Complex Data Input Limitations

Data Validation is a great tool in Excel for making sure that whatever is entered in a cell matches your specific criteria. This tip looks at how you can combine desired limitations into a single formula that can be used with Data Validation.

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(Thanks to Ron Solecki, Steve Aprahamian, Harold Druss, Raymond Guzman, Dennis Riddle, Elliot Penna, Jos Graindor, Patrick Sedgwick, Ryszard Raciborski, Wayne Edmondson, Erik Oberg, Bob Beechey, Andrija Vrcan, John Snow, Peter Crosby, Jim Stevens, Dan McGovern, and Harr Ruchti for contributing to this tip.)

Using Very Long Worksheet Tab Names

Excel places a limit on how many characters you can use in a worksheet name. This tip discusses that limit and provides some easy workarounds you could try if you need to use longer names.

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Lookup Exactly the Data You Want

Excel's lookup functions are easily the most powerful worksheet functions you can use. Master these seven functions you'll never again view a worksheet full of data in the same way. The power these functions provide you is anything but small. Take your first step today!

Editing the Custom Spelling Dictionaries

When spell-checking a worksheet, Excel relies on both built-in and custom dictionaries. Here's how to edit the content of your custom dictionaries so that it represents your individual spelling needs.

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Sorting Letters and Numbers

Sorting information in a worksheet can be confusing when Excel applies sorting rules of which you are unaware. This is especially true when you are sorting a mixture of letters and numbers.

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Moving Custom Formats to Number Formatting Categories

Moving your custom formats into a formatting category other than "custom" isn't something you can do in Excel. Here's why--"and what you can do about it.

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Calculating TV Time

In some industries it is necessary to work with time resolutions of less than a second. If you need to keep track of such detailed time divisions, you'll appreciate the techniques presented in this tip.

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This section is for those having problems making Excel behave. If Excel is giving you fits, feel free to submit your own Help Wanted question.

If you have a solution for the problems below, click the link after the problem to send us your answer. (All responses become the sole property of Sharon Parq Associates, Inc., and can be used in any way deemed appropriate.) If your response is used in a future issue, you will be credited for your contribution to the answer.

Accessing Stock Information

I like to keep track of my relatively small stock portfolio in an Excel worksheet. I've been manually entering stock values, but now I'm wondering if there is a way to have stock prices update automatically in the worksheet. If so, that would be very helpful.
—Tony Davis (provide an answer for this Help Wanted question)