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

Top and bottom rules

The top and bottom rules allow you to identify values based on their relative positions within a list. Four out of the six reference 10 Items or 10%, but you can enter any number or percentage that you wish. To apply any of these rules, do the following:

  1. Select a range of cells that you wish to format, such as cells H3:H22, of the Top and Bottom Rules worksheet in this chapter’s example workbook.
  2. Choose Home | Conditional Formatting | Top/Bottom Rules and then select a rule:
    • Top 10 Items: Formats the 10 largest values in the list unless you specify a different value
    • Top 10%: Formats 10% of the largest values in the list unless you specify a different value

Nuance

The percentage is based on the number of items on your list. If your list has 90 items and you specify Top 10%, the Conditional Formatting feature will multiply 90 by 10 to determine that the 9 largest values should be formatted.

  • Bottom 10 Items: Formats the 10 smallest...