December 2015

Excel Tips & Tricks

Commonly Used Shortcuts (Mac, Excel 2011)Cmd+ Shift+ T Enter

Cmd+ Option+ 0Ctrl+ (Minus/- )Ctrl+ ICtrl+ R or Ctrl+ DCmd+ Shift+ (Period/.) or (Comma/,)Ctrl+ Arrow KeysCtrl+ Shift+ Arrow KeysCmd+ Shift+ KCtrl+ TabFn+ Ctrl+ Down Arrow/Up ArrowCtrl+ F2 V Enter Z Enter or Cmd+ 1

Auto sumBorders – outside areaDeleteInsert Fill right or Fill downFont – change sizeGo to end (contiguous range)Highlight a contiguous rangeGroup rows or columnsWorksheets – toggleWorksheets – move betweenZoom – sizing or return to 100%

Pivot Tables Step-by-StepTo re-organize a spreadsheet to a new format:• Select all data in sheet, click on the tab Data, and click

Pivot

• From the builder, drag which items you want to be your rows, columns, and values. You can re-imagine any spreadsheet to be in the format you need it as long as there are numbers as values (ex: a count of the cells or doing a math formula with the values like summing or averaging)

Pivot Tables Step-by-Step

• Choose rows and columns from the fields to populate your spreadsheet

• Notice the nesting that occurs when fields are above/below each other within the label boxes

• Be sure to update values from the default count by pressing on the info (“i”) icon to the right of the field name

Pivot Tables Step-by-Step• To reduce the number of columns, filter to select only the

options you want to see in your table• Once the spreadsheet

looks the way you want it to, select the cells including the table, copy, and Paste Values on a new sheet.

Commonly Used Functions with DescriptionsAbsolute vs. Relative Formulas:

• A formula that contains a relative cell reference changes as you copy it from one cell to another. As an example, if you copy the formula =A2+B2 from cell C2 to D2, the formula in D2 adjusts downward by one row and becomes =A3+B3.

• An absolute cell reference is a cell address that contains a dollar sign ($) in the row ($A3) or column (A$3) coordinate, or both ($A$3). When you enter a cell reference in a formula, Excel assumes it is a relative reference unless you change it to an absolute reference.

• Cmd+ T to change selected cells from relative to absolute

Commonly Used Functions with DescriptionsConditional Formatting:

• Conditional formatting allows you to highlight any columns or rows and color code them based on predetermined or custom-defined rules

VLOOKUP & HLOOKUPWhen you have two spreadsheets where one row or column is constant in both #1 and #2 (ex: market or partner name) and you want to pull data from #2 (ex: state or address) into #1• VLOOKUP looks at a value in one column, and finds its

corresponding value on the same row in another column.• HLOOKUP is the exact same function, but looks up data

that has been formatted by rows instead of columns.• Formula = V or HLOOKUP (cell(s) that match on both

spreadsheets on spreadsheet #1, cell(s) that you want to pull from spreadsheet #2, number of columns or rows between the two on spreadsheet #2, FALSE)

More info: • http://excelexposure.com/2011/10/25/level-1-lookup-refer

ence-functions/

• http://www.excelfunctions.net/Excel-Vlookup-Tutorial.html

Other Tips• Transpose cells when you want to convert

rows into columns or columns into rows• Use Text to Columns to split up one cell

by a symbol (ex: “,”)• Add &” “&

between two cells in order to combine two cells into one; and, replace the space with any other text or symbol if desired

Other Tips

• Add zeros in front of numbers by right-clicking the cell to “Format Cells” by Custom, entering “00000” into the field

• Freeze Panes to make a big spreadsheet easier to read

• Use =UPPER( ) or =LOWER( ) to quickly change case of cells• Press CMD+ALT+Return to create a second line of text

within a cell

Google ExploreGoogle Explore lets you export and customize charts after you upload and view a spreadsheet in Sheets in Google Drive• Because Google does this

randomly, select the row you want analyzed

• To edit the chart, click the graph icon and it will pop out

Google ExploreToggle between view and quick-edit mode using the eye and pencil icons to update any section of the chart (title, legend, axes)

Katie MerrittKatieMerritt@wholesomewave.org

Additional Resources:http://excelexposure.com/lesson-guide/

/wholesomewave @wholesomewave @wholesomewave

www.wholesomewave.org