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

Summary

In this chapter, first, you saw how the Quick Access Toolbar is evolving in Microsoft 365 and how to unhide the toolbar if needed. The Quick Access Toolbar allows you to create up to 44 custom keyboard shortcuts in Excel for Windows, but if you’re not aware of the nuance, you might be baffled why, let’s say, a heart or spade appears in your worksheet cell instead of carrying out a command. We always hold down the Ctrl key when executing a shortcut such as Ctrl + Z, but we must use an alternate behavior for the Alt key. Remember to tap the Alt key if you want to your number pad to execute a shortcut. You have complete control over the order of your icons, which enables you to prioritize the keyboard shortcuts.

We explored ways to create shortcuts for Ribbon commands that don’t have shortcuts, and we dug into the Commands Not in the Ribbon area to unearth commands that can streamline repetitive tasks. You can add commands to your default Quick Access...