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4.4.1 Practice Ex 8 The AutoFill Feature – Intro to Excel 2016

Before we continue with Practice Exercise 8, let’s take a quick look at how the Autofill feature works. After you have summed one column and have more adjacent columns to sum, you do not have to sum each of these additional columns. Use the AutoFill feature to automatically sum these remaining columns.
 
Steps for performing an AutoFill:

  1. After summing one column, make the cell with the column total the active cell. Since the column total for the example below is in cell A4, make cell A4 the active cell.
  2. Move the mouse cursor to the bottom-right corner of the cell with the column total, which is cell A4 in the example below.
  3. ​When the mouse cursor changes into a thin black cross, stop moving the mouse. This black cross is known as the fill handle and is used to perform the AutoFill.  In the graphic shown below, that cell is cell address A4.​
Practice Exercise 8: The AutoFill Feature
STEP 1:  We have just summed data in Column A. The sum total of cells A1, A2, and A3 is in cell A4 (80) (FIGURE 1).
                                                                                                                                            FIGURE 1
STEP 2:   Since the goal is to get the column totals for Columns B, C, and D, click and drag the mouse over to the right until the mouse stops at Column D (FIGURE 2).
                                                                                                                                            FIGURE 2
STEP 3:   Release the mouse button and the column totals for Columns B, C, and D appear in the previously empty cells you dragged the mouse across (FIGURE 3).
                                                                                                                                            FIGURE 3
STEP 3A: Using the AutoFill Feature (FIGURE 4)
Make cell B5 the active cell. Move mouse cursor down to lower right corner of cell B5. You should see the mouse cursor change its symbol to a thin black cross.
The AutoFill symbol is a thin black cross. It is referred to as the “fill handle.”

STEP 3B: The graphic shows this thin cross bigger than it actually appears.
Click and drag the fill handle to the right through cell E5 (top-right graphic) and then release the mouse button.
   FIGURE 4
STEP 4: (FIGURE 5) Cells C5, D5, and E5 will automatically fill with totals.
Now we see the Salesperson Total for the other three salespersons: Ed, Robert, and Susan.

Tip: Always use the AutoFill feature for faster totaling of multiple columns.
   FIGURE 5
STEP 5A: (FIGURE 6)  Make cell F2 the active cell.
STEP 5B: (FIGURE 7) Move the mouse up to the Ribbon, Editing section. Locate the icon AutoSum. If you point at the icon with the mouse, it will state “Sum”. You will see a description of what AutoSum does. AutoSum is also found in Formulas toolbar, Function Library section.
FIGURE 6
                                                                                     FIGURE 7
STEP 6: (FIGURE 8) The AutoSum default is SUM. (More choices are available if you select the downward-pointing arrow to the right)
Notice that we can AutoSum numbers using other functions such as Average, Max, and Min.

To view this drop-down menu, you must move the mouse up to the downward pointing arrowhead and click the mouse.
                                                                                       FIGURE 8
STEP 7: ​(FIGURE 9) Go up to the Ribbon, in the Editing section, and select the AutoSum icon with your mouse. Make sure you don’t click on the downward pointing arrow.
                                                                                                   FIGURE 9
STEP 8: (FIGURE 10) Upon clicking on the AutoSum icon with the mouse, you will the see the automatic summing of the data you want selected.
FIGURE 10
STEP 9A: (FIGURE 11) Press the Enter key. The AutoSum will execute, summing the numbers and outputting the result in cell F2.
 

​
​STEP 9B: (FIGURE 12) We can use AutoFill to get the totals for February through March.
Make cell F2 the active cell.
 
Move mouse down to bottom-right corner to get the small black cross symbol and drag down through cell F5.
​​
FIGURE 11
FIGURE 12
STEP 10A: (FIGURE 13) Using the AVERAGE formula
We’re changing to a new formula; AVERAGE.
Make cell A6 the active cell.
Enter “Salesperson Average” into cell A6.

​STEP 10B: Make cell B6 the active cell.
Enter the formula: =AVERAGE(B2:B4)
Press the Enter key.
FIGURE 13
STEP 11:  (FIGURE 14) Answer is 34. We will AutoFill the remaining cells. Make cell B6 the active cell.

Move mouse down to lower right corner of cell and get the small black cross.
Hold down the mouse button and drag across through cell E6 and release mouse button.
​Cells C6 through E6 populate with data.
FIGURE 14
STEP 12A:  (FIGURE 15) Using the MAX formula (finds largest value)
We’re changing to a new formula; MAX.
Make cell A7 the active cell.
Enter “Salesperson Max” into cell A7.

STEP 12B: Make cell B7 the active cell.
Enter the formula: =MAX(B2:B4)
Press the Enter key.
FIGURE 15
STEP 13: (FIGURE 16) Answer is 24. Make cell B7 the active cell. AutoFill the remaining cells. Move mouse down to lower right corner of cell and get the small black cross.
Hold down mouse button and drag across through cell E7 and release mouse button. Cells C7 through E7 populate with data.
FIGURE 16
STEP 14A: (FIGURE 17) Using the MIN formula (finds smallest value)
We’re changing to a new formula; MIN
Make cell A8 the active cell.
Enter “Salesperson Min” into cell A8.
STEP 14B: Make cell B8 the active cell.
Enter the formula: =MIN(B2:B4)
Press the Enter key.
​
FIGURE 17
STEP 15: (FIGURE 18) Answer is 21. Make cell B8 the active cell. AutoFill the remaining cells. Move mouse down to lower right corner of cell and get the small black cross and drag across through cell E8. Cells C8 through E8 populate.
Hold down mouse button and drag across through cell E8 and release mouse button. Cells C8 through E8 populate with data.​
FIGURE 18
Section completed. Go to Module 4 Section 4.5 Practice Exercise 9; Use Absolute Addressing to Calculate