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Custom Numerical Fill Series

  1. #1
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    Custom Numerical Fill Series

    This should be so easy, don't know what I'm missing.

    Excel 2003-
    I have a list of numbers that I need to go

    2
    3
    4
    5
    6
    7
    8
    11
    12
    13
    14
    15
    16
    17
    20
    21
    22
    ....

    so basically, it's increment of one for seven rows, then it increments by three.

    I tried selecting the first two sets of series and then doing fill handle, but that did not work at all. I got weird numbers from it doing some sort of calculation.

    Please help!

  2. #2
    Forum Expert Paul's Avatar
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    Re: Custom Numerical Fill Series

    What if you enter the numbers 2 through 8 into A1:A7. In A8 put the formula =A1+9. Fill that down as many rows as you need.

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    Re: Custom Numerical Fill Series

    I just tried that, in the cell it says, literally =A1+9
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    Last edited by sabrinigreen; 12-21-2011 at 07:19 PM.

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    Re: Custom Numerical Fill Series

    There are cells in your workbook with a number format of: text
    Consequently, the formula is interpreted as text...not a formula.
    Change the number format of the cells to anything numeric (General, for example) and try the formula again.

    Home_tab...click: General (in the Number section)

    Does that help?
    Ron
    Former Microsoft MVP - Excel (2006 - 2015)
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    Re: Custom Numerical Fill Series

    Okay that took care of the formula problem, but I still don't see how that solves my original problem. I need this sequence 365 times.

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    Re: Custom Numerical Fill Series

    Type the formula I provided into A8. Hover your mouse over the lower right corner of A8 until the cursor changes to a + sign. Once there, click down and drag your mouse downward until you have filled as many rows as you need with that formula.

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    Re: Custom Numerical Fill Series

    okay, now I see what you mean, I wasn't seeing how that would provide my three step increment every seven rows. I think that will work. I'll let you know. but seriously, shouldn't there be an easier way to do this?
    Thank you for your help.

  8. #8
    Forum Expert Paul's Avatar
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    Re: Custom Numerical Fill Series

    As far as features go in any application, the designers have to take into account the cost effectiveness of coding a feature vs. not doing so, realizing that there are other - perhaps not as automated - ways to do so within the application.

    This is one of those cases, I suppose. How many people truly need the ability to fill 7 (or any random amount of consecutive cells) with consecutive numbers, create a value gap of some random amount, and then create another grouping of that many consecutive numbers? Considering it can be done in under 10 seconds using the method I proposed, it's probably not a high priority to build it into the application.

    If this is something you actually do quite often, you could create a macro that prompts you for a start value, the # of consecutive cells to fill, a gap amount, and a stop amount. Would the time to code that + the time to fill in the values each time really make it easier to create such lists? Probably not by a whole lot.

    Glad I could help, though!

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