Volume 11, Number 5

May, 2016

In This Issue

Excel Tips

Quickly Selecting Cells

Defining a Constant

Remembering Commonly Used Workbooks

In This Issue

Word Tip

Changing the Default Start-Up Directory

Quick Link

Technology Tips Video

Excel's Choose Function

Quick Links

Previous versions of Office Tips

It's deck time for Nancy and me. Our planting is done and we now get to enjoy sitting out a couple of times a day and watch our garden grow.

I did my popular Tech Update presentation at the Canadian Accounting Technology Show in Toronto a couple of weeks ago. It was great to meet so many old friends.

My major work in May was creating our fall and winter schedule for our CPA seminars. This is a huge jigsaw puzzle with 112 events and three instructors involved in teaching in nine provinces. It's a great relief when all the pieces finally fit together. The schedule is available on our web site at ww.k2e.ca where you can now find information on all of the seminars that we teach across Canada. This includes dates, course information and links to register.

Shortly we will be announcing a new relationship with the CPA community that will provide you with a catalog of webinars and recorded videos that are excellent and will qualify for full CPD credits.

We opened registrations for the 2016 Accounting Technology Seminar series on May 1st and we already have over 200 registration. Cities sell out quickly so don't delay registering. We are excited about this year's program which features a revised schedule with two new excellent partners. You can register at www.k2e.ca.

And finally we are looking for a part time instructor who is located in either Calgary or Vancouver. If you have excellent Excel skills, a technology background, a knowledge of Office 365, SharePoint and small business accounting programs, plus some teaching experience, please contact me at alan@k2e.ca.

As usual, I would welcome your comments at alan@k2e.ca.

Sincerely,

Alan Salmon

Excel Tips

Quickly Selecting Cells

Summary: Instead of using the mouse to select a range of cells, here is a quicker way of getting the job done:

You can use the mouse to select a range of cells by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse to make a selection. There is an even quicker way to select cells using the mouse. Here is how to do this:

Select the cell that marks one corner of the range of cells you want to select.
Move the mouse pointer so it points to the cell at the opposite diagonal corner of the range you want selected.
Hold down the Shift key as you click once on the left mouse button.

That will select all the cells in the range.

Defining a Constant

Summary: In many of your workbooks you use the same value in different cells. Excel provides a way to name that value or formula and then use it without typing the value or formula repeatedly. Here is how to do this:

To create a constant in Excel you need to type its value in the

New Name dialog box. Here is how to create a constant that will enter the value of the HST for Ontario, which is 13%.

Click on the Formula tab
Click Define Name and the New Name dialog box will appear
Type HST as the name for your constant
Click on the Scope down arrow and select whether you want the constant to apply to the entire workbook, or just this worksheet.
In the Refers To box type "=.13"
Click OK

You have now created the constant, so it's time to use it

Click in a cell
Type an "=" sign followed by the first letter or letters of the name of the constant. In this case you would type an 'h"
A menu will now appear with a list of names
Double click on HST
Press Enter
The value .13 will now appear in the cell.

Constants are a great way to save time when you are entering the same information in different cells in a workbook.

Remembering Commonly Used Workbooks

Summary: When you work with the same workbook over and over again, you need a quick way to open these workbooks. Here is how to do this:

Select the File tab of the ribbon.
Click on Recent at the left hand side of the dialog box.
Excel shows you a list of the most recent workbooks you've used.
Scroll through the list of workbooks until you see the one you want to use regularly.
Click the push-pin icon that appears to the right of the workbook in the list.
Excel moves the workbook to the top of the file list.
Repeat steps 3 and 4 for any other workbooks you want to pin to the list.
Now you can quickly access the workbooks that you use all the time by displaying the recent workbook list where they will always be shown at the top of the list.

Word Tip

Changing the Default Start-Up Directory

Summary: The default directory where you save your files is usually your "My Documents" folder. If you would like your Word documents to always save to a different directory, here is how to do this:

Open the Word Options dialog box. (In Word 2007 click on the Office button and then click Word Options. In Word 2010 and Word 2013 click on the File tab on the ribbon and then click on Options)
Click on the Save option at the left side of the dialog box click Save
To the right of the Default File Location field (Word 2007) or the Default Local File Location field (in Word 2010 and Word 2013), click on the Browse button
Select the directory you want as the start-up directory for your documents
After you have selected that directory click on the OK button
Close the Word Options dialog box by clicking on the OK button
Exit and restart Word

Now that directory will be be the default folder when you open or save a file.

K2E Canada Inc. is a leading provider of professional development seminars for the Canadian accounting world. Each month we publish this free Office Tips e-mail newsletter. These tips will save you time and enhance the appearance of your Office files.

To subscribe to our K2E Canada newsletter send an e-mail to

alan@k2e.ca with "Subscribe to newsletter" in the Subject.

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Alan Salmon

Managing Director

K2E Canada Inc.

647-722-4741