Page 77 - Excel Timesaving Techniques for Dummies

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12 Data Entry Tricks

Technique

et’s face it: Data entry, while one of the most important spreadsheet
Save Time By tasks you do, is also often one of the most tedious. The tips in this
Ltechnique (especially when coupled with those in Techniques 13,
Entering the same value
in multiple cells 14, and 15) are designed to take some of the drudgery out of doing data
entry by helping you work more efficiently and, at the same time, more
Constraining entries to a accurately.
single range
These tips include
Working in Group mode
Taking advantage of Excel’s ability to enter the same entry in multiple
cells or cell ranges in one operation.
Constraining data entry to a preselected cell range. (This one applies
only when you’re creating a standard table of data and you know
beforehand how many columns and rows it takes up.)
Doing simultaneous data entry in multiple worksheets of the same
workbook by working in Group mode. (This one applies only to
spreadsheets that use multiple worksheets, all of which share a com-
mon layout and data.)

Making the Same Entry in Many Places

Many spreadsheets use the same column or row headings — even the
same values — over and over again. When you know ahead of time that
you need to enter the same label or value in many cells in the same work-
sheet, you can do this by following these simple steps:

1. Select all the cells and cell ranges that require the same entry as a
noncontiguous cell selection. (See Technique 10 if you need help
doing this.)
2. Type the label or value into the active cell of the noncontiguous cell
selection.