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	Converting hours and minutes into minutes in Excel There is a way to convert time expressed in hours and minutes into minutes only, even though Excel doesn´t have a minutes-only format. Enter a measure of time in hours and minutes, such as 2:25, into any cell, such as A1. In another cell, enter the formula =Hour(A1)*60+minute(A1). Excel will then convert the time into minutes. If the result is still in time format (00:00 or similar), then click the Comma Style button (to the right of the percentage button) on the toolbar or select the General format from Format, Cells, Number.
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	Converting seconds into hours, minutes and seconds in Excel To convert a number of seconds into a more conventional hours, minutes and seconds time format in Excel, follow these two simple steps: 1) Divide the number by (24*60*60), so if the number is in cell A1, put in a calculation which says =A1/(24*60*60). 2) Then choose the required time format from Format, Cells, Number.
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	Convert minutes into hours, minutes and seconds in Excel To convert a number of minutes into a more conventional hours, minutes and seconds format in Excel, just follow these two simple steps: 1) Divide the number by (24*60), so if the number is in cell A1, put a formula in any other cell which reads =A1/(24*60) 2) Then choose the required time format from Format, Cells, Number.
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	Automatically format based on the value in an Excel cell Why waste time looking for cells which meet certain criteria? Excel can be set up to format something in a particular way only if the cell meets certain conditions. To apply a conditional format, select the cells that you want to apply the formatting to and choose conditional formatting from the format menu. Set the criteria (as in B6 is greater than 15) and create a format to apply when that condition is met. By selecting add from the conditional formatting dialog box, you can create up to three conditions for each cell or group of cells.
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	Uses for the F4 key in Excel In Excel the F4 key repeats the last action you carried out. Shift - F4 repeats the last Find you carried out (Find Next). Ctrl - F4 closes the current workbook. Alt - F4 exits the application.
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	Select the data in an Excel column with the mouse To select the data in an Excel column using the mouse, hold down the shift key and double click on the bottom edge of the top cell.
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	Excel´s TEXT function - What does it do? Excel´s TEXT Function converts a number to text in a format which you specify. If cell A1 contains 2, then: =TEXT(2,"dddd") returns Monday
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	Latest date allowed for calculation in Excel The latest date allowed for calculation in Excel is December 31, 9999
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	Quickly copy an Excel worksheet Sometimes, it can be really useful to generate a copy of an existing Excel worksheet. To do this, hold down the control key and drag the worksheet tab to the right. A new sheet will be created with the same name as the existing one, followed by (2).
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	Delete a column in Excel To delete a column quickly in Excel, select the column, hold down control and press - (minus)
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	Maximum days that Excel change history is maintained The change history in Excel is set by default to be maintained for 30 days, however it can be set to a maximum of 32,767 days.
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	Selecting non-adjacent Excel columns To select non-adjacent Excel columns (as in columns A, C and G), click on the column header of the first column, hold down the control key and then click on the next header, then the next etc.
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	Uses for the F10 key in Excel The F10 key activates the menu bar. Shift - F10 displays a shortcut menu. Ctrl - F10 maximises or restores the workbook window.
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	Activate AutoSum from the keyboard in Excel When using autosum in Excel, it can be frustrating to keep switching between keyboard and mouse all the time. To activate the AutoSum function with the keyboard, select the cell where you want the answer to be, hold down the Alt key and press =.
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	Excel´s CHAR function - What does it do? The Excel CHAR function returns the ASCII character which conforms to a code number which you specify (between 1 and 255). If A1 contains 116, then: =CHAR(A1) Returns t.
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	Moving to the end of a column of data in Excel To move to the last cell which contains data in an Excel column, double click on the bottom of the cell. To move to the end of a row, double click on the right hand side of the cell.
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	Maximum number of scenarios The maximum number of scenarios in an Excel workbook is limited only by available memory, however only the first 251 scenarios will appear on a scenario summary report.
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	Select all data in an Excel table To select all data within an Excel table, click anywhere within your table, hold down the Ctrl key and press * (on the numeric keypad). You can also use Ctrl, Shift 8.
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	Drag and drop and copy in Excel When you need to copy cells in Excel, an alternative to the traditional copy and paste route is to use drag and drop. Select the cells that you want to copy and release the mouse button. Then move the cursor to any edge of the selected region (the cursor will change to a white arrow), hold down the control key and click and hold the mouse button. Drag the cells to the desired location and release the mouse button.
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	Selecting seqential Excel columns To select sequential Excel columns (as in columns A to F), click on the header of the first column, hold down the shift key and click the header of the last column. Everything between the two points will have been selected.
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	Maximum number of windows I can use to display an Excel workbook The number of windows you can use to display Excel workbook is limited only by the available system resources.
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	Drag and drop to move cells in Excel While cut and paste can be used in Excel to move cells from one place to another, major time savings can be had from using drag and drop. Select the cells you want to move and release the mouse button. Move the cursor to any edge of the selected cells (the cursor will change to a white arrow), click and hold the mouse button down and move to the required place. Release the mouse button and the cells will be moved to the new position.
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	View more than one Excel worksheet at once Constantly switching between worksheets can be frustrating and can really damage your productivity. To show more than one worksheet on screen at the same time, follow these simple steps: 1) From the Window menu, select New Window (do this for each additional worksheet which you want to view) 2) Select Arrange from the Window menu 3) Put a tick in the ´Windows of Active Workbook´ box 4) Choose the way you want your window arranged (tiled, vertical etc) and press OK Each window will now be displayed separately and you can show a different worksheet in each one.
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	Convert hours into hours, minutes and seconds in Excel To convert a number of hours into a more common hours, minutes and seconds format in Excel, follow these two simple steps: 1) Divide the figure by 24, so if the figure is in cell A1, put a formula in any other cell which says =A1/24 2) Then choose the required time format from Format, Cells, Number.
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	Select the data in an Excel column with the keyboard To select all the data in an Excel column (this won´t work if you have completely empty cells), just do the following: Click in the first cell you want to select and then hold down the control and shift keys and press the down arrow.
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	Uses for the F3 key in Excel In Excel the F3 key activates the Paste Name dialog box. Shift - F3 activates the Paste Function dialog box. Ctrl - F3 activates the Define Name dialog box. Ctrl - Shift - F3 activates the Create Name dialog box.
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	Excel´s VALUE function - What does it do? Excel´s VALUE function converts a text string which represents a number to a number. If cell A1 contains 123 (formatted as text), then =VALUE(A1) returns 123 (formatted as a number).
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	Excel´s FIND function - What does it do? The Excel function FIND searches for text you specify inside another text string and returns the position at which the text string starts. One standard use for this function is to look for a the position of a space when separating text strings (generally in conjunction with either MID or LEFT).
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	Maximum number of calculated items in an Excel pivot table report The maximum number of calculated item formulas in an Excel pivot table report is limited only by the available memory.
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	Rows in an Excel worksheet An Excel 2000 worksheet contains 65,536 rows - this is fixed and cannot be changed.
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	Maximum data points for all data series in one chart The maximum data points for all data series in a single chart is 256,000.
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	Maximum points in a data series for an Excel 2D chart The maximum number of data points which can be plotted in an Excel 2D chart is 32,000.
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	Maximum Excel worksheets referred to by a chart The maximum number of Excel worksheets which can be referred to by a chart is 255.
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	Adding gridlines to your chart in Excel Gridlines can make it easier for people to estimate the values represented in your chart. To add them in, select the chart and select Chart Options from the Chart menu. Select the Gridlines tab at the top. From this screen you can add both minor and major gridlines to the X and/or Y axis.
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	Maximum fields in a data form The maximum number of fields which can be used in a data form is 32.
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	Creating a user-defined custom chart in Excel If you regularly create charts of a particular type, then you can save any number of charts as User-Defined Custom Charts. Create your chart and then select Chart Type from the Chart menu. Click on the Custom Types tab at the top of the screen and click User Defined. Click Add and give the chart a name and description. To choose your new chart type, select Custom Types, User Defined and select it from the list that appears.
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	Alternate between showing cell values and cell formulas in Excel When reviewing or troubleshooting an Excel spreadsheet, it can be useful to show the formulas within each cell, rather than the formula results. To toggle between the formula and the formula results, hold down control and press ` (single left quotation mark - above tab). This also allows you to print a worksheet with all the formulas visible.
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	Move to the next open Excel workbook To move to the next open Excel workbook from the keyboard, hold down the Ctrl key and press the Tab key.
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	Number of named views in an Excel workbook The number of named views in an Excel workbook are limited only by available memory.
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	Maximum page fields in an Excel pivot table report The maximum number of page fields which can be used in an Excel pivot table report is 256, however this may be limited by the available memory.
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	Maximum panes in a window in Excel The maximum number of panes you can split an Excel screen into is 4.
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	Add titles to your chart in Excel To add titles to your chart, select the chart and select Chart Options from the Chart menu. Choose the Titles tab at the top. From this page you can add a title for your chart and a separate title or label for each Axis.
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	See what your Excel data will look like When selecting the type of chart to use, it can be difficult to visualise what the chart will look like with your data in it. To see your chosen chart type with your data, click and hold the button at the bottom of the Chart-Type dialog box which says Press and hold to view sample.
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	Let Excel know you´re entering a formula Excel needs some help in differentiating between text, numbers and formulas. To let Excel know that you´re entering a formula, always start the formula with an = sign.
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	Maximum line weights in an Excel chart The maximum number of line weights which can be used in an Excel chart is 4.
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	Uses for the F11 key in Excel The F11 key creates a chart from the selected data. Shift - F11 inserts a new worksheet. Ctrl - F11 inserts a Microsft Excel 4.0 macro sheet. Alt - F11 displays the Visual Basic Editor.
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	Uses for the F12 key in Excel In Excel, the F12 key activates the Save As dialog box. Shift - F12 activates the Save command. Ctrl - F12 activates the Open command. Ctrl - Shift - F12 activates the Print command.
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	Move to the end of a row with the mouse in Excel Want to move to the end of a row of data in Excel with the mouse? Double click on the right (or left) hand side of a cell.
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	Moving to the end of a row of data in Excel Need to move to the end of a row of Excel data using the keyboard? Hold down the control key and press the right (or left arrow).
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	Excel´s SUBSTITUTE function - What does it do? Excel´s SUBSTITUTE function substitutes new text for old text within a text string. If cell A1 contains Michael Gurner, cell B1 contains Michael and cell C1 contains Mike, then: =SUBSTITUTE(A1,B1,C1) would return Mike Gurner.
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	Excel´s CLEAN function - What does it do? The Excel CLEAN function will remove all nonprintable characters from a text string. This is particularly useful after importing text from a different application or platform.
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	How many colours can I use in an Excel workbook? You can use up to 56 different colours in any Excel workbook.
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	Excel´s LEFT function - What does it do? The Excel function LEFT returns a number of characters that you specify from a text string, starting from the first character. If cell A1 contains Hello, then: =LEFT(A1,3) would return Hel (the first 3 characters within that cell).
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	Maximum number of custom number formats in an Excel workbook The number of custom number formats you can use in an Excel workbook is limited only by the available memory.
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	Maximum custom functions in an Excel workbook The number of custom functions which you can have in an Excel workbook is limited only by available memory.
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	Smallest font size in Excel The smallest font size you can use in Microsoft Excel is 1 point.
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	Maximum number of adjustable cells in Excel´s solver tool The maximum number of cells which can be adjusted using Excel´s solver tool is 200.
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	Maximum arguments in an Excel function The maximum number of arguments in an Excel function is 30.
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	Earliest date allowed for calculation in Excel The earliest date allowed for calculation in Excel is January 1, 1900 (or January 1, 1904 if the 1904 date system is used).
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	Maximum custom toolbars in an Excel workbook The number of custom toolbars in an Excel workbook is limited only by available memory.
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	Maximum length of text in a cell The maximum number of text characters you can enter into a single cell is 32,767. While all 32,767 will display in the formula bar when the cell is selected, only the first 1024 characters will display in the cell itself.
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	Number of worksheet functions The number of available worksheet functions is 329.
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	Maximum custom functions in an Excel workbook The number of custom functions which you can have in an Excel workbook is limited only by available memory.
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	Uses for the F6 key in Excel In Excel the F6 key moves you to the next pane of a split window. Shift - F6 moves you to the previous pane of a split window. Ctrl - F6 moves you to the next open workbook. Ctrl - Shift - F6 moves you to the previous open workbook.
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	Excel´s ADDRESS function - What does it do? Excel´s ADDRESS function creates a cell reference as text, given specified row and cell numbers. If cell A1 contains 15 and cell B1 contains 10, then: =ADDRESS(A1,B1) would return $J$15.
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	Select an entire Excel worksheet To select an entire Excel worksheet, click the select all button, which can be found in the top left hand corner between the row and column headings.
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	Insert a new column in Excel To insert a new column in an Excel worksheet, select the column header where you want the new column to appear, hold down the control key and press + (on the numeric keypad).
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	Show the data beneath the Excel chart Charts are sometimes easier to read if the reader has access to the data the chart represents. This can be added into the chart itself by following these simple steps. Select the chart and select Chart Options from the Chart menu. Click the Data Table tab at the top and click in the Show Data Table box. Click OK.
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	Insert the current time quickly in Excel To quickly insert the current time into an Excel cell, hold down the control and shift keys and press ; (semi-colon).
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	Extending numerical sequences in Excel If you need to enter numerical sequences that follow a logical order (such as 1, 2, 3 or 5, 10, 15), Excel can save you a great deal of time and trouble. If you enter the first two numbers, Excel can complete the series for you. If you enter 1 in cell A1 and 2 in cell B1 and select both cells with the mouse. Then click and drag the fill handle to the right. Excel will continue the series as far as you drag.
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	Inserting comments in Excel Ever struggled to remember why you did something in a certain way, or worse, had to try and work out why someone else did something in a particular way? Add comments to leave yourself and others explanations of why you used that figure (or that calculation or whatever). To insert a comment, either right click on the cell or select the cell and choose comment from the insert menu.
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	Maximum formula length The maximum formula length in Excel is 1,024 characters.
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	Maximum number of changing cells in an Excel scenario The maximum number of changing cells in any Excel scenario is 32.
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	Excel´s REPT function - What does it do? Excel´s REPT function repeats a text string you specify a number of times (again that you specify). If cell A1 contains Michael Gurner, then =REPT(A1,2) would return Michael GurnerMichael Gurner
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	Largest amount of time which can be entered in Excel The largest amount of time which can be entered in Excel is 9999:99:99.
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	Copy a date across a number of cells in Excel Excel´s autofill feature is really useful if you want to enter one date, drag the fill handle and have it extend the series. If you just want to copy the same value into a number of cells, then dragging normally isn´t an option. One method of doing achieveing this is to select all the cells (including the one with the date in), hold down the Ctrl key and press the D key. If the cells are horizontal rather than vertical, hold down the Ctrl key and press the R key.
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	Maximum number of pivot tables on an Excel sheet The number of pivot table reports which you can use on a single worksheet is limited only by your available memory.
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	Smallest allowed negative number in Excel The smallest allowed negative number in Excel is -9.99999999999999E307
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	Largest allowed negative number in Excel The largest allowed negative number in Excel is -1E-307
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	Maximum width of an Excel cell The maximum width of an Excel cell is 255 characters.
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	Chart non-adjacent data in Excel It´s common to want to produce a chart that shows only some of your data, but you don´t need to rearrange or manipulate your data to achieve this. To select non-adjacent data (for example rows 2, 4 and 6 of your data), select the first required row, hold down the Ctrl key and select the second, then the third etc. Then create the chart in the usual manner.
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	Incorporate your Excel chart into a standard worksheet If your chart is on a sheet of its own, it´s easy to move it back to be part of another worksheet. Select the chart and select Location from the Chart menu and choose As Object In and select the worksheet you want to put the chart into. Click OK.
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	Maximum line styles in an Excel chart The maximum number of line styles which can be used in an Excel chart is 8.
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	Maximum number fo range names in an Excel workbook The number of range names you can use in an Excel workbook is limited only by available memory.
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	Excel´s CONCATENATE function - what does it do? The Excel Concatenate function is used to join several text items into one item. If cell A1 contains Michael and cell B1 contains Gurner =concatenate(A1,B1) Would return MichaelGurner. To add spaces or other characters between entries, simply enclose them between speech marks (and separate each entry with commas). In the same example, =concatenate (A1," ",B1) would return Michael Gurner
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	Apply a standard time format in Excel To apply a standard time format to a selected cell, hold down the Ctrl and Shift keys and press @.
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	Save time when formatting in Excel To save continually recreating the same formats each time you create a spreadhseet, use Excel´s built in Style function. Apply the formatting you require to a cell or group of cells, then select those cells. Click in the Style Box on the toolbar next to the font selector (which will generally say normal), type a name for your style and press enter. The style can now be applied just by selecting the cells where you want to apply it and selecting your style name from the drop down list. Note: Style names can´t contain spaces or hyphens - use underscores or capital letters instead.
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	Maximum height of an Excel row The maximum height of an Excel row is 409 points.
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	Maximum unique items which can be displayed by AutoFilter in Excel The maximum number of unique items which AutoFilter can display in Excel 97/2000 is 1000.
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	What number precision does Excel work to Excel works to a number precision of 15 digits
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	Excel´s DOLLAR function - what does it do? The Excel DOLLAR function converts any number to text using the currency format. If cell A1 contains 123, =DOLLAR(A1) will return £123.00 (as text, not as a number). The default number of decimal places is 2, but the number of decimal places can be modified by adding a comma and a number after the cell reference. In the above example, =DOLLAR(A1,5) Would return £123.00000
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