In this exercise, you practice using AutoFill techniques. If you have closed the Chapter 3 workbook from the last practice, reopen it.
1. Add another worksheet and name it Custom Lists .
2. Type Tuesday in cell A1. Using the AutoFill Handle drag to the right. As you drag
past each cell, notice what Excel is going to place in that cell. Drag to cell J1.
3. Type Qtr1 in cell A2. Using the AutoFill Handle drag to the right to cell F2.
4. Type 10:00 in cell A3. Using the AutoFill Handle drag to the right to cell F3.
5. A series can be created vertically as well as horizontally. Type Sep in cell A4. Using
the AutoFill Handle drag down to cell A14.
6. Type June in cell H5. Using the AutoFill Handle drag to the left to cell C5. You should
now have a series of January through June.
7. Type Store 3 in cell C7. Using the AutoFill Handle drag to the right to cell G7. You
should now have a series of Store 3 through Store 7.
Teach AutoFill a Pattern You can teach AutoFill to use a consistent pattern .
1. Type 1 in cell C9. Enter a 3 in cell D9. Drag across both cells. With both cells
selected drag the AutoFill Handle through cell H9.
2. Enter a 1 in cell C10. Enter a 4 in cell D10. Drag across both cells. With both cells
selected drag the AutoFill Handle through cell H10.
3. Enter 8:30 in cell C11. Enter 9:00 in cell D11. Drag across both cells. With both cells
selected drag the AutoFill Handle through cell H11.
Use the Autofill Options Button Try using the AutoFill Options button:
1. Type Section 1 in cell A16 and Section 2 in Cell B16. Select both cells. Press Ctrl
+ B + I to bold and italicize both cells. With both cells selected drag the AutoFill Handle through cell F16.
2. Click the Autofill Options button. See Figure 3-49 .
3. Select Copy Cells. Instead of filling a series, the original Section 1 and Section 2 are copied to the other cells. See Figure 3-50 .
Holding down the Ctrl key as you drag the AutoFill Handle is a way of forcing Excel to copy values rather than create a pattern without having to use the Autofill Options button.
4. Press Ctrl + Z to undo the change.
5. Select cells A16 and B16. Hold down the Ctrl key while you drag the AutoFill Handle
through cell F16.
6. Press Ctrl + Z to undo the change.
7. Select cells A16 and B16. With both cells selected drag the AutoFill Handle through
cell F16.
8. Click the Autofill Options button. Click Fill Without Formatting . The cells that were
filled with the AutoFill Handle lose their formatting. See Figure 3-51 .
9. Click the Autofill Options button . Click Fill Formatting Only. The data in the cells that
were filled with the AutoFill Handle are cleared but the Bold and Italicize formatting still apply to those cells. Type the word Sales in cell D16. The word Sales is bolded and italicized.
10. Type 2/1/2013 in cell A18. Drag the AutoFill Handle through cell F18. Click the
Autofill Options button.
11. Select Fill Weekdays . The list skips over Saturday and Sundays.
Figure 3-50. The selected two cells are copied to the other cells
Figure 3-51. The values in the cells are copied but not any formatting
12. Click the Autofill Options button. Select Fill Months . The list creates a series of months with the same day. See Figure 3-52 .
13. Click the Autofill Options button. Select Fill Years . The list creates a series of years
with the same month and day. See Figure 3-53 .
14. Click the Autofill Options button. Select Fill Without Formatting . Excel’s calendar
starts with the date January 1, 1900 and since the list is unformatted it displays the number of days since January 1, 1900. See Figure 3-54 .
15. Click the Autofill Options button. Select Copy Cells . The list consists of the same
copied cell. See Figure 3-55 .
16. Click the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar.
You have finished covering all of Excel’s shortcuts for entering data. In this section you learned how to copy data and repeat patterns. You even learned how to create your own patterns. In the next section you’ll learn how to make comments for the data in a cell. Comments serve as a memory aid for you or others to remember where the data came from or what it represents.
Figure 3-52. The Autofill option Fill Month automatically adjusts the month and year but leaves the day the same
Figure 3-53. The Autofill option Fill Years adjust the year but keeps the month and day the same
Figure 3-54. The Fill Without Formatting option displays the number of days for that date since January 1, 1900
Figure 3-55. Using the option Copy Cells
The buttons that handle comments are located in the Comments group of the Review tab. See Figure 3-57 .
If there are no comments in the workbook, the Delete, Previous, and Next buttons are grayed out.
The Show Ink button in the Comments group does nothing if you have a desktop or laptop computer. It is only functional for creating annotations on Tablet PCs where it allows users to create comments, shapes, highlights, and text on the screen with a stylus.
How to Add a Comment
Few people take the time to enter comments into their Excel worksheets. Adding comments is time well spent. I think it is very important to get beginners off to a good start and so I am presenting comments here in the data entry chapter because it should be a part of your normal entry routine.
1. Click the cell to which you want to attach a comment.
2. Click the Review tab. In the Comments group, click the New Comment button or right-click the cell and select Insert Comment.
Figure 3-56. Cells with comments have a red triangle in upper right corner
Figure 3-57. The Ribbon’s Comments group
3. Type the comment in the comment box.
4. Click outside the comment box.
How to View a Comment
Follow these steps to view a comment:
1. Move your cursor over a red triangle.
2. If the workbook contains more than one comment. You can click the Previous or Next button to move from comment to comment.
3. By Default, comments remain hidden until you move your cursor over the red triangle. If you want a comment to remain visible even when you move your cursor away from the red triangle, then click the Show/Hide comment button.
The button is available from the Ribbon or by right-clicking the cell and selecting it from the context menu.
How to View all the Comments at the Same Time
You also can view all comments by doing the following:
1. Click the Re view tab.
2. In the Comments group, click Show All Comments.
How to Change the Default Name for Comments
By default Excel places your username in the comment. The name can be removed and changed by doing the following:
1. To delete the username in a comment, select the name and press the Delete key.
2. To change the default name for all comments, click the File tab and then click Options in the left pane.
3. Select General in the left pane
4. In the Personalize your copy of Microsoft Office group, type the name you wish to use in the User Name text box.
5. Click the OK button.
■ Note You might not use a worksheet for months and then things you thought you would remember you no longer do. If you are like me and write notes to yourself on a piece of paper, you will probably lose it and then spend hours looking for it. So, make life easy on yourself and use comments in Excel frequently.
The Page Setup dialog box can be accessed by clicking the Page Layout tab on the Ribbon, and then clicking the dialog box launcher of the Page Setup group. It can also be accessed by clicking on the File tab, then selecting Print, and then clicking the Page Setup link. Once you are in the Page Setup dialog box, select the Sheet tab. From the comments drop-down box you can select either to have the comments printed at the end of your worksheet data or to be printed as they appear in your worksheet. See Figure 3-58 .
Figure 3-58. Select where you want cell comments printed