Tid Bits of Help: Excel 2007 -- Entering Data Wortechologies Wortechologies > Articles > Technical I

Excel 2007 -- Entering Data

Shortcuts are valuable things to know -- not just when you're in a hurry -- they're good to maintain consistency in your data entry. Let's say you're typing in a monthly series. Who wants to keep typing January 3 or 4 times, then February, then March and so on?

Well, Excel has different methods of entering repeating data. One thing, when you type a word in a cell (like January -- keeping with the above example), the next time you type the letter J, January will automatically fill. But it has to be the first letter typed in the cell below. When you get to June, of course January will pop in, you just keep typing. Then when you need January again you'll need to go as far as the letters ja.

Or you know that the next group of cells in the column will have the same word, phrase, number, etc. and you don't want to have to retype. Then you would use the AutoFill function. Click on the cell, in the lower right corner is a little black square, place your cursor on it. When you do it becomes a black cross, then just drag down however many cells you need filled. Viola! They all fill in with what you started with. Oh, that square in the lower right corner is properly called the fill handle.

There are five ways to enter repeating data and Microsoft explains them like this: AUTOFILL: Enter the first value in a recognized series and use the fill handle to extend the series. FILLSERIES: Enter the first two values in a series and use the fill handle to extend the series. AUTOCOMPLETE: Type the first few letters in a cell, and if a similar value exists in the same column, Excel suggests the existing value. PICK FROM DROP-DOWN LIST: Right-click a cell and from the shortcut menu that appears, choose Pick From Drop-Down List . . . A list of existing values in the cell's column appears -- click on the value you want to use. CTRL+ENTER: Select a range of cells to contain the same data, type the data in the active cell and press Ctrl+Enter.

You still have the AutoFill Options button that automatically appears after you've started a series. This has the same options as it did in older versions, so nothing new there.

Hello, I am Liz LaClair, President of Virtually Helps, LLC. I have researched and compiled this information with the idea of helping my friends, potential clients and readers. Knowing that sometimes change is a challenge and not always received well, my goal is to shed some light and guide you through the new set up for Office 2007. I hope you find this to be helpful.

©Research compiled and written by Liz LaClair, President of Virtually Helps, LLC

About the Author
Liz LaClair is the President of Virtually Helps, LLC (a virtual administrative assistant services company). She is passionate and driven to make her clients "look good" to their clients and assists her clients in various ways. Liz enjoys her work and believes that you have to have fun! Go to her virtual office executive assistant site, at http://www.virtuallyhelps.com and download her free ebook: Tid Bits of Help for Microsoft Office. Liz LaClair may be contacted at http://www.virtuallyhelps.com. Click here to view more articles by Liz LaClair.