Professor Excel

Comments to Cells – 3 Methods for Comments and Notes (+Download)

Many Excel users like to use the comment function in Excel. Unfortunately, they come with some disadvantages (displaced, wrong size, hiding content, bad for printing, often outdated, e.g.) so that I usually recommend not to use them. Instead, I recommend using a comment column. This article describes how to transform Excel comments to cells. Extract comment text or note text of an Excel cell with these 3 methods.


How to Prevent Add-Ins to Disappear in Excel.

Excel Add-In Disappeared? 4 Methods to Prevent an Add-In to Disappear

You are using an Excel add-in that keeps disappearing? Also our add-ins, for example Professor Excel Tools, sometimes might disappear after restarting Excel. This article introduces four methods of how to prevent Excel (and other Microsoft Office) add-ins from disappearing.


Count Number of Unique Records in Excel

Count Number of Unique Records in Excel: 5 Methods (+Download)

A common task in Excel is to find out the number of different entries in a list. For example, you have a list of names and want to know, how many different people are listed as some people might be multiple times on the list. This article introduces 5 different methods of counting the number of unique records in a list, regarding two major differences.

  1. You simply want to know the number of unique records. There is no other condition to be considered.
  2. You want to know the number of different entries under one or more conditions.


Return Blank Cells Instead of Zeroes in Excel Formulas

If the return cell in an Excel formula is empty, Excel by default returns 0 instead. For example cell A1 is blank and linked to by another cell. But what if you want to show the exact return value – for empty cells as well as 0 as return values? This article introduces three different options for dealing with empty return values.


Convert Table to Column in Excel

Convert Table to One Column in Excel: 4 Easy Methods to Copy All Columns underneath Each Other

Copy table to one column in Excel

Copy table to one column

Say you have an Excel table and want to copy all column underneath each other so that you only have one column. For example, you have a table 2 rows by 4 columns like in the screenshot on the right-hand side. You want to copy and paste this table to one column. You often need such transformation for inserting PivotTables or to create database formats. This article provides 4 simple methods to transform a 2-dimensional table into one column in Excel.


Named Ranges in Excel: See and Edit Hidden Names




=+A1 vs. =A1, excel, equal-plus, equal, sign, formula

Equal-Plus in Excel: Why You Should Not Start a Formula With “=+”

You’ve probably seen it already: Starting a formula in Excel with “=+” (equal-plus) instead of just equal. So why do people use the “=+” instead of just “=”? Is there any meaning? This article describes the background of the equal-plus signs, the advantages and disadvantages.


exchange, rates, excel, currency, currencies, conversion

Currency Conversion in Excel: Tutorial + Free Excel Add-In

In today’s business world, there is hardly any Excel workbook not  using currencies and exchange rates. Example: When I want to know my revenue for the last month – let’s say of my Excel add-ins or books – I receive an Excel file containing data in various currencies. Because I’m located in Germany, I want to convert everything to Euro. That’s when the trouble starts: Which exchange rate do I use for example for converting US Dollar to Euro? And more importantly: Where do I get the currency exchange rate in a convenient and fast way?


histogram, histograms, excel, chart

Histograms in Excel: 3 Ways to Create a Histogram Chart (+Download)

A histogram chart is a great way to present your data. It groups your data into bins or classes and shows the number of items per bin. For example: Your data has “Big Mac” prices in different countries. A histogram shows how many countries have a Big Mac price between 1 and 2 USD, 2 and 3 USD and so on. 

This article introduces three methods in Excel how to create a histogram. Please also feel free to download all examples in an Excel file.