Excelize - Microsoft Excel Forum

Make over a college student budget with Microsoft Excel 2010

2011-05-29T21:23:00.005+07:00

Your budget has set monthly expenses like rent and tuition, but can you cut back on entertainment and food? Turn your list of numbers into pictures so you can easily see where your money goes and make smart spending decisions.

Source: http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/makeovers/microsoft-excel-2010-student-budget-makeover-FX102237861.aspx

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Microsoft Excel and OpenOffice

2011-03-28T19:53:00.000+07:00

Microsoft Excel, the spreadsheet software developed and commercialized by Microsoft, is part of the Office Suite and it is available both for Macintosh systems and Windows. Originally designed to work on Macintosh systems, Excel had been ported to MS/DOS in 1987 due to the slow porting of Lotus 1-2-3 to the Microsoft operating system and since then it has been improved in its features, dominating the commercial spreadsheet market.

Excel can be installed both as a stand-alone application and as a part of Office Suite, offering in the latter case full integration with Word, PowerPoint and Publisher. Excel offers basic functions for data manipulation, like arithmetic operations and formulas, as well as embedded statistical functions, charts, graphs and histograms. Macro functions, designed to handle more complex data processing, make use of Visual Basic for Applications, a subset of the famous scripting language developed by Microsoft. Such a offer of features conveniently answer to statistical, engineering and financial needs, making Microsoft Office a first pick in the great variety of spreadsheet applications today available in the market.

What makes competitors a viable alternative is the pricing policy of Microsoft. Microsoft won't let you buy Excel as a stand-alone application. The software is sold as a part of the Microsoft Office Suite, offered at 149$ per license in the Home and Student version, 279$ for Home and Business version and 399$ for the Professional Suite.

For people finding such prices impossible to afford it is necessary to move to cheaper reliable solutions, like OpenOffice.org suite, which features Calc as spreadsheet software.

OpenOffice.org is a complete suite, offering word processing, presentations and publishing as well as his famous spreadsheet application, Calc. Developed by Oracle, it can be freely downloaded and installed on Windows, Linux and MAC OS X, as well as on other operating systems on which Office is not able to run. While the huge different in price could make somebody think that Calc is not a viable alternative to Office, Oracle's spreadsheet features all the functionalities provided by Office: basic arithmetic operations, statistics, histograms and graphs, as well as being able to read and write in Microsoft formats like .xls, .doc and .ppt. Quick answers to your problems will be provided by the documentation provided by developers and users and it's possible to get direct and personal help from the Free Software/Open Source community, which is directly active in the development of the software.

As we just said, there are viable alternatives to reliable but expensive applications like Excel, keeping in mind that moving to a new platform is an investment in time, and hence, money. OpenOffice.org offers a good and cheap alternative, especially after the introduction of full compatibility with Microsoft most used formats. In business world, no matter how small your business is, being able to edit a .doc file makes the difference.

Source: http://goarticles.com/article/Microsoft-Excel-and-OpenOffice/4292568/

Microsoft Excel – The Premium Spreadsheet Software

2011-03-17T22:29:00.001+07:00

The first Windows version for Excel - Excel 2.0 was released in 1987 and since that time, its popularity has only increased. The spreadsheet and data tabulating software category was previously dominated by software like Lotus 1-2-3 which were DOS based. Microsoft Excel was probably the first GUI based spreadsheet application that revolutionized the way people look at such software. Excel had many advantages over other similar products. Some of the important ones are listed below:

For the first time, it became easy to calculate, tabulate and organize data in a graphically pleasing way. The impact that these new advancements had on report generation and presentation is well known and needs no introduction.
At the same time, highly complex algorithms could also be applied to the same data for data mining and statistical analysis means. These algorithms could range from simple aggregate functions like Average, Min, Max, etc to complex statistical functions like normal distribution plotting, Chi-square values etc.
Tight and seamless integration with the office suite: Starting from Excel 5.0, programs like Microsoft Word and Microsoft Access could basically share data with each other. In layman's terms, what this means is that an Excel table could directly by inserted in a Word document and similarly, an Access database file could be used to provide data to an Excel table.
Programmability: Visual Basic for Excel - a programming language based on Visual Basic that was widely used in developing custom functions for Excel. This language was powerful enough to make system level calls and develop self sufficient applications that ran on top of the Excel runtime environment.
Support for old formats: Excel supported importing of old format files like Lotus 1-2-3 worksheets, Dbase files etc, which made user migration very easy.

The main reason for the rise of popularity for Microsoft Excel was the fact that older spreadsheet-based programs like Lotus 1-2-3 were not Windows based and by the time a GUI version of the same was launched, Excel had already dominated the market. Another reason was that it was shipped with the Microsoft Office Suite and was tightly integrated with it.

Microsoft Excel today is an indispensable product and can be found in just about every computer that runs Windows. Alternatives for Microsoft Office Suite like OpenOffice.org (a free an open source product) exist, but they have yet to make a dent in the Microsoft Office Suite's market share.

New iterations and updates of the Office Suite are continuously released by Microsoft to address security, stability and performance issues as discovered. To sum up, Microsoft Excel will continue to dominate the spreadsheet application category for a long time to come.

source: http://goarticles.com/article/Microsoft-Excel-The-Premium-Spreadsheet-Software/4292637/

Microsoft Excel Training - Numerical Excellence For All

2011-03-15T23:02:00.000+07:00

Identifying a need for training

Do you need an easier way to manage your household budget? How about finding an efficient way to create mailing lists? Perhaps you need to create financial forecasts or analyse sales figures for your work? Or maybe you are a student needing to analyse and present your research data? No longer do you require a pen and paper, time to scratch your head and a place to store numerous paper copies for future reference. Microsoft Excel is a powerful spreadsheet program used in the management of data. It can show you the relationship between X and Y and apply formulae to large quantities of data. Although many people have a good understanding of the program, Microsoft Excel training is often required to master the more advanced functions.

Microsoft Excel training will enable you to organize and calculate financial, scientific, personal or business related data in tabular format. For you and your target audience to more easily understand the relationship between the data, the information can subsequently be presented and analysed in a variety of graphical formats.

Benefits of Microsoft Excel Training

Whether you work in the financial world as an accountant or as a statistician in the world of research, Microsoft Excel Training can contribute towards personal and professional success. As new versions of the software are introduced, you may need to update your skills to ensure that you can keep pace with the competition. Effective data management skills can contribute to a more informed decision making process and thereby improve outcomes. This increased efficiency can save you and your business time and money.

Microsoft Excel can be used to store data. This can be useful when it comes to comparing figures from previous years and when trying to identify trends. It is also much more convenient than having to hunt through filing cabinets to find the information you require.

If you are involved in the international business market, consider the fact that numerical data does not need to be translated into another language. Microsoft Excel can therefore be a useful way of presenting data to a wide audience.

Options for Training

Microsoft Excel training can be tailored to suit your needs. There are four levels of Microsoft Excel training: introduction, intermediate, advanced and Visual Basic / VBA. Having identified your level of knowledge, the next step is to select an appropriate training method. One option is to sign up for a self-directed learning program; either paper based or computer based. A popular alternative is to consider instructor-led training at a training centre or in-house. This can be conducted by Microsoft Certified Trainers in a group format or on a one-to-one basis.

It only remains to be said that you must find your own formula for success.

Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com/
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=183192&ca=Education

Excel Database 2003

2011-03-05T13:47:00.000+07:00

Customer care systems WILL increase your bottom line profits! If you keep in touch with your buyers your business WILL be more successful.

Keeping regular contact with past buyers is maybe the most overlooked side of marketing for most businesses. Not following up or corresponding with old buyers is, without uncertainty, the most ignored facet of marketing for most small business owners.This is a COLOSSAL slip up as it is the one part of marketing with the highest ROI. This can well be the reason behind why a high percentage businesses shut down inside the first year. It ought be taken lightly. Do you currently collect your customers details? If not, then you should be! An up-to-date database of paying clientele is an extremely valuable asset to ANY business. Having a database WILL also add to the value of your business. The genuine value of your business is your roll of regulars and the techniques you implement to attain those clientele and to keep them coming back. If you have a catalog of clientele in your hand you have a precious asset as you have the ability to proactively make sales. Creating business is a snap if you have these techniques in in place.

To get going you can either acquire a specialty database or if you don't want to fork out the cash, start off with Microsoft Excel. You CAN employ with a local or online agency to handle your database, but I'd recommend starting your own excel database and supervising it yourself. Creating your own excel database is free (if you have Microsoft Office) and you'll learn the basics of database management. Preparing your database the right way from the start will save you tons of time and hassle in the long run. It's important to set up your excel database the right way to steer clear of any issues down the road. Once you have your regulars on a list the most important task from here is to keep in contact with them.

Now, the next step is to create methods to keep in contact with the customers in your catalog. The post or email is the most efficient method to do this and is the most obvious choice of method here. Just imagine that you were receiving, over a twelve month period from your local cafe, a newsletter every three months, together with a birthday card with a gift voucher, plus regular prize draws and discount vouchers. Where would you go when you next had to take your family out for lunch? Obviously you would go to the restaurant that had kept in contact with you...right?. Of course you would it's only natural. 99% of the time you'd go to the restaurant that kept in good contact with you. This is the exact reason why wise business people keep a clientele record and also why these intelligent business people keep in contact with their clientele list regularly.

In any business if you become part of your customer's life then they will automatically become part of your business. Exceed your customers expectations and you will be remembered forever! The quickest way to amass your list is to do a prize draw or raffle where your clients have to complete their details to enter. Make sure the prize enticing or else your opt-in rate won't be good. The following month it could perhaps be a few days away at a quaint hotel or whatever. All you need to do is roll out a different promotion each month. It's that easy. Keep at it month after month and watch your database grow.

Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com/
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=508280&ca=Computers+and+Technology

MS Excel: Examples of What-If Scenarios

2011-02-24T01:19:00.000+07:00

Microsoft Excel is a powerful piece of software, and most people underestimate the complexity and sophistication in the types of calculations that it can handle. One fine example of Excel's power is its ability to "predict the future" (sort of!) with what-if scenarios.

What is a What-If Scenario?

One of the very useful things you can do in Excel that you cannot easily do with a piece of paper and a pencil (no matter how large the paper is or how big your eraser is) is to create what-if scenarios. These are numerical models of “things in the world” (e.g., investment models, scientific experiments, personal financial models, etc.) that are used to find how things change under different circumstances (given different inputs).

Every what-if scenario is comprised of three types of elements:

a. Independent variable(s) (the “input” of your model).
b. Functions and formulas that act upon your independent variables.
c. Dependent variables that change depending upon “a” and “b” (the “output” of your model).

It is these dependent variables that you are trying to predict; they’re what you want to know more about and are the reason for your building the model in the first place. With what-if scenarios, you start by creating a basic model and then tweaking it (configuring it in different ways) by forming different combinations of your independent variables (your input) and/or your functions and formulas. The goal, of course, is to “see what will happen” to your dependent variable(s).

MS Excel: Examples of What-If Scenarios

Here are some examples of common what-if scenario applications:

1. Allocating your monthly discretionary income with your various types of debt (various credit cards, your mortgage, auto loans, etc.) to determine which combination of payments to each will help you reduce your debt the most quickly.

2. Comparing multiple auto lease offers that have different combinations of variables such as: amount of money due at signing, monthly payment amounts, and lease terms, with the goal of determining which one will result in the lowest total expenditure over the lifetime of the lease.

3. Compare the total value of multiple job offers, including independent variables such as signing bonus, salary, value of benefits package and annual bonus.

Using Goal Seek

MS Excel has a very useful built-in feature called Goal Seek. This is a what-if scenario of sorts, but it does not require you to create multiple versions of a model to see which version results in the desired output value. Rather, with Goal Seek, you just set up the model once and then tell Excel which variable you are trying to attain and what its value should be. You also need to specify for Excel which of the independent variables you would like automatically altered to predict that value.

Here’s how to perform a Goal Seek what-if analysis:

1. Start by creating a model. This could be as simple as inputting two variables into two cells, then creating a formula in a third cell that refers to the first two and multiples the values together. Or, it could be much more complex.

2. Click on the Data tab. In the Data Tools section, select the What-If Analysis icon, then Goal Seek from the drop-down menu.

3. In the Goal Seek dialog box’s “Set cell” field., enter the cell coordinates (e.g., A4) of the cell you for which you are trying to achieve a certain value (e.g., 14).

4. Then, enter the value you are trying to achieve in the “To value” field.

5. Finally, enter the cell coordinates in the “By changing cell” field of the cell whose value you are telling Excel to change in order to achieve the desired value in the first cell. Click OK. That’s it!

You will see that Excel has automatically changed the designated value so that the desired value in the other cell is achieved. Goal Seek is an under-utilize function, but this is undeservedly so. Once you learn how to use it, it can be a great addition to your analytical toolbox.

Published At: Isnare.com Free Articles Directory - http://www.isnare.com/

How To Disable Short Cut In Excel

2011-02-15T11:36:00.000+07:00

"What is a simple way to Disable a Short cut in Excel?" I have spent lots of time thinking about a non-programmatic way to do this and there is a very simply solution.

Write a macro …

Let us say for example you are writing a Microsoft Excel template that you need various users to enter data into, but you want to limit their ability to use the features of Cut, Copy and Paste. Okay, so let me start off by testing your memory… What is the shortcut keystrokes for Cut, Copy and Paste … I will put you out of your misery if you do not know, they are -

Cut - [Ctrl] + [X]
Copy - [Ctrl] + [C]
Paste - [Ctrl] + [V]

Now to override these basic shortcuts we simply use a macro to do so, keeping in mind that the macro will only disable the short cuts for that document, as long as you choose the right options. Let us go through the process to disable the short cut, Cut.

The first step is to open a new spreadsheet in Microsoft Excel, then go to the Tools menu and then choose Macro from the drop down menu, then select Record New Macro …

The Record Macro dialog box will be visible. In the Macro Name text box, type the text EliminateCut. Now not that I did not have a space between the word Eliminate and Cut. If you have a space, the Excel application will come up with an error because in Microsoft Excel you are NOT allowed to have spaces in macro names.

Second step click in the box that say shortcut key and type in the letter X. In the Store in Macro drop down box the option "This Workbook" should be selected. If it is not, make sure you select it from the drop down box or you will disable Cut for all future workbooks, which will not be a positive outcome. Finally press the OK button.

Word of warning … Do Not Click or do anything on the Worksheet. The Stop Recording toolbar should appear, simply click on the stop button which looks like a stop button on a CD Player and the macro recorder will stop.

Now if you put some text into a cell and deactivate the cell by pressing the [Enter] key, then go back and click on it once and try out your shortcut. What you will notice is that the cell is selected but if you click on another cell and try and paste the value by using [Ctrl] + [V] you will notice that the cell does not move and as such the short cut [Ctrl] + [X] is disabled.

I should note that there are some limitations to this technique. If you actually activate the cell and select the text in the cell itself and then try [Ctrl] + [X] you will find that the text will be cut, but if you use [Ctrl]+[X] on a normally selected cell you will notice [Ctrl] + [X] is disabled.

Microsoft Office Selecting Secrets

2011-02-02T00:38:00.000+07:00

Stop the Runaway Mouse

What's the "runaway mouse?" You have seen it...you may have even yelled at your computer when it happened. All you want to do is select (highlight) some text or data in a Microsoft Office document by dragging your mouse. Suddenly, your mouse has a mind of it's own and moves too far too fast. I have even heard people shout out "Whoa!" as they try to handle the out of control mouse.

What should you do? First, stop dragging your mouse! To stop the "runaway mouse" add some keyboard shortcuts. To begin, move to the top of the area you want to highlight. Then, press and hold down [Shift]. Move to the end of the area by pressing any directional keys such as the [Down] arrow or [Page Down]. Keep holding down [Shift] and continue moving to the end of text or data that you want to highlight. When you have the area you want then perform the next action: formatting, editing, etc.

Still like the mouse? Press and hold [Shift] and click to pick the end of the selection area even if it is at the end of the document. The key is not to drag; use the scroll bar if you need to make big moves.

Excel bonus: Okay, I admit there is a dragging trick in Excel. Instead of pulling harder on the mouse to move to the end of the selection, stop on the scroll bar. If you hop on and ride the scroll bar and gently pull the mouse, you can easily maintain control.

Easy Keyboard Selection Secret

Even better than the [Shift] key is a hidden selection trick. I compare this to taking the measurements of a large room--it's much easier with a friend holding the measuring tape at one end while you take your time to move to the other end. Ever have a measuring tape snap back when you try this yourself? The hidden trick is the [F8] function key.

To use this selection trick, simply:

1. Move to beginning of the selection area.
2. Press [F8] once.
3. Look in the bottom center or left corner of your status bar for EXT; don't expect anything to flash or pop up; EXT stands for Extend Selection.
4. Take your time moving to the end of the selection area with your keyboard and/or the mouse.
5. Perform the action to the selected area such as formatting, cut, copy, etc. The EXT mode turns off as soon as you do an action. Just move anywhere to clear the highlight. What if you change your mind and you want to turn off the Extend Selection without continuing? In Excel, press [F8] again or press [Esc]. In Word, press [Esc] to cancel. Move anywhere to clear the highlight.

Selecting Multiple Items

To select more than one item such as 2 different paragraphs in Word, 4 cells in Excel, 3 graphics in PowerPoint, or 10 files in Windows Explorer, choose either [Shift] or [Ctrl]. The basic steps work in Microsoft Office, Windows Explorer, and many other Windows programs.

To select a contiguous (touching) area use [Shift]:

1. Click once on the first item.
2. Press and hold [Shift].
3. Click on the last item that you want to highlight and everything in between will also be selected.
4. Perform an action such as formatting.

To select non-contiguous (unrelated) items use [Ctrl]:

1. Click one on the first item.
2. Press and hold [Ctrl] and, click on each of the other items, press [Ctrl] again to unselect.
3. Perform the action to finish working with the highlighted area. Some ideas for these options:

Pick files from File > Open to open all of these at the same time in your Microsoft Office program.
Choose multiple slides in the PowerPoint slide sorter to apply a transition.
Highlight groups of cells or sections of text and apply formatting.
Select drawing objects to group, move, or change formatting.

Selecting Tricks in Word With the Selection Bar

Have you ever used the selection bar? Just think of this as the left margin of your Word document. To locate the selection bar area, move your mouse to the left of text until it changes from an upper case "I" to a white arrow. Selection tricks to try with the selection bar:

Click once to highlight entire line.
Double-click to select the whole paragraph.
Triple-click (can you do it?) to highlight the entire document (great for overall changes such as font formatting).

Easy Select All

To make changes to an entire document or file, press [Ctrl] + A to Select All or choose File > Select All (if available).

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dawn_Bjork_Buzbee

Balanced Scorecard Excel Template Basics

2011-01-02T20:27:00.000+07:00

The financial perspectives may just cover the balanced scorecard excel template that covers the financial objectives of the organization can also allow the managers to track the financial success and the shareholder in the value. They can also include this into the customer perspective. When they regard this into the internal process perspective, then they can just cover the internal operational goals and outlines that they can key in the processes that are necessary to deliver the customer objectives.

When they also learn the growth perspective, then they can also check the intangibles that will derive the future success and the other human capital that will organize the information in the needs that they bank on. They can include the skills and the other training as well as the organizational culture that they believe will set the leadership and the other systems and databases.

The balanced scorecard excel format can also regard the strategy maps that are first introduced into the balanced scorecard perspectives that were presented primary in the four-box model that they associate. They can just adapt and create these into the primary use of the improved performance measurement system that they will just organize these into the production of the management dashboard.

The balanced scorecard excel template may just supersede into the strategy map that they know will be the heart of the modern balanced scorecards that they regard to be very important. They can also find these as the relation of the other objectives that will support the other risks that they can highlight and deliver once they find that the performance is right. They may also check the perspectives that will be achieved, depending on the deliverance of the objectives that can be delivered.

The basic creation of interlink can also be used as the objectives - depending on the development of the right competencies that they include. The balanced scorecard excel template may just be the internal process perspective may just be the customer perspective that they can gain the market share and the repeat business. When they look into the objectives of the customer perspectives may just gain the market share and the repeat of the business that they might just strategize.

The balanced scorecard excel template may just be delivered when the customers and objectives of the needs that they can lead these into the achievement that they select. When they regard these as the financial objectives and connect these with the financial perspectives, then they know exactly that they can accomplish the reins and then regard these as the internal process that they would have to learn and then objectify it depending on the growth that is quite important.

The balanced scorecard excel format can also accomplish the cause-and-effect logic that pertain to the important elements of the best practice that the companies can truly integrate these into the set and strategic objectives that they have to be quite important depending on the needs that they include. They might also check these to be the important elements that they see appropriately.

If you are interested in balanced scorecard excel template, check this web-site to learn more about balanced scorecard excel template.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Sam_Miller

Favorite Microsoft Excel Functions - Two Functions in MS Excel to Put A Smile on Your Face

2010-12-12T22:18:00.000+07:00

If you're using Excel, chances are you're familiar with Excel functions: whether basic ones like SUM and AVERAGE or more complicated ones like VLOOKUP and MATCH. However, we bet nobody's told you about the ROMAN and the BAHTTEXT functions.

The Roman Function in Excel

The ROMAN function converts numbers into Roman numerals. Here are some examples:

=ROMAN(38) returns XXXV1I

=ROMAN(99) returns XCIX

There are a few bizarre things about this function. The first is that it only goes up to 3999 - if you try to find out what any number higher than this is in Roman numerals, you'll get an error. Surely Romans could count higher than this?

The second oddity is that the Roman function takes a second argument, which determines the format of the number returned. So, for example, =ROMAN(99,3) returns 1C, rather than XCIX.

Perhaps the oddest thing about this function, however, is that it exists in the first place. We like to think that it's provided so that companies can express all of their financial statements in Roman numerals. Or perhaps it's so that people can talk about the IX lives of a cat or a baker's XII?

The BAHTTEXT Function

Wouldn't it be useful to have a function in Excel which turned a number into text? For example:

=ThisFunction(38) would return "thirty-eight"

The good news is that actually there is such a function in Excel; the bad news is that it returns the text in Thai script. Try typing something like =BAHTTEXT(38) into a cell and pressing ENTER, and marvel at the results.

So there you have it: our two favorite (albeit most useless) functions in Excel!

Andy Brown is an assiduous collector of Microsoft software trivia, but also a trainer for Wise Owl Business Solutions. You can see the range of Excel courses that Wise Owl run at http://www.wiseowl.co.uk/excel/courses/index.htm. For those who think they know Excel already we recommend our two-day Excel Modelling course: details at http://www.wiseowl.co.uk/excel/courses/modelling.htm.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Andy_J_Brown

How to Quickly Convert Your Data List Into an Excel Pivot Table Report

2010-12-04T09:15:00.000+07:00

If you need a list of excel data to be analysed very quickly, then you need to learn about pivot tables. They are great for summarising large amounts of data into useful information for your performance reports. They can also do your calculations for you, using the calculated field option.

The layout between fields, items and page fields can be confusing at first. The basic way to think about this is that both the column and row fields usually have text fields. The data items are usually numerical. In other words, the data items are the numbers about each row and column field.

Pivot tables can use data from most sources. However, there are a few conditions on the format of the data before you can use it for such tables. The data must be in list format, with field headers on the top row of the list. You get the option to select your list when you start creating your table. In excel 2003, a more dynamic way to create lists is with the data list feature. When you give this data list a named ranged, it will automatically update when new data is added to the list.

Another great feature is the ability to hide items within a table. For example, one performance indicator does not include some items within your data list. You can de-select them from the page field or hide the fields for that indicator that do not apply.

You can copy and paste any pivot table complete with the fields and formulas used. Apart from saving time having to create one at a time, you have the option to show a specific piece of data in each table. They can all be refreshed at the touch of a button.

Pivot tables are not difficult to create. With a small data list prepared and with some trial and error, you should be able to create a pivot in about a few minutes. Calculated fields and formatting may take a lot longer, depending on how complex your performance indicators are. In the early stages, keep things simple so you can learn how to create and pivot them.

Once you have created a table, you may want to show it graphically. Thankfully excel provides this with pivot charts which creates a chart based on the layout of a specific pivot table. Formatting ability is limited, but it does provide a quick way to present information from your data.

Learn how to create pivot data tables using the most advanced tools and functions in excel. Many course available to suit your needs, from excel basics to pivot tables and Visual Basic for Applications, which is the real hidden power in excel.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Dylan_Stewart

Excel For Engineering and Scientific Computing

2010-11-26T07:55:00.000+07:00

Many engineering students find after leaving college that the numerical analysis tools that they were familiar with are not available in the office environment and are left with no means to do engineering analysis with the tools they knew well. What they often overlook is that there is a powerful tool sitting right in front of them - Excel.

Excel is commonly used in the industry for business applications and is seldom seen as an engineering tool. However, it is a very versatile application that can be used as a powerful platform for running may engineering and scientific applications. This may not be obvious at a first glance and it was certainly not to me when I began my engineering career. At that time, I never looked at Excel as anything beyond a typing and basic maths tool. But over time, I learned to appreciate its power and versatility. I have built many practical engineering applications for diverse engineering applications such as process monitoring, process visualization, control loop simulation, project costing among others. Many of these applications are being used in my workplace, both past and present. I've learned a lot of spreadsheet tricks through experimentation, books and the internet.

It is possible to do model and solve a wide variety of engineering problems using Excel. Knowing the basics of solving linear and differential equations is sufficient to get started. These, along with an optimizer like solver can handle many engineering design problems.

To provide a smooth transition from academics to industry, it would also help if the use of Excel is encouraged in universities. Many academic engineering problems can be easily modeled and worked out in Excel. Such modeling skills will be of use in both engineering and management careers. Engineering professionals are often involved in business roles like supply chain analysis, project costing and production optimization. Excel is the workhorse of the business world and an early exposure to it will be of great value to engineering students throughout their career.

Nitin Mehta is a Process Control Engineer with many years experience in the Chemical and Process Control industry. He has used Excel for building engineering applications, many of which have been deployed in his workplace. He can be reached through his website http://www.engineers-excel.com/

The site contains tools useful for engineering and scientific work.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nitin_Mehta

Excel VBA - Record and Test Macro in Excel 2007

2010-11-13T20:52:00.001+07:00

If you don't know anything about creating macros with Excel Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), where should you start? In this article you'll take these first steps in using Excel VBA:

Understand what Excel can do without macros
Think of a simple, repetitive, Excel task that you have to repeat every day
Use the Macro Recorder to automate that simple routine

What Can Excel Do Without Macros?
Excel can do all kinds of amazing things, without macros. Get to know Excel's powerful built-in features, such as:

Conditional Formatting
Data Validation
Pivot Tables
AutoFilters and Advanced Filters

If you use those built-in features, you might not need a macro. For example, instead of checking each cell in a column, and manually coloring the cell green if it's over 50, use conditional formatting to highlight the cells automatically.

Identify an Excel Task to Automate
If you use Excel every day, you probably have a few tasks that you repeat daily, weekly or monthly. To get started with Excel VBA, you could focus on one of those tasks, and try to automate it.

In this example, you have a list of stationery orders, for binders, pens, and other items, in a workbook named Orders.xlsx. You can create a small sample Orders file, with columns for Sales Date, Item Sold, Quantity, Unit Price and Total Cost.

Every day, in your imaginary job, you open that Orders file and filter the list of orders, to find all the orders for binders. Then you copy the orders, and paste them into a new workbook.
Here's a summary of the steps that you follow every morning:

Open the orders file
Filter the list for binder orders
Copy the binder orders
Create a new workbook
Paste the binder orders into the new workbook.

Instead of doing that task manually every day, you could automate it, by creating an Excel macro.

Get Ready to Record
Now that you've decided to automate this task, you'll use Excel's Macro Recorder tool to create the Excel VBA code. Before you start recording, you'll get everything into position. For example:
Do you want the macro to open a specific workbook, or will that workbook already be open?
Should you select a cell or worksheet before the macro runs, or will selecting the cell be part of the macro?
In this example, you want the macro to open the Orders workbook for you, and then filter and copy the data. So, the Orders workbook should be closed when you start recording. You don't need to select a specific cell or worksheet before recording; any cell selection will be done during the macro recording.

Start Recording
Once everything is in position, you can get ready to start recording.
Open a new blank workbook, which is where you'll store the macro.
At the bottom left of the Excel window, click the Record Macro button.
In the Record Macro dialog box, type a one word name for the macro, CopyDailyRecords
From the 'Store Macro In' drop down, select This Workbook as the workbook where you'd like to store the VBA code. Later, you can open this workbook every morning, to run the macro.
In the Description box, you can type a brief note about what the macro will do. This is optional, and you can leave the Description box empty, if you prefer.
Click OK, to start recording.

Perform the Macro Steps
While the Macro Recorder is on, you'll perform the steps that you want to automate. In this example, these are the steps that you should do now:
Open the orders file - Orders.xlsx
On the Data sheet in the Orders file, use an AutoFilter to view the binder orders
Copy the filtered binder orders, including the heading row.
Create a new blank workbook
Paste the binder orders into the new workbook, in cell A1 on Sheet1.
If you make a mistake - no problem! Just stop the recording (see the instructions below), close the files without saving, and start over again.

Stop the Recording
Once you finished all the steps, follow these steps to turn off the Macro Recorder and save the macro file.
Click the Stop Recording button at the bottom left of the Excel window.
Close the workbook where you pasted the binder orders, without saving the changes.
Close the Orders.xlsx workbook, without saving the changes
Save the workbook where you stored the macro: Name: BinderCode.xlsm; File Type: Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook *.xlsm
Close the BinderCode.xlsm file.

Get Ready to Test the Macro
To prepare to test the macro, make sure that the Orders.xlsx workbook is closed.
Add the Developer Tab
To run the macro, you'll use the Developer tab on the Excel Ribbon. You can add the Developer tab to the Excel Ribbon, if it's not there already:
Click the Microsoft Office Button, and then click Excel Options.
Click the Popular category, and add a check mark to Show Developer tab in the Ribbon
Click OK, to close the Excel Options window.

Macro Security Settings
If you haven't run macros before, you might need to change your macro security level. (You may have to clear this with your IT department.)
On the Ribbon, click the Developer tab, and in the Code group, click Macro Security.
In the Macro Settings category, under Macro Settings, click Disable all macros with notification
Click OK.
If you changed the setting, close the workbook, and then reopen it.

Test the Macro
Now that the Developer tab is visible, you can get ready to test the macro. First you'll open the file where the recorded macro is stored, and enable macros, by following these steps:

Open the file (BinderCode.xlsm) where you stored the macro that you recorded.
If a security warning appears at the top of the worksheet, click the Options button.
Click Enable This Content, to allow the workbook's macros to run, and click OK.

Run the Recorded Macro
Now, follow these steps to run the macro, to see if it works the way you want.
On the Ribbon, click the Developer tab, and in the Code group, click Macros.
In the Macro dialog box, click the macro that you want to run - CopyDailyRecords.
Click Run.

If you see an error message, click the End button, and try recording the macro again. If everything went as expected, great! You can close all 3 workbooks used by the macro, without saving the changes.
Try Recording Another Macro

Now that you know the steps for recording and testing a macro in Excel 2007, find another task that you would like to automate, and record the steps, to create another macro. You can save hours every week, by automating your Excel tasks, whenever possible.

If you're struggling to record and edit your Excel macros, there's help at Excel VBA: Record Excel Macro on my Contextures Excel Tips website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Debra_Dalgleish

Microsoft Excel

2009-05-23T23:31:00.000+07:00

Microsoft Excel is a popular spreadsheet program that was developed by Microsoft. It is designed for computers that use the Windows operating system, and it can also be used on computers that use Mac OS as well. It has an easy to use interface with a number of tools that can make creating a spreadsheet fast and simple. This combined with a powerful marketing campaign has made Excel one of the most popular software programs in the world. Excel is typically bundled in the Microsoft Office package of programs.

Excel is not the first spreadsheet program to be produced by Microsoft. A spreadsheet program called Multiplan was first released by the company in 1982, but it eventually lost market share due to the release of Lotus 1-2-3. Because of this, Microsoft decided to create a spreadsheet program that could effectively compete against the dominance of Lotus. The very first version of Excel was introduced in 1985, and was available on the Mac. The first version for Windows would be released two years later. Because Lotus didn't bring their spreadsheet program to Windows quickly enough, Excel begin to gain a larger share of the market. By 1988 Excel had surpassed 1-2-3, and it is one of the factors behind the success of Microsoft as a software company.

The latest version of the software is Excel 11, and it is part of the Microsoft Office 2003 bundle. An Excel file will come in the form of .xls. A number of changes can be made to the interface of the program, but the GUI will always be composed of rows and cells. Information can be placed in cells which will have an effect on the data that may be present in other cells. In addition to this, Excel gives the user a large amount of control over the look of cells and the information that is placed in them. Both Microsoft Word and PowerPoint were designed to conform to Excel.

The introduction of Visual Basic with Excel allowed a number of tasks to be automated. Since 1993, Visual Basic has become an integral part of Excel, along with the introduction of the integrated development environment. However, the automated properties of Excel with Visual Basic has caused a number of macro viruses to be created, though many of them are now blocked by standard antivirus programs. Microsoft also allows users to disable the use of macros if they choose to, and this has largely eliminated the problem.

While Microsoft Excel was not well known during the late 1980s, it has now become the most widely spreadsheet software, though it is facing competition from a number of companies, most notably Google. Despite this, Microsoft has made a name for itself with the release of Excel, and next to Windows, it is one of the most well known software packages in the world. It has excellent calculation tools, and it can effectively be used for graphing as well. However, the software wouldn't have the dominance that it has today if it hadn't been for Multiplan, the predecessor that started it all.

Published At: Isnare Free Articles Directory http://www.isnare.com
Permanent Link: http://www.isnare.com/?aid=71556&ca=Computers+and+Technology

How to Import Contacts From Excel Spreadsheet to Outlook

2009-05-23T09:34:00.000+07:00

If you are in a business that attends a lot of trade shows or you simply have kept all of your Contacts in Excel in the past. There is a quick and efficient way to import all contacts from Excel into Outlook so that you don't have to manually re-type all of them. Maybe you have a Virtual Assistant that is helping your life get more organized so you can be more efficient! Why not hand these notes over to your VA?

Importing Contacts from Excel into Outlook. These instructions are written for Excel 2003 so be aware they may not work exactly as instructed in other versions.

My instructions may tell you things you already know but I don't want to assume. If you need help feel free to contact me. Okay, first things first.....may sure you have a header row in your Excel Sheet. (A header row is a row that has labels for each column indicating what is in that column - e.g. First Name, Last Name, Address, Phone Number, Email, Website, etc)

Next: if the full contact name is in one cell you have to tell Excel to break the name into separate cells....insert three new columns to the right of the full name column. (I say three columns because if a name has a middle initial or Jr./Sr. it will affect this process)

Then highlight the entire "full name" column (just click the column heading)

Next go to Data (top toolbar), Text to Columns - it will bring up the Wizard.

Under: Original data type - select "delimited" (you will see a preview of your column contents at the bottom of the wizard screen) - NEXT
Then it will bring up: "delimiters" - tab will be auto-selected but you want "space" so click the box next to SPACE (again you will see preview of data & now you will see that the first name is separated from the last name) - NEXT
Then it will come up with how do you want it formatted, in this case since it was names I said "TEXT"
Finish

The wizard may ask you if you want to replace the destination cells....but you've already inserted your three new columns so tell it yes! I had to do one modification because one person did have a middle initial and I didn't want that.....so I just put the last name into the correct field and then deleted out the unnecessary "middle" initial column!

If you can rename the header row using "fields" recognized by Outlook that's good but you will get a chance later on to tell Outlook what field goes with what field.

Next in your Excel sheet: you have to highlight the entire range of data you want to import into Outlook. With the entire range of data highlighted go to: (Whatever name you chose make sure it's only ONE word)

Insert (in your top toolbar)
Name
Define
Save the Excel file & exit

Go to the import process in Outlook... (In Outlook - File-->Import/Export-->Import from another program or file-->Excel

The last thing you want to do as you do the import is when you get to the screen that says "define mapped fields" (will be in upper right hand corner of wizard) make sure that you follow the instructions on that

Voila..........it should work successfully. Again, if you need any help, feel free to contact me.

Do you Twitter? If so, follow me for all kinds of tips at www.Twitter.com/mmangen

Michelle Mangen
Owner, Your Virtual Assistant
Neenah, WI
http://www.TheVirtualAsst.com
Your QuickBooks Pro Advisor, Bookkeeping, Property Management & Excel Queen
"Why work when you can play? YVA will get it done the right way!"

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Michelle_Mangen

Creating custom lists in Excel

2009-04-05T00:38:00.001+07:00

Here's another timesaving tip to pass on to your users. If they often make use of the same lists of data, you can teach them to create a custom list instead of typing the same information repeatedly.

For all versions of Excel, if the data is already in a worksheet, follow these steps:

1. Select all of the cells containing the information you want to copy.
2. Select Options from the Tools menu.
3. Click the Custom Lists tab.
4. Click Import.

To create a list from scratch, follow these steps:
1. Select Options from the Tools menu.
1. Click the Custom Lists tab.
2. Type each item in the List Entries box, pressing [Enter] after each one.
3. Click Add.

To use a custom list, type the first entry of the list. Use the fill handle at the bottom right corner of the cell to drag the whole list across adjacent cells.

Training VBA - Microsoft Excel can speak!!

2009-03-13T23:13:00.007+07:00

TRAINING VBA - Cool code to let excel speaks

Do you know that Microsoft Excel can speak?
You may know that Windows has already had "Narrator" module that can read the texts from the screen. To let excel speaks, we just have to provide the text and let excel VBA to read that text and speak, simple?

Let's see how it works.

1) Open Microsoft Excel and enter the text in cell B3 as shown below. It could be at any cell, but this is just an example. Also create a rectangular shape and put the text "Speak"

2) Press Alt+F11 to enter to Microsoft Visual Basic inside the excel file and right click at the name of the active workbook (it's "Book1" for this example) then click "Insert > Module" as shown below.
3) Type the following code into the code area.

Sub Excelize_Speak()

Application.Speech.Speak ActiveSheet.Range("B3")

End Sub

This code uses speak method to speak the text as entered in cell B3

4) Back to the excel sheet. Right click at the rectangular shape and select "Assign Macro"

then select macro named "Excelize_Speak"

5) Click the button (rectangular shape) that you've just assign the macro and you can hear excel speaks the text you entered in cell B3. Amazing!!?

Shade Alternate Rows in Microsoft Excel

2007-01-01T11:44:00.000+07:00

Looking for a way to simulate that nerdy green-banded computer paper on screen? Look no further. Excel's Conditional Formatting feature has many uses, and here's one that's particularly handy. Conditional Formatting makes it simple to apply cell shading (green or otherwise) to every other row in a worksheet range. For a lengthy list, shading alternate rows can improve legibility.
Here's how to do it:

1. Highlight the range of cells or rows or columns that you want to format.
2. Choose Format, Conditional Formatting to display the Conditional Formatting dialog box.
3. Select Formula Is from the first drop-down list box, and enter =MOD(ROW(),2)=0 in the second box.
4. Click the Format button to bring up the Format Cells dialog box.
5. Select the Patterns tab and specify a color for the shaded rows. You'll probably want to choose a light color, so that the default black text will still be legible. Or, you can go all out and change the text color as well (do this in the Font tab of the Format Cells dialog box). For example, you might select a dark blue background, accompanied by a mellow yellow text color.
6. Click OK twice to return to your worksheet.

How to print just only some columns or rows

2007-01-01T11:38:00.000+07:00

When it's time to print your Excel worksheet, you may prefer that some information is left unprinted. For example, you may have some confidential information (such as employee salaries, job grades) in a column, or your sheet may have some intermediate calculations that the top boss aren't interested in seeing. To avoid printing specific rows or columns, just hide them before printing. To hide rows, select them by clicking the row numbers (click and drag to select a block of rows; hold down Ctrl while clicking to select non-adjacent rows). Then right-click one of the highlighted border row numbers and click Hide. Use the same procedure to hide columns (but right-click a highlighted column letter to choose Hide). When you're finished printing, you can quickly unhide all rows or columns by selecting the entire worksheet (click the blank gray box formed by the intersection of the row and column borders at the top left corner of your spreadsheet). Then right-click a row or column border and choose Unhide.

Quick Math Without Formulas in Microsoft Excel

2007-01-01T11:30:00.000+07:00

If you want to do math with Excel, how to do ? Your only choice is to write formulas, right?

Wrong!

Get familiar with Excel's Paste Function dialog box, and learn how to perform a variety of basic math operations without a single formula.

Consider this scenario: Your company's product price list stored in a worksheet. Your boss informs you that, effective immediately, all prices must be increased by 5 percent. You could create some formulas to do the math, and then convert the formulas to values, and then copy and paste the new prices over the old prices. Or, you could use this more efficient method:

1. Enter 1.05 into any blank cell. This is the "multiplier" that will increase the prices by 5 percent.
2. Select the cell you used in Step 1, and choose Edit, Copy or press Ctrl-C.
3. Select the range of values to be changed, and choose Edit, Paste Special to display the Paste Special dialog box.
4. Choose the Multiply option and click OK.

Redundant Shortcut Keys in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T23:14:00.000+07:00

Ctrl + F2: Displays the Info Window (redundant)
Ctrl + F11: Inserts an Excel 4.0 macro sheet (redundant)

Other Shortcut Keys

2006-12-30T23:13:00.000+07:00

=: Starts a Formula
Ctrl + `: Toggles between the value layer and the formula layer
Ctrl + Delete: Deletes to the end of the line
Ctrl + Insert: Copies the current selection to the clipboard
Ctrl + Shift + (: Unhide any hidden rows within the selection
Ctrl + Shift + ): Unhide any hidden columns within the selection
Ctrl + Shift + /: Copy value from cell above / select the array ??
Ctrl + Shift + \: Select unequal cells
Alt: Toggles the activation of the Menu Bar
Alt + Shift + Left Arrow: Displays the (Data > Group and Outline > Ungroup) dialog box
Alt + Shift + Right Arrow: Displays the (Data > Group and Outline > Group) dialog box
Alt + Backspace: Undo the last action (Edit > Undo) ??
Alt + Spacebar: Activates the Control Box in the top left hand corner
Alt + -: Displays the Excel application control menu
End: Toggles between switching End Mode on or off
Scroll Lock: Toggles between switching Scroll Lock on or off
Shift + Insert: Pastes the entry from the clipboard

Maneuvering (within a selection) in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T23:11:00.000+07:00

Enter: Moves from top to bottom within a selection
Tab: Moves from left to right within a selection
Ctrl + .: Moves clockwise to the next corner within a selection
Shift + Tab: Moves from right to left within a selection (opposite direction to Tab)
Alt + Ctrl + Left Arrow: Moves to the left between non adjacent cells in a selection
Alt + Ctrl + Right Arrow: Moves to the right between non adjacent cells in a selection

Maneuvering in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T23:09:00.000+07:00

Arrow Keys: Moves to the next cell in that direction
Ctrl + Tab: Moves to the next open workbook or window
Alt + Tab: Moves to the next application open on your computer
Alt + Shift + Tab: Moves to the previous application open on your computer
Enter: Moves to the cell directly below
Tab: Moves to the next cell on the right (or unprotected cell)
Home: Moves to the first column in the current row
End, Arrow Keys: Moves to the next non empty cell in that direction
End, Enter: Moves to the last cell in the current row that is not blank
End + Home: Moves to the last used cell on the active worksheet*
End, Home: Moves to the last used cell on the active worksheet*
Page Down: Moves to the next screen of rows down
Page Up: Moves to the previous screen of rows up
Shift + Enter: Moves to the cell directly above (opposite direction to Enter)
Shift + Tab: Moves to the cell directly to the left (opposite direction to Tab)
Alt + Page Down: Moves you one screen of columns to the right
Alt + Page Up: Moves you one screen of columns to the left
Ctrl + Home: Moves to cell "A1" on the active sheet
Ctrl + End: Moves to the last used cell on the active worksheet*
Ctrl + Up Arrow: Moves to the first row in the current region
Ctrl + Down Arrow: Moves to the last row in the current region
Ctrl + Left Arrow: Moves to the first column in the current region
Ctrl + Right Arrow: Moves to the last column in the current region
Ctrl + Page Up: Moves to the previous worksheet in the workbook
Ctrl + Page Down: Moves to the next worksheet in the workbook
Ctrl + Shift + Tab: Moves to the previous open workbook or window
Ctrl + Backspace: Moves to the display the active cell
Scroll Lock + Arrow Keys: Moves the workbook or window one cell the corresponding direction
Scroll Lock + End: Moves to the last cell in the current window
Scroll Lock + Home: Moves to the first cell in the current window
Scroll Lock + Page Down: Moves you down one screen (current selection unchanged)
Scroll Lock + Page Up: Moves you up one screen (current selection unchanged)

Note: *This is only updated when the workbook is closed.

Formatting Data in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T23:07:00.000+07:00

Alt + ': Displays the (Format > Style) dialog box
Ctrl + Shift + ( ' or " ): Applies the Time format "hh:mm" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (1 or !): Applies the Comma separated format "#,##0.00" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (4 or $): Applies the Currency format "#,##0.00" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (5 or %): Applies the Percentage format "0%" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (6 or ^): Applies the Exponential format "#,##E+02" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (# or ~): Applies the General format to the selection
Ctrl + (# or ~): Applies the Custom Date format "dd-mmm-yy" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (7 or &): Applies the outline border to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (- or _ ): Removes all the borders from the selection

Extending Data in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T22:48:00.000+07:00

Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Key: Extends the selection to the next cell adjacent to a blank cell in that direction
Ctrl + Shift + End: Extends the selection to the last used cell on the worksheet
Ctrl + Shift + Home: Extends the selection to the beginning of the worksheet
Shift + Arrow Keys: Extends the selection by one cell in that direction
Shift + Home: Extends the selection to the first column
Shift + Page Down: Extends the selection down one screen
Shift + Page Up: Extends the selection up one screen
End, Shift + Arrow Keys: Extends the selection to the next non-blank cell in that direction
End, Shift + End: Extends the selection to the last cell in the current row*
End, Shift + Home: Extends the selection to last used cell on the worksheet

Note: *This is only available with (Tools > Options, Transition tab, Transition Navigation Keys).

Selecting Data in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T22:36:00.000+07:00

Ctrl + \: Selects the cells in a selected row that do not match the value in the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + \: Selects the cells in a selected column that do not match the value in the active cell
Ctrl + /: Selects the array containing the active cell ??
Alt + ;: Selects the visible cells in the current selection
Ctrl + Enter: Selects the first object / chart ??
Ctrl + Shift + (8 or *): Selects the current region (surrounded by blank rows and columns)
Ctrl + *: Selects the current region (using the * on the number keyboard)
Ctrl + [: Selects all the cells that are directly referred to by the formula in the active cell (precedents)
Ctrl + Shift + [: Selects all the cells that are directly (or indirectly) referred to by the formula in the active cell
Ctrl + ]: Selects all the cells that directly refer to the active cell (dependents)
Ctrl + Shift + ]: Selects all the cells that directly (or indirectly) refer to the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + Page Down: Selects the active worksheet and the one after it
Ctrl + Shift + Page Up: Selects the active worksheet and the one before it
Ctrl + Shift + Spacebar: Selects all the objects on the worksheet when an object is selected or selects the whole worksheet
Ctrl + Backspace: Selects the current active cell (scrolling if necessary)
Ctrl + Spacebar: Selects the current column
Shift + Arrow keys: Selects the active cell and the cell in the given direction
Shift + Backspace: Selects the active cell when multiple cells are selected
Shift + Spacebar: Selects the current row

Editing Data in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T22:32:00.000+07:00

Delete: Deletes the selection or one character to the right
Backspace: Deletes the selection or one character to the left
Shift + Delete: Cuts the selection to the clipboard
Ctrl + Delete: Deletes text to the end of the line
Ctrl + -: Displays the (Edit > Delete) dialog box
Ctrl + Shift + =: Displays the (Insert > Cells) dialog box

Entering Data in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T22:30:00.000+07:00

Enter: Enters the contents of the active cell and moves to the cell below (by default)
Shift + Enter: Enters the contents of the active cell and moves to the cell above (by default)
Tab: Enters the contents of the active cell and moves one cell to the right
Shift + Tab: Enters the contents of the active cell and moves one cell to the left
Alt + =: Enters the SUM() function (AutoSum) to sum the adjacent block of cells
Alt + 0128: Enters the Euro symbol (€) (using Number keypad)
Alt + 0162: Enters the cent symbol (using Number keypad)
Alt + 0163: Enters the pound sign symbol (using Number keypad)
Alt + 0165: Enters the yen symbol (using Number keypad)
Alt + Enter: Enters a new line (or carriage return) into a cell
Ctrl + ': Enters the formula from the cell directly above into the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + 2: Enters the value from the cell directly above into the active cell
Ctrl + ;: Enters the current date into the active cell
Ctrl + Enter: Enters the contents of the active cell to the selected region
Ctrl + Shift + ;: Enters the current time into the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + Enter: Enters the formula as an Array Formula
Shift + Insert: Enters the data from the clipboard
Alt + Down Arrow: Displays the Pick From List drop-down list
Esc: Cancels the cell entry and restores the original contents

Other + Letters in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T22:28:00.000+07:00

Alt + C: Move the selected field into the Column area (Pivot Table)
Alt + D: Displays the (Data) menu
Alt + E: Displays the (Edit) menu
Alt + F: Displays the (File) menu
Alt + H: Displays the (Help) menu
Alt + I: Displays the (Insert) menu
Alt + L: Displays the Pivot Table Field dialog box ??
Alt + O: Displays the (Format) menu
Alt + P: Move the selected field into the Page area (Pivot Table)
Alt + R: Move the selected field into the Row area (Pivot Table)
Alt + T: Displays the (Tools) menu
Alt + U: Activates the AutoShapes submenu on the Drawing toolbar*
Alt + V: Displays the (View) menu
Alt + W: Displays the (Window) menu
Alt + Shift + B: Report on the cell borders ??
Alt + Shift + G: Report the gridline status ??
Ctrl + Shift + A: Inserts argument names given a function in the formula bar.
Ctrl + Shift + C: List cells in current column ???
Ctrl + Shift + F: Activates the Font Name drop-down list on the Formatting toolbar
Ctrl + Shift + H: Selects all the hyperlinks ?? where
Ctrl + Shift + O: Selects all the cells with comments
Ctrl + Shift + P: Activates the Font Size drop-down list on the Formatting toolbar
Ctrl + Shift + R: List cells in the current row ???
Ctrl + Shift + S: List all the worksheets ??

Note: *This assumes that the Drawing toolbar is visible.

Ctrl + Letters in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T22:26:00.000+07:00

Ctrl + A: Displays the formula palette given a function name or selects the whole worksheet
Ctrl + B: Toggles bold on the current selection
Ctrl + C: Copies the current selection to the clipboard (Edit > Copy)
Ctrl + D: Copies the first cell in the selection downwards (Edit > Fill > Down)
Ctrl + E: Go to current Error ??
Ctrl + F: Displays the (Edit > Find) dialog box
Ctrl + G: Displays the (Edit > Go To) dialog box
Ctrl + H: Displays the (Edit > Replace) dialog box
Ctrl + I: Toggles italics on the current selection
Ctrl + J: Toggles calculation between Manual and Automatic ??
Ctrl + K: Displays the (Insert > Hyperlink) dialog box
Ctrl + L: (Added in 2003) Displays the Create List dialog box
Ctrl + N: Creates a new workbook (File > New)
Ctrl + O: Displays the (File > Open) dialog box
Ctrl + P: Displays the (File > Print) dialog box
Ctrl + R: Copies the leftmost cell in the selection to the right (Edit > Fill > Right)
Ctrl + S: Saves, Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box if a new workbook
Ctrl + U: Toggles underlining on the current selection
Ctrl + V: Pastes the entry from the clipboard (Edit > Paste)
Ctrl + W: Closes the active workbook or window (File > Close)
Ctrl + X: Cuts the current selection to the clipboard (Edit > Cut)
Ctrl + Y: Repeats the last workbook action (Edit > Repeat)
Ctrl + Z: Undo the last workbook action (Edit > Undo)

Ctrl + Numbers in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T22:24:00.000+07:00

Ctrl + 0: Hides the columns in the current selection (Format > Column > Hide)
Ctrl + 1: Displays the (Format > Cells) dialog box
Ctrl + 2: Toggles bold on the current selection
Ctrl + 3: Toggles italics on the current selection
Ctrl + 4: Toggles underlying on the current selection
Ctrl + 5: Toggles the strikethrough of text on the current selection
Ctrl + 6: Toggles between hiding, displaying or displaying just placeholders (objects)
Ctrl + 7: Toggles the display of the Standard toolbar
Ctrl + 8: Toggles the display of Outline symbols on the active worksheet
Ctrl + 9: Hides the rows in the current selection (Format > Row > Hide)
Ctrl + Shift + 0: Unhide the columns in the current selection
Ctrl + Shift + 2: Enters the value from the cell directly above into the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + 8: Selects the current region (surrounded by blank rows and columns)
Ctrl + Shift + 9: Unhide the rows in the current selection

Other + Function in Microsoft Excel

2006-12-30T22:22:00.000+07:00

Alt + F1: Creates a chart (on a chart sheet) using the highlighted range
Alt + F2: Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box
Alt + F4: Closes all the workbooks (saving first) and exits Excel (File > Exit)
Alt + F8: Displays the (Tools > Macro > Macros) dialog box
Alt + F11: Toggles between the Visual Basic Editor window and the Excel window
Alt + Ctrl + F9: Calculates All cells on All worksheets in All workbooks
Alt + Shift + F1: Inserts a new worksheet (before the active sheet) into the active workbook (Insert > Worksheet)
Alt + Shift + F2: Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box
Alt + Shift + F4: Closes all the workbooks (saving first) and exits Excel (File > Exit)
Alt + Shift + F10: Displays the drop-down menu for the corresponding smart tag
Alt + Shift + F11: Activates the Microsoft Script Editor window
Ctrl + Shift + F3: Displays the (Insert > Name > Create) dialog box
Ctrl + Shift + F6: Moves to the previous open workbook or window
Ctrl + Shift + F10: Activates the Menu Bar or Displays the (View > Toolbars) dialog box
Ctrl + Shift + F12: Displays the (File > Print) dialog box
Insert + F4: Read spelling errors and suggestions ??

Ctrl + Function in Microsoft Excel

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Ctrl + F1: Closes and reopens the current task pane
Ctrl + F3: Displays the (Insert > Name > Define) dialog box
Ctrl + F4: Closes the selected workbook window
Ctrl + F5: Restores the size of the active workbook or window
Ctrl + F6: Moves to the next open workbook or window
Ctrl + F7: Activates the Move window command
Ctrl + F8: Activates the Resize window command
Ctrl + F9: Minimizes the size of the active workbook or window
Ctrl + F10: Maximizes the size of the active workbook or window
Ctrl + F12: Displays the (File > Open) dialog box

Shift + Function in Microsoft Excel

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Shift + F1: Activates the context sensitive What's this ? prompt (Help > What's This)
Shift + F2: Inserts or edits a cell comment (Insert > Comment)
Shift + F3: Displays the (Insert > Function) dialog box
Shift + F4: Repeats the last Find, the same as (Edit > Find Next)
Shift + F5: Displays the (Edit > Find) dialog box
Shift + F6: Moves to the previous pane in a workbook (if the window is split)
Shift + F8: Toggles between switching Add Mode on or off*
Shift + F9: Calculates just the active worksheet
Shift + F10: Displays the (Shortcut) menu for the selected item
Shift + F11: Inserts a new worksheet (before the active sheet) into the active workbook (Insert > Worksheet)
Shift + F12: Saves, Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box if a new workbook

Note: *This allows you to select non contiguous blocks of cells using the keyboard.

Function Keys in Microsoft Excel

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F1: Displays the Office Assistant or (Help > Microsoft Excel Help)
F2: Edits the active cell, putting the cursor at the end*
F3: Displays the (Insert > Name > Paste) dialog box
F4: Repeats the last worksheet action (Edit > Repeat)
F5: Displays the (Edit > Go To) dialog box
F6: Moves to the next pane in a workbook (if the window is split)
F7: Displays the (Tools > Spelling) dialog box
F8: Toggles whether to extend a selection with the arrow keys
F9: Calculates All the worksheets in All the open workbooks
F10: Toggles the activation of the Menu Bar
F11: Displays the (Insert > Chart) dialog box that creates a chart (on a chart sheet) using the highlighted range
F12: Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box

Note: *This is only available with (Tools > Options, Edit tab, Edit directly in cell).

Erasing entries while typing

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If you mistype your formula or any values, press [Esc] to erase the cell’s content.

Enter URLs as text, not hyperlinks

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To prevent Microsoft Excel from converting written Internet addresses into hyperlinks, add an apostrophe to the beginning of the address, for example ‘http://excelize.blogspot.com

Note: Use of an apostrophe at the beginning of the cell means that you want to override the cell format and convert it to "Text"

Hide your secret data from prying eyes

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If you want to hide from view any sensitive data, highlight the relevant cell and click on Format, Cells… Click on the Numbers tab, select Custom from the Category: list, double-click on the Type: input box and enter ;;;. Undo the operation or change to General to make your data visible again.

A quick way to enter the current time and date

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Normally you have 3 possible ways to enter the date and/or time into Microsoft Excel table

Just simply directly key-in the current date and/or time into the cell. This method is of course not so bad for the beginner but if you've been using Microsoft Excel for a period of time and you know much more about the formula, then you could use the next method

Enter formula into the cell: To enter the current date or time click on a cell and type =today() or =now(). Excel updates the result every time you open the sheet, so it’s always current. See the different results of these formulas as follows

If you want Microsoft Excel to enter the current date or time and fix it at that point – for
example, to show the last date the sheet was modified – click on a cell and press [Ctrl] + [;] for the date and [Ctrl] + [:] for the time. See the different results of these shortcut keys as follows

Note: [Ctrl] + [:] is the same as [Ctrl]+[Shift]+[;]

Find the currently active cell

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If you’ve been scrolling around your spreadsheet and you lose your place, you can jump back to the currently active cell by pressing the [Ctrl] +[Backspace] keys.

Note: Someone may say that why need to do that just simply press the directional key (left, right, up and down) then you will return to the active cell. Yes, it can jump back but not to the currently active cell

Re-colouring the grid lines

2006-12-28T15:47:00.000+07:00

If you're getting bore of the standard grid color of Microsoft Excel, you can change the color of the grid by clicking on Tools, Options…, selecting the View tab, clicking on the Color: list box and choosing a new color from the palette. Choosing white effectively removes the grid completely. See the example of red grid line as follows