EXCEL Keyboard Shortcut (1)

When I started to use computer a lot in the university, I think the mouse is very handy. I click. I drag.

However, after I have my first real job, I used Excel on the daily basis. We had to build a very complex model and took care of thousands of data. Mouse was not handy for me. I began to realize the beauty of the keyboard shortcut.

I summarize the keyboard cut I used frequently. The list continues growing.

1.      Select the area:  F8 → using arrow keys

                          Or select the cell → shift + Ctrl + arrow keys

2.      Copy and paste the data (The most useful one. This process I may have to do more than a hundred times a day.)

a.      Ctrl + C

b.      Ctrl + V or Ctrl + Alt + V → select the preferred special pasta way

3.      Save

Ctrl + S is very useful. I have a habit to press Ctrl + S frequently during my work. Therefore, my work will not be lost if some terrible things happen to the computer.

4.      Undo and redo

Undo: Ctrl + Z

Redo: Ctrl + Y

5.      Fill the select area. (This short cut will past everything from the first cell)

Fill down:  Ctrl +D

Fill right: Ctrl + R

The problem for the above short cut is that it copies everything from the month cell. Most of the time, it messes up my format.

 Thus, if the fill area is not very long, I would prefer to do the following:

a.      Select the cell

b.      Hold the right side of the mouse, drag up or down or left or right to the cell you like, release the mouse.

c.       Choose the way you would like to do, such as Copy, Fill series, Fill formatting only or fill without formatting.    

If the fill area is very long, I would prefer to use copy and pasta special short cut.

6.      Switch between the Excel Tab.

Ctrl + Page Up; Ctrl + Page Down are also good shortcuts to use especially when I work with a spreadsheet with many Tabs.

7.      Formatting

When a report is built, some data have to be formatted differently to make the report more readable.  Popular formats I used are Bold, Italic and underline.  The shortcuts are Ctrl + B; Ctrl + I and Ctrl + U.

8.      Find and Replace

Find and Replace are two of the most used functions in the work. Ctrl + F and Ctrl + H are also my favorite.

If there is a problem to remember Ctrl + H (It seems that Ctrl +R should be chosen as the shortcut for Replace function), try Ctrl +F and then  Ctrl + Page down (switch between the two Tabs).

9.      Close the program.  Alt + F4

It may be the first short cut I learned. It can be used for any problem.

 

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