Exploring the true power in Excel can make the difference between a list and a powerful spreadsheet.

What to do when a hyphen (“-“) won’t do.

Most computer keyboards have a key for the hyphen symbol (a.k.a. a dash) making it easy to insert when typing a document.

But what do you do when you need to type a longer dash (em-dash) or a medium dash (en-dash) when there is no keyboard key for either?

macOS

Mac makes it easy to insert an em-dash or en-dash. Try either of these simple shortcuts. They work on laptops and desktops running macOS.

• To type an en-dash, press the Alt key and the Minus key at the same time. An en-dash (–) will appear.
• The em-dash works the same way except you’ll press the Alt + Shift + Minus for an em-dash (—).

Windows

For desktop or laptop computers running Microsoft Windows, you still have access to both the en-dash and the em-dash — you just get to them in a different way.

• To type an en-dash, press and hold the Alt key. While holding it down, tap 0 1 5 0 on the numeric keypad then release the ALT key. An en-dash (the shorter one) will appear.
• To type an em-dash, press and hold the Alt key. While holding it down, tap 0 1 5 1 on the numeric keypad then release the ALT key. An em-dash (the longer one) will appear.

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″][et_pb_row column_structure=”2_5,3_5″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″][et_pb_column type=”2_5″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.11″ header_6_font=”ABeeZee||||||||”]

[/et_pb_text][et_pb_blog _builder_version=”4.0.11″ include_categories=”2″ show_content=”on” hover_enabled=”0″][/et_pb_blog][/et_pb_column][et_pb_column type=”3_5″ _builder_version=”4.0.11″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.11″ custom_padding=”3px|||||”]

Module Shortcuts

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ _builder_version=”4.0.10″][et_pb_row _builder_version=”4.0.10″][et_pb_column _builder_version=”4.0.10″ type=”4_4″][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.0.10″ hover_enabled=”0″]

Selecting

Ctrl + Spacebar – Selects the entire column in a worksheet.

Shift + Spacebar – Selects the entire row in a worksheet.

Copy and Paste

Ctrl + C – Copy selected text.

Ctrl + V – Paste copied text.

Ctrl + Alt + V – Opens Paste Special dialog box.

Ctrl + D – Uses Fill Down function to copy contents and formatting of top cell to selected cells below.

General

Ctrl + 1 – Format Cells dialog box.

Ctrl + Z – Undo

Ctrl + Y – Redo

Ctrl + F2 – Print Preview

Ctrl + F – Find and Replace dialog box

Alt + Shift + F1 – Inserts new worksheet.

Navigation

Ctrl + Home – Returns to cell A-1

Ctrl + End – Moves to the last used cell in the worksheet.

Function Keys

F1 – Help

F2 – Edits active cell then puts insertion cursor at end of cell contents.

F4 – Repeat last command or action.

F7 – Spellcheck

F11 – Creates a chart of data in the current selected range.

F12 – Save As…

Cell Expressions

Name of a Cell – Examples: A10 (Column A, Row 10), or F36 (Column F, Row 36)

Multiple Individual Cells – Examples: A9,G22 (Cell A9 and G22), or B12, Z24,AA13 (Cells B12, Z24, and AA13)

Cell Ranges – Examples: C11:C95 (Cells in column C and rows 11-95), or D14:H22 (cells in columns D through H, and cells 14-22)

Formula Writing – All formulas begin with “=”, include a function like SUM, and a range of cells. Example: =SUM(A12:A27) will display the sum of all numbers in rows 12-27 in column A.

Common Excel Math Functions

Average – Finds the average value of the selected range. Example: =Average(A2:C14)

Count – Returns the number of cells that contain numbers. Example: If you had numbers in cells A1, A2, and A6 and words in cells A3, A4, and A5, you could use the formula =Count(A1:A6) and it would return 3, since three of the cells in the range are number contents.

Max – Finds the largest value in the selected range. Example: =Max(B2:B88) would find the highest number in that range and display it.

Min – Finds the smallest value in the selected range. Example: =Min(B2:B88) would find the lowest number in that range and display it.

Product – Multiplies numbers in the selected range and returns the answer. Example: =Product(B4,B5) would multiply the values in cells B4 and B5 and display the product.

Sum – Adds the values in the selected range and returns the answer: Example: =Sum(B4,B5) would add the values of B4 and B5 and return the sum.

Trunc – Truncates the number in the selected cell to the designated number of decimal spaces. Example =Trunc(B7, 2) where B7=36.251 would return the value 36.25. =Trunc(B7, -1) would return the value 30.

[/et_pb_text][/et_pb_column][/et_pb_row][/et_pb_section]