About filling in data based on adjacent cells
You can quickly fill in several types of data series by selecting cells and dragging the fill handle or by using the Series command (point to Fill on the Edit menu, and then click Series).
Copy data within a row or column By dragging the fill handle of a cell, you can copy the contents of a cell to other cells in the same row or column.
Fill in a series of numbers, dates, or other items Microsoft Excel can automatically continue a series of numbers, number/text combinations, dates, or time periods based on a pattern you establish. For example, the initial selections in the following table are extended as shown. Items separated by commas are in adjacent cells.
| Initial selection | Extended series |
|---|---|
| 1, 2, 3 | 4, 5, 6 |
| 9:00 | 10:00, 11:00, 12:00 |
| Mon | Tue, Wed, Thu |
| Monday | Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday |
| Jan | Feb, Mar, Apr |
| Jan, Apr | Jul, Oct, Jan |
| Jan-99, Apr-99 | Jul-99, Oct-99, Jan-00 |
| 15-Jan, 15-Apr | 15-Jul, 15-Oct |
| 1999, 2000 | 2001, 2002, 2003 |
| 1-Jan, 1-Mar | 1-May, 1-Jul, 1-Sep,... |
| Qtr3 (or Q3 or Quarter3) | Qtr4, Qtr1, Qtr2,... |
| text1, textA | text2, textA, text3, textA,... |
| 1st Period | 2nd Period, 3rd Period,... |
| Product 1 | Product 2, Product 3,... |
If the selection contains numbers, you can control whether to create a linear series or a growth series.
Create a custom fill series You can create a custom fill series for frequently used text entries, such as your company's sales regions.