For a complete listing of all Excel 2007 keyboard shortcuts, go to Excel shortcut and function keys published on www.office.microsoft.com where you can find lots of other great resources for learning Microsoft Office.
 

Remove Duplicate Records in Excel 2007 Database

	Click in the database
	Click the Design tab
	In the Tools group click Remove Duplicates

Text to Columns in Excel 2007

This feature can be useful for creating a database using existing information which is improperly formatted. For example, if both first and last names have already been entered into a cell, use text to columns to split names into 2 columns.

	Select the range of cells that contains the text values
	Click the Data tab
	In the Data Tools group, click Text to Columns

Follow the instructions in the Convert Text to Columns Wizard

Click here if you're using an earlier version of Excel
 

Changing the Color of Gridlines in Excel

Did you know you can change the color of the gridlines in an Excel worksheet? Here’s how:

	Choose Tools from the pull-down menu
	Select Options
	From the View tab be sure the Gridlines check box is selected
	Choose a color from the Gridlines color drop-down menu
	Click OK

Since the gridlines do NOT print this is only for your viewing pleasure.
 

Selecting a Range in Excel

In Excel, a range is a group of connected cells. When working in Excel you often need to select a range.  A simple trick for quickly selecting a range is to:

	Click anywhere within the range
	Press Ctrl + Shift + *

The range is selected!
 

Generating Random Numbers in Excel

Some types of analysis require you to use randomly generated numbers. You can also use randomly generated numbers to quickly populate an Excel spreadsheet. There's an easy function you can use to do this automatically:

	Type =RAND() in a cell to generate a number between 0 and 1
	Type =RAND()*100 to generate a number between 1 and 100

Display Fractions in Excel Worksheet

Have you ever wanted to display a fraction in an Excel worksheet?  Try this:

	Before typing fractions in cells, pre-format the cells by selecting the cells where you want to enter fractions and choosing Format from the pull-down menu
	Choose cells from the Format Cell dialog box
	Select fraction from the category list
	Select the type of fraction that you would like to display and click OK
	Type the fraction using a forward slash between the numerator and denominator – do not type spaces – for example, type 1/3 to represent one-third
	If you need to type a whole number and a fraction type a space between the whole number and fraction, for example 1 1/3

Combining Text from Two Cells in Excel

In Microsoft Excel you can combine the text in two or more cells into a single text string by using “concatenation”.  The result is displayed in the cell where you type the formula.

For example, If you have a worksheet that contains the First name in cell A1 and the Last name in cell B1, enter the following expression in cell C1 to create a text string that displays the values of the First and Last names separated by a space:  =A1&" "&B1

Be sure to put a space between the double quotes in the expression. Copy this formula down to each row containing the names. Then copy the cells containing this formula back to their original position using Paste Special to convert the formula into a value:

	Select the column by clicking the column name
	Choose Copy
	Right click and choose Paste Special from the short-cut menu
	Choose Values and click OK

This tip works in Excel 2007 as well as earlier versions.

Calculate Remaining Days in the Year

Have you ever wanted to calculate the number of days remaining in the year? If the date is in cell A1, use the following formula:

=DATE(YEAR(A1),12,31)-A1

Protect Cells in Excel

You can prevent users from overwriting formulas or inadvertently changing labels or formats by protecting cells. Follow these steps:

1. Select the cells that users can change during data entry

2. Choose Format from the pull-down menu

3. Choose Cells

4. Deselect the Locked checkbox on the Protection tab, and click OK

5. Choose Tools from the pull-down menu

6. Choose Protection

7. Choose Protect Sheet, and click OK

Now users will be able to alter only the cells that are unlocked. If users attempt to alter any other cells they will receive a message saying they must unprotect the cells to modify them. In Step 7, you may wish to add a password to prevent unauthorized users from changing a cell's protection level.
 

Calculated Fields in Excel Data Forms

In a previous Tip we learned an easy way to enter information into an Excel worksheet using "form view".  But what about calculated fields? For example, let’s say your worksheet includes three columns; Quantity, Price, and Total which is a calculated field.

 If you would like to have the calculated field entered as you type, try this technique:

	Enter the column headings
	Enter the formula for the calculated field
	Click any of the column labels
	Select Data from the pull-down menu
	Choose Form

 As you add records, Excel will copy the formula in each record. (You will not see the value in "form view" unless you navigate between records using the form’s Find Prev or Find Next Buttons.)
 

Text to Columns in Excel

The Text to Columns feature in Excel is used to split text entered in a single cell into columns. For example, if both first and last names have already been entered into a cell, use text to columns to split the names into 2 columns.

	Select Text
	Choose Data from the pull-down menu
	Choose Text to Columns to display the Convert Text to Columns Wizard, which will guide you through the simple 3-step process

Gantt Chart for Scheduling in Excel

A Gantt chart is a common tool for project planning and keeping track of the status of individual tasks within a project.  Go to www.vertex42.com to download a free Gantt chart spreadsheet for creating simple project schedules and timelines.

Add Color to Worksheet Tabs in Excel

 It can be useful to color code the tabs of Excel worksheets:

1. Select the tab of the sheet you want to re-color. To select more than one tab hold down the CTRL key and click each tab.

2. Choose Format from the pull-down menu

3. Select Sheet

4. Select Tab Color

5. Select a color from the Format Tab Color dialog box

6. Click OK
    

Add Text to Displayed Numerical Values in Excel

You can add text to the value of a cell by following these steps:

1. Choose Format from the pull-down menu
2. Select Cells
3. Select Custom from the Category list
4. In the Type box, select the default value General
5. After the word General, enter a space and a quote, next enter the word you want to display and another quote. For example General "tons"
6. Click on OK

The format you create will put the word tons after any number you enter into the cell, but Excel will still treat the value as a number, not text
 

Counting Data in Excel

In the article "Count and Sum Your Data in Excel 2002" by John Walkenbach Microsoft MVP, you can learn various ways to count and sum records based on criteria.  For example: to count records for Smith, if A1:A125 is the column containing the names, use this formula:

=COUNTIF(A1:A125,"Smith")

To read the entire article, go to: www.microsoft.com
 

Shade Alternate Rows in Excel

Shading alternate rows can improve legibility in Excel worksheets containing long lists.  Conditional Formatting can be used to apply cell shading to every other row in a worksheet range.

1. Highlight the range of cells that you want to format
2. Choose Format from the pull-down menu
3. Select Conditional Formatting to display the Conditional Formatting dialog box
4. Select Formula Is from the first drop-down list box, and enter =MOD(ROW(),2)=0 in the second box
5. Click the Format button to bring up the Format Cells dialog box
6. Select the Patterns tab and specify a color for the shaded rows.  Choose a light color so the black text will still be legible
7. Click OK twice to return to your worksheet
    

Disable Drag and Drop in Excel

If you place your mouse pointer on the side of a cell in an Excel worksheet, it changes from an arrow or plus sign into a four-sided arrow. If you click and hold the left mouse button down you can drag and move the cell information. It's easy to move data you don’t want to move. To turn this feature off:

1. Click Tools from the pull-down menu
2. Choose Options
3. Click the Edit tab
4. Uncheck "Allow cell drag and drop"
5. Click OK
    

Display Formulas in Excel Worksheet

When creating Microsoft Excel worksheets formula results are shown in the worksheet NOT the formula. There may be times when it would be helpful if you could SEE the formula in the worksheet.

To display formulas:

1. Select Tools from the pull-down menu

2. Choose Formula Auditing

3. Choose Formula Auditing Mode

To resume seeing the results of the formula, just repeat the above steps.  Or you can use the shortcut keys for toggling formula auditing mode on and off: Ctrl+`.
 

Calculate a Person's Age in Excel

The DATEDIF() function in Excel calculates the number of days, months, or years between two dates. This function makes it easy to calculate a person's age. To try this:

1. In a blank worksheet, type a birth date in cell A1, using slashes to separate day, month, and year.
2. In cell A2, type =DATEDIF(A1,TODAY(),"y") and press ENTER.

The age (in years) will be displayed in cell A2.
 

Close all Open Files in Excel or Word

	Hold down the shift key
	Select "File" from the pull-down menu
	Click "Close All"

Simplify Data Entry with “Form View"

Ever tried entering data into a wide Excel worksheet? When columns expand past your viewing area it can become difficult. To enter data or search for data without having to do a lot of scrolling, use "form view".

1. Open your worksheet and select any cell within the worksheet range
2. Click Data on the menu bar
3. Click Form on the drop-down menu
4. Click the New button to enter a new record; Excel displays a blank form
5. Enter data into the first field and then press the Tab key to move to the next field
6. When you get to the end of your data entry, press the Enter key to go to the next blank record

Note: If there are formulas in your worksheet, the "form view" displays only the results of the formula, thus preventing it from being accidentally overwritten.

To search for specific data or a record, do the following:

1. Click the Criteria button to clear the form
2. Enter your search term into the appropriate field (e.g., enter Human Resources into the "Department Name" field)
3. Click the Find Next button to find the next instance, or click the Find Previous button to find the previous instance

Note: If you enter multiple criteria, Excel will find the record that meets all of the criteria. The "form view" does not support OR searches. You can also use the scrollbar to scroll through the records.
 

Using IF Functions in Excel

=IF("if the condition stated here is true", "then enter this value", "else enter this value")

For example, to see at who passed or failed an exam an IF function could be used. Let’s assume the pass mark is 75 and the marks are in column B, starting from row 5. the formula would look like this:

=IF(B5>75, "Pass", "Fail")
 

Drop-Down Lists Increase Data Accuracy

Giving users the option to select data from lists rather than type it manually can help eliminate many data entry errors. But you don't need to create the actual lists to ensure accuracy.  After users enter an item once, Excel automatically includes it in a drop-down list of entries that users previously typed in the column. 

For example, to access the list of vendors previously typed in the Vendors column of an Orders spreadsheet, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell under the Vendors column for the next order.

2. Press [Alt] and the down arrow.

3. Select the vendor's name from the list, and press [Enter] or [Tab] to move to the next cell. If the vendor's name is not on the list, users must type it manually. Excel will include the name the next time someone accesses the list.

Of course, if the automatic completion feature is turned on, data will be entered automatically when you begin typing a column entry for the second time!  To accept the proposed entry, press TAB or ENTER. The completed entry exactly matches the pattern of uppercase and lowercase letters of the existing entries.

To turn automatic completion of cell entries on or off:

1. On the Tools menu, click Options, and then click the Edit tab.

2. Select or clear the Enable AutoComplete for cell values check box.
    

Using Text to Speech in Excel

Proofreading a spreadsheet can be time-consuming. The Text to Speech feature in Excel 2002 can really help speed up this process by reading selected data back to you for verification. Each cell is highlighted as the value is spoken, and when you hear an error, you can stop to correct the error in that cell.

To play back a group of cells:

1. On the Tools menu, point to Speech, and then click Show Text To Speech Toolbar.

2. Select a group of cells to read back.

3. Choose how the computer will read back your data by clicking By Rows or By Columns on the Text To Speech toolbar.

4. Click Speak Cells if you want the computer to read back each cell in your selection.

5. To correct an error, click Stop Speaking, and use your mouse and keyboard to make the necessary changes.

6. Click Speak Cells to continue.

To play back after every cell entry:

1. On the Text to Speech toolbar, click Speak On Enter.

2. Enter data in a cell. After you press ENTER, the computer will read back the data in the cell.

Note: To use Text to Speech, your computer must have a sound card installed and speakers attached. The available voices depend on your default language installation and any language packs you may have installed. Text to Speech is not part of the standard installation of Excel, so have your installation CDs ready.
 

Define Constant Values in Excel

Use the Name tool to define a constant value, such as a tax rate, that you frequently use in Excel formulas. Go to Insert | Name | Define and type a name—TaxRate, for example. In the Refers to area, type the constant value and click on OK. For a 9 percent tax rate, you would enter 0.09. For example, enter the formula =5000*TaxRate and Excel will use the constant value defined for TaxRate and return 450.
 

Microsoft Excel Online Tutorial

If you’re trying to learn to use Microsoft Excel, try this online tutorial developed by Florida Gulf Coast University:

Enter a Line Break Within a Cell in Excel

To Enter line breaks in an Microsoft Excel worksheet

	Click the cell where you want the label or heading to appear.
	Type the first line of information.
	Press ALT + ENTER.
	Type the second line. Then repeat step 3 if you have additional lines to enter.
	Press ENTER when you've finished typing.

Note: This trick also works in Microsoft Word
 

Long Text Entries in Excel

To break a long text entry into separate lines, position the insertion point in the cell entry or on the Formula bar where you want the new line to start and press Alt+Enter. Excel expands the row containing the cell when it starts a new line. Excel automatically wraps the text in the cell when you press Enter to complete the entry, according to the cell's column width and the position of the line break.  

Here is another method for dealing with long text entries:

1. Select the cell containing the long text entry
2. Choose Format and Cells from the pull-down menu
3. Click the Alignment Tab
4. Select Wrap text
    

Linking Cells to a Textbox or Object in Microsoft Excel

1. From the Drawing toolbar, select Text Box. Add a text box to the worksheet.

2. Select the Text Box, and press F2.

3. In the Formula bar, create a link to a cell by typing = and then selecting the cell.

4. The contents of the cell are displayed in the Text Box. For Example:

Insert Time/Date in Excel or Access

Here are a few keyboard shortcuts you can use to insert the current time and date in a Microsoft Access table or Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.

	Current date: Press CTRL+SEMICOLON
	Current time: Press CTRL+SHIFT+ SEMICOLON
	Current date and time: Press CTRL+ SEMICOLON then SPACE then CTRL+SHIFT+ SEMICOLON

In Access, this keyboard shortcut only works if you are entering data in the Datasheet or Form view.

Editor's Note: When you insert the date and time using this tip, the information remains static. To update this information automatically, you must use the TODAY and NOW functions. To learn how to do this, search for Insert the current date and time in a cell in Excel Help and then click Insert a date or time whose value is updated.

This tip comes to us from www.microsoft.com, courtesy of Kimberly Schenk, Smyrna, Tennesse.
 

Working with Large Excel Worksheets

Worksheets that are too large to be displayed on a single screen can cause problems when entering data as well as printing.  There are 2 different features that will help you deal successfully with these issues.

To enter data into a worksheet that is wider or longer than the available screen area:

1. Position the pointer beside and below the row and/or column names. 
2. Select Window from the pull-down menu. 
3. Click Freeze Pane.

To print a worksheet that is wider or longer than the available page size without losing the rows and/or columns required to give meaning to your data:

1. Choose File from the pull-down menu. 
2. Select Page Setup and click the Sheet tab. 
3. Select the appropriate Print Titles option and click the columns and/or rows that need to be repeated on each printed page.
    

Flipping Data in an Excel Worksheet

Ever create an Excel table and then wish the columns were rows and the rows were columns? Here's a solution:

1. Select the table.
2. Choose Edit + Copy.
3. Select the cell where you want the new table to begin (this cell CAN be in the old table).
4. Choose Edit + Paste Special.
5. In the Paste Special dialog box, select Transpose and click OK.
6. If necessary, delete the remains of your old table.
    

Displaying Chart Tips in Excel

Last time, we told you how to display Chart Tips, which tell you the data series and value represented by a chart element. But some of you, no doubt, couldn't get the tips to display. Why? Our best guess is that somehow you--or some deviant with whom you work--has set Excel to NOT display Chart Tips. Correct the problem immediately, as follows:

1. Choose Tools + Options.
2. In the Options dialog box, click the Chart tab.
3. Under Chart Tips, select both Show Names and Show Values.
4. Click OK.
    

Shortcuts for Using Names in Formulas

Next time you'd like to add a name to a formula you're writing:

1. With the cursor positioned where you want to insert the name, press F3. The Paste Name dialog box appears.
2. Using your up- and down-arrow keys, select the name that you want to insert (you can use the mouse, too, but why take your hands off the keyboard?).
3. Press Enter.     
    

Quickly Sum Any Row or Column of Data

1. Select the cell just beneath the column or just to the right of the row.
2. Click the AutoSum icon (on the Standard toolbar).

What you may not know is that you can get the same job done without so much as a glance at the mouse:

1. Select the cell just beneath the column or just to the right of the row.
2. Press Alt + = and press Enter.
    

Changing Color to Black and White

You've formatted your cells in brilliant color. But your printer is black and white. So on paper, your brilliant colors are translated into bland shades of gray--gray that sometimes is dark enough to make your cell contents hard to read.

Guess the only thing to do is reformat all those colored cells to light gray or no color at all, right? WRONG.

Anticipating a legion of black-and-white printer users who couldn't resist formatting in color, the makers of Excel have included a neat feature that converts your colors to sensible, legible grays:

1. Choose File + Page Setup.
2. Click the Sheet tab.
3. Under Print, select Black and White.
4. Click OK.
5. Print as usual.

One warning: Like many of Excel's other color printing features, this one does NOT seem to work on an HP LaserJet 4 printer. Wish we knew a reason why.
 

Turn a Date into a Weekday

1. Select the cell containing the date.
2. Right-click the cell and choose Format Cells from the shortcut menu.
3. Click the Number tab.
4. Under Category, select Custom and, in the Type box, type "dddd" (without the quotation marks).
5. Click OK.
    

Create Instant Range Names

You've got a huge table, and you want to turn all the row and column labels into names. Big job, right? Wrong again, financial-statement breath. If your cursor is ANYWHERE WITHIN THE TABLE, you can get the whole job done with three keystrokes:

1. Press Ctrl + Shift + *. This keystroke selects the entire current table--that is, the current region enclosed by empty rows and columns. (If your table ISN'T enclosed by blank rows and columns OR if your table contains blank rows and columns, you have to select the table manually.)
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + F3. This keystroke displays the Create Names dialog box, with Top Row and Left Column already selected!
3. Press Enter. This keystroke is the same as clicking OK.

Your names have been created.
 

Using Names in Formulas

If you've got names in your worksheet and you want to write formulas that refer to these names, Excel makes the job about as easy as you can imagine (without actually sending someone from Redmond, Washington, to enter the formula for you):

1. Start typing your formula.
2. When you get to where you want to insert a name, press F3.
3. In the Paste Name dialog box, select the name you want to insert into your formula.
4. Click OK.
5. Continue entering your formula, repeating Steps 2 through 4 if you need to insert another name.

Not only have you spared yourself the digital (in both senses of the word) pain of typing the names, but you've also eliminated the possibility of misspelling the name.
 

Help Entering Formulas

If you want help entering a formula --one that includes a function, that is--try this:

1. Type the name of the function, such as "=SUM" (without the quotation marks)
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + A

Excel displays the function's arguments RIGHT THERE IN THE CELL (and in the Formula bar); all you have to do is replace the function arguments with cell addresses.
 

Autofill

AutoFill the last day of each month--even though they're not the same number of days apart.

1. Type the last day of a month--as in "6/30/99"--in one cell (without the quotation marks).
2. Type the last day of the next month--"7/31/99"--into the cell below or to the left (again, without quotation marks).
3. Select both cells.
4. Using the AutoFill handle, drag to the left or down.

Excel understands that you want the last days of each month (including leap days, of course!).
 

Moving Around an Excel Worksheet

Today, we give you the handy Go To method. Suppose you want to select the range A1:Z52:

1. Select the cell at the top-left corner of the range you want to select (in this case, cell A1).
2. Choose Edit + Go To (OR press Ctrl + G).
3. In the Reference box, type the address of the cell at the bottom-right corner of the range you want to select (in this case, Z52).
4. Hold down the Shift key.
5. Press Enter (or click OK).

The troublesome large range is selected without scrolling.

Copying Selected Characters

"If I have a column of text in which each cell contains eight characters, how might I create a second column in which each cell contains only the first five of these characters? Is this possible?"

Yes. Suppose the column containing the eight-character cells is column A (starting in cell A1), and you want the corresponding first-five-character entries in column B (starting in cell B1). Try this:

1. In cell B1, type "=LEFT(A1,5)" (without the quotation marks).
2. Press Enter. The LEFT function, as entered, copies from cell A1 the first five characters from the left.
3. Choose Edit + Copy.
4. Select the remaining cells in column B that you want to copy the formula into and press Enter.
    

Name a Number

You may be familiar with using Excel's Name feature. This feature lets you name a cell (or range of cells) so that you can refer to the cell (or range) by name rather than the more complex cell address in formulas.

But the Name feature has another use: You can use it to assign a name to a number that's NOT EVEN ENTERED IN YOUR WORKSHEET. Suppose, for example, that a particular worksheet requires you to regularly multiply numbers by the number .267. You can assign a name to the number .267--and use the name in your formulas--as follows:

1. Choose Insert + Name + Define.
2. Type a name for your multiplier--such as "profit" (without the quotation marks).
3. In the Refers To box, type the value--in this case, ".267" (without the quotation marks).
4. Click OK.

Now you can use this multiplier in a formula. For example, suppose you want to multiply a value in the cell A1 by this named constant:

1. Select an empty cell.
2. Type "=A1*profit" (without the quotation marks).
3. Press Enter.

Excel multiplies the contents of A1 by .267.
 

Using Goal Seek

You build a sales forecast in Excel, and the totals look SO good you decide to chart them. Only problem is that once you chart them, you wish they looked a little better.

Our advice: Change the chart! Or, more precisely, use the chart to initiate a goal-seek operation, as follows:

1. Select the chart element--the bar or line--that you wish were a bit larger.
2. Drag the largest handle on the element to enlarge the element, making it about as large as you want it to be (don't worry about being precise just yet).
3. In the Goal Seek dialog box--which appears as soon as you adjust the chart element--set the To Value field to the exact value you want for the adjusted element.
4. In the By Changing text box, type the address of the cell you want to change to get the desired value. Obviously, this must be a cell referenced in the formula that generates the value of the bar you adjusted.
5. Click OK.

Excel "raises the bar" on your chart and adjusts the selected cell accordingly.
 

Crowded Worksheets? Add These Buttons

One way to relieve worksheet crowding is to rotate your column labels so they read up, down, or vertically. Of course, because those rotation commands are buried deep in your Format Cells dialog box, they aren't particularly accessible.

Add them to the Format toolbar, as follows:

1. Choose Tools + Customize.
2. Click the Commands tab.
3. Under Categories, choose Format.
4. Under Commands, find the Vertical Text button and drag it into place on your Formatting toolbar.
5. Repeat Step 4 to drag the Rotate Text Up, Rotate Text Down, and, if desired, Angle Text Upward and Angle Text Downward buttons to the Formatting toolbar.
6. Click Close.

Now, whenever you want to angle or rotate text, just select the cell(s) and click the appropriate button
 

Justified Text

To look at Excel's Formatting toolbar, you'd think there is absolutely no way to justify (align) text in an Excel cell. But you most certainly can, like so:

1. Select the cell(s) in which you want to align text.
2. Right-click the selection and choose Format Cells from the shortcut menu.
3. Click the Alignment tab.
4. In the Horizontal box, select Justify.
5. Click OK.

Because Excel has NO shortcut key for justifying text (such as Word's Ctrl + J shortcut key), you may want to move the Justify button to the Formatting toolbar as follows:

1. Choose Tools + Customize.
2. Click the Commands tab.
3. Under Categories, choose Format.
4. Under Commands, find the Justify button and drag it to your Formatting toolbar.
5. Click Close.
    

Default Row Height and Column Width

Last time, we told you that Excel's default row height was 12.75 and that its default column width was 8.43. What we didn't define--and what the Row Height and Column Width dialog boxes do not make clear--is what the units of measurement are.

Assuming that you're losing sleep over this, we'll tell you: Excel's default row height is 12.75 points (a point is 1/72 of an inch). Excel's default column width is 8.43 characters.
 

Fitting Worksheets on Pages

In the past, we've told you how to use Excel's Fit To printing option to fit slightly more than a page on a page. But you can also use the option to fit a larger range onto a specified number of pages.

For example, to print a 10 column by 250 row worksheet on two pieces of paper, you'd do the following:

1. Choose File + Page Setup.
2. Under Scaling, set Fit To to 1 Pages Wide by 2 Pages Tall.
3. Click Print.
4. Click OK.
    

SmartFill

By now you all know about Excel's SmartFill feature, which lets you quickly fill a range with successive numbers, dates, and so on, simply by dragging two existing dates. But what you may not know is just how smart the feature is. For example, if you want to fill Row 1 with the last day of each month, just do as follows:

1. In cell A1, type the last day of a month, as in "01/31/99" (without the quotation marks).
2. In cell A2, type the last day of the next month (in this example, "02/28/99"--again, without the quotation marks).
3. Select A1:A2.
4. Using the fill handle in the bottom right corner of the selection, drag across Row 1.

Excel fills each cell you drag over with the last day of each successive month. You can even use the same technique to fill every other day, every third day, every 10 minutes, every three months, and so on. Go ahead, enjoy this new and exciting knowledge!
 

Tracking Revisions

Excel tracks worksheet revisions so you can have some idea of what has been done to each sheet. To see these tracks, do the following:

1. Click the sheet to make it active.
2. Choose Tools + Track Changes.
3. Choose Highlight Changes.
4. Click to check in the "Track changes while editing" box and then set the types of changes you want to highlight.

You can choose to have the changes highlighted on screen or listed on a new sheet.
 

Hiding Workbooks, Worksheets, Columns or Rows

You can hide some of the data on your worksheet. This isn't password security, but it does keep others from instantly seeing what you're working on.

1. To hide an entire workbook, choose Window + Hide.
2. To hide a worksheet, select it (click on its tab), choose Format + Sheet, and select Hide.
3. To hide a row or column, click on it to select it, choose Format + Row or Column, and select Hide.
    

Data Validation

"Validation" lets you restrict what goes into a cell. Although you don't need this feature so much for your own work, it is a fine tool when you set up a worksheet that someone else will use. You create a validation test that makes sure only the right type of data--and only within the appropriate range--goes into a cell. For example, to create a cell that asks for a date, which must be within the next year, you'd do the following:

1. Click the cell
2. Choose Data + Validation.
3. In the Data Validation dialog box, click the Allow drop-down menu
4. Choose what kind of data you want for this cell
5. In the additional menus that appear, set the limits for that data. For Date validation, for example, you specify which range of dates are acceptable
6. Click OK

If someone tries to enter anything other than a date or a date outside the approved range into this particular cell, that person sees a warning that says, "The value you entered is not valid," and gets a chance to enter something else.
 

Working with Multiple Worksheets

Let's hope you never have to wrestle with complicated Excel documents. You know, the ones with lots and lots of worksheets. But if you do, it's nice to know that you can see what's in that document at a glance. To see a list of all that's in the document, do the following:

1. Choose File + Properties
2. In the Properties dialog box, click the Contents tab