Days of the week sequences, months of the year,
quarters, number patterns, formulas across a series of cells - are
you manually typing all of these? Shame on you! Use
AutoFill to fill in common sequences, number patterns, and
formulas.
What
is AutoFill?
AutoFill
is a time saving tool that can automatically fill in a common
series of words, number patterns, and formulas. AutoFill
makes data entry fast and efficient.
Using
AutoFill
To
fill in a common series:
Select the initial cell for the series.
Place the mouse over
the fill handle, as shown below. Your mouse appears as a
small black plus sign (called crosshairs).
Drag the handle
(click & hold the mouse button down) over the cells that
are to be filled. An AutoTip appears showing the
impending result.
Release the mouse
button. Excel fills in the cells as shown in the graphic
below.
Note:
AutoFill can only be used to fill in cells in a contiguous range
(cells that are touching each other).
To fill in a number
pattern:
Follow the instructions
above, adjusting step 1 to selecting the first two cells in the
pattern. Selecting the first two cells before dragging the
fill handle allows Excel to examine the proper number pattern to
fill. In the example below, a number pattern is filled in
that counts by 5.
To fill in a formula:
Using the steps above,
select the cell with the formula you want to copy and drag the
fill handle to fill in the rest of the cells. This is an
excellent way to fill in a totals row. Excel automatically
adjusts/changes your cell references to create the new formulas.
In some cases, you may
not want a particular cell reference to be changed by Excel when
using AutoFill. For example, if you are figuring the
commission for your sales staff for a particular month, and they
all have a commission rate of 10%, you may have the commission
rate in one cell. That cell should be referenced in all of
your formulas. As in the graphic below, you would always
want to reference cell B10 to calculate all of your formulas.
To do this, you need to use an absolute cell reference ($B$10).
For more information on absolute cell references, see Relative
& Absolute Cell References.
Examples
of Common AutoFill Series
A time series can include
increments of days, weeks, or months that you specify, or it can
include repeating sequences such as weekdays, month names, or
quarters.
Notice: You have the author's
permission to use the tutorials on this site for your personal
use only. If you would like to use these tutorials for
training classes or other commercial use, please contact kstille@esmartweb.com.
Distribution in print or on the Web without the author's permission
is strictly prohibited.
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