Excel 2016 For Dummies

Chapter 15

Top Ten Ways to Manage Your Data

For a great many business people, the Excel worksheet provides the ideal place for managing and manipulating the vast amount of data that your particular job entails. Unlike dedicated database management programs that require a whole lot of specialized knowledge in order to set up and maintain data tables, data management in Excel 2016 requires mastery of only a few special features, all of which function within the confines of the new familiar worksheet grid. Here’s my list of the top ten features for helping you manage large amounts of data in Excel:

10. Format as Table. Don’t forget about the power of formatting the data list you create in a worksheet as a table (Alt+HT). When you do this, Excel formats all the records in your data list according to the table style you select. It also identifies the cell range in the worksheet containing the entire data list as well as the headings in the first line of the list as field names. The program also automatically adds AutoFilter buttons to each field name.

    Selecting the right type of banded table style can make the records in a data list easier to read just as the AutoFilter buttons make it easy to quickly sort and filter your data. On top of this, as you enter new records to a data list formatted as a table, Excel instantly applies the appropriate formatting to the new records as the program extends the cell range containing your entire data table.

    See Chapter 3 for more on formatting your ...