TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP

Key to Instructions

Navigate Speedily in

Excel Data
Click on a button to get to target information.
by James T. Severson

f you're like most financial professionals, some of your large spreadsheets contain many worksheets with a wide assortment of data.
Locating information or identifying just the right worksheet or cell
to input new data is like searching for the proverbial needle in a
haystack. If this describes a problem you often face, then read on to
find out how to create a spreadsheet that, with a single mouse click,
can take you instantly right to the target cell.

To help readers follow the instructions in

this article, we use two different typefaces:
Boldface type is used to identify the names
of icons, agendas and URLs.
Sans serif type shows the names of files and
the names of commands and instructions
that users should type into the computer

The solution is based on two Fxcel tools:

Forms Toolbar Buttons and Macro. We
will show you how to install and format
those functions on a contents page that
contains buttons designed to speed you to
your data destinations.
Begin by creating a blank worksheet
and label it Contents Page, Then, in various cells, list all the data targets that will
be stored in subsequent worksheets. If you
wish, add additional information that can
be printed on or next to the buttons to
guide you on when to use the buttonsFxhibit 1, beiow, is an example of a
completed contents page that includes
both the data-locating buttons and the
user instructions.
Next add the actual buttons and then
the macro commands that will wing you

1)

Go to the Input WIIBS data [and input the revenues from the CIS report ar>d uf*>illed
calculation on quarters.

2)

Go to the
calculation*
calculation on quarters.

[and input the sales from the CIS report and the unbilled

11 3)
12
13 4)

Go to the Input cuatomera [and input red cedar and prairie creeK plant customers.

15 6)
16
17 6)
IB
19 7J

Go to the

Go to the

Input

ftii

land input fuel expense from the general ledger.

Margin Report [and review report for reasonableness.

Go to tt>e '"P"* m^mgtte [and input the unbilled steam sales Infomnation from ttie CIS pro-ration report
Go to the

unbilled JE

>n

56 Journal of Accountancy January 2007

[fpf monthly steam unbilled JE.

TECHNOLOGY WORKSHOP

instantly to your targets. Begin by right-clicking

in any free space in the toolbar area of the worksheet to engage a drop-down menu. Then cfick
on Forms (exhibit 2, at right).
That vil open a Forms toolbar; it contains,
among other things, a Button icon. To locate the
icon, drag your cursor over
the toolbar until the Button
abl
label appears (see screenshot
at right).

J Stnndord
I Formaiting
Borfters
Chart
Control Toolbox
he revenues from tfie Ct

Dmwiftg
Exit Design Mode

Now go through all the

keyboard and mouse clicks
Forms
needed to maneuver to the
Formula AiMliting
data target. Once there,
List
ed cedar and prairie cr^
click on Stop Recording,
Ptchire
uel expense from the
Now, to assign that new
Ptvotrable
Macro to your first button,
Protection
return to the contents page,
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
right-click on the button, select the Assign Macro opYou can change the
size of a button anytime by grabbing and tion, click on the macro name you created and on OK (see exdragging any of the tiny circfes afong the hibit 3, below).

Now left-click on the

Button icon and move your
cursor to the cell on the contents page where you want to
install the first button (see
screenshot, below).

ion on quarters.

on the Stop Recording button until you reach your

data target (see the screenshot below).

Exhibit 2

Bdemal Dst

he sales from the CIS rcj

edges. Left-clicking on the button aflows

you to edft the text. For this exercise,
we'lf label the first button input revenue.
Now create a macro that will take you

Follow the same steps for each command you want on the
contents page.
Finally, set up a button in one of the worksheets and create
a macro that returns you to the contents page (see screenshot
below). This return button and macro command needs to be set
up only once since you can then copy and paste it to all the
other worksheets.

directly lo the worksheet targetin this case input revenue. Engage the Assign Macro menu
by right-clicking on the button
(see screenshot, at right),
Return to Contents Pa^e |
ff you know Visual Basic, the
macro software, you can write
Now, no matter how complex a spreadsheet fs, by adding a
the script yourself, but it's a lot
set
of strategically located buttons and complementary macros
f^rouping
easier to let Excel do it for you.
you can instantly be taken to any location in the file. No more
All you have to do is go through
wasted time clicldng from one worlcsheet to another searching
AJMQQ MBCTCI
for a piece of data or a specific place to enter new data.
!
the physical cursor and keyatnM Control,,
board steps needed to perform
James TSeverson, CPA, is utility accounting manager at Alliant Energy, Cedar
the command and Excel will record and translate them into the
Rapids, Iowa. His e-mail address is jimseverson@alliantenergy.com.
macro language.
Begin by clicking on Tools, Macro and then, from
Exhibit 3
the drop-down menu, select Macro, Record New
Macro (see screenshot below).

X|

AssKiri M.iini
Macro name:
Templates and Add-lns...
r-Mt Options...

When you're prompted to assign a name and description to the Macro, use the button label (InputSales-Data, for example). Note that macro names
must be one word, so be sure to add dashes between
the words. Then click on OK, which opens a Stop
Recording toolbar option window, but do not click

Input. Sales.Oata
cga
PERSONALXLSICOpyD
customers
eacdsm
emargrate
PERSQNALXLSI EndReview
fourg
fourgqrt
fud
Input_Sales_DatB

OK
Cancel

dit
Record..,

January 2007 Journal of Accountancy 57