Page 122 - Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies

104 Data Entry 101
3. Tap the AutoFill button on the mini-toolbar.
Excel closes the mini-toolbar and adds an AutoFill button to the currently selected cell (with a blue downward-pointing arrow in the square).
4. Drag the AutoFill button through the blank cells in the same column or row into which the data series sequence is to be filled.
When you release your finger or stylus after selecting the last blank cell to be filled, Excel fills out the data series in the selected range.
AutoFill via the Fill button on the Ribbon
Instead of using the Fill handle or AutoFill button on a touchscreen’s mini- toolbar, you can also fill out a series using the Fill button on the Excel 2013 Ribbon. To use the Fill button on the Home tab of the Ribbon to accomplish your AutoFill operations, you follow these steps:
1. Enter the first entry (or entries) upon which the series is to be based in the first cell(s) to hold the new data series in your worksheet.
2. Select the cell range where the series is to be created, across a row or down a column, being sure to include the cell with the initial entry or entries in this range.
3. Select the Fill button on the Home tab and choose Series from its drop- down menu or press Alt+HFIS.
The Fill button is located in the Editing group right below the AutoSum button (the one with the Greek sigma). When you select the Series option, Excel opens the Series dialog box.
4. Click the AutoFill option button in the Type column followed by the OK button in the Series dialog box.
Excel enters a series of data based on the initial value(s) in your selected cell range just as though you’d selected the range with the fill handle.
Note that the Series dialog box contains a bunch of options that you can use to further refine and control the data series that Excel creates. In a linear data series, if you want the series to increment more than one step value at a time, you can increase it in the Step Value text box. Likewise, if you want your linear or AutoFill series to stop when it reaches a particular value, you enter that into the Stop Value text box.
When you’re entering a series of dates with AutoFill that increment on anything other than the day, remember the Date Unit options in the Series dialog box enable you to specify other parts of the initial date to increment in the series. Your choices include Weekday, Month, or Year.