Excel DO'S and DON'TS

[HotNumbers]

This is going to sound strange. But I am looking for peoples experiences with EXCEL and helpful tips. I have hundreds of EXCEL Users and I am tired of telling them to do this but not this and no matter how hard I try people still do things that I did not think of a head of time. So I decided to compile a list of DO"S AND DON'TS. So if any of you have some Do’s and OR DON'TS please reply to this posting.

 

[Datsmart]

My pet peave...

Avoid the following:
Formats or Formulae that extend over entire Columns, (65536 rows) or entire Rows, (256 columns).

Also, Merging cells in a row when "Center Across Selection" will do the same thing without the trouble Merging causes.

 

[Mark W.]

Don't forget to use Help (F1).

 

[HotNumbers]

cool. good one thanks

 

[Joe4]

When learning or writing VBA code, the Macro Recorder is your best friend!

 

[SydneyGeek]

Never use apostrophes in sheet names. If you try to refer to them in code later, VBA spits the dummy.

Denis

 

[sythong]

One that I usually come across:-

Please use the correct format for typing in dates.

I have files coming in (yes in one very same worksheet and
in the same column) showing dates as

01.01.06
01/01/06
01-01-06

and even more frustrating 10.1.06 being shown
as October 1 06

 

[NateO]

I personally do not like Merged Cells as a generally rule of thumb, lots of headaches typically ensue.

Instead, Center Across Selection.

Also, do not build logic-based calculations or procedures (e.g., filtering) off of Range Formatting, i.e., adding or counting based on Conditional Format, or even a regular Format, for that matter, ranges from being 'not good' to a 'nightmare'.

• Edited by Nate: I just repeated 'Avoid Merged Cells'. D'oh.

 

[Cberry]

How do you "Center Across Selection"?

 

[NateO]

Use the Format Dialog, e.g.,

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