Excel Copy and Paste

What is the Mystery Concept behind the Copy and Paste?

Yes, it’s clipboard.

and…What is the relationship between clipboard and copy and paste?

The clipboard is an area of memory in which you can store text, graphics or any other items in it.

When you perform copy in the Excel spreadsheet, actually the copied item is store in the clipboard temporarily, and then when you paste the item, it is from the clipboard and paste the item to the intended location.

Cut, Copy and Paste Data or Objects

To use the clipboard to copy data to other program

Select the cell or range you wish to copy.

From the Edit menu, click Copy.
OR click on the Copy icon on the Standard toolbar.

Switch to the required destination program (e.g. Microsoft Word).

Place the cursor where you want the data to appear.

From the Edit menu, click Paste.
OR click on the Paste icon on the Standard toolbar.

To use the clipboard to cut data to other program

Select the cell or range you wish to cut.

From the Edit menu, click Cut.
OR click on the Cut icon on the Standard toolbar.

Switch to the required destination program (e.g. Microsoft Word).

Place the cursor where you want the data to appear.

From the Edit menu, click Paste.
OR click on the Paste icon on the Standard toolbar.

Note: You noticed that cut and paste is different from copy and paste. Cut and paste will let the original data disappear when you paste it to the destination program/location.

To use the clipboard to copy an object between worksheet or workbook

Click on the object (e.g. oval) to select it.

From the Edit menu, click Copy.

Move to a new worksheet or workbook.

Select a location for the top left-hand corner of the object.

From the Edit menu, click Paste.

To use the clipboard to cut an object between worksheet or workbook

Click on the object (e.g. arrow) to select it.

From the Edit menu, click Cut.

Move to a new worksheet or workbook.

Select a location for the top left-hand corner of the object.

From the Edit menu, click Paste.

To copy a numeric value down a column

In the first cell of the column, enter the first numeric value.

Select the second cell in the same column and press Ctrl+Shift+’ (Apostrophe).

Press Enter to insert the value into the selected cell.

To copy a column of text into a row

Select the range of data you wish to copy and transpose.

From the Edit menu, click Copy.

Highlight the cell where you want to place the range.

From the Edit menu, click Paste Special.

From the Paste Special dialog box displayed, tick the Transpose check box.

Select OK.

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Revealed! 101 Excel Secrets

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