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

Auditing Data Validation cell inputs

The Circle Invalid Data command in Excel enables you to identify cells where a user bypassed Data Validation settings by pasting information into a cell. The following steps show you how to perform the audit:

  1. Choose Review | Unprotect Sheet and enter the password to unprotect the worksheet if necessary.
  2. Choose Data | Data Validation drop-down menu | Circle Invalid Data, as shown in Figure 5.29.

Figure 5.29 – The Circle Invalid Data command

Red circles will appear around any cells where the user has entered invalid data. No feedback will be offered if all cells comply. Keep in mind, though, that the red circles vanish when you save the file, or when you choose Data | Data Validation drop-down menu | Clear Validation Circles.

Now that you have a sense of the limitations of Data Validation, let’s explore a more robust alternative known as Form Controls. We’ll first need to unhide a hidden...