Microsoft Word
The 10 most useful Word shortcuts When you go looking for a shortcut--one you can't quite remember or one you know must surely be out there somewhere--you've got plenty of resources: Help files, Google hits, and even comprehensive lists like those you'll find in the TechRepublic downloads library.
Comprehensive is great, but sometimes selective is more practical.
If you were stuck on a deserted island, which 10 Word shortcuts would you like to have with you? Here are mine.
The shortcuts
| Keystroke | Function | Notes |
| Shift + F3 | Toggles through capitalization options. | This one isn't perfect--for instance, it insists on capitalizing articles and prepositions in Title Case mode--but it's still a big timesaver. |
| Ctrl + Shift + N | Applies the Normal style. | If you work with documents that are riddled with obscure and specialized styles (typically other people's), it's handy to turn them into Normal paragraphs on the fly. |
| Ctrl + Shift + C | Copies the formatting of selected text. | Once you've copied the format, you can press Ctrl + Shift + V to paste the formatting onto a new selection. Yeah, I know--Format Painter does this, too. But Format Painter forgets the formatting as soon as you're finished with it. This shortcut remembers what you copied until you close out of Word. |
| Alt + F9 | Toggles the display of field codes on and off. | Unless you work with field shading turned on--and I don't know many users who do--you can't necessarily tell what's literal text and what's being generated by an underlying field code. A quick peek using this shortcut can prevent the headache of inexplicable changes and unwanted editing consequences. |
| F4 | Repeats your most recent action. | This might be the all-time best shortcut (except for Undo, which I'm not including in this list because for me, at least, it's like breathing and requires no conscious thought). The F4 shortcut will repeat nearly all the actions you take on document text: typing: formatting, deleting.It will also let you repeat the action of adding or removing table rows, but it isn't well implemented with tables overall. For instance, changing table properties is not replicable via this shortcut. |
| Ctrl + H | Opens the Find And Replace dialog box with the Replace tab selected. | Replace functionality is my constant companion, so this one is essential for me. Ctrl + F opens to the Find tab if you just want to locate something in a document (or make sure something isn't in there). |
| Ctrl + drag text or an object | Creates a copy of the text or object. | Apologies to the keyboard purists, but this useful trick does require mouse action. It's handy when you need to copy an object and control where that copy ends up. For example, a picture or other object that has certain positioning attributes may land in some unpredictable location if you use the standard copy and paste functions. This shortcut lets you drag it exactly where you want it.Just make sure you drop the text or object before you release the Ctrl key or Word will move the original instead of copying it. BONUS: If you hold down Shift along with Ctrl as you drag, Word will keep the copy aligned with the original. |
| Ctrl + Q | Removes paragraph formatting that isn't part of the style assigned to a selected paragraph. | When you want to strip out manually applied formats and return to only those characteristics defined by a paragraph style, this is the quickest way to get there. Ctrl + Spacebar works the same way for character formatting. |
| Ctrl + 0 (zero) | Applies or removes 12 points of space above the current paragraph. | This sounds a little lame, but you can improve readability of selected text in about two seconds using this trick. For instance, table text is often jammed up against top borders. Select the table and hit Ctrl + 0 and you'll get an instant improvement. |
| Alt + drag the mouse vertically | Make a vertical text selection. | Another keyboard/mouse hybrid, this one is obscure but useful. Some users have trouble making it work, but the problem is usually sequence. Just make sure you press Alt before you press the mouse button and drag. Then, release Alt before you release the mouse button. |
Microsoft Access
Use invisible controls to document Access objects Developers know that good code contains meaningful comments that document their choices and unusual situations. You just preface the text with an apostrophe character ('), so that VBA ignores the line. Later, you--or other developers who maintain the database--can quickly peruse the comments instead of interpreting code.
You can also share comments about the design of an Access form, report, or control with other developers using hidden controls. It's an innovative albeit nontraditional use for controls--usually, a label control.
By setting such a control's Visible property to No, the control is visible only in Design view. When you or another developer opens the form in Design view, there are your comments.
This type of commenting is especially helpful when the object requires no module, which is where you store more traditional commenting.
Microsoft Excel
Create a Picture Link to keep an eye on Excel data It's hard to keep an eye on data in Sheet A while you're working in Sheet B. You could jump back and forth between the two sheets, but that's inefficient.
An easier method is to take a picture of the data you want to watch and insert it into Sheet B. While you're working in Sheet B, you can see the data in Sheet A.
To copy the data from Sheet A as linked data do the following:
- Select the data and copy it to the Clipboard by pressing [Ctrl]+C.
- Move to the sheet where you want to paste a picture of the selected data. You don't have to worry about existing values. Excel will paste the link as a picture object, which you can move around. It won't overwrite existing data.
- Hold down the [Shift] key and choose Paste Picture Link from the Edit menu. In Excel 2007, click the Home tab and choose As Picture from the Paste drop-down list (in the Clipboard group). Then, choose Paste Picture Link.
- Choose Toolbars from the View menu and select Customize.
- Click the Commands tab.
- Select Tools in the Categories control.
- Drag and drop the Camera tool to a menu.
To use the Camera tool, select the existing data that you want to view as a linked picture and click the Camera icon. Then, click any other cell and Excel will automatically paste a linked picture object.