total with an accuracy of 0, 001.