You'll select an Excel file, generate an app, and then run the app that you generate. Every generated app includes screens to browse records, show record details, and create or update records. By generating an app, you can quickly get a working app using Excel data, and then you can customize the app to better suit your needs.
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As you create Excel spreadsheets for your small business, time and date functions frequently add both convenience and programming capability to your workbooks. There's good news with date functions. These are the same now as they have been for years, and the methods below work with versions of Excel from the current Office 365 for both PC and Mac, back to Excel 2007.
Tip
You can create an updating date cell using the Excel Today function.
Set Current Date in Excel
The easiest way to add the current date in Excel is to simply type the date. For instance, typing '2018-07-31' in a cell is automatically detected as a date. The cell can be formatted to accept dates in that form, and you can choose the display format to which the date converts when you press Enter. For example, '2018-07-31' can be automatically reformatted as 'July 31, 2018.' This can make data entry simple while creating data that's easy to read.
Auto Update the Date
However, a manually typed date is fixed. July 31, 2018 will always be July 31, 2018, and in many cases, that will be what you want. Entering daily sales data requires a static date, for example. There are occasions, however, when you need a date to change each time you open a spreadsheet, and sometimes it's simply helpful to have the current date visible on your worksheet. To insert a date in Excel that changes with the current date, you can use the Today function.
The Excel Today Function
The Excel Today function is simple to use and works with virtually all versions of Excel. You can manually enter the Today function or you can choose it from the Formulas tab on the Ribbon.
Manually Entering the Today Function
Select the cell in which you want the current date to appear. Type '=TODAY()' without the quotation marks and press Enter. The current date now appears in the cell, in the default date format.
Using the Formulas Tab
Select the cell in which you want the current date to appear. Click the Formulas tab, then click Date & Time on the Ribbon. Select TODAY from the drop-down menu. Click OK in the Function Arguments dialog box and the current date now appears in the cell, in the default date format.
Changing the Default Date Format
Right-click your cell with the current date and select Format Cells. Choose the date format you wish to use for the date. Each time you open the spreadsheet, this cell automatically updates to the current date, in the format of your choosing.
Convert Updating Date to Static
If you create a spreadsheet to monitor inventory, for example, you may use the same spreadsheet each time you do an inventory count, but each count needs a static date, so that you can compare August's inventory to July's, for instance.
Adding an auto update date in Excel can save you data entry time, but you'll need to convert the automatic date to static format for saving the current inventory. This is accomplished simply, by pressing F2 to edit the cell, then F9 to recalculate the cell. Excel changes the Today function formula to the numerical value of the current date. When you press Enter, the current date still displays, but this cell no longer updates. You can now save July's inventory with a fixed date.
Tip
The Excel NOW function works the same as the TODAY function, however it returns both the current date and time when the spreadsheet is open. This is handy for a master spreadsheet you may use several times a day. Converted to a static time and date creates a time stamp, helpful when you need to determine the most recent version.
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About the Author
With degrees in Photography and Recorded Music Production, Scott spent over 20 years as an Operations Manager with Kodak before starting a second career as a freelance content creator specializing in business, accounting and tax topics. Periodicals include FIVE Magazine and Your Business for the Your Magazines Canada group and online clients include TurboTax, Office Depot, Hyundai USA and VISA. www.shpak60.ca
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Shpak, Scott. 'How to Make a Cell on Microsoft Excel With a Changing Date.' Small Business - Chron.com, http://smallbusiness.chron.com/make-cell-microsoft-excel-changing-date-67379.html. 05 April 2019.
Shpak, Scott. (2019, April 05). How to Make a Cell on Microsoft Excel With a Changing Date. Small Business - Chron.com. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/make-cell-microsoft-excel-changing-date-67379.html
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