microsoft Excell - How do you highlight where to input next data entry?

I have a simple workbook where we enter a number next to a date. What I would like to know is it possible, to assist my apparently sight challanged collegues, that when todays data has been filled in that the next days date is highlighted automatically, by colour change or other means? They seem to endlessly have difficulty simply looking at the dates down the sides.

Hope this makes sense.

Thanks in advance

 

Hi, Not sure what you want to do.
You have 2 input cells
A = date and B = a number
1) Do you want A to change to tomorrow when you input B, or
2) Do you want A to change to tomorrow when you input today in A
If 1) what do you want if they make a mistake inputting B ?
Do they know how to go back with Undo ?
What format is the date in cell A ? eg 20040820 ?
regards

 

Hi thanks for the reply


The workbook is a very simple one:

It consists of two columns X 366 rows.

The Dates already exist in the left hand column starting 1st Jan 2004 and going down to 31st Dec 2004 in 01/01/2004 format. The entire year is there already.


We just add a figure into column 2 (B) by the correct date and we do this daily. What I would like, if, possible is when I enter todays data into B then the cell for tomorrow (B) becomes highlighted in some way. ie when they open the workbook tomorrow the correct cell to enter that days data is totally obvious (Yes I know that the date should be a clue for them )

Hope this helps

 

Conditional formating

You can use conditional formating to do what you want.

Assuming the dates are in Column A and the place where you want to enter data is Column B. If I also assume that Row 1 is used for column titles. The first data line is Row 2.

• Start by selecting the first data cell (my assumption is that it is B2)

• Then choose "Conditional Formating" from the "Format" menu.

• Change condition 1 to "Formula Is "

• In the formula box enter "=IF(TODAY()=A2,TRUE,FALSE) "

• Click on the Format box and select how you want the cell to be highlighted. For example if you select the "Patterns" tab and select a bright Red, the cell will turn red when the date in the ajoining cell is today's date.

• Click OK to close the Format window.

• Click OK to accept the change to conditional formating and close the window.

• Grab the B2 cell handle (small black square bottom right of selected cell) and with a right mouse key drag it down the column B.

• When you release the mouse key you will be offered a choice of options, choose "Fill Formats ".

This works for Excel 2000. The procedure might be a little different with other versions.

 

Thanks very much for that Reggie, seems to work a treat. If they can't see
that then we really are in trouble.

A litttle more knowledge gleaned.


Cheers

 

ReggieB, You really are an Excel wizard ! After I read the thread question,
I spent an hour trying to solve it. Found a solution but no way as short and
elegant as yours. Hope you can stay with us on the board for a long time -
we (I ? ) need your very impressive knowledge and experience.
regards