Automatic indexing of numbers

G

Gordon

In Excel 2003, how do I turn off the feature which increases or decreases the
value of a number by one as you drag from one cell to another. I just want
to copy the same number from one cell to another by drag and drop.
 
R

Ragdyer

Simply left click on the fill handle (little black square in lower right
corner) of the selected cell, where the cursor changes from a fat white
cross to a skinny black cross,and drag wherever.
 
G

Gordon

Thank you for the prompt reply. However, when I do as you suggest, the
number increases by one for each cell as I drag down to a lower cell and
decreases by one for each cell as I drag to a upper cell. I just want the
number to stay the same without increasing or decreasing.
 
P

Peo Sjoblom

It shouldn't if you have only one cell, of course if you have 1 in A1 and 2
in A2 and you select both those cell it will increment but if you just put
for instance 4 in A1 and copy down it shouldn't increase. Btw if you copy
down using the right mouse you can select if you want to copy cells or if
you want to fill a series




--

Regards,

Peo Sjoblom
 
G

Gordon

Thank you for your suggestion to use the right-click and select "copy cells".
Is there any way to change the default so I don't have to go through a
2-step process? When I right click, the initial entry is indexed up or down
by one number and only when I select "copy cells" does it retain the same
number. I am working with Employee ID numbers and telephone numbers, so
these are not sequential numbers in adjacent cells.
 
P

Peo Sjoblom

That's probably the reason, just to test, if you open a new workbook and
type 1 into A1 then copy down A1 it won't increase correct?
I believe there is nothing you can do about Excel trying to be helpful,
usually you can hold down ctrl when you do the copying and numbers that
won't normally increase will increase and those who normally increases will
not. Other than that I don't think there is a setting you can change


--

Regards,

Peo Sjoblom





Gordon said:
Thank you for your suggestion to use the right-click and select "copy
cells".
Is there any way to change the default so I don't have to go through a
2-step process? When I right click, the initial entry is indexed up or
down
by one number and only when I select "copy cells" does it retain the same
number. I am working with Employee ID numbers and telephone numbers, so
these are not sequential numbers in adjacent cells.
Click to expand...
 
R

Ragdyer

SO, you're saying that when you select a *single* cell, and drag that single
cell up, down, or across, you're getting the number in that cell to
increment or decrement?
--
Regards,

RD

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Gordon said:
Thank you for your suggestion to use the right-click and select "copy cells".
Is there any way to change the default so I don't have to go through a
2-step process? When I right click, the initial entry is indexed up or down
by one number and only when I select "copy cells" does it retain the same
number. I am working with Employee ID numbers and telephone numbers, so
these are not sequential numbers in adjacent cells.
Click to expand...
 
G

Gordon

Thank you to both Peo and Raydyer..... I ran the test on a new workbook
and the entry did not increment or decrement. I have no idea why the
workbook with the employee data does not respond in the same way. However, I
am able to hold down the control key as I drag and the increment and
decrement does not occur. I will use this technique and consider the issue
"solved" without trying to understand why the two workbooks behave
differently.
 
R

Ragdyer

FWIW,
Another technique for creating ranges of identical values, is to select a
range of cells, columns and/or rows or both, contiguous or not, and then
simply type the value in the focus cell, and then hit,
<Ctrl> <Enter>
And the entire selection will be filled with that single cells data.
 
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