Is the GoTo dialog really useless?

[Domski]

As it is it's pretty useless but the Special... button is pretty 'special' and can save a lot of time.

I've also seen people who aren't great at navigating with the keyboard spend ages overshooting the cell they're trying to get to using the mouse I'm sure they might find the goto dialogue a great help.

Dom

 

[Smitty]

I voted no even though I only use it for Special as well.

Smitty

 

[Greg Truby]

Nope, not useless to me either, for the reasons already cited:<ul>[*]Most frequent: Special button[*]2nd-most: hopping to a named range[*]3rd-most: hopping to a hidden cell[/list]

 

[MrExcel]

In the book, I was lamenting that since there is no good use for the GoTo dialog, no one ever has a chance to discover the powerful GoTo Special dialog. So, for everyone who only uses the Go To dialog to do a Go To Special, then you and I agree.

For those of you who use Go To in order to go to a hidden cell in column A, try this easier method:
a) Click in the Name Box (to the left of the formula bar)
b) Type A1 (or any address in the hidden column)
c) Hit Enter.
Presto! You have done in 1 click and three keystrokes what you could have done with the Go To dialog.

For those of you who use Go To in order to access a named range:
a) Click the dropdown in the name box.
b) Choose the name from the list.

With both of these tricks, you should never have to use the Go To dialog except for hitting the Special button...

Bill

 

[Von Pookie]

For those of you who use Go To in order to access a named range:
a) Click the dropdown in the name box.
b) Choose the name from the list.

You can't do that with a *dynamic* named range, though. Have to use the Goto dialog for those.

 

[Greg Truby]

Bill, for me it all boils down to where my hand is. If my hand is on my mouse, then, yes, I use the name box as you describe. If my hand is on the keyboard then I can hit Ctrl+G + Type the Addy or hit ...+ Alt+G + {downX} faster than I can grab my mouse and mouseketeer to the name box.

 

[litrelord]

Unless the name box has a keyboard shortcut and no-one's told us Ctrl+G then Tab serves me well.

A keyboard shortcut to take you directly to the Goto > Special would be helpful.

On the other hand I get bonus points for showing it to people who have never seen it before because they'd never think to look for it there so technically it helps keep my job secure.

On that basis I'm sticking with my initial vote of No it's not useless

Nick

 

[MrExcel]

Greg & Litrelord... OK! on the basis of Ctrl+G, I retract my original statement that it is useless.

Domski...I suggest you rip that page out of the book and throw it away!

Lewiy: In Excel 2007, both "Go To" and "Go To Special" are individual menu choices under Home - Find & Select, so this is much better. Of course, you can easily add GoTo Special to the Quick Access Toolbar.

 

[NateO]

I use F5 to open GoTo dialog. I agree with what Bill intended. I never use it to navigate to a cell / range.

I use F5 to open the GoTo dialog as well, and I commonly use it to navigate to a non-named cell that I know I want to review, that's not on the screen. It's not uncommon for me to type in a cell's address, say IV1, and hit enter.

Special... Goes without saying.

Edit: I get it, use the Name Box.

Hmmm, I've always used the Goto dialog. It's pretty quick: F5-> a few keystrokes-> Enter. Since everything has the proper focus, there's no mouse-navigation involved...

Guess I just have never gotten it!

Perhaps I've always used the GoTo dialog because I use the GoTo Method in VBA a lot, too.

 

[Zack Barresse]

I still use F5. Not just the Special, although it generally is, but the GoTo if I'm lazy and want to select a large range. I use the name box, but the GoTo is so much easier for me with keyboard shortcuts.

So I voted No as well.