CREATING A DROP-DOWN LIST

1. Create a column title for the needed list. (Example: ANIMALS.)

2. Scroll to a far column in the worksheet that won’t be used or seen. Enter the list of
values in that column. (Example: wolf, moose, pig, chicken, lion, tiger and bear.)

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3. Return to the cell where the drop-down is needed.

4. Select DATA: VALIDATION.

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5. The following box will appear.

6. From the drop-down under VALIDATION CRITERIA, select LIST.

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7. Note a SOURCE field appears. Select the search function to the right of the SOURCE
field.

8. The following box will appear.

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9. Scroll to the far column where the list of values are found. Select the list of values.
Notice information appears in the DATA VALIDATION box when the list values are
selected. When finished, hit ENTER.

10. Notice the SOURCE field is populated, then select OK.

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11. Return to the cell where the drop-down is needed. Notice a drop-down appears when
the cell is highlighted.

12. Select the needed item from the list of values.

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13. Example: item selected from the list of values.

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CONVERTING ALL CAPS TO FORMATTED TEXT

1. Place the cursor in the next available blank cell.

2. Use the following equation to convert the first cell: =proper(___)

In the blank between the parentheses (), click on the first cell that needs to be
converted. In the example below, the first cell is located in A1. Therefore, this
equation appears as follows: =proper(A1)

FORMULA

=proper(cell
address)

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3. Hit enter, and notice the contents of the converted cell now appear in the new cell but
have been converted from all caps to proper text.

4. Place the cursor in the new cell. Notice the AUTOFILL square on the bottom right
corner of the highlighted cell.

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5. Using the cursor, click and hold the AUTOFILL square and move the cursor to the
next cell.

6. Release the AUTOFILL button, and note the formula has now populated the next cell.

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7. With both cells highlighted, click and hold the AUTOFILL square again, this time
moving the cursor down to the bottom row of information.

8. Release the AUTOFILL button and note the formula has now populated in all cells.

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9. As shown below, each new cell is still dependent on the =proper formula. This means,
if any of the original cells are deleted, the formula will fail and the formatted data will
also disappear.

10. Highlight all of the formatted data as shown below.

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11. Right-click the mouse and select COPY.

12. Go to EDIT: PASTE SPECIAL.

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13. Select VALUES, then OK.

14. Notice the formulas have now disappeared in cells of the formatted data.

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15. Once the formatted data is no longer dependent on the formula, delete the original
cells.

16. The formatted data remains as shown below.

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HIGHLIGHTING DUPLICATES IN A COLUMN

1. Highlight the column needing the duplicate check.

2. Select FORMAT: CONDITIONAL FORMATTING.

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3. The following box will appear.

4. Using the first drop-down, change CONDITION 1 from CELL VALUE IS to

FORMULA IS.

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5. Note the first condition line changes to allow a formula.

6. Type the following formula in the space as shown below: =COUNTIF(A:A,A1)>1

Note, if the highlighted column is column B, the formula would be

=COUNTIF(B:B,B1)>1, and so on for all other columns.

Once the formula is ready, select the FORMAT button.

FORMULA

=COUNTIF(A:A,A1)>
1

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7. The following box will appear.

8. Using the drop-down, select a color to highlight the duplicates. In this example, the
color RED is selected.

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9. Note the new color has been selected, then select OK.

10. Note the new format now shows next to PREVIEW OF FORMAT TO USE WHEN
CONDITION IS TRUE, then select OK.

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11. Note all the duplicates in the selected column now appear in the selected color.

12. If deleting duplicates, highlight the rows to be deleted.

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13. Right-click the mouse and select DELETE.

14. Note when duplicates are deleted, the formatting returns to normal. In the example
below, all duplicates were deleted except one, which remains red. (To remove
conditional formatting, return to FORMAT: CONDITIONAL FORMATTING and select
DELETE for each condition.)

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COMBINING TWO CELLS

1. Begin with the two columns that should be combined.

2. In a free column, enter the following formula: =A1 & “ “ & B1

Note, if the first column is column B, the formula would be =B1 & “ “ C1, and so on for
all other column combinations.

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3. After the formula is in place, hit enter. Note the two columns of information have now
been combined for that row.

4. Notice the AUTOFILL square on the bottom right corner of the highlighted cell. To
repeat that formula through the entire column, double-click on the autofill square.

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5. Note the formula now repeats through the entire column.

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