• 8 hours
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Last updated on 12/9/22

Speed up data entry with autocompletion tools

Autocomplete text data in a cell

You know how Google autocompletes a search request you begin to type?

After typing in the beginning of the word, Google suggests possible options for completing it
Example of Google suggesting how it could complete your search request

Spreadsheets are just as clever!

Autocompleting text will be enabled after you have entered some data cells, then simply type a couple of letters from entries into cells below or above. To confirm that you want to autocomplete the word, simply click Enter on your keyboard to complete the text.   

For example, if I have already typed academic and I start typing Ac in another cell, the spreadsheet program will show me the options of prior cell entries that begin with Ac.
For example,  Academic is already entered in A2 here. If I start typing  "Ac"  in another cell, the spreadsheet will show me the option of  Academic  to speed up my data entry.

Autocomplete patterns of data using the fill handle

The fill handle is like a grab and go or drag and drop feature in a spreadsheet.

It's a little box in the edge of the cell in the bottom right hand corner.
It's a little block in the edge of the cell in the bottom right-hand corner.

For the block to appear, you need to select the data from the source cell (one single one, or multiple ones), and drag the fill handle down or across, so it covers the destination cells. Here is a demonstration of how this works: 

Copy data with the fill handle

If you select one cell of data or data which is identical (like I did here with the year2016), the spreadsheet will fill the destination cells with exact copies of what you selected.

Autocomplete cells following patterns of data

What’s really cool about the fill handle, is that if you select cells which correspond to an obvious pattern, say  1,2,3  or  January,  February, the spreadsheet can recognize this is a pattern. It will use the pattern to predict relevant contents of the destination cells.  

Once January and February had been entered, after using the fill handle, March and April appeared automatically once I released the selection.
March and April appeared automatically in the bottom two cells here, once I released over the last cell.

Let’s recap!

  • Autocomplete works for text inside a particular cell, as long as you are within the same column.

  • The fill handle works by selecting the data from the source cell(s), and dragging it to the destination cell(s).

  • The spreadsheet program recognizes the pattern (like dates), and will use this to predict relevant contents of the destination cells.  

And there you have it! You have a great foundation upon which to build some additional skills. Good luck with the quiz. I look forward to seeing you in Part 2.

Example of certificate of achievement
Example of certificate of achievement