Auto Fill using the
Fill Handle
You can fill in several types of series by selecting
cells and dragging the “fill handle” or by using the Series command
(point to Fill on the Edit menu, and then click Series). By dragging
the fill handle of a cell, you can copy the contents of a cell to other
cells in the same row or column. If a selection contains a number,
date, or time period, you can extend the series. For example, if you
want to fill in a series of dates where the dates go from the last date
of one month to the last date of the next month, simply enter in the
first two month ends and then drag the range down with the fill handle.
Use Scroll Tips to Figure out Where to
Stop
Scroll Tips are pop up indicators, which tell you as you scroll with
the elevator boxes where you are going to land if you let go. Both the
vertical and horizontal elevator boxes work the same. By watching the
scroll tips box as you drag down the fill handle to fill a range, you
can easily figure out where to stop the fill.
AutoFill with the
Fill Handle and the Control Key
The AutoFill feature has built in defaults that can
sometimes bother you. To get the AutoFill to increment a number or not
increment a text label with a number simply press the Control Key along
with using AutoFill and you will get the opposite results. In other
words, by pressing the Control Key along with the AutoFill you are
temporarily flipping the default settings opposite normal.
Fill an Entire
Column with One Double Click
In construction financial worksheets like loan
amortization schedules or capital lease schedules you are often faced
with the task of building a formula and copying it down dozens or even
hundreds of cells. In these situations there is frequently an adjacent
column that goes down as far as you would like to copy the new formula.
In these cases simply double click on the fill handle in the cell to
fill the entire column with the formula all the way down as far as the
adjacent cell has data.
Fill Entire Columns with One Double
Click
Custom Lists
The Custom Lists Tab of the Tools Options dialog box can save time and
effort when entering labels that you frequently use such as department
titles in your business. Excel comes with a few of the most common
lists pre programmed. However, if you have a list of titles, headings,
people names, places, etc. that you find yourself inputting over and
over again you can add these labels to the pre defined custom lists.
Notice that you can
enter your list in the right frame and add it to your lists. Or, you can
highlight a range you have entered, select Tools/Options/Custom List and
then import the highlighted range directly into your lists. Lists can,
of course, be deleted when no longer needed.
The Custom Lists Dialog Box
Once you create a
custom list you can use auto fill to quickly and easily enter the labels
in the list into any row or column. Simply type any of the labels in
the list and drag it down or across with the fill handle.
AutoCorrect
This feature will correct spelling errors for you if you type. If you
have a habit of typing certain words incorrectly (and almost everybody
does) you can program Excel to correct those common errors as you type
without any input from you. To correct your common typing errors
automatically, you must specify the word that is mistyped in advance.
You cannot only add
words to the autocorrect list, you may want to remove them. For
example, there may be some series of charters you use frequently (ex.
tje for tax journal entry) that Excel mistakenly concludes is a
misspelled work and changes. You can also turn off auto correct by
removing the check mark from the “Replace text as you type” check box.
The AutoCorrect Dialog Box
AutoFit
AutoFit lets you automatically adjust column widths and row heights, to
fit the longest string of text or numbers. AutoFit can save you tons of
time trying to organize and present your worksheet.
Using the AutoFit Command
You can activate
AutoFit more easily by simply double clicking on the right edge of a
column at the top of the column, as shown below:
AutoComplete
If the first few characters you type in a cell match an existing
entry in that column, Microsoft Excel fills in the remaining characters
for you. Microsoft Excel completes only those entries that contain text
or a combination of text and numbers; entries that contain only numbers,
dates, or times are not completed.
AutoFormat
The AutoFormat command intelligently applies one of fifteen
professionally designed formats to your worksheet in seconds, with just
one click. If you deal with sheet formats or standard formats for your
organization, AutoFormat will save you time.
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