Data Entry Techniques

Manual Entry

• Click a cell → Type value → Press Enter or Tab
  

• Enter numbers, text, dates, or formulas
  

Quick Navigation Shortcuts

AutoFill & Flash Fill

• AutoFill: Drag fill handle to copy data or create sequences (1,2,3… or Jan, Feb, Mar…)
  

• Flash Fill: Automatically fills data based on pattern (Data → Flash Fill or Ctrl + E)
  

Paste Special

• Allows pasting values, formulas, formatting separately
  

Editing & Managing Cells

Editing Cells

• Double-click cell or press F2
  

• Modify content
  

• Press Enter to save, Esc to cancel
  

Formatting Cells

• Number format (General, Number, Currency, Date)
  

• Text alignment (Left, Center, Right)
  

• Font style & size
  

• Cell color & borders
  

Inserting & Deleting

• Insert: Right-click → Insert → Row/Column/Cell
  

• Delete: Right-click → Delete → Row/Column/Cell
  

Merging & Wrapping Text

• Merge multiple cells for headers
  

• Wrap text to display long content in one cell

Copy, Paste & Fill Handle

Copy & Paste

• Ctrl + C → Copy
  

• Ctrl + V → Paste
  

• Ctrl + X → Cut
  

Fill Handle

• Small square at bottom-right of selected cell
  

• Drag to copy data, fill series, or extend formulas
  

• Useful for dates, numbers, or formulas
  

Example:
Cell A1 = 100 → Drag fill handle down → 100 copied to A2, A3…

Sorting & Basic Filtering

Sorting Data

• Home → Sort & Filter → Sort A→Z or Z→A
  

• Or use Data tab → Sort
  

• Can sort by numbers, text, or dates
  

Basic Filtering

• Data → Filter → dropdown appears in header
  

• Select values to display only required rows
  

• Example: Show only Region = “Ahmedabad”
  

Tip: Always have headers before sorting or filtering.