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1. Automatic data
If you're preparing a spreadsheet but don't yet know what's going to go into it, you can populate its fields with random sample data before the fact to make sure your formulas are all working correctly. Click in the top left cell of the area you'd like to fill and enter the formula =RANDBETWEEN(50,100) to generate a number between 50 and 100. Change the values to suit the kind of data you'll be working with.
Now just drag the fill handle of the cell over the area you want to fill with data – it'll generate a new random number for each cell.
5. Quick formatting
Drag to select a group of data, and look out for an icon appearing at the bottom-right hand corner of your selection area. This could be Excel's coolest feature: the quick analysis tool.
It gives you instant access to a bunch of useful formatting features, all the way from colouring up your cells based on their range to implementing sparklines, sums and charts. Hover over each option to see a preview and click it to lock it down. Use the same tool to clear formatting if it gets too much – you'll find the clear option listed under the Formatting heading.