Lessons Lesson 13

Editing Shortcuts: F2, Escape, Enter, Tab and F4

About this lesson

F2 opens the selected cell for editing. Escape cancels the edit. Enter and Tab confirm it and move down or right. F4 changes the reference under the cursor between relative, absolute and mixed.

By the end you can

  • open a cell for editing with F2 and abandon an edit with Escape.
  • confirm an entry and move down with Enter or across with Tab.
  • cycle a reference through its locked forms with F4.

By Ali, Founder, Excel Lessons

The idea

These are the keys for the part of spreadsheet work nobody counts: fixing what is already there. F2 opens a cell without deleting what is in it. It shows every reference in a formula in its own colour. Escape gets you out of an edit you regret. Enter and Tab confirm and move, down or right. Shift with either one goes backwards.

F4 is the one people go years without learning. With the cursor on a reference in a formula, it changes B7 to $B$7, then B$7, then $B7, and round again. So a lock is one key press instead of two typed dollar signs in the right places. Outside an edit, F4 repeats the last action instead. That is a different and also useful thing.

The mistake to watch for

Retyping a whole cell to change one digit. F2 opens the cell with everything still in it. Escape cancels the edit and leaves no trace. And F4 with the cursor on a reference changes it through the four locked forms. That is faster and safer than typing dollar signs.

Read more about this

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Press the shortcut

F2 opens the selected cell for editing and keeps what is in it. The count in C2 is wrong by one digit.

Press F2.

That saves typing the whole number again.

A1
Part
Row A B C D E F G
1 Part Bin Stock Reorder at
2 Hinge A3 140 50
3 Bracket A4 32 40
4 Bolt M6 B1 910 300
5 Washer B2 1200 500
6 Castor C1 18 12
7
8

Every step

  1. 1

    F2 opens the selected cell for editing and keeps what is in it. The count in C2 is wrong by one digit. Press F2. That saves typing the whole number again.

    Hint. A function key, on the top row.

  2. 2

    The Escape key (Esc) cancels an edit and leaves the cell as it was. You see the old number was right. Press Esc.

    Hint. Top-left corner of the keyboard.

  3. 3

    The Enter key confirms the entry and moves down one cell. You typed a new count for the bracket. Press Enter.

    Hint. It confirms and goes down.

  4. 4

    Tab confirms the entry and moves one cell to the right. That is the key for filling a row across. Press Tab.

    Hint. Left of Q.

  5. 5

    ShiftTab goes back one cell to the left. You went one cell too far. Press ShiftTab.

    Hint. Shift, and the key from the last step.

  6. 6

    F4 changes the reference under the cursor: B7, $B$7, B$7, $B7. You are editing a formula, with the cursor on B7. Press F4. Each press gives the next form, and you never type a dollar sign.

    Hint. A function key, near F2.