Microsoft Excel XP/X
Using the Find & Replace Features
Excel offers many shortcuts when working with the program. Two of these time-saving techniques are the Find and Replace features, which can rapidly change the content of your worksheets. The following topics are discussed in this document:
Using the Find Feature
The Find feature can be helpful if you are trying to locate information not currently visible on the screen. You can search for information used in formulas, values, and notes.
Finding Information
- From the Edit menu, select Find...
OR
Windows: Press [Ctrl]+[F]
The Find and Replace dialog box appears.
Macintosh: Press [control]+[F]
The Find dialog box appears.
-
In the Find what text box, type the text or data you are searching for
-
OPTIONAL: Adjust the search options
-
Click FIND NEXT
The information you are looking for will be selected.
NOTES:
Clicking FIND NEXT again will find subsequent occurrences of the information in the document.
If Excel cannot find the information you are looking for, a message to that effect will be displayed. -
To close the dialog box, click CLOSE
Searching Options
You can limit the results of a search by using the available search options.
Windows:
- From the Find and Replace dialog box, click OPTIONS
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Format |
Match content when specific formatting is applied |
| Within |
Limit the search area to a portion of the worksheet. |
| Search By |
Control the order of the search: left to right (columns) or top to bottom (rows). |
|
Look In |
Limit search to type of content: values, formulas, comments. |
|
Match Case |
Limit search results to cells in which the case is an exact match. Example: Spring instead of spring. |
|
Match Entire Cell Contents |
Limit search results to cells where an exact match occurs. Example: Smith will locate Smith but not Chris Smith. |
Macintosh:
- From the Find dialog box select the appropriate options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Search By |
Control the order of the search: left to right (columns) or top to bottom (rows). |
|
Look In |
Limit search to type of cells: values, formulas, comments. |
|
Match Case |
Limit search results to cells in which the case is an exact match. Example: Spring instead of spring. |
|
Find Entire Cells Only |
Limit search results to cells where an exact match occurs. Example: Smith will locate Smith but not Chris Smith. |
Using the Replace Feature
The Replace feature is useful when you want to change the same piece of information throughout your worksheet.
NOTE: Use the Replace option to replace each occurrence of the information individually. Clicking FIND NEXT will advance to and review subsequent occurrences.
WARNING: Use the Replace All option with caution! If you do not first select specific cells to change, this option will replace your selected information throughout the entire document.
Replacing Information
-
OPTIONAL: If you do not wish to replace the information throughout the entire document, select only those cells that you want to change
To select non-contiguous cells:
Windows: Press [Ctrl] and click the cell(s)
Macintosh: Press [Control] and click the cell(s) - From the Edit menu, select Replace...
OR
Windows: Press [Ctrl] + [H]
The Find and Replace dialog box appears.
Macintosh: Press [control]+[H]
The Replace dialog box appears.
- In the Find what text box, type the information you want to find
- In the Replace with text box, type the new information that will replace the found information
- OPTIONAL:Adjust the search options
- Click REPLACE or REPLACE ALL
WARNING: Use the Replace All option with caution! If you do not first select specific cells to change, this option will replace your selected information throughout the entire document.
- To close the dialog box, click CLOSE
The old information is replaced with the new.
