Many Excel users type the current date frequently during the course of a day; you can save time by pressing control+semicolon (;). Unlike the TODAY function, which enters the date so that it always adjusts to the current date, control+; is just a shortcut for typing. Press command+; to enter the current time.
Many Excel users find themselves typing today's date throughout the course of a day. Save some time. Press control+;. You'll get today's date. At the time of this recording, it's March 8, 2016 and complete the entry with Return. If you want to put in the current time, and you can see to the right, there are two different keystroke shortcuts, control+shift+;, that certainly works, or command+;. Both of those put in the current time, and Enter. These will never change. It's just a shortcut for typing in each case.
If you'd like to put in the date in such a way that you can use it in formulas, in such that it always adjusts, you can use a function, =today, and as you type it, you need to only type it this way and left parenthesis, press Return, same idea. And for the moment, it looks as if that's identical to this cell. In terms of visual content, it is, but if we open and close and save this file, day by day, the content in this will change. That's a function, and it always picks up today's date. Similarly here. If you'd like to put in the date and time together, you can use the function called now, left parentheses, and Return, and we see this.
If you'd like to display this as a time only, you can use the keystroke shortcut, control+shift+@. That's the same as saying control+shift+2 and it displays only the time in AM/PM style. Remember, both of these kinds of entries, the ones with functions, are dynamic, and they change in the course of a day for the now function and everyday, or upon opening, when you use the today function. So if we sit and stare at this, it will not change. This will never change unless we change it specifically.
So this said 11:29 AM when I put that in there. If I go about my business and do other things, maybe putting in some numbers down here, typing in some other data, you notice how that has changed already. So here are the two keystroke shortcuts we need. Any time you want to enter the current date, press control+;. If you want to enter the current time, it's either control+shift+; or command+;.
Author
Released
5/11/2016The course then dives into data entry and editing techniques, formatting and drag-and-drop tricks, keyboard shortcuts for working with formulas, data management strategies, and chart tricks. Short on time? Make sure to check out the "Ten Tiny Tips" chapter for a quick productivity boost.
- Entering today's date or time instantly
- Converting formulas to values with a simple right-drag
- Undoing and redoing with keyboard commands
- Creating split screens fast
- Navigating in workbooks quickly
- Selecting noncontiguous ranges
- Entering data more efficiently
- Applying formatting with keyboard shortcuts
- Accelerating copying and moving data with drag and drop
- Creating formulas rapidly
- Using database techniques to work with Excel data
- Working with charts, shapes, and linked images
Skill Level Intermediate
Duration
Views
Related Courses
-
Excel for Mac 2016: Advanced Formulas and Functions
with Dennis Taylor6h 54m Intermediate -
Excel for Mac 2016: Shortcuts
with Curt Frye2h 41m Intermediate -
Excel for Mac 2016: Pivot Tables in Depth
with Curt Frye2h 3m Intermediate
-
Introduction
-
Welcome33s
-
-
1. Top Ten Shortcuts
-
2. Display and Navigation Shortcuts
-
Navigate within worksheets6m 38s
-
3. Selection Shortcuts
-
4. Data Entry and Editing Shortcuts
-
Accelerate data entry8m 11s
-
-
5. Formatting Shortcuts
-
6. Drag-and-Drop Techniques
-
7. Formula Shortcuts
-
Use AutoSum shortcuts4m 9s
-
Use rounding shortcuts7m 54s
-
Generate random numbers9m 13s
-
8. Operational Shortcuts
-
Realign imported text4m 20s
-
9. Data Management Techniques
-
10. Tips for Using Charts and Visual Objects
-
11. Ten Tiny Tips
-
Conclusion
-
Goodbye26s
-
- Mark as unwatched
- Mark all as unwatched
Are you sure you want to mark all the videos in this course as unwatched?
This will not affect your course history, your reports, or your certificates of completion for this course.
CancelTake notes with your new membership!
Type in the entry box, then click Enter to save your note.
1:30Press on any video thumbnail to jump immediately to the timecode shown.
Notes are saved with you account but can also be exported as plain text, MS Word, PDF, Google Doc, or Evernote.
Share this video
Embed this video
Video: Instantly enter today's date or time