Keyboard Shortcuts - I'm a huge nerd

nothing wrong with the mouse, you only save like 2 seconds by doing the short cuts. But good list anyway :)

Good job man. Very impressive and helpful. Although I must admit that for an analyst, you must have a lot of time to do this.

3 months away from VP. I'm between projects and waiting for a client's go-ahead. Having a blast reading these boards though. The scars from my analyst years are still fresh enough to remember. A banker has to keep his skills fresh! How can I ask for something if I couldn't do it myself?

I sympathize tremendously with someone who is totally intolerant of being bored.

This seems like a clear act of desperation in trying to avoid being bored. I salute you, sir.

Id say they save you 2 seconds per action while making a model...shortcuts save a considerable amount of time. And dont forget alll the alt + letters combinations in excel. Its just quick menu use, not exactly shortcuts, but they are incredibly time saving

Shift-Space is select row.
Ctrl-Space is select column.

Works well in conjunction with Ctrl-9 and -0, which I didn't know about, instead using the second windows key, AKA "action key" and "h". But on a ThinkPad there is no action key so that is useful.

Shift-Ctrl + 1-0 will do instant formating.

1 is number with two decimals; 4 is currency format, 5 is percent format, etc... Play around with them.

Ctrl-y can be used to repeat the action again and again. Very useful, especially when working with tables in word. A tip for word this reminds me of is to never delete colums in a table. Erase the contents and merge the column, line by line, with the adjoining column. This will allow you to maintain formating better.

Being able to navigate excel with the keyboard only saves a lot of time.

I've got a couple that for some reason people don't seem to know:

Ctrl + Shift + - (minus): remove all borders in selection.

^ This one saves me a considerable amount of time

Ctrl + Shift + 7: Apply border around selection.

Alt + ; : Define Styles dialog

Ctrl + ; : Insert current date

Ctrl + 1 : Format cells dialog (duh, the most used)

All the Ctrl-Shifts are massive time savers.

Do you have any idea what you are talking about? I hope you say that in an interview.

Yeah. In training, we did all our work with the mouse turned over so we couldn't use it. The mouse is definitely not a tool you want to admit to relying on in this business. Those two seconds start to rack up when you're doing something hundreds of times.

I sometimes use the mouse if I'm particularly bored with a task to mix it up a bit but I inevitably get annoyed and go back to the keyboard. Most of the shortcuts I know about I've found out by accident...tough to remember a long list of them from day one.

I remember in my first week being taken through the comp template by a senior analyst and him telling me "you need to play that keyboard like a piano" which at the time I thought was amusing/ sad. I totally get it now though.

is there a hot key for the paint brush, what about outlining cells?

Is there a shortcut to tab between frames on a webpage?

Don't know of a hot-key for the paintbrush, although you can Alt, then Ctrl-Tab your way through any item in the toolbar. Besides, if by the paintbrush you mean the format painter, why not just copy and Alt-e-s-t?

Ctrl + Shift + 7 inserts a border outline for the selected group of cells.

good call

,but I still think that shortcuts are a bit hyped up.

I don't really think they save that much time. (being worth 2 seconds of efficiency each) I could save more time per day by going on one less 2 minute restroom break.

you save a lot more time than that with keyboard shortcuts.

all the alt e-s's will save you a lot of time.

the key is having both hands on the keyboard at all times--very efficient.

Alt+shift left/right arrow to group/ungroup rows or columns

Anyone that says shortcuts don't save time doesn't know them.

Force yourself to use them for a week and thank us later.

Excel:
I don't like Ctrl 0 and 9 - better to use Alt D G G and Alt D G H to hide rows so that you can get them back when wanted, easily.

To fill things quickly and change font colors quickly, move those two buttons into your first row of action keys, near the beginning. If you hit Alt and release (highlights the menus) then hit Ctrl+tab, it'll drop you down to the tool bars.

For powerpoint:
Alt R A T (or R A L, R A R, R A B) to align objects to top, left, right, bottom respectively

Alt E O O open embedded object

Alt V C G to set grayscale mode so you can fix those little boxes in the bottom corner hiding your logo.

Alt V I I to get some drawing guidelines (not gridlines, lines you can physically move yourself)

For all you haters, live a few days in the analyst's cube and you'll thank your lucky stars for shortcuts.

Incoming analyst season I see...

Does anyone know where the thread can be reached which had the list? I accessed it a few weeks back but do not see it in the thread anymore.

Thanks

I suppose this shows that I am an even bigger nerd; I saved the list.

F4 in explorer = drop down url box
Windows + D; Windows + M = desktop
Alt + Tab = change applications
F5 = refresh
shift + F5 clears the cache in case explorer gives you an old version of the page
Window-E = launch windows explorer

General

Control + Esc = open start button in windows
Good general recommendation = pry out your F1 key and just leave the void. Your IT people will freak out, but keep it nearby to show them you still have it. This avoids bringing up the “Help” in a given application when you fat finger the F2 key.
F12 is Save As in most applications
Control + Print Scrn = takes a picture of the screen – good when something can’t be copied from the internet – just paste it into powerpoint or word and crop it.
In most applications:
Control + C = Copy
Control + X = Cut
Control + V = Paste
Control + S = Save
Control + P = Print
Control + O = Open file
Control + Z = Undo
Control + Y = Redo

Alt + underlined letter + underlined letter etc. navigates you through the drop-down menus.

In Excel:

F2 to audit a cell – highlights precedents in color
Control + ] = go to dependants
Control + [ = go to precedents (these are my favorites - auditing functions)
Control + N = New spreadsheet
Control + 1 = Format Cells
Control + page up/page down = navigates through Tabs – Shift at the same time highlights them. Be very wary of highlighting multiple tabs and making changes as the changes are made in all highlighted cells.
F4 = perform previous function (also a key function)
Control + 2 or Control + B = Bold
Control + 3 or Control + I = Italics
Control + 4 or Control + U = Underline
Control + 9 = Hide rows
Control + 0 (zero) = Hide Columns
Lock rows and columns in a formula using F4
F5 = Go to (either type a cell reference or it should have a list of “named” cells)
Type words into Name Box to create an absolute reference to that cell (as in name a box Interest_Rate will always reference that cell throughout the model – very useful)
Alt + Enter to do a “soft return” in excel – same cell but on a separate line
Alt + the = sign = sum the above numbers
Control + ~ = show all formulas (this can be scary if hit accidentally – just do Control ~ again to undo this)
Control + Curser = goes to last input in a series of inputs
Shift + Control + curser = highlight an area (typically to format a series of numbers)
Control + F = Find – great if you have word references
Control + A = Select all (good for globally changing font etc.)

In Powerpoint

Control + G = Gridlines
Highlighting an object while holding the Control key moves the item on either a vertical or horizontal plane; holding the shift key copies the object and (when the control tab is held) moves it on a horizontal or vertical plane
F5 goes to slideshow mode

All keystroke combinations for all programs on all operating systems... link is for Excel 2003, but feel free to browse around http://www.keyxl.com/aaab2f6/9/Microsoft-Excel-spreadsheet-keyboard-shor...

Thanks...Much appreciated

Have any of you made the transition to '07? Comments?

nice. very nice.

F4 is quicker than CTRL+y in Excel

Anyone know how to move from a cell to the fx bar to edit something?

Thanks!

F2?

thanks for the Alt + "=" . it is really helpful. i used to rather write the formula on the keyboard than having to click the sigma sign with the mouse.

and you need the keyboard shortcuts, not for the 2 seconds,but it is just that using the mouse becomes really irritating and annoying, anyone who works a lot with excel should know that. sometimes you do stuff that take a few more seconds with the keyboard just not to use the mouse, and having to lift your hand, take it off the keyboard and click the mouse, then putting your hand back to the keyboard. it is just annoying.

btw, i am not doing an internship in IB but somewhere else. i hope i get one next summer.

i find the key on many keyboards next to the control key that looks like a mouse pointer.... which is used as a function key can be very handy in excel. they are the same shortcuts that you can get to with other shortcuts but often cuts down one key.

i.e.) paste special
(alt e s)
or
(special s)

yeah its just one key but might help.

I always hit F1 instead of F2 and was about to DDT my monitor one night when I found out Ctrl+F1 takes away the help menu....

rip the F1 key off your keyboard.... but wait until you are pissed off because it feels really good to do it.

F9 - Update

:)

F9 - Update
F9 - Update
F9 - Update
F9 - Update!!!!!!!

sick post

'ctrl'+'tab' to switch between tabs on firefox

To all you newbies out there, Take note. There is a reason this thread is the 2nd most forwarded thread on WSO.

Shortcuts can make your life 100x easier as an analyst. And you save MUCH more than 2 minutes per day.

Crtl + Page Up/Page Down = Move between tabs in an Excel Workbook

You can access these free and other xls mumbo-jumbo here:

http://www.wallstreetprep.com/community/excel_resources.php

This is a good custom excel shortcuts add-in:

http://www.simpleshortcuts.net

Does anyone know a short-cut to auto adjust the column width or row height to fit the text in those cells? (equivalent of double clicking ie. in between the A and B column labels at the top)

^^

Consultant in the house, biatches.

Control - Space, Alt - O, C, A

or

Shirt - Space, Alt - O, R, A

P.S. Some use of the mouse is actually quicker (i.e. selecting a background color in the formatting dialog box--do you really want to hit the arrow that many times?)

P.P.S. Thanks for reminding me about Alt - = and Control - ] and Control - [.

P.P.P.S. My favorite formating command of all time, center across selection, is Control - 1, H, Tab, C, C, Enter, Enter

Merging cells is for noobs.

It's A, not H - but I'm sure most idiots could figure that out.

good stuff. Thanks

I'm really suprised no one has mentioned the following (which has made my life so, so much easier):

To truly unlock the power of Excel - create your own shortcuts. To assign a shortcut key to any of the toolbar buttons, do the following.

1. Right click on the toolbar area at the top of excel - a menu will pop-down
2. Click "Customize..." at the bottom of the pop-down menu - this will open a dialogue box.
3. While this dialogue box is open, you're still able to click 'behind' the dialogue box on any of the buttons in the toolbars.

4. Pick the button that you want to assign an alt + "any key" shortcut to. For this example, lets choose the 'remove decimal' button (for clarity, the button which if you're on a cell(s) with "0.00" formatting if you click once, removes one decminal place, click twice and it removes the second decimal place,).
5. Right click on this button and you'll get another pop-down menu.
6. Check off "Image and Text"
7. In the Name Dialogue box of this same pop-down menu replace the current entry with "&." (where the & = the 'alt' key, and the "." equals the corresponding shortcut key)
8. Click anywhere to exit the pop-down menu, then exit from the Customize menu.
9. Now take a look at your button. It should have your shortcut key (".") next to it with an underline.
10. Now in your sheet type a number, format it to two decimal places, then use your new alt + "." (although i think of it as alt + ">", and my add decimal place key is alt + "<")

As you might have discerned, the possibilities with this feature are endless. I've created shortcuts for cell justification, adding the "," for thousands, indenting. These shortcuts esstially eliminate the need to alt > release > ctrl + tab your way to these buttons.

When you're in customize mode (step #2 and #3 above) you can also move all the toolbar buttons into a more favorable position to (if you must) make your alt > release > ctrl + tabbing a little faster (e.g. move your border button or your text style and size all the way to the left)

My favorite shortcut of all:

In the customize dialogue box (step #2 above), go to the "Commands" menu tab and find the Font Color and Fill Color buttons (in the Format category). Drag these two items, into the Format menu at the very top of Excel and place them where you please in the menu (towards the top). Then go to this format menu (where you just dragged the button) and right click on it - this will drop down a similar menu as above (step #5) where you can make the same changes as you did in the decimal place example above (e.g. make sure the Name box is set to "&Font Color" - note, whichever letter the "&" preceeds will be your shortcut key). Then do the same thing to the Fill color button, setting the Name box to: "Font C&olor".

Now monkeys you can alt + o + f and alt + o + o your way to font and cell coloring bliss. Might take a bit to get used to, but now I find that if i'm using a computer that doesn't have these keys programmed, I go insane.

you're welcome

Wow so amazing, i just showed a couple other analysts in my office lol.

But I couldnt get the "image and text" to show for fillcolor and fontcolor. Is this something just available for excel2007??

no, this should work for 2003, it works for me

i should have specified..
you dont have to check off Image and Text for any of the shortcuts in the menus (font and cell color in this case). Just make sure the "Name" box shows:

for Font Color -> "&Font Color"
for Fill Color -> "Fill C&olor"

This shortcut now functions like any other menu short cuts (like alt + e + s, for example) as opposed to the toolbar shortcuts that i outlined. So for example, for Font Color hit alt + o + f and then use your cursor key to find the desired color then hit enter. go have a ball.

oh cool, thanks!
Its funny to say but finding out some of these tricks is so F'ing exciting