Excel is a smart software. If you are performing calculations in your spreadsheet, Excel can do a lot of the work for you.
Let’s say you have a column of numbers that you want to total. All you need to do in Excel is scroll to the bottom of the column and click the first available empty cell. From the Home tab, select the Auto Sum icon. It looks like the letter M turned sideways. And that’s it! Excel recognizes the cells you are trying to calculate.
I also like the Currency options on the Home tab. If you highlight your column of numbers and select the $ (Dollar Sign) symbol, it will automatically convert all your numbers to currency. If you click the % (percentage) symbol, Excel will automatically convert the selected data into a percentage. If you select the , (comma) symbol, it will automatically convert your selected cells into a decimal.
Note: If there is a blank field in your column of data, Excel may not capture all the data you are trying to calculate. It will only calculate as far as it sees data. You can also accomplish these features by right clicking on a selection and selecting Format Cells, but I like the shortcut icons!
If you are an Advocate Capital customer and need help preparing or manipulating data in the Excel application, feel free to contact me at [email protected].
We love feedback from our customers and implement suggestions often. What shortcut do you use the most? If you have a question or idea for an Excel tip that you would like to see, let me know and I might write about it!
Training Specialist
Photo Credit: Natee Meepian
