Unit 5.  Manipulating cells (IV).

Paste special

On some occasions we might need to copy the value of a cell without taking the formula, or copy the formula but not the format or the aspect of the cell, that is, select the elements from a range to copy. This possibility is offered to us by the Paste special.

To use this possibility:

Select the cells to copy.

Select the Edit menu, and then the Copy option, if this option does not appear, first situate yourself over the buton to enlarge the menu.

Or, click on the Copy button on the toolbar.

Observe how a mark line appears around the copied cells indicating to us that the information is situated in the clipboard.

Select the cells where you want to copy to.

Select the Edit menu and then the Paste special.. option.

Or, click on the arrow to the right of the Paste button on the toolbar, and select the Paste special ... option.

The Paste special dialogue box will appear where we need to activate the options that adapt to the paste we want to perform.

All: To copy the formula as well as the format of the cell.

Formulas: To copy only the formula of a cell and not the format.

Values: To copy the result of a cell but not the formula, and not the format either.

Formats: To copy only the format of the cell but not the contents.

Comments: To copy the comments assigned to the cells (not studied on this course)

Validation: To copy the validation rules of the copied cells (not studied on this course)

All except borders: To copy the cells as well as the formats, but not the borders.

Column width: to copy the width of the column.

Formulas and number formats: To copy only the formulas and the number formats of the selected cells.

Values and number formats: To copy only the values and all the number format options of the selected cells.

If we have used the button on the taskbar, on clicking on the arrow to its right a drop down list will appear in which, in the paste special part, will appear the most important options studied before.

We only need to select the kind of paste.

To practise these operations we recommend you to perform the Copy exercise.

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