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    • Calculation Option – Automatic Or Manual
    • Wrong Number Format
    • Leading Apostrophe
    • Leading and Trailing Spaces
    • Numbers Contained in Double Quotes
    • Incorrect Formula Arguments
    • Non-Printed Characters
    • Circular References
    • Show Formulas
    • Incorrect Cell References

    Excel has two calculation options, Automatic and Manual. Most users don’t even know these two modes exist. Yet, frustratingly, in some circumstances, they can change without us knowing it. Automatic calculation is the default mode. This is where formulas recalculate after any change affecting the result of a calculation. Excel formulas are efficien...

    When looking at cell values, we decide what kind of data it is. We know instinctively that numbers can be aggregated, but text cannot. Unfortunately, Excel isn’t so clever. Within Home > Number,we can select the cell format. If a cell is formatted as text instead of a number, Excel may not calculate and may not display the value we expect. Look at ...

    The apostrophe ( ‘ ) is a special character in Excel. Whenever an apostrophe is entered at the start of a value or formula, this tells Excel that everything that follows is text. This special character ensures we can store numbers as text. For example, if we wanted to hold an employee number containing leading zeros, Excel might remove the zeros on...

    Leading and trailing spaces are a big problem, they often occur in imported text, but we cannot see them with our eyes. Let’s look at an example. In the screenshot above, the formula in Cell B13 is: We are performing a basic SUMIFS function to add the values for product Alpha. Based on the data, the value should be 50, but it calculates as zero. Th...

    Another text/number mix-up issue occurs when numbers are included in double-quotes. Look at the screenshot below. There is a problem; 100+50+100 definitely does not equal 200. In this scenario, there is a minimum sale volume of 50; therefore, using an IF function, the value in row 3 has increased correctly from 30 to 50. Consequently, the total sho...

    Excel functions are a programming language for calculating a result. Each function has its own syntax (i.e., the arguments required to calculate an outcome). If we get this syntax wrong, it can lead to unexpected results. VLOOKUP is a very error-prone function; it has caught out many unsuspecting users. Let’s take a look at an example. In the examp...

    Non-printed characters are letters used within computer code that a person cannot view. As a simple example, the line break character we can enter into Excel using Alt + Enteris not printable. In the screenshot above, the LEN function shows 6 characters in Cell C2. But the word “Hello” only has 5 characters. There are no spaces in Cell C2, so what’...

    Circular references are where a formula refers to a cell within its own calculation chain. Here is an example. The formula in Cell B5 is: If you notice, the cell reference of the formula (B5) is included within the range of cells (B2:B5). Consequently, Excel cannot calculate a result (unless iterative calculations have been enabled). When we create...

    In Excel, we usually view the results of calculations. However, with one mouse click or one shortcut, we can quickly toggle to show formulas rather than results. Turning on show formulas can easily be performed by accident or saved in this state by a previous user. To display the formula results again, click Formulas > Formula Auditing> Show Formul...

    One thing we learn in Excel quite early on is the use of the dollar ($) symbol to lock cell references. For example: 1. If we enter =A1 into a cell and copy it down, it will change to =A2. 2. If we enter =A$1 and copy the cell down, it will remain as =A$1. We get used to this referencing syntax quickly. However, this makes it easy to make mistakes ...

  1. Jun 25, 2010 · Has anyone ever heard of rows/columns in an Excel Spreadsheetself-adjusting?” What I mean is – someone in my department came to me b/c they have a spreadsheet of information and a column of “notes” on the far right side. The column of “notes” keeps adjusting itself when they add rows.

  2. Mar 16, 2023 · In this in-depth article, we will explore 16 best practices for using Microsoft Excel that can help you become a more proficient user and enhance your spreadsheet experience. Plan your spreadsheet Before diving into Excel, take a moment to plan your spreadsheet by defining its purpose, the data it will contain, the calculations it will perform, and the desired output.

  3. Jul 14, 2024 · Microsoft Excel's dominance as a spreadsheet has yet to be truly tested, certainly not by Corel's Quattro Pro (still sold today in WordPerfect Office), the open-source tools of LibreOffice, or ...

  4. Aug 29, 2024 · One of the great things about Excel spreadsheets is the structure. It’s just so mesmerizing for data-geeks (like me!). Not a data geek? 😎. Let me fill you in. Any Microsoft Excel spreadsheet consists of rows (horizontal) and columns (vertical). The intersection between a row and a column forms a cell.

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  6. Oct 8, 2018 · Deborah Ashby is the IT training manager at Excel with Business and Filtered.com. She is a Microsoft Office specialist and certified trainer, and has been supporting Microsoft products for more ...

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