UseExcel: Cell Comments

I like to think of Excel cell comments as an added dimension available to us on a worksheet. I use Excel cell comments to provide explanations as to how I did my work in Excel. Excel cell comments are low tech alternative to View, Toolbars, Formula Auditing. This page is based on material that can be found at the UseExcel page Picnic Example

Inserting a Comment

Insert Comment
Figure 1: Insert a Comment in cell G11.
Comments belong in cells. To insert a Comment into a cell, right-click over the cell you want the Comment in. You will see a menu that looks like the one in Figure 1.
Starting the Comment
Figure 2: Starting the Comment.
Figure 2 shows what the start of a comment looks like. Excel automatically adds your Windows login name, and the font is bold.
Clearing the Comment
Figure 3: Clearing the Comment.
The first thing that I do myself after I start inserting a Comment is backspace to clear out the Windows login name that Excel automatically adds. Figure 3.
Adding the Comment
Figure 4: Adding the Comment.
After backspacing and clearing the default comment, we are ready to add our Comment, "Based on Avg. Exp. Per Person in Cell D18". Notice that the Bold formating icon is selected, reminding me that our Comment content is bold. Figure 4.
Formating the Comment
Figure 5: Formating the Comment.
We don't want my Comment content to be bold. So we select all of our Comment content with the mouse. Figure 5.
Clicking the Bold formating icon
Figure 6: Clicking the Bold formating icon.
We click the Bold formating icon. Note the yellow tool-tip. Figure 6.
Comment content not bold anymore.
Figure 7: Comment content not bold anymore.
Now the Comment content is not bold anymore. Figure 7.
Resizing the Comment.
Figure 8: Resizing the Comment.
We use the sizing handles at the corners and the middle of the sides of the Comment box to minimize the Comment size, especially if we are going to leave it showing all of the time. If we want to, we can move the Comment box around by clicking and holding down on the outer sizing handle border. Don't click on the actual sizing handle though since that will resize the Comment box again. Figure 8.
Finishing the Comment.
Figure 9: Finishing the Comment.
Finally, we click outside the Comment box to finish it and "close" it. Cell G11 now has a red triangle in the top right corner of the cell. Figure 9.
Finishing the Comment.
Figure 10: Hovering over the Comment.
Even though the active cell is still cell G12, if we hover the mouse pointer over cell G11, the Comment will appear as a yellow tool-tip. Figure 10.
Show/Hide the Comment.
Figure 11: Show/Hide the Comment.
We can show and hide the Comment by right-clicking over cell G11 and select the Show/Hide menu item. Figure 11.

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