Creating a Series

Objective: To create a regular sequence of numbers without having to type them in.

Instructions: You will use the Fill Series command from the Edit menu and the mouse.

Comment: It is often the case with data that you need to create a regular, repeating series. This can either be of sequential numbers, dates or days. Being able to do this automatically can save an enormous amount of time.

In this box you can define what sort of series you want to create. In the Type section select the Autofill radio button, then click on <OK>. The range A2:C2 should fill with sequential month names Feb and Mar.

Activity 3.2 There is an even quicker method of doing this using the mouse. Select cell B5, type Week 1 and press <Enter>. You will notice that there is a thick black border around the selected cell with a small black box in the bottom right hand corner. Reselect the cell and move the mouse over the black box so that the mouse shape changes to a black crosshair . Click and hold the mouse button. Now drag the mouse so that the black outline stretches across the range B5:B8 and then release the mouse button. The empty cells will automatically fill with the consecutive Week numbers.

Activity 3.3 Now move the month names into position. Select the cell A2. Move the mouse over the thick black border (but not the small box this time) until the mouse shape changes to a white arrow. Click and drag the mouse down to cell A5. An outline shape of the box will follow the mouse. When the outline is over cell A5, release the mouse button. The word Jan is moved to A5. Now move the other two months - Feb to A10 and Mar to A15.

Activity 3.4 Select the range B5:B8. Move the mouse over the black border again until it changes to a white arrow. Now hold down the <Ctrl> key so that the arrow now has a little + sign above it . Click and hold the mouse button and drag the mouse down. The outline of the range will follow the mouse as before, so when the outline is over the range B10:B13 release the mouse button. The contents of the range B5:B8 are copied into B10:B13. Now copy that range again down to B15:B18 to finish labelling the worksheet.

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