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

This chapter began with a discussion of Excel’s unwritten rule, which is about ensuring that the first row of any lists in your spreadsheet comprises a single row of unique titles. We then compared Tables, PivotTables, and data Tables, followed by a discussion of two approaches for converting a normal range of cells into a Table. The Table feature adds automatic enhancements, some of which you can disable or supplement with additional characteristics. Remember to be mindful when converting Tables into a normal range of cells to prevent anyone from mistakenly relying on non-existent automation in a normal range of cells that is masquerading as a Table.

Tables particularly enhance formulas in Excel, both by way of Calculated Columns within Tables and self-resizing formulas outside of Tables. Structured references make it easier to write and audit formulas that reference data within Tables. We went from formulas to filtering, and then you saw how Slicers can kick a Table...