Fill a range with numbers without using a formula?

[lotus user]

Hello Chandoo and all,


I have long used Lotus to do any spreadsheet work I needed done, while steadfastly avoiding Excel. The time has come to for me to change my ways, and I can't say how pleased I was to find this site. So, here's my first question:


In Lotus, it is possible to select a range of cells and have them filled with numbers....i.e 1,2,3,4 etc. (using any increment), month, day. etc. I often want to preserve the original order of the data I am using, and so adding a column with numbers adjacent to the data lets me do this before I begin sorting and disturbing the order (where the basis for the original sort order is not contained in the data).


I see in Excel, under Edit, there is a Fill function, but as yet, I have not been able to get a blank column range to be filled with consecutive numbers.


I am hoping it is something really simple, and that I just am not looking in the right place. Oh, and I am trying to do this without using an arithmetic formula.


TIA for any info on this.


Cheers,


April

 

[keymaster]

@April... welcome to our forums.


Excel does have a feature to do this.


1. Just type 1 in a cell, 2 in the cell beneath.

2. Now, select both cells, and you would see a thick black rectangle around them.

3. Click on the bottom right corner and drag and you would notice that Excel has auto filled the rest of the numbers of you.

4. This works for months, dates, numbers etc.


Tip: If any adjacent column has data, you can just double click on the bottom right corner and excel would auto fill the numbers all the way down until there is data in adjacent column.

 

[dan_l]

I am surprised to hear that lotus is still around.

 

[Luke M]

Adding on to what Chandoo said, when dealing with dates, it's sometimes handy to right-click and drag a cell that contains a date. A pop-up will appear letting you choose whther you want to fill by days, weekdays, months, or years.