Making charts is one of the most common use of Excel or other spreadsheet software. But do you know a simple trick that can save you lot of time while using excel charting features?
Chart Templates or User Defined Charts
yes, using chart templates can save you a lot of time.
If you use a particular type of chart or formatting all the time, you can save all the steps involved in making the chart by using templates.
Here is a simple tutorial on using chart templates in excel.
1. Prepare your chart
First step is to to prepare a chart that you would like to save to template. The chart can be a formatted version of one of the typical excel charts or a more complex combination chart.
2. Now save the chart as a chart template
In excel 2007 you can do this by selecting the chart and going to design tab in the ribbon and clicking on “Save as template”
For earlier versions of excel, right click on the chart and select chart type and go to “custom types” tab. Select “user-defined” as the chart type and click on the Add button to add the chart to excel chart templates.
3. Use the chart templates
Next time you need to insert a chart, use the templates and save time.
In Excel 2007 use the templates option. In earlier versions, use custom types to find your already save templates.
Bonus tip: Moving Chart Templates from One Computer to Another
If you want to move all your chart templates from one computer to another, just go to My Documents \Application Data\Microsoft\Excel and copy the file XLUSRGAL to the other computer. Make sure you are not overwriting the existing XLUSRGAL file, but just add the sheets from one file to another.
If you are using Excel 2007, the chart templates are stored as *.crtx files. Just locate them and copy to target system. Usually they can be found in \AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Templates\Charts for Vista and My Documents \Application Data\Microsoft\Templates\Charts for XP.
Free Excel Chart Templates to Get you Started
And here is a huge list of beautiful excel chart templates, around 73 of them. Download and use them free. Get even more in our excel downloads page.
This is part of our Spreadcheats series, a 30 day online excel training series for office goers and spreadsheet users. Join today.
14 Responses to “How many ‘Friday the 13th’s are in this year? [Formula fun + challenge]”
in C3=2016
in C4=3
in C5=1 (the first next year with three Friday the 13ths)
=SMALL(IF(MMULT(--(MOD(DATE(C3+ROW(1:1000),COLUMN(A:L),13),7)=6),ROW(1:12)^0)=C4,C3+ROW(1:1000)),C5)
formula check in the next 1000 years
This will generate a table of counts of Friday the 13th's by year. If I didn't screw it up the next year with three is 2026.
I created a simple parameter table with a start date and end date that I wanted to evaluate. That calculates the number of days and generates a list of those days. Then filter and group. The generation of the list in power query (i.e. without populating a date table in excel) is pretty cool, otherwise this isn't really doing anything than creating a big date and filtering/counting.
let
Source = List.Dates(StartDateAsDate, Days2, #duration(1,0,0,0)),
ConvertDateListToTable = Table.FromList(Source, Splitter.SplitByNothing(), null, null, ExtraValues.Error),
AddDayOfMonthColumn = Table.AddColumn(ConvertDateListToTable, "DayOfMonth", each Date.Day([Column1])),
AddYearColumn = Table.AddColumn(AddDayOfMonthColumn, "Year", each Date.Year([Column1])),
AddDayOfWeekColumn = Table.AddColumn(AddYearColumn, "Day of Week", each Date.DayOfWeek([Column1])),
FilterFriday13 = Table.SelectRows(AddDayOfWeekColumn, each ([DayOfMonth] = 13) and ([Day of Week] = 5)),
Friday13thsByYear = Table.Group(FilterFriday13, {"Year"}, {{"Number of Friday the 13ths!", each Table.RowCount(_), type number}})
in
Friday13thsByYear
With the parameters replaced by values should you want to play along at home. This runs for 20 years starting on 1/1/2016.
let
Source = List.Dates(#date(2016,1,1), 7300, #duration(1,0,0,0)),
ConvertDateListToTable = Table.FromList(Source, Splitter.SplitByNothing(), null, null, ExtraValues.Error),
AddDayOfMonthColumn = Table.AddColumn(ConvertDateListToTable, "DayOfMonth", each Date.Day([Column1])),
AddYearColumn = Table.AddColumn(AddDayOfMonthColumn, "Year", each Date.Year([Column1])),
AddDayOfWeekColumn = Table.AddColumn(AddYearColumn, "Day of Week", each Date.DayOfWeek([Column1])),
FilterFriday13 = Table.SelectRows(AddDayOfWeekColumn, each ([DayOfMonth] = 13) and ([Day of Week] = 5)),
Friday13thsByYear = Table.Group(FilterFriday13, {"Year"}, {{"Number of Friday the 13ths!", each Table.RowCount(_), type number}})
in
Friday13thsByYear
=MATCH(3,MMULT(N(WEEKDAY(DATE(C3+ROW(1:100)-1,COLUMN(A:L),13))=6),1^ROW(1:12)),)+C3-1
It should be pointed out that Alex's solution, unlike some others, has the additional advantage of being non-array. My solution was nearly identical but with -- and SIGN instead of N and 1^.
=C3-1+MATCH(3,MMULT(--(WEEKDAY(DATE(C3-1+ROW(1:25),COLUMN(A:L),13))=6),SIGN(ROW(1:12))),0)
Sub Friday13()
Dim StartDate As Date
Dim EndDate As Date
Dim x As Long
Dim r As Long
Range("C7:C12").ClearContents
StartDate = CDate("01/01/" & Range("C3"))
EndDate = CDate("31/12/" & Range("C3"))
r = 7
For x = StartDate To EndDate
If Day(x) = 13 And Weekday(x, vbMonday) = 5 Then
Cells(r, 3) = Month(x)
r = r + 1
End If
Next
End Sub
Calculate next year with 3 Friday 13th. Good for 100 years different from year entered in cell C3
Sub ThreeFriday13()
Dim StartDate As Date
Dim EndDate As Date
Dim x As Long
Dim WhatYear As Integer
Dim Counter As Integer
Range("E7").ClearContents
StartDate = CDate("01/01/" & Range("C3") + 1)
EndDate = CDate("31/12/" & Range("C3") + 100)
Counter = 0
For x = StartDate To EndDate
If WhatYear Year(x) Then
WhatYear = Year(x)
'Different year so reset counter
Counter = 0
End If
If Day(x) = 13 And Weekday(x, vbMonday) = 5 Then
Counter = Counter + 1
If Counter = 3 Then
WhatYear = Year(x)
Exit For
End If
End If
Next
Range("E7") = WhatYear
End Sub
*RE-POST as not equal did not show earliuer
Calculate next year with 3 Friday 13th. Good for 100 years different from year entered in cell C3
Sub ThreeFriday13()
Dim StartDate As Date
Dim EndDate As Date
Dim x As Long
Dim WhatYear As Integer
Dim Counter As Integer
Range("E7").ClearContents
StartDate = CDate("01/01/" & Range("C3") + 1)
EndDate = CDate("31/12/" & Range("C3") + 100)
Counter = 0
For x = StartDate To EndDate
If WhatYear NE Year(x) Then
WhatYear = Year(x)
'Different year so reset counter
Counter = 0
End If
If Day(x) = 13 And Weekday(x, vbMonday) = 5 Then
Counter = Counter + 1
If Counter = 3 Then
WhatYear = Year(x)
Exit For
End If
End If
Next
Range("E7") = WhatYear
End Sub
earlier*
I've a doubt with using array formula here.
In sample workbook, I tried to replicate the formula again.
=IFERROR(SMALL(IF(WEEKDAY(DATE($C$3,ROW($A$1:$A$12),13))=6,ROW($A$1:$A$12)),$B7),"")
For this I selected C7 to C12, and typed the same formula and pressed ctrl+alt+Enter. But in all cells it is taking $B7 (and not $B7, $B8, $B9.... etc)
and since it is array formula I can't edit individual cell.
Please guide.
Thanks
Hi Chandoo,
Cool stuff. You need to clarify that the answer of 5 represents the 1st month in the year that has a Friday the 13th, and not the number of Fridays the 13th in the year. Subtle, but important difference.
Thanks,
Pablo
I like the MMULT() function far more, but here's how I would have tackled it. It uses an EDATE() base and MODE() over 100 years. I'm assuming that 100 years is enough time to catch the next year with 3 friday 13th's. Array entered, of course.
{=MODE(IFERROR(YEAR(IF((WEEKDAY(EDATE(DATE(C3, 1, 13), ROW(INDIRECT("1:1200"))))=6), EDATE(DATE(C3, 1, 13), ROW(INDIRECT("1:1200"))), "")), ""))}
Finding all the Friday the 13ths in a Year:
=SUMPRODUCT((DAY(ROW(INDIRECT(DATE(C3,1,1)&":"&DATE(C3,12,31))))=13)*(TEXT(ROW(INDIRECT(DATE(C3,1,1)&":"&DATE(C3,12,31))),"ddd")="Fri"))
{=sum(if(day.of.week(DATe($YEAR;{1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8;9;10;11;12};13);1)=6;1;0))}
just list the years