Duplicate Repeated Entries In A List

Category: Formatting | [Item URL]

You've probably seen an Excel worksheet (like the sheet on the left, below) in which one entry in column A applies to several rows of data. Sort such a list and you get a real mess, because rows with empty cells in the sort column move to the top or bottom (depending on the sort order).

When a list is small, you can enter the missing cell values manually. But if your database is huge, you need a better way of filling in those cell values. Here's how:

1. Select the range (A3:A14 in the example above)
2. Press Ctrl-G to get the Go To dialog box.
3. In the Go To dialog box, click Special.
4. Select the Blanks option.
5. Type = followed by the address of the first cell with an entry in the column (=A3 in the example above), and press Ctrl-Enter.
6. Reselect the range and choose Edit, Copy.
7. Then select Edit, Paste Special, choose the Values option, and click OK.

The missing entries will be filled in, as in the sheet on the right in the above figure.