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

Checkboxes and Option Buttons

Checkboxes and Option Buttons enable you to allow the user to make choices within a spreadsheet. Users can tick as many Checkboxes as they would like, whereas Option Buttons (sometimes referred to as radio buttons) allow a single choice within a group. Let’s compare the differences between Checkboxes and Option Buttons.

Creating Checkboxes

Cell D7 of the Form Controls worksheet contains a Checkbox that is linked to cell K7. When you click the Checkbox, Excel puts the word TRUE in cell K7. If you click the Checkbox again, Excel puts the word FALSE. If you wish to reset the Checkbox, simply erase cell K7.

Now let’s see how to add a Checkbox to cell D8 as follows:

  1. Choose Developer | Insert and then click the Checkbox command, which is the third command on the first row under Form Controls, as shown in Figure 5.31.
  2. Click in cell D8 to create the Checkbox.
  3. If needed, right-click on the Checkbox to display the handles...