April 2004

Quick Tips in Microsoft Excel

By Teresa Lightle- Technology Coordinator                            Printable Version (pdf)

Quick Tips:

• Ctrl + Home will always take you back to the first active cell in the spreadsheet.

• Ctrl + End will take you to the last active cell in the spreadsheet.

• Toggle between showing formulas and showing data in an Excel spreadsheet by using Ctrl + `. (It is the key to the left of the number 1 on the keyboard)

• Freeze rows in Excel by selecting the row under the one you want to show and click on the number to the left of the row.  Select Window from the menu bar and click Freeze Panes.  The row(s) above the selected row will not move when scrolling.  This also works with Columns.

• Edit cells in a spreadsheet by navigating to the cell and pressing the F2 key on your keyboard.

• Create a quick chart in Excel by selecting the data for the chart and pressing the F11 Key on your keyboard.

• Select active data in a spreadsheet press CTRL + SHIFT + ASTERISK (*).  This will not select empty cells in a worksheet.

• Create vertical titles in Excel by keying information into a cell.  Use Format Cells option, then Alignment to rotate the text 90 degrees.  Select the rows in the column and choose merge cells.

• Preview calculations before you write the formula by using the status bar.  Change the calculation by right-clicking on the status bar.  The status bar is at the bottom of the Excel screen.

• To add a calculator to Excel:

  • On the View menu, click Toolbars, and then click Customize.

  • Click the Commands tab.

  • In the Categories list, click Tools, and in the Commands list, click Custom (the one with the gray calculator graphic).

  • Drag the selected command from the Commands list to a toolbar.  (Lift your finger from the mouse when you see a plus sign next to your pointer.)

  • Click Close.

  • Now click the new button to run the calculator.

 

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For Questions or Comments about this newsletter please contact: tlightle@bcoe.org

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