Professor Shoemaker Spring, 2014 Copying using the Handle You can copy a cell by clicking on the Handle and dragging Excel Professor Shoemaker 1
What s a Cell Reference? It s when an expression in one cell includes the value from another cell. i.e. one cell refers to the value in another. If cell B1 has this expression: =A1+5 The A1 is reference from B1 to the value in A1. When Excel performs the calculation, the value in A1 replaces the reference in the expression 03 Cell References.xlsx Excel Professor Shoemaker 2
Calculating the cost of storing a combination of containers and days. Relative Up and Over Absolute Fixed Mixed A combination of Relative and Absolute Tip: There s a video for this lesson. Excel Professor Shoemaker 3
The type of reference controls how the reference changes when you copy a formula from one cell to other cells. If you don t plan on copying the formula it doesn t matter what sort of reference you use Just use relative references Cell C7 has a Relative reference to C2 Excel thinks of =C2 as up 5 from C7 Up 5 Excel Professor Shoemaker 4
If you copy C7 to D7 the reference in D7 will change to =D2 Because D2 is the cell that s up 5 from D7 What happens if you copy C7 to D8? A Relative Reference is always so many cells up or down and so many left or right Up 5 Down 2 and right 1 Up 2 and Left 7 When you copy a Relative Reference it always changes to point to the new relative cell. Excel Professor Shoemaker 5
An Absolute Reference always points to the same cell =$C$2 will always point at C2, no matter where you copy it. The dollar signs in =$C$2 Freeze the C and 2 so they never change. There s no concept of up and over, there s only C2. Try copying the absolute reference around. Excel Professor Shoemaker 6
A combination of relative and absolute references Either the row or the column is absolute but not both $B2 Absolute to column B and relative to row 2 D$5 Relative to column D and absolute to row 5 When you want to freeze the reference to either the row or the column but not both In this example C is relative but 6 is absolute. What happens when you copy this formula around? Excel Professor Shoemaker 7
When you enter a reference you can use the F4 key to quickly change the type of reference Pressing the F4 key repeatedly moves through each of the four possible reference combinations A2 $A$2 A$2 $A2 Build a formula in C7 that you can copy across and down to the other cells of the table. Excel Professor Shoemaker 8
In homework and on tests, watch out for instructions like this: Write a formula in cell D1 then copy the formula down the column. This means you re going to have to get the reference types right in order to copy the formula and have it work correctly in the cells to which you copy. To reference a cell on another worksheet, use this format: =NameOfOtherSheet!A1 The Exclamation Point separates the name of the sheet from the cell. If the sheet name has a blank you enclose it in quotes: = Name Of Other Sheet!A1 Excel Professor Shoemaker 9
Cell Names Rock! You can give your own names to your cells Use a cell s name instead of the cell s address in formulas Tip: Make your names long and meaningful Meaningful names make your worksheet easier to understand and harder to make mistakes Select the cell(s) you want to name and type the name in the Name box You can give a name to an individual cell or a range of cells Excel Professor Shoemaker 10
Tip: Name individual cells in the singular and groups of cells in the plural CostPerDay DaysOnHand Containers Create a formula in C7 using the names Then copy it around the table Names in a formula behave just like you d want them absolute for a single cell, relative for a range. Use Formulas/Name Manager to make changes Excel Professor Shoemaker 11
Select the labels and the data Select the labels and the data Excel Professor Shoemaker 12
For documentation purposes you can have Excel paste in your Names Poof! You get a list of all your names Excel Professor Shoemaker 13
You can copy an past more than just formulas. Try out the different options Borders, Text Wrapping and Cell Merging Excel Professor Shoemaker 14
Excel Professor Shoemaker 15