Brackets Shortcut in Excel?

Already tried googling. So I know there's a shortcut to anchor a part of cell using F4 when you're in your formula bar.

But, if I want to put brackets around some parts in my formula bar, is there a shortcut?

E.g.

I'm trying to type =(A5+B3)*5
I have =A5+B3 typed in the formula bar, is there any button or built in short cut to put brackets around all the contents? Or any related features?

Shortcut to Input Parenthesis Easily in Excel

While there is not an excel provided shortcut to add in parenthesis in excel, a user created a VBA code to complete the following command.

Will Hunting:
Sub addbrackets()

Dim x As Integer
Dim strFormula As String

ActiveCell.Copy
ActiveCell.Select

strFormula = Selection.FormulaR1C1

x = Len(strFormula)
y = Left(strFormula, x - (x - 1))
Z = Right(strFormula, x - 1)

Selection.FormulaR1C1 = y + "(" + Z + ")"

Application.CutCopyMode = False

End Sub

Read More About Excel Shortcuts on WSO

Excel Border Shortcut

The shortcut to get to the excel border window - is "Alt + H + B + M". This opens up the “more” window with all the border options.

If you have a specific border command in mind, you can go to "Alt + H + B" and select the key that represents the option that you want out of the drop-down menu.

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I wrote a macro for you. Just add this into the VBA editor. Alt + f11 will open the editor. Then click "insert" then "new module"

Then paste this code:

Sub addbrackets()

Dim x As Integer Dim strFormula As String

ActiveCell.Copy ActiveCell.Select

strFormula = Selection.FormulaR1C1

x = Len(strFormula) y = Left(strFormula, x - (x - 1)) Z = Right(strFormula, x - 1)

Selection.FormulaR1C1 = y + "(" + Z + ")"

Application.CutCopyMode = False

End Sub

I've tested it and it works.

"Look, you're my best friend, so don't take this the wrong way. In twenty years, if you're still livin' here, comin' over to my house to watch the Patriots games, still workin' construction, I'll fuckin' kill you. That's not a threat, that's a fact.
 
aspiringmonkey:
nothing wrong with the mouse, you only save like 2 seconds by doing the short cuts. But good list anyway :)

Do you have any idea what you are talking about? I hope you say that in an interview.

 

Id say they save you 2 seconds per action while making a model...shortcuts save a considerable amount of time. And dont forget alll the alt + letters combinations in excel. Its just quick menu use, not exactly shortcuts, but they are incredibly time saving

 

Shift-Space is select row. Ctrl-Space is select column.

Works well in conjunction with Ctrl-9 and -0, which I didn't know about, instead using the second windows key, AKA "action key" and "h". But on a ThinkPad there is no action key so that is useful.

Shift-Ctrl + 1-0 will do instant formating.

1 is number with two decimals; 4 is currency format, 5 is percent format, etc... Play around with them.

Ctrl-y can be used to repeat the action again and again. Very useful, especially when working with tables in word. A tip for word this reminds me of is to never delete colums in a table. Erase the contents and merge the column, line by line, with the adjoining column. This will allow you to maintain formating better.

Being able to navigate excel with the keyboard only saves a lot of time.

---------------- Account Inactive
 

I've got a couple that for some reason people don't seem to know:

Ctrl + Shift + - (minus): remove all borders in selection.

^ This one saves me a considerable amount of time

Ctrl + Shift + 7: Apply border around selection.

Alt + ; : Define Styles dialog

Ctrl + ; : Insert current date

Ctrl + 1 : Format cells dialog (duh, the most used)

 

Yeah. In training, we did all our work with the mouse turned over so we couldn't use it. The mouse is definitely not a tool you want to admit to relying on in this business. Those two seconds start to rack up when you're doing something hundreds of times.

 

I sometimes use the mouse if I'm particularly bored with a task to mix it up a bit but I inevitably get annoyed and go back to the keyboard. Most of the shortcuts I know about I've found out by accident...tough to remember a long list of them from day one.

I remember in my first week being taken through the comp template by a senior analyst and him telling me "you need to play that keyboard like a piano" which at the time I thought was amusing/ sad. I totally get it now though.

 
ke18sb:
is there a hot key for the paint brush, what about outlining cells?

Don't know of a hot-key for the paintbrush, although you can Alt, then Ctrl-Tab your way through any item in the toolbar. Besides, if by the paintbrush you mean the format painter, why not just copy and Alt-e-s-t?

Ctrl + Shift + 7 inserts a border outline for the selected group of cells.

 

Anyone that says shortcuts don't save time doesn't know them.

Force yourself to use them for a week and thank us later.

-------------- Either you sling crack rock or you got a wicked jump shot
 

Excel: I don't like Ctrl 0 and 9 - better to use Alt D G G and Alt D G H to hide rows so that you can get them back when wanted, easily.

To fill things quickly and change font colors quickly, move those two buttons into your first row of action keys, near the beginning. If you hit Alt and release (highlights the menus) then hit Ctrl+tab, it'll drop you down to the tool bars.

For powerpoint: Alt R A T (or R A L, R A R, R A B) to align objects to top, left, right, bottom respectively

Alt E O O open embedded object

Alt V C G to set grayscale mode so you can fix those little boxes in the bottom corner hiding your logo.

Alt V I I to get some drawing guidelines (not gridlines, lines you can physically move yourself)

For all you haters, live a few days in the analyst's cube and you'll thank your lucky stars for shortcuts.

 
Ballyho128:
Excel: I don't like Ctrl 0 and 9 - better to use Alt D G G and Alt D G H to hide rows so that you can get them back when wanted, easily.

To fill things quickly and change font colors quickly, move those two buttons into your first row of action keys, near the beginning. If you hit Alt and release (highlights the menus) then hit Ctrl+tab, it'll drop you down to the tool bars.

For powerpoint: Alt R A T (or R A L, R A R, R A B) to align objects to top, left, right, bottom respectively

Alt E O O open embedded object

Alt V C G to set grayscale mode so you can fix those little boxes in the bottom corner hiding your logo.

Alt V I I to get some drawing guidelines (not gridlines, lines you can physically move yourself)

For all you haters, live a few days in the analyst's cube and you'll thank your lucky stars for shortcuts.

nice. very nice.

 
Best Response

I suppose this shows that I am an even bigger nerd; I saved the list.

F4 in explorer = drop down url box Windows + D; Windows + M = desktop Alt + Tab = change applications F5 = refresh shift + F5 clears the cache in case explorer gives you an old version of the page Window-E = launch windows explorer

General

Control + Esc = open start button in windows Good general recommendation = pry out your F1 key and just leave the void. Your IT people will freak out, but keep it nearby to show them you still have it. This avoids bringing up the “Help” in a given application when you fat finger the F2 key. F12 is Save As in most applications Control + Print Scrn = takes a picture of the screen – good when something can’t be copied from the internet – just paste it into powerpoint or word and crop it. In most applications: Control + C = Copy Control + X = Cut Control + V = Paste Control + S = Save Control + P = Print Control + O = Open file Control + Z = Undo Control + Y = Redo

Alt + underlined letter + underlined letter etc. navigates you through the drop-down menus.

In Excel:

F2 to audit a cell – highlights precedents in color Control + ] = go to dependants Control + [ = go to precedents (these are my favorites - auditing functions) Control + N = New spreadsheet Control + 1 = Format Cells Control + page up/page down = navigates through Tabs – Shift at the same time highlights them. Be very wary of highlighting multiple tabs and making changes as the changes are made in all highlighted cells. F4 = perform previous function (also a key function) Control + 2 or Control + B = Bold Control + 3 or Control + I = Italics Control + 4 or Control + U = Underline Control + 9 = Hide rows Control + 0 (zero) = Hide Columns Lock rows and columns in a formula using F4 F5 = Go to (either type a cell reference or it should have a list of “named” cells) Type words into Name Box to create an absolute reference to that cell (as in name a box Interest_Rate will always reference that cell throughout the model – very useful) Alt + Enter to do a “soft return” in excel – same cell but on a separate line Alt + the = sign = sum the above numbers Control + ~ = show all formulas (this can be scary if hit accidentally – just do Control ~ again to undo this) Control + Curser = goes to last input in a series of inputs Shift + Control + curser = highlight an area (typically to format a series of numbers) Control + F = Find – great if you have word references Control + A = Select all (good for globally changing font etc.)

In Powerpoint

Control + G = Gridlines Highlighting an object while holding the Control key moves the item on either a vertical or horizontal plane; holding the shift key copies the object and (when the control tab is held) moves it on a horizontal or vertical plane F5 goes to slideshow mode

 
Nayls:
I suppose this shows that I am an even bigger nerd; I saved the list.

F4 in explorer = drop down url box Windows + D; Windows + M = desktop Alt + Tab = change applications F5 = refresh shift + F5 clears the cache in case explorer gives you an old version of the page Window-E = launch windows explorer

General

Control + Esc = open start button in windows Good general recommendation = pry out your F1 key and just leave the void. Your IT people will freak out, but keep it nearby to show them you still have it. This avoids bringing up the “Help” in a given application when you fat finger the F2 key. F12 is Save As in most applications Control + Print Scrn = takes a picture of the screen – good when something can’t be copied from the internet – just paste it into powerpoint or word and crop it. In most applications: Control + C = Copy Control + X = Cut Control + V = Paste Control + S = Save Control + P = Print Control + O = Open file Control + Z = Undo Control + Y = Redo

Alt + underlined letter + underlined letter etc. navigates you through the drop-down menus.

In Excel:

F2 to audit a cell – highlights precedents in color Control + ] = go to dependants Control + [ = go to precedents (these are my favorites - auditing functions) Control + N = New spreadsheet Control + 1 = Format Cells Control + page up/page down = navigates through Tabs – Shift at the same time highlights them. Be very wary of highlighting multiple tabs and making changes as the changes are made in all highlighted cells. F4 = perform previous function (also a key function) Control + 2 or Control + B = Bold Control + 3 or Control + I = Italics Control + 4 or Control + U = Underline Control + 9 = Hide rows Control + 0 (zero) = Hide Columns Lock rows and columns in a formula using F4 F5 = Go to (either type a cell reference or it should have a list of “named” cells) Type words into Name Box to create an absolute reference to that cell (as in name a box Interest_Rate will always reference that cell throughout the model – very useful) Alt + Enter to do a “soft return” in excel – same cell but on a separate line Alt + the = sign = sum the above numbers Control + ~ = show all formulas (this can be scary if hit accidentally – just do Control ~ again to undo this) Control + Curser = goes to last input in a series of inputs Shift + Control + curser = highlight an area (typically to format a series of numbers) Control + F = Find – great if you have word references Control + A = Select all (good for globally changing font etc.)

In Powerpoint

Control + G = Gridlines Highlighting an object while holding the Control key moves the item on either a vertical or horizontal plane; holding the shift key copies the object and (when the control tab is held) moves it on a horizontal or vertical plane F5 goes to slideshow mode

Mad comprehensive list yo. Hahaha. Good one.

 

thanks for the Alt + "=" . it is really helpful. i used to rather write the formula on the keyboard than having to click the sigma sign with the mouse.

and you need the keyboard shortcuts, not for the 2 seconds,but it is just that using the mouse becomes really irritating and annoying, anyone who works a lot with excel should know that. sometimes you do stuff that take a few more seconds with the keyboard just not to use the mouse, and having to lift your hand, take it off the keyboard and click the mouse, then putting your hand back to the keyboard. it is just annoying.

btw, i am not doing an internship in IB but somewhere else. i hope i get one next summer.

 

i find the key on many keyboards next to the control key that looks like a mouse pointer.... which is used as a function key can be very handy in excel. they are the same shortcuts that you can get to with other shortcuts but often cuts down one key.

i.e.) paste special (alt e s) or (special s)

yeah its just one key but might help.

 

^^

Consultant in the house, biatches.

Control - Space, Alt - O, C, A

or

Shirt - Space, Alt - O, R, A

P.S. Some use of the mouse is actually quicker (i.e. selecting a background color in the formatting dialog box--do you really want to hit the arrow that many times?)

P.P.S. Thanks for reminding me about Alt - = and Control - ] and Control - [.

 
jmcfadden:
P.P.P.S. My favorite formating command of all time, center across selection, is Control - 1, H, Tab, C, C, Enter, Enter

Merging cells is for noobs.

It's A, not H - but I'm sure most idiots could figure that out.