Flash Fill recognises a pattern in your data and is a great tool to extract a field and break it down into its component elements.For example, in this video tip Column A has the first and last name in one field. Flash Fill makes splitting the names up into two separate cells (first name and surname column) very easy.
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To create Flash Fill:
- Go to the first name column and type in the name (e.g. Janet) > press Enter
- Type in the capital of the next first name (e.g. M)
- The column will flash with first names > press Enter to fill the cells
Alternately, here’s another way:
- Go to the column and type the name you wish to extract (e.g. Riley)
- Click the cell > go to Data
- Click the Flash Fill button or use keyboard shortcut Ctrl E
Looking to learn more about Excel? See more free Microsoft tips or browse our range Microsoft Excel courses.