AI Blog: Over to AI Part 1

Welcome back to our AI blog.  Today, we hand over to ChatGPT!

Those of us who write articles are deeply offended if readers suggest that we have used AI instead of our own sweat and tears.  Which got us thinking: if you can’t beat them (violence is never the answer), join them.  Therefore, this week, it is “Over to AI”.  Here is an example of what it can do.

We asked ChatGPT a question to see what it came back with.  We couldn’t resist correcting for UK English, but other than that, its response is intact.  See what you think!

Provide a Brief Overview of Some of the Most Popular and Useful Features in Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is a powerful and versatile spreadsheet software that can be used for various purposes, such as data analysis, reporting, budgeting, forecasting and more.  Excel has many features and functions that can help users perform complex calculations, manipulate data, create charts and graphs and automate tasks.  Here, we will explore some of the hot topics in Excel that are widely used and appreciated by Excel users.

PIVOTTABLES AND PIVOTCHARTS

PivotTables and PivotCharts are tools that allow users to summarise, analyse and present large amounts of data in a concise and interactive way.  PivotTables can group, filter, sort and aggregate data based upon different criteria, such as categories, values or dates.  PivotCharts can display the results of PivotTables in various graphical formats, such as columns, bars, lines or pies.  PivotTables and PivotCharts can be easily updated and customised to suit different needs and preferences.

VLOOKUP AND HLOOKUP

VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP are functions that can help users find and retrieve data from a table or a range based on a given value.  VLOOKUP stands for vertical lookup, and it can search for a value in the first column of a table or a range and return a corresponding value from another column.  HLOOKUP stands for horizontal lookup, and it can search for a value in the first row of a table or a range and return a corresponding value from another row.  VLOOKUPand HLOOKUP can be useful for finding information, such as prices, names, or codes from a large database or a list.

CONDITIONAL FORMATTING

Conditional formatting is a feature that can help users highlight or format cells, rows or columns based upon certain rules or criteria.  Conditional formatting can apply different colours, fonts, icons or data bars to cells that meet specific conditions, such as values, formulae or dates.  Conditional formatting can help users visualise data, identify trends, spot errors or emphasise important information.

MACROS AND VBA

Macros and VBA are tools that can help users automate tasks and create custom functions in Excel.  Macros are sequences of commands or actions that can be recorded and run by a single click or a keyboard shortcut.  VBA stands for Visual Basic for Applications, and it is a programming language that can be used to write macros or create user-defined functions, forms or dialogs.  Macros and VBA can help users save time, reduce error, and enhance functionality in Excel.

What do you think?  Do you agree?  (We all know Liam’s thoughts on VLOOKUP…)

More next time on AI.