Counting Shaded Cells

[H L Davis]

I would like to:
1) make it where I can go thru a spreadsheet and shade an empty cell in a column with one keystroke
2) total the shaded cells in that column at the bottom for a numerical sum (total # of shaded cells)
Can anybody help with that? I'm intermediate at best with Excel so please respond in elementary terms. THANK YOU!

[TheExcelphile]

You could use conditional formatting, so every blank cell gets shaded automatically.
Use COUNTBLANK to count the number of blank cells.

[TheExcelphile]

If you want us to show you how to do this, attach a sample file and we'll do it for you.

[ChemistB]

Excel has no built in function to count colored or shaded cells. If you are using some criteria (i.e. all blank cells or even all blank cells which have text to their left) that can be achieved (as Excelphile aluded to). Otherwise, you would need to run VBA to count shaded cells within a range.

[H L Davis]

Ok, here it is. See the totaled columns at the bottom. I'd like to just have some of the cells shaded in those columns and count only shaded cells. Be great if I could shade them with 1 keystroke. THANK YOU!

[TheExcelphile]

Sorry, H L Davis, seems like your attachment didn't come through.

[H L Davis]

Sorry..............1st time I've used this forum and cannot even find the blasted attachment icon! 'Help' menu says there's a "Browse" button at the message bottom to insert attachments but not one on my page. Feeling pretty stupid here --------- any advice?

[ChemistB]

Be great if I could shade them with 1 keystroke.

I can help you with that part.
Record a macro, should be a small icon lower left next to "Ready". If it's not there, then on the View Tab> Macros dropdown record macro
The macro window will open up. You can enter a shortcut key here.
After "OK" go to the View Tab> Macros Dropdown and choose Relative References
In the active cell, right click and format cells>Fill and select your shading "OK"
Close macro
Now you can select your cell and use shortcut key to shade or select multiple cells holding down the cntrl key and use the shortcut key.
Is that what you are looking for?

[ChemistB]

Edit post> Go Advanced> Manage Attachments. I agree, could be more obvious.