Book Image

Exploring Microsoft Excel’s Hidden Treasures

By : David Ringstrom
Book Image

Exploring Microsoft Excel’s Hidden Treasures

By: David Ringstrom

Overview of this book

David Ringstrom coined the phrase “Either you work Excel, or it works you!” after observing how many users carry out tasks inefficiently. In this book, you’ll learn how to get more done with less effort. This book will enable you to create resilient spreadsheets that are easy for others to use as well, while incorporating spreadsheet disaster preparedness techniques. The time-saving techniques covered in the book include creating custom shortcuts and icons to streamline repetitive tasks, as well as automating them with features such as Tables and Custom Views. You’ll see how Conditional Formatting enables you to apply colors, Cell icons, and other formatting on-demand as your data changes. You’ll be empowered to protect the integrity of spreadsheets and increase usability by implementing internal controls, and understand how to solve problems with What-If Analysis features. In addition, you’ll master new features and functions such as XLOOKUP, Dynamic Array functions, LET and LAMBDA, and Power Query, while learning how to leverage shortcuts and nuances in Excel. By the end of this book, you’ll have a broader awareness of how to avoid pitfalls in Excel. You’ll be empowered to work more effectively in Excel, having gained a deeper understanding of the frustrating oddities that can arise daily in Excel.
Table of Contents (18 chapters)
1
Part 1: Improving Accessibility
6
Part 2:Spreadsheet Interactivity and Automation
12
Part 3: Data Analysis

The #SPILL! errors

As you might expect, new functionality in Excel such as dynamic array functions can result in new types of error prompts, too. In The Filter function section, I discussed the #CALC! error. In this section, I’ll discuss the #SPILL! error. The first error that we’ll look at arises when other data resides in the immediate area that a dynamic array function needs to display its results. This error can also arise when a user overwrites data that has been returned by a dynamic array function.

The #SPILL! error can appear under two different conditions:

  • Cell G7 in Figure 10.24 contains the words Obstruction blocking UNIQUE. If you subsequently enter the =UNIQUE(C3:C12) formula into cell G3, Excel will return #SPILL! instead of the list of countries you’re expecting. That’s because the contents of cell G7 fall within the range that UNIQUE needs to display its results. As shown, when you click on a cell that contains #SPILL!, such as...