Okay, this is a cop-out, but I have been busy and not-in-a-mood-for-writing in the last 2 days. (I don’t know, but I feel a bit low, may be it is all the snow around and constant work due to excel school and day job).
So, let us have an open thread on Excel Shortcuts. I will start by listing down all the excel keyboard shortcuts I use regularly,
- CTRL+1: open format dialog. I use this to set borders, fills, cell-formats, alignment etc.
- F4: while editing formulas, to change the type of cell reference from relative to absolute or semi-absolute.
- F4: to repeat last action, like adding rows or adjusting formats.
- ALT+ESV : Paste Special > Values only. I use this to paste values alone. Helps me remove formulas, formatting etc.
- CTRL+Arrow Keys: To navigate to last cell in a row, column, first cell in a row, column. These let me go where I want.
- F2: Edit a cell, places cursor at the end. Very easy to edit.
- ALT+Down arrow: Shows a small in-cell drop down with previously entered values, Useful when I am typing some data.
- CTRL+D: fills down.
- F9: When debugging formulas, I can select a portion of the formula and press F9 to see the result of that. VERY VERY Useful..
- SHIFT+F2: Add a comment or Edit comment. Useful to add cell-comments so that my colleagues can take note of certain cells.
- CTRL+B: Bold a cell’s content. Useful to add emphasis.
- ALT+EST: Works like format painter
Now your turn…
Please use comments and share the shortcuts you use on regular basis. Let us make this the biggest thread (and page) on excel short cuts…
Previously on keyboard shortcuts & mouse shortcuts.
11 Responses to “Use Alt+Enter to get multiple lines in a cell [spreadcheats]”
@Chandoo:
One more useful trick.......
In a column you have no. of data in rows and need to copy in the next row from the previous row, no need to go for the previous rows but entering Alt + down arrow, you will get the list of data, (in asending order), entered in the previous rows...
This is another great tip. I use this all the time to make sense of some *very* long formulas. As soon as the formula is debugged I remove the break.
Great tip Chandoo!
I use this feature often and it has even gotten the, "how did you do that" response.
Thanks!
@Ketan: Alt+down arrow is an awesome tip. I never knew it and now I am using it everyday.
@Jorge, Tony: Agree... 🙂
[...] Day 1: Insert Line Breaks in a Cell [...]
how can we merge a two sheet.
excellent idea. Chandoo you are genious
Hi chandoo,
I have used ctrl+enter to break the cell. But I did not get the result.
Please tell me how can i break the cell in multiple lines.
Hi, Ranveer,
Its not Ctrl+enter to break the cell, use Alt+Enter to make it happen.
hi Chandoo....
how we can use Alt+Enter in multiple rows at the same time please reply hurry i have lot of work and have no time and i m stuck in this. 🙁
Alt+J worked once 🙁
So I found another more reliable way:
=SUBSTITUTE(A2,CHAR(13),"")
Where A2 is the cell that contains the line breaks which the code for it is CHAR(13). It will replace it with whatever inside the ""