"How To Excel" Mini-Tutorials by TheExcelAddict.com "Helping Average Spreadsheet Users Become Local Spreadsheet Experts" Quickly Entering Long Names Do you find yourself repeatedly typing long names such as client names, place names, part names, etc... in your workbooks? You may have wished for a way to avoid retyping those name every time. Sometimes Excel will guess and suggest some of the names as you begin to type the first few letters (if Excel's AutoComplete option hasn't been turned off). The problem with AutoComplete is, when there are similar names, you may find that you still have to type most of the name before Excel figures out which one you are typing. I'd like to show you a trick that will allow you to enter these long names much faster by typing just an abbreviation. We will accomplish this with the help of Excel's AutoCorrect feature. We can trick AutoCorrect into replacing our abbreviations with the full names. Here's how: First make a list of abbreviations and their corresponding full names. From the Tools menu select AutoCorrect Options In the 'Replace' text box, type an abbreviation. In the 'With' text box, type the full text you want to be entered in the cell. Click the Add button. Repeat steps 2, 3 and 4 for each name in your list. Click OK. Now whenever you type the abbreviation and press Enter, AutoCorrect will replace the abbreviation with the full name. Be careful not to use a real word for an abbreviation or every time you type that word, AutoCorrect will replace it with the long name. If you already have your list of long names in a worksheet, you can save some time, in step 4 above, by copying them (CTRL+C) individually and pasting them (CTRL+V) in the 'With' text box. See also Quick Data Input Using Pick From List Option. Why not print (CTRL+P) this tip and share it with your friends and associates? Get more time-saving tips just like this one delivered to you by email every week in my FREE newsletter "Spreadsheet Tips From An Excel Addict". Subscribe at the www.TheExcelAddict.com/Newsletter.htm. You'll be amazed how much time you'll save just by learning a few of these tips. Copyright © 2003 All Rights Reserved by Francis Hayes (The Excel Addict)