Go to Special command

  • Thread starter Thread starter Hazel
  • Start date Start date
H

Hazel

I am currently writing some training material on Excel
2000 - can anyone give me an example of how the Row
difference and Column difference options could be used in
the Go to Special dialog box.

Thanks
 
Hardly ever used, but they select cells that are different than the first
selected value in the row/column. For example:

A B C D
1 5 2 5 1
2 1 1 1 1
3 3 3 5 1
4 5 2 3 1

Range A1:D4 has a list of values.

Using row Differences
-----------------------
When you select them and use the Row Differences option, Excel looks at the
1st value in each row (A1:A4) and compares them to the rest of the values in
the row. Excel selects only those cells that are different than the 1st
value. In this example, the following cells get selected:

Row 1: B1 and D1 because they're different than A1's value of 5
Row 2: None of the cells in the second row get selected because they all
match cell A2's value of 1
Row 3: C3 & D3 because they're different than cell A3's value of 3
Row 4: B4, C4 & D4 because they're different than A4's value of 5

In summary, if you select A1:D4 and choose Row Differences, the following
cells get selected: B1, D1, C3:D3, B4:D4

Using Column Differences
---------------------------
When you select them and use the Column Differences option, Excel looks at
the 1st value in each column (A1:D1) and compares them to the rest of the
values in the column. Excel selects only those cells that are different than
the 1st value. In this example, the following cells get selected:

Column A: A2 & A3 because they're different than A1's value of 5
Column B: B2 & B3 because they're different than B1's value of 2
Column C: C2 & C4 because they're different than cell A3's value of 3
Column D: None of the cells in this column get selected because they all
match cell D1's value of 1

In summary, if you select A1:D4 and choose Column Differences, the following
cells get selected: A2:A3, B2:B3, C2, C4

--
_______________________
Robert Rosenberg
R-COR Consulting Services
Microsoft MVP - Excel
http://www.r-cor.com
 
And from Excel's help for "shortcut keys":

CTRL+\
In a selected row, select the cells that don't match the value in the active
cell.

CTRL+SHIFT+|
In a selected column, select the cells that don't match the value in the active
cell.

(If you're writing about it, you might as well include those two keystrokes that
I can't remember!)
 
Back
Top