Datasheet

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Data List Basics
Note that the data form does not allow you to select and edit calculated
fields (such as the Years of Service field shown in Figure 1-2). Although
calculated fields and their current entries are listed in the data form, the
form doesn’t bother to provide a text box for the fields for making editing
changes. To modify the contents of a calculated field, you would need to
modify the original formula in the appropriate field in the first record and
recopy the edited formula down to the other existing records in the list.
Adding new records with the data form
To add a new record to the data list, you can either move to the end of the
data list (by dragging the scroll box to the very bottom of the scroll bar or
by pressing Ctrl+↓ or Ctrl+PgDn) or simply click the New command button.
Any way you do it, Excel displays a blank data form (marked New Record at
the right side the dialog box), which you can then fill out. After entering the
information for a field, press the Tab key to advance to the next field in the
record (be careful not to press the Enter key because this inserts the new
record into the data list).
When you’re making an entry in a new field, you can copy the entry from the
same field in the previous record into the current field by pressing Ctrl+”
(double quotation mark). You can use this keystroke shortcut, for example,
to carry forward entries in the text box for the State field when you are
entering a series of records that all use the same state.
When you’ve entered all the information you have for the new record, press
the ↓ or Enter key or click the New button again. Excel then inserts the new
record as the last record in the data list and displays a blank data form
where you can enter the next record. When you finish adding records to the
data list, press the Esc key or click the Close button to close the Data Form
dialog box.
Editing records in the data form
The data form makes it easy to edit records in your data list. In a smaller
data list, you can use the navigation keys or the scroll bar in the data form to
locate the record that requires editing. In a larger data list, you can use the
Criteria command button to quickly locate the record you need to change,
as described in the next section.
When you’ve displayed the data form for the record that needs editing, you
can then perform your editing changes by selecting the text boxes of the
necessary fields and making your changes, just as you would edit the entry
in its cell in the worksheet.
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