Copy & paste visible cells only [Excel Trick]

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Here is something annoying with Excel.

Open any Excel file with few columns of data. Hide some of those columns (select the columns and press CTRL+0). Now, copy a few rows of data. Paste it else where. Excel will paste the values in hidden columns too. We thought Excel would omit the values in hidden columns.

paste-includes-values-in-hidden-columns-too

 

What the filter Excel?!? I thought we were friends, but you annoy me with some of these quirks.

 

How to copy and paste just visible cells only?

There are two ways to do this.

1. Select visible cells, Copy and Paste

  1. Select the entire range you need to copy.
  2. Press F5, this opens Go to dialog. Click on Special button.
  3. Now select visible cells option. You can use the short cut sequence – F5 ALT SY to do all this.
  4. Now press CTRL + C
  5. Then go to target sheet and press CTRL + V to paste.

While this method works, it is too long and if you need to copy and paste several times, then it can be annoying.

Related: More about Go to special

This is where the second trick comes handy.

2. Cheat Excel in to copying just visible cells

If your source data is filtered, then when you copy, Excel copies visible cells only. But how to filter when you need to see all the data. Simple, we cheat.

  1. Go the end of your data and type something like “X” in the blank cell beneath.
  2. Now apply filters to the data. Press CTRL+Shift+L to do this.
  3. Then filter the new value you added in step 1.
  4. Copy now.
  5. When you paste, Excel will paste just visible cells. Viola!!!

copy-paste-visible-cells-only-trick

 

How do you copy paste visible cells?

We are almost at the end. Let me confess. I never had this problem. I know about Go to Special > Visible cells and use it if needed. But Jo (my wife) faced this issued yesterday and called me to ask how to copy visible cells. When I told her the option about visible cells thru Goto special, she is not all that thrilled, so I got thinking. I think the filter approach is better because you just do what you normally do – which is Ctrl C, Ctrl V.

What about you? Have you ever had to paste visible cells only? How did you deal with that? Share you tips and experience in comments section.

And oh yeah, Check out our quick tips section for some knock-your-socks-off level of awesomeness.

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14 Responses to “How many ‘Friday the 13th’s are in this year? [Formula fun + challenge]”

  1. 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

  2. Brian says:

    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

    • Brian says:

      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

  3. Alex Groberman says:

    =MATCH(3,MMULT(N(WEEKDAY(DATE(C3+ROW(1:100)-1,COLUMN(A:L),13))=6),1^ROW(1:12)),)+C3-1

    • David N says:

      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)

  4. SunnyKow says:

    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

    • SunnyKow says:

      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

      • SunnyKow says:

        *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

  5. Devesh says:

    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

  6. Pablo says:

    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

  7. Micah Dail says:

    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"))), "")), ""))}

  8. Jason Morin says:

    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"))

  9. jmdias says:

    {=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

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