Topic: Tools

The following are additional topics related to the category listed above. A bracketed number after the topic indicates how many articles are related to that subject.

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

The following articles are available. Click the article's title (shown in bold) to see the associated article.

Adding and Using a Combo Box Combo boxes can be added to a worksheet to help users enter data just the way you want. This tip explains how to both add and configure a combo box for proper use. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Adding Buttons to Your Worksheet You can easily add a button to your worksheet that will allow you to run various macros. This tip shows how easy it is. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

AutoFilling from a Custom List Custom lists can be a boon for special sorting needs. They can also come in handy for filling cells with repeating data. This tip discloses how to use custom lists with Excel’s AutoFill feature. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Comparing Lists for Duplicates Do you have two similar data lists that you need to compare to see if there are duplicates in the lists? This can be a daunting task, but you can add some formulas to your data that make the task easier. This tip describes a quick way to make short work of duplicates. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Comparing Workbooks Looking for a way to compare and contrast worksheets? There are third-party programs available that can help you out, but the method covered in this tip may just do the trick without the need to spring for another program. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Converting Imported Information to Numeric Values When importing data into Excel that was created in a different program, the results you get are dependant on the characteristics of the data. If numeric values are not in a standard form, then they may be treated as text. This tip explains a few ways you can overcome the problem of non-standard formats for incoming numeric data. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Creating Dependent Drop-Lists Drop-down lists are handy in an Excel worksheet, and you they can be even more handy if a selection in one drop-down lists controls the options presented in another drop-down list. This tip explains how you can use data validation to create these special dependent lists. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Deleting a View After a time, you may not need a worksheet view that you previously saved. This tip explains how to get rid of those unwanted views in quick order. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Embedding an Excel Chart in a Word Document As components of the Microsoft Office suite, one would expect Excel and Word to work together. One of the most common tasks between the two is to embed a chart in a document. It is relatively easy to do, using the editing techniques you already know about. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Evaluating Formulas Do you find yourself scratching your head when you look at the result of a formula? If you’ve longed for a way to step through a formula and see how Excel arrives at a result, your love the formula evaluator described in this tip. Microsoft Excel versions: 2002 | 2003

Goal Seeking Using Excel to return values for future goals. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Hiding Outline Symbols Outlining a worksheet can be helpful as you try to manage the data that the worksheet contains. However, the outline symbols may detract from the appearance of your data. You can easily hide the outline symbols by making a quick change to your Excel options. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Importing Custom Lists Custom lists are a great feature for sorting and filling cells according to a set series of values. You don’t have to create custom lists from scratch; you can actually import them from a list already in your worksheet. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Inserting a Sound File in Your Worksheet Excel allows you to insert all types of objects in your worksheets, including audio files. This tip explains how to insert an existing audio file in a worksheet, and then how to use that audio file at a later time. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Inserting a Voice Annotation in Your Worksheet Adding audio notes to a workbook is easy to do in Windows. This tip explains how you can record an audio file for saving with a worksheet, and then play the file again at a later time. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Making Revisions Revision tracking in Excel is very handy for keeping track of the last changes made to a workbook. This tip explains how the revisions are shown and how you can make variations on the actual tracking process. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Resolving Revisions When you are done working on a workbook, you’ll probably want to resolve the changes that you’ve been tracking. This tip explains how to check each revision and accept it or reject it. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Searching a Workbook by Default When you display the Find tab of the Find and Replace dialog box, you’ll notice that any search, by default, will be on the current worksheet. If you want Excel to default to searching the entire workbook, you may be out of luck. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Searching a Workbook by Default, Take Two How to create a macro that will display the correct Find and Replace box to set searching parameters. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Speaking the Contents of Cells Excel 2003 includes speech synthesis abilities that can “speak” your data to you as you enter it. This tip describes how to turn this feature on and off. Microsoft Excel versions: 2003

Toggling AutoFilter Using the menu sequence Data | Filter | AutoFilter, you can toggle AutoFilter on and off for a data table. This tip explains how to create your own toolbar button that does the same thing (toggling) as the AutoFilter menu option. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Turning Off Speech Capabilities The speech capabilities added to Excel 2003 can be pretty cool—for some people. If you have the capabilities turned on, but your neighbor wants them turned off, then you’ll need to inform him or her of how easy it is to toggle this feature. Microsoft Excel versions: 2003

Turning Off Track Changes without Unsharing The Track Changes tool in Excel can be helpful, but it can also be aggravating because it doesn’t allow you to use it on a shared workbook. This tip examines the precise interaction between Track Changes and workbook sharing. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Understanding Outlining Outlining, a feature built into Excel, can be a great way to help organize large amounts of data. This tip provides an overview to the feature, focusing on different ways you can create your outline. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Understanding Views Excel allows you to save different views of your data. This tip explains what views are and how you can create your own views. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Undoing Smart Tag Exclusions Smart Tags are a handy way to get more information related to some words or letters in a worksheet, such as financial or stock symbols. You can exclude some combinations of letters from being recognized by the Smart Tags feature, but it is not so easy to later turn off the exclusion. This tip explains how you can make Smart Tags once again pay attention to something you previously excluded. Microsoft Excel versions: 2002 | 2003

Using Check Boxes One of the form controls you can add to a worksheet is a check box. This tip explains how to add and configure this handy control. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Using Data Forms Lots of people prefer to enter information directly into Excel, but there is another way that may be helpful: Using data forms. This tip introduces data forms, explains how to display them, and shows how easy it is to use them for editing your data. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003 | 2007

Using List Box Controls One of the form controls you can place in a worksheet is a list box. Once you know how to populate a list box and use it, this control can make a great addition that simplifies data entry. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Using Revision Tracking Excel allows you to track the revisions you make to a workbook. This tip explains what revision tracking is and how you enable it for a particular workbook. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Using Stored Views Stored views do you very little good if you can’t figure out how to use them again. This tip explains just how easy it is to recall a view that you previously stored. Microsoft Excel versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

Watching Cell Values A quick description of how to use the Watch feature in the newest versions of Excel. The feature allows you to monitor the values in specified cells, no matter what is displayed on the screen at the current time. Microsoft Excel versions: 2002 | 2003

More Topics

Tips, Tricks, and Answers

An Amazing Resource!

Helpful Links

Great Info!

RSS Feeds