In the 11th session of Chandoo.org podcast, lets puts on a magic show for your boss
What is in this session?
We all want to impress our bosses, create awesome experiences for our users and become enviable in workplace with our Excel skills. In this session, lets explore 5 very powerful, magical features of Excel that can help you create that jaw-dropping effect.
In this podcast, you will learn,
- Announcements
- Why magic
- 5 Excel Magic Tricks
- 1: Conditional formatting
- 2: Form controls + Charts
- 3: Pivot tables + Slicers
- 4: Macros + Automation
- 5: Using right feature @ right time
- How to learn these magic tricks
- Conclusions
Go ahead and listen to the show
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: RSS
Links & Resources mentioned in this session:
Conditional Formatting
- Basics of conditional formatting
- Magical uses – example 1, example 2 & more
Form controls + Charts
- Introduction to form controls (or listen to the podcast)
- Magical uses – example 1, example 2 & more
Pivot Tables + Slicers
Macros & VBA
- Introduction to VBA
- Magical uses – example 1, example 2 & more
Transcript of this session:
Download this podcast transcript [PDF].
What are your favorite Excel magic tricks?
My favorites are conditional formatting, slicers, form controls + charts in that order.
What about you? What features of Excel are most impressive and mesmerizing? Please share your thoughts using comments.
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9 Responses to “Show forecast values in a different color with this simple trick [charting]”
While this works in a pinch, it clearly "lightens" the colors of the entire chart. Depending on where you use this, it will be blatantly obvious that you don't know what you are doing and present a poor looking graph.
Why not separate the data into different segments when charting and have as many colors as you have data points? You might have to create a new legend and/or repeat the chart in "invisible ink", but it would be cleaner and more consistent when new or updated data becomes available.
While I think I agree that doing it "properly" via a second series is preferable, I don't necessarily agree that making the entirety of the "future" (data, gridlines, and even the axis) semi-transparent is "poor looking". I think it could be seen as adding more emphasis to the "future-ness" of the forecast data.
In short, it's another tool for the toolbox, even if it's never needed.
Simply and clever 🙂
Quick & effective, cool. thanks.
I always use the dummy series.
Nice little trick, thanks very much!
Two sets of data better. Control is much better.
You can use the same chart next month to see what is actual and what is forecast.
To use this trick, I think grid lines has to be removed, that will make the graphic much more sharp.
to be honest, i dont understand why there is needed to do this way... in this case horizontal lines will be pale as well. then why a just can't change the color of the line partly???
Great tutorial. Thanks for the tutorial!