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

Protecting Data Validation cells

A downside of Data Validation is that users can purposefully or inadvertently remove rules from cells by copying and pasting. Excel doesn’t ask, are you sure?; it simply erases any Data Validation settings. The following steps show you how to protect your Data Validation rules:

  1. Select any cell on the Data Validation worksheet, and then choose Home | Find & Select | Data Validation to select all cells that have Data Validation rules assigned.
  2. Press Ctrl+1 (+1) or choose Home | Format | Format Cells | Protection.
  3. As shown in Figure 5.28, clear the Locked checkbox and then click OK.

Figure 5.28 – Unlocking cells

  1. Choose Review | Protect Sheet, optionally enter and confirm a password, and then click OK.

Tip

You must use the Protect Sheet command to protect your Data Validation settings. Unlocking the cells is only a precursor step that on its own does not offer any protection...