Easy Data Entry in Microsoft Excel
Those of you quite familiar with Access databases are well aware that the easiest way to enter information is via a data form. For some reason, a big grey block with a bunch of fields is more attractive and easy to use than cell after cell after cell of whitespace laid out in columns.
If you know about proper data layout, you know that we should have a single row of headings (First Name, Last Name and City, for example), with the data underneath. As long as your data is laid out properly, Excel gives you an easy and quick way to enter data, search for values, filter values, and add/delete records. It’s called the data form. Let’s have a look at our example range (see Figure 1):
Sure, it’s easy enough to keep entering values in over and over again, however if your range is a little larger and you need to incorporate some basic searching or filtering, Excel has a great tool for you to use called the Data Form. To get it, first highlight the entire range (in this example, from A1 to C4). Then click on Data, and then “Form...” and you’ll have a form similar to Figure 2.
This data form allows you to use criteria to search for or filter different results (you can search forward or back) as well as add and delete records. All you use is this compact and neat little interface, and Excel takes care of everything back on the worksheet. This form has the added bonus of telling you which record you are on (in this case, record 1 of 3), as well as the total number of records in your nice and neat contiguous block of data!
So if you’re more comfortable in a form-based interface, give it a try! It certainly doesn’t take the place of a properly-designed Access database, but it will make data management and entry in Microsoft Excel a little smoother. Have fun!
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