3 Top Tips for Excel

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Microsoft Excel, a spreadsheet application launched in 1985, organises data in columns and rows that can be manipulated through formulas that allow the software to perform mathematical functions on the data. Despite its wide use across industries, Excel’s full capabilities are still poorly understood. On the Accountability Edinburgh Facebook and Twitter pages, we recently shared three top tips that help us navigate our daily use of the application.

#1 F4

  • When you select a cell and hit F4, your last action will be repeated. That includes formatting, inserting, or deleting rows. Say you just inserted 3 rows and you want another 3…just press F4!

#2 Shift + Space/ Control + Space

  • Select a cell and hit Shift Space on your keyboard. This highlights the entire row.

  • Control + Space highlights the entire selected column.

  • These actions are helpful when doing something that applies to the whole row or column e.g. deleting, shading it etc.

#3 Freeze Panes

  • When working with large spreadsheets and lots of data, it’s a good idea to freeze panes. This allows you to always see a certain number of columns or rows while scrolling through the rest of the worksheet. Usually this will just be the very top row or two. Sometimes it's helpful to have a column or two as well.

  • Alt W F is the shortcut.

For further Excel tips and tricks check out this resource.

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