SECTION 1, CHAPTER 20
OFFICE CLIPBOARD,
HYPERLINKS, AND FILL
CHAPTER OUTLINE
Clues, Hints, and Tips
Office Clipboard
Paste As Hyperlink
Fill
Delete Sheet
CLUES, HINTS, AND TIPS
Office Clipboard
One of the enhancements within Windows is a multiple item clipboard. This clipboard and its
memorized items can be found under the path Edit>Clipboard. Within Windows XP and Excel
XP this clipboard can hold 24 items from most Windows compliant applications. Assume that
you would like to copy and paste several items from your inventory file to you sales file. You can
open both files and use Windows>Arrange to tile the workbooks or you can open your inventory
file, click on Office Clipboard under the edit menu, and commence copying. Even if you do not
open the Office Clipboard, it will retain your data. Once your copying is complete, open your
target file, sales, and ensure that the clipboard is viewed by selecting it under the edit menu if
required and paste the data into the appropriate cell. To select the specific item, simply click on
the item in the clipboard display, then click into the target cell and use any of the paste functions.
The copied data need not be one cell, you can copy ranges and entire worksheets if required
as well as images and symbols drawn on the worksheet. There is a 24 item limit on the clipboard
and you will be warned when you are going to override a previous copy item. You can select a
single item on the clipboard by right clicking it and then select delete to remove items and make
room for others.
92 Solving Intermediate Accounting Problems Using Excel For Windows
Paste As Hyperlink
Another of the numerous paste capabilities within Excel is the Paste As Hyperlink function. Just
like the hyperlinks found on the internet, Excel will paste data that is currently on the clipboard as
a hyperlinked item into Excel with special font features to indicate that it is hyperlinked. By
clicking on this text or information, Windows and Excel will open and present the source file in
its native application.
On the chapter 20 data file Hyperlink tab there is hyperlinked text in cell A1. Clicking on this
text should open the National WonderBikes Physical Inventory file, which is a Word within the
data directory. The actual file title is INV.TXT. This information can be read by placing your
cursor over cell A1 for several seconds. To edit this cell, place your cursor over the cell, press and
hold the left mouse button down for several seconds. Simply pressing and releasing will invoke
the hyperlink to the source document. Read the Additional Hyperlinks section later in the booklet.
Fill
The fill command will populate a highlighted area as directed. It is found through the path
Edit>Fill. Once selected a pop-up menu presents you with numerous choices which include fill
down, right, up, left, justify, and series. While most of these are self explanatory and useful, of
particular use is series. On the chapter 20 data file tab for Fill, there is some basic data to work
with. Select cells B1 through B50 and follow the path Edit>Fill, select Series with column and
linear growth, step value of 1 and a stop value of 40. When OK is clicked Excel will fill the
column with 1, 2, 3, through 40 even though 50 cells were selected. The stop value is a nice
control feature within fill. Work with the other options under Fill and become familiar with them.
They are extremely helpful when understood.
To see justify, which only works on text, in action, highlight the cells J1 through J10, then
use fill to fill the selection, then use justify upon the selected 10 rows.
Delete Sheet
The delete sheet function is found under Edit>Delete Sheet and on the pop up menu that is presented if the
worksheet tab is clicked and then right clicked. This command will delete the active worksheet. If nothing
is on the worksheet there will be no warning as no data is lost. If there has been formatting or data placed
on the worksheet, even if removed or erased, Excel will warn you that the action is not reversible and that
any data on the worksheet will be lost. This is a serious warning. Undo, paste, insert worksheet or any other
command will not restore the data onto the worksheet once deleted. There is a possible recovery. If you
have not saved the workbook since the delete worksheet function, you can close the workbook without
saving the change and reopen it. You should find your worksheet. However, all other data is lost. An option
is the worksheet hide function addressed in chapter 21.