Académique Documents
Professionnel Documents
Culture Documents
To access demonstration files used in this seminar, please visit www.k2e.com, log-in in the
Attendee Login section, and use the following code to access the materials:
EXL
K2 E N T E R P R I S E S
1250 SW R A I L R O A D A V E NU E , S UI T E 240A H A M M O N D , LA 70403
Copyright © May 6, 2014 by K2 Enterprises
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form
without the express written consent of K2 Enterprises, 1250 SW Railroad Avenue, Suite
240A, Hammond, LA 70403, telephone 985.542.9390. Requests to reproduce or transmit may
be e-mailed to caron@k2e.com. Further information may be obtained on the web at
www.k2e.com.
The use of trade names and trademarks in these materials are not intended to convey
endorsement of these vendors or products. All trade names and trademarks used in these
materials are the property of their respective owners. Any abbreviations used herein are solely
for the reader’s convenience and are not intended to compromise any trademarks.
The statements in these materials about specific companies or specific hardware and software
products should in no way be misconstrued as statements of fact but rather are opinions of the
authors and K2 Enterprises. We take great care in providing opinions that we think will be
useful in helping our participants make informed decisions. K2 Enterprises reserves the right
to independently evaluate the merits of the companies and of the hardware and software
products that are referenced in our seminars and conference presentations.
MISSION STATEMENT: K2’s goal is to produce and deliver the highest quality technology
seminars and conferences available to business professionals. We work cooperatively with
professional organizations, such as state CPA societies and associations of Chartered
Accountants, and vendors of technology products. K2 also provides consulting services and
advice on technology. We make every effort to maintain a high level of integrity, family
values, and friendship among all involved.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................................................................IV
THREE RULES OF THIS SEMINAR .............................................................................................................................. IV
COURSE DEVELOPMENT........................................................................................................................................... IV
ABOUT K2 ENTERPRISES........................................................................................................................................... V
THE K2 CURRICULUM .............................................................................................................................................. VI
Two-Day Seminar..............................................................................................................................................................VI
Full-Day Seminars .............................................................................................................................................................VI
Half-Day Seminars ............................................................................................................................................................VI
ON-SITE TRAINING ..................................................................................................................................................VII
WEB-BASED TRAINING ...........................................................................................................................................VII
SELF-STUDY COURSES .......................................................................................................................................... VIII
K2 INTERNET SITES ............................................................................................................................................... VIII
CHAPTER 1 – PRODUCTIVITY TIPS AND TRICKS ....................................................................................... 1
LEARNING OBJECTIVES .............................................................................................................................................. 1
FREEZE PANES AND SPLIT WINDOWS ........................................................................................................................ 2
NAVIGATING SHEET TABS ......................................................................................................................................... 3
NAVIGATION WITH HYPERLINKS ............................................................................................................................... 4
CONTROL HYPER-SCROLL WHEN SELECTING RANGES............................................................................................ 5
SELECT CELLS WITH SPECIAL CHARACTERISTICS..................................................................................................... 6
VIEW ALL FORMULAS ................................................................................................................................................ 7
ADD DATE OR TIME STAMPS ..................................................................................................................................... 8
USING THE OFFICE CLIPBOARD.................................................................................................................................. 8
PASTE SPECIAL POWER ............................................................................................................................................ 10
Convert Formulas to Values .............................................................................................................................. 10
Convert Negative Numbers ................................................................................................................................ 10
Implement a Percentage Increase...................................................................................................................... 11
FILL CELLS WITH A SERIES....................................................................................................................................... 12
CUSTOM FILL LISTS .................................................................................................................................................. 13
ENTER AND COPY FORMULAS EASILY .................................................................................................................... 15
USE AUTOCORRECT ................................................................................................................................................. 18
FILE OPENING TRICKS .............................................................................................................................................. 20
GROUP DATA FOR PRESENTATION........................................................................................................................... 21
GET ANSWERS WITH NEWSGROUPS......................................................................................................................... 24
CHAPTER 2 –FORMATTING ESSENTIALS..................................................................................................... 27
LEARNING OBJECTIVES ............................................................................................................................................ 27
FORMATTING MULTIPLE OBJECTS ........................................................................................................................... 27
MULTILINE COLUMN HEADINGS ............................................................................................................................. 29
USING THE ACCOUNTING FORMAT .......................................................................................................................... 29
Single and Double Underlines ........................................................................................................................... 30
Effect on Label Alignment .................................................................................................................................. 31
Accounting Underline Styles .............................................................................................................................. 32
Using Multiple Formats in a Cell ...................................................................................................................... 33
CUSTOM NUMBER FORMATS ................................................................................................................................... 34
CUSTOM DATE FORMATS ......................................................................................................................................... 39
Using Styles to Preserve Custom Formats ........................................................................................................ 40
DISPLAY OF ZEROS AND PRECISION AS DISPLAYED ................................................................................................ 43
THE HIDDEN FORMAT .............................................................................................................................................. 46
CONDITIONAL FORMATTING .................................................................................................................................... 46
INDENTING ACCOUNT DETAIL ................................................................................................................................. 51
CHAPTER 3 – CUSTOMIZING EXCEL.............................................................................................................. 53
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S I
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
II C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
USING THE CAMERA TO CREATE REPORT FORMS................................................................................................. 134
CUSTOM VIEWS ...................................................................................................................................................... 137
Using Custom Views to Automate Print Settings ............................................................................................ 138
APPENDIX A - KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS ..................................................................................................... 141
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S III
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
Introduction
Three Rules of this Seminar
1. There Are No Dumb Questions.
Please ask questions if you need further explanation. We welcome your questions and will
do our best to provide accurate and meaningful answers.
If you have a specific interest in a topic, please let us know. If your topic is not already
part of the course materials, we will do our best to accommodate your request. Our
instructors are anxious to meet your needs, but, if you do not ask questions (rule #1), they
cannot give you the information that you want.
Our instructor is here to share all possible information related to the course. We hope that
you will be willing to do the same. If you have some great tips or experiences, please share
them with us and with the other participants.
Course Development
The shareholders, associates, and staff of K2 Enterprises developed this course and the related
course materials. Our goal is to deliver top quality educational courses that help you better use
and understand the tools and concepts that are the focus of this session.
We designed our course presentation style for busy professionals. Through numerous short
case studies and feature reviews, we strive to deliver concise information in a context that is
easy to understand and easy to absorb.
To maximize the use of your time and the benefits of attending this course, we have worked
hard to filter out trivial and obscure features. Our goal is not to cover every keystroke and
menu option but to provide a fast-paced course that focuses on state-of-the-art information
technology and what it can do for you and your staff.
IV C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
About K2 Enterprises
Mission Statement
K2’s goal is to produce and to deliver the highest quality technology seminars and conferences
available to business professionals. We work cooperatively with professional organizations
such as state CPA societies, associations of Chartered Accountants, and vendors of technology
products. K2 also provides consulting services and advice on technology. We make every
effort to maintain a high level of integrity, family values, and friendship among all involved.
K2 Enterprises is named after the second highest mountain in the world. (The summit of K2 is
28,251 feet above mean sea level; Mount Everest is 29,026 feet above mean sea level.) The
shareholders and associates of K2 Enterprises are listed in the following table.
Shareholders
William C. Fleenor, CPA, Ph.D. Loranger, LA will@k2e.com
Over the past thirty years, our team members have collectively delivered more than 14,000
national and international courses and conference sessions on the subject of technology. To
help us stay on top of technology, our team members read numerous technology trade
magazines, attend many technology conferences, and talk with numerous technology
companies each year to obtain the latest information to include in our courses. In addition, we
personally experience everything we teach and recommend to our audiences. Because our
shareholders and associates reside in different states, the use of technology is a necessity for
the success and survival of our business.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S V
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
The K2 Curriculum
Two-Day Seminar
• Excel Boot Camp: Two Days of Intensive Excel Training
Full-Day Seminars
• Advanced Excel
• Budgeting, Forecasting, and Business Analytics
• Cloud Computing
• Excel-Based Dashboards
• Excel Best Practices
• Excel Budgeting and Forecasting Techniques
• Excel Financial Reporting and Analysis
• Excel PivotTables for Accountants
• Excel Tips, Tricks, and Techniques for Accountants
• The Mobile Office
• Paperless Office
• PDF Documents - Beyond the Basics
• QuickBooks for Accountants
• Sage 50/Peachtree Accounting Software – Managing Businesses More Effectively
• Small Business Internal Controls, Security, and Fraud Prevention and Detection
• Technology for CPAs - Don't Get Left Behind
• Top Accounting Solutions: Cloud and On-Premise
Half-Day Seminars
• Advanced QuickBooks Tips and Techniques
• Excel Macros - Part I
• Excel Reporting – Best Practices, Tools, and Techniques
• Excel Tables – Revolutionize How You Work with Excel!
• iPad – An Effective Business Tool
• Microsoft Access Fundamentals: Tables and Queries
• Microsoft Office 365 – Your Office, Your Way
• PDF Forms - What Accountants Need to Know
• Technology Update
• Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint – Tips and Tricks for Enhancing Productivity
VI C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
On-Site Training
Working cooperatively with your state CPA organization, we are pleased to offer all of our
seminars and conference sessions as on-site training opportunities. On-site training offers
companies of all sizes numerous advantages, including the following:
• Cost savings. For organizations of all sizes, on-site training can provide
significant cost savings when compared to public training venues. In addition to
potentially reduced registration fees, these cost savings accrue in the form of
reduced travel costs and reducing the amount of time team members spend away
from the office.
• Convenience. Because you select the date, time, and location of your on-site
training event, on-site training is more convenient for you and your team
members than traditional training options. Many organizations schedule on-site
training in conjunction with staff meetings, retreats, and customer/client events to
leverage further the value of all participants’ time.
Web-Based Training
K2 Enterprises offers web-based CPE to accounting and business
professionals throughout the United States. K2's team of award-
winning instructors delivers two-hour, four-hour, and eight-hour
webinars on numerous technology-focused topics, including Microsoft
Excel, QuickBooks, and Cloud computing. For more information on
these webinar offerings or to register, please visit
http://www.k2e.com/training/web-based-training.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S VII
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
Self-Study Courses
New for 2014, K2 Enterprises now provides self-study training
opportunities. Self-study courses offer you the advantage of receiving
top-quality training at a time and location that fits into your busy
schedule. You can start a course today and complete it in the future, if
that is necessary to help you achieve the work-life balance you desire.
For more information on self-study offerings or to register, please visit
http://www.k2e.com/training/self-study.
K2 Internet Sites
As a service to our attendees, K2 Enterprises maintains multiple Internet sites that contain
information and links that are relevant to the needs of CPAs and other business professionals
and that enrich your experience during and after our seminars.
The K2 web sites contain details on the topics that we present, tips on using the software and
hardware that we cover, and information on the products that we use daily and can
recommend with confidence. Since the hardcopy materials provided in our seminars often age
quickly, you will find additional supporting content and the most up-to-date information on
our web sites. Our pages contain links to the web sites of some of the top accounting and
content management software solutions as well as to other web sites of interest and even to a
few sites that are just fun places to visit. We invite you to visit our web sites often. If you have
any comments, questions, or suggestions regarding our web pages, please send an email to
webmaster@k2e.com.
www.k2e.com
This is the primary web site for K2 Enterprises. Here you can
access information regarding CPE opportunities, including
seminars, conferences, on-site training, web-based training, and
self-study opportunities. You can also access a library of
technology tips and articles, and you can link to K2-related web
sites.
www.cpafirmtech.com
VIII C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
www.accountingsoftwareworld.com
www.totallypaperless.com
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S IX
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
X C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
1
Chapter
E
–
r1
te
p
a
h
C
xcel has become the tool of choice for accountants and business professionals. Many
have been using Excel for years, but most are self-taught and depend on others in their
offices for tried and true solutions to common problems. This course is designed to
heighten users' awareness of the commonly utilized, yet powerful, functionality of Excel while
revealing advanced capabilities that are seldom used by most practitioners. The information,
guidance, and recommendations contained in this course, coupled with its many real-world
examples, should improve your spreadsheet skills and productivity immediately.
Learning Objectives
Upon completing this chapter, participants should be able to:
• Describe how to use features such as freeze panes and split windows to optimize
their working environment in Excel;
• Describe alternate means for adding data to a worksheet, including Paste Special,
date and time stamps; Custom Fill Lists, AutoCorrect, and Fill Cells with a Series;
• Utilize Excel features to enter and copy formulas more efficiently, open
workbooks with ease, and group data for presentation purposes; and
We begin the course with a smorgasbord of tips and tricks designed to improve results while
reducing effort and time expended. Of note, virtually all of these tips will reduce the amount
of time required to prepare financial statements and related documents while increasing the
accuracy of these documents.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 1
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
Split panes divide the Excel grid into separate worksheet areas, each of which you can scroll
in any direction independently of the other panes. This is useful for working in large
spreadsheets while building formulas between different areas of a worksheet or for watching
calculation results as assumptions are changed. In Excel 2013, select the cell where to split the
panes above and to the left, and select Split from the View tab of the Ribbon. In Excel 2010
and earlier versions, users also have the option to drag the split handle at the top of the vertical
scroll bar and/or at the right end of the horizontal scroll bar to the position desired. Figure 2
shows both methods. To change the location of a split bar, move the cursor over a split until it
changes to a double pointed arrow. Then left-click on the split and move it to the desired
location. To remove a split, just double-click any part of the split bar.
2 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 3
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
To create a hyperlink, position the cursor in the cell to contain the link. On the Insert tab of
the Ribbon, click Hyperlink or use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl + K to open the Insert
Hyperlink dialog box. Select the type of link to create from the Link To column on the left.
Type in or navigate to the file or Web address to complete the required information. Note that
a link can open a Microsoft Office document to a specified page, sheet, or defined name.
Optional information includes the Text to display and ScreenTip, as shown in Figure 4.
4 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
Although highlighting with a mouse is suitable for small ranges of cells, using the mouse to
highlight large ranges is time-consuming and problematic for most. There are several
alternative methods for highlighting large ranges.
1. Hold down the SHIFT key while using the navigation keys (UP, DOWN, LEFT,
RIGHT arrows, PAGE UP, PAGE DOWN, etc.) to highlight the desired range.
2. Position the cursor in one corner of the desired range. Scroll through the worksheet
using the scroll bars to the opposite end of the range and then SHIFT + Click on the
cell that represents the range's opposite corner.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 5
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
3. Quickly move to the top or bottom of any column of data or to the beginning or end of
any row of data. Position the cursor in the column or row of interest and then double-
click on the cell edge that represents the direction in which the cursor is to move. For
example, double-clicking on the bottom edge will move the cursor to the bottom of the
column or to the first break in the column if there is a break in the data. Hold down the
SHIFT key while double-clicking on an edge to highlight the data in the column or
row. Note that when positioning the mouse pointer properly over a cell edge, the
pointer changes from the Swiss cross to a compass rose as shown in Figure 5.
6 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
Selecting cells with more specialized characteristics involves using the Go To Special dialog
box, also available from the Find & Select command. For example, as shown in Figure 7, Go
To Special will select only those cells that contain Conditional Formats.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 7
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
Note that date and time stamps added using these techniques are “hard-coded” into the
worksheet and do not update with the computer’s system clock. For a dynamic date stamp,
enter =TODAY( ) in a cell; for a dynamic time stamp, enter =NOW( ) and change the format
so that the cell only displays the time and excludes the date.
8 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
The Office Clipboard holds up to 24 items with the newest placed at the top of the list and the
oldest at the bottom of the list. Upon adding the 25th item to the list, the oldest item on the
bottom of the list disappears. The newest item copied to the clipboard is also the item that
occupies the System Clipboard. When executing a Paste operation using any command on the
Home tab of the Ribbon or by using CTRL + V from the keyboard, Excel pastes the item
from the System Clipboard. All items on the Office Clipboard, other than the first item in the
list (which is also the item on the System Clipboard), can be pasted from the Office Clipboard
pane only, which prevents these items from being the object of a Paste Special command.
Optional settings for the Office Clipboard are available from the Options button of the
clipboard pane.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 9
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
10 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
employed convoluted process of building formulas, copying them down, pasting their values,
and deleting the column of original data.
To convert negative numbers to positive values using Paste Special, do the following.
2. With the cursor still in the cell where minus one (-1) was entered, copy its contents to
the clipboard by pressing CTRL + C.
3. Now, highlight the cells containing the negative numbers to be converted, and, from
the Home tab of the Ribbon, click Paste, Paste Special.
4. In the Operation section of the Paste Special dialog box, select Multiply and click
OK as shown in Figure 12.
5. Delete the contents of the cell that contains minus one (-1) to complete the process.
Other types of special pastes are available from the Paste Special dialog box. From that dialog
box, users can paste column widths, formats, or comments, or they can perform other
mathematical operations.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 11
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
introduced three new products in the line and increased advertising and promotional
expenditures. Under these circumstances, he expects sales of souvenirs to increase by about
35% across all geographic regions. To re-estimate total sales quickly, use the Paste Special
technique to multiply the sales of souvenirs by one plus the expected percentage increase in
sales (135%) as shown in Figure 13. Note that Values was also selected in the Paste Special
dialog box so that the formatting in the worksheet was not changed when the percentage
increase was applied.
12 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
Select the cell that contains the first value, label, or date and then click and drag the fill handle
down or across the adjacent cells to fill with the list. Click on the context-sensitive Auto Fill
Options button and select the options desired as shown in Figure 15. Note that the Auto Fill
Options change, depending on the data type. For example, when filling date data, the options
include Fill Days, Fill Weekdays, Fill Months, and Fill Years.
Figure 15 - Using the Fill Handle and Auto Fill Options to Fill Cells
The CTRL key alters the way that cells are filled with the Fill Handle. It serves as a toggle
switch for turning auto-incrementing on or off. If the cells are being auto-incremented as the
Fill Handle is dragged down or across adjacent cells, pressing the CTRL key will change the
operation so that the cells are copied. On the other hand, if the cells are being copied, pressing
the CTRL key will cause the cells to be auto-incremented. The following table summarizes
the operation of the CTRL key with the Fill Handle.
CTRL +
Fill Handle Only Fill Handle
Cells are copied. Cells are incremented.
Cells are incremented. Cells are copied.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 13
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
department names – sales, marketing, production, shipping and receiving, accounting, human
resources, etc. – in worksheet after worksheet, they can create a Custom List to use with the
Fill Handle to automate the task. Users of Excel 2010 and 2013 create Custom Lists by
clicking the File tab of the Ribbon, followed by Options, Advanced, and Edit Custom Lists
to open the Custom Lists dialog box shown in Figure 16.
Users of Excel 2007 create Custom Lists by clicking the Office Button, selecting Excel
Options and then choosing Popular in the Navigation Pane on the left. In the pane on the
right, click Edit Custom Lists.
There are several ways of creating a Custom List. Perhaps the easiest way is to use an existing
row or column of labels. Highlight the row or column that contains the labels that will make
up the Custom List. Click Import in the Custom Lists dialog box and then click OK to
complete the process as shown in Figure 17.
14 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
Figure 17 - Creating a Custom List for Use with the Fill Handle
To fill a range of cells with items from a Custom List, simply enter into a cell one of the labels
included in the list. Then drag the Fill Handle up, down or across adjacent cells and Excel will
fill in the remaining items from the list.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 15
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
Note that the selection in the context-sensitive Auto Fill Options drop-down menu has been
set to Fill Without Formatting, which, in this case, allows the formula to be copied without
also copying the dollar signs ($) in the format.
In building formulas, accounting professionals often need to create the same formula in
multiple non-contiguous cells. The most common solution is to create a formula in a single
cell and then to copy and paste it multiple times. Alternatively, users copy a formula across a
range of cells and then delete the formula from the cells where it is not required. A better
solution is to enter a formula in multiple cells using a single simultaneous process. Use CTRL
+ Click to highlight all of the cells where a formula is to be entered. Enter the formula using
any conventional method using cell references based on the last cell selected to receive the
formula. Then, rather than pressing Enter when the formula is complete, press CTRL +
Enter to enter the formula in all of the selected cells as shown in Figure 19.
16 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
The AutoSum button found on both the Home and Formulas tabs of the Ribbon. Although
the name implies otherwise, the icon provides access to more than just the SUM function.
Careful scrutiny of the AutoSum button reveals that it contains a drop-down menu that
provides access to all functions as shown in Figure 20.
The AutoSum button can insert formulas that foot and cross-foot financial data automatically.
Just highlight the data, making sure to extend the highlighted range down and to the right to
include blank rows and columns where the formulas are to appear as shown in Figure 21.
Then, click the AutoSum button, select a function, and Excel inserts formulas for the selected
rows and columns with a single command, thereby footing and cross-footing the table
simultaneously. Alternatively, if the Sum function is to be used, rather than clicking the
AutoSum button and selecting Sum, the user may simply enter the keyboard shortcut ALT +
= and Excel will enter the Sum functions.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 17
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
Simple, incidental calculations, such as sums, averages, or counts, can be made from financial
data contained in a worksheet without building formulas. Just highlight the cells of interest
using any method and look down to the Status Bar at the bottom of the worksheet as shown
in Figure 22. In default, Excel displays the Average, Count, and Sum of the selected cells.
Additional functions (such as Minimum, Maximum, and Numerical Count) and
functionality (the state of Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Overtype Mode) are available by
right-clicking on the Status Bar and making selections from the customizing menu.
Figure 22 - Getting Simple Ad Hoc Calculations Directly from the Status Bar
Use AutoCorrect
AutoCorrect is a powerful, little-utilized tool that is a source of frustration for some users.
The frustration arises when users enter text in cells, and the text entered is the object of a
default AutoCorrect entry. For example, the text "§123(c)(3)"is replaced with "§123©(3)" in
default as shown in Figure 23.
The source of the frustration is a default AutoCorrect entry that turns this sequence of
characters – open parenthesis, the letter "C," and closed parenthesis (C) – into the copyright
symbol, ©, as shown in Figure 24.
18 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
To correct this at the time of data entry, click the Undo button or press CTRL + Z
immediately after the characters are replaced with the copyright symbol. Then, complete the
entry and press Enter.
To correct this issue permanently, change the default AutoCorrect entry for the copyright
symbol. Users of Excel 2010 and 2013 change AutoCorrect options by clicking the File tab of
the Ribbon, Options, and Proofing in the navigation pane of the Excel Options dialog box.
Then, click on the AutoCorrect Options button in the pane on the right to open the
AutoCorrect dialog box. Users of Excel 2007 begin this process by clicking the Office
Button, Excel Options, and Proofing. Referring to Figure 24, click on the offending entry for
the copyright symbol and modify the text in the Replace box to read "(cp)." Click Add. Then,
highlight the original default entry for the copyright symbol and click Delete. Complete the
process by clicking OK, OK. Now, when "(c)" is typed into a cell, the characters will no
longer be replaced with the copyright symbol, but the copyright symbol can still be entered by
typing in "(cp)."
AutoCorrect’s functionality allows users to create shorthand entries. Often-used text and
phrases, along with corrections for commonly misspelled words can be added to a user's
AutoCorrect entries. For example, if a user routinely keys "tset" for "test" or wants a
shorthand entry for a client with a lengthy name such as Opihi River Development
Corporation, AutoCorrect can provide the needed functionality.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 19
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
Another time-saving technique is to Pin frequently used files to the Recent Documents list as
shown in Figure 26. Pinned files will not rotate off the Recent Documents list until the files
are unpinned. Simply click to pin or unpin.
20 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
In this example, the Subtotal command creates the subtotals and groups the data
automatically. The first step is to sort all the records by all the fields on which the Subtotal
function is to be used. Then select a cell in the range of data and click Subtotal on the Data
tab of the Ribbon. In the Subtotal dialog box, select the field to summarize on in the At each
change in box, the summarizing function to use, and check the columns to calculate. Check
any options that are appropriate and click OK as shown in Figure 27.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 21
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
Referring to Figure 27, notice the Outline Bar along the left side of the worksheet matrix. At
the top of the Outline Bar are a series of numbers that indicate the number of levels of detail
available in the outline. The number one [1] provides the greatest level of summarization
while the highest number, in this case three [3], provides the greatest level of detail. Click the
plus sign [+] to expand the detail for any summarized row or click the minus sign [-] to
collapse the detail.
22 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
One potential issue that some users have with the Subtotal command is the
seeming inability to copy and paste its results to another location. If someone
uses Subtotal and attempts to copy and paste the data to another location, the
process yields all records in the range, not just the summary visible in the
Subtotaled data. To copy only the summarized information, select the desired
range and then choose Find & Select, Go To Special, Visible Cells Only
from the Home tab of the Ribbon prior to executing the Copy command.
Alternatively, the user can use the keyboard shortcut ALT + ; Doing so
causes Excel to copy only the visible data, allowing the user to paste a range
of subtotals without the hidden details.
In the following example, manual subtotals were entered for sales by geographic region and
for quarterly sales. To group and outline the data, select a cell in the data and then select
Group, Auto Outline from the Data tab of the Ribbon as shown in Figure 28. Excel
analyzes the data and enters outlines where it finds summarizing formulas. Note that in this
case, there are Outline Bars along the top as well as the left side of the worksheet matrix. The
Outline Bar along the top is used to expand or collapse horizontal detail, such as months, into
quarters and quarters into total.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 23
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
24 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
C H A P T E R 1
an application such as Excel. Users can narrow the focus further to a specific version such as
2013 shown in Figure 29. A shortcut link for this page is http://tinyurl.com/K2ExcelForum.
Of course, the ubiquitous presence of Google makes finding the Microsoft technical
communities a quick task; simply go to http://groups.google.com and search for “Excel” to
locate Excel-related groups indexed by Google. Shown in Figure 30 is a Worksheet Functions
newsgroup.
In our opinion, the Excel Worksheet Functions group has more technical information about
Excel in one location than any other resource. Post a question and in a short time, another user
will usually post the answer to your question. Microsoft hosts the newsgroups, but everyday
users just like you are the ones who respond. In essence, it is users helping other users.
C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S 25
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D
E X C E L T I P S , T R I C K S , A N D T E C H N I Q U E S F O R A C C O U N T A N T S
Responses range from simple answers to complex formulas to macrocode, whatever it takes to
solve your problem. The keys to getting the help you need are 1) a succinct and informative
subject line related to the problem at hand and 2) clearly articulating your question or issue.
Identify the computer environment such as version of operating system, Office and any other
applications. Whenever possible, enter a few sample columns and rows of data along with the
results of the calculation that you are attempting. Do not attach a sample worksheet and do not
include sensitive information. If you follow these recommendations, it is likely that the
solution to your problem will be forthcoming very soon.
26 C O P Y R I G H T © 2 0 1 4 . R E P R O D U C T I O N O R R E U S E F O R P U R P O S E S
O T H E R T H A N A K 2 E N T E R P R I S E S T R A I N I N G E V E N T I S P R O H I B I T E D