XL97: AutoFill Limited to 255 Characters

• Microsoft Excel 97 for Windows

SYMPTOMS

When you fill a series in a range of cells, the AutoFill feature may not update the series values in these cells. This behavior occurs if you either use the fill handle to fill a cell value down (or across) a range of cells or if you point to Fill on the Edit menu and then click Series.

CAUSE

In Microsoft Excel 97, 32767 characters may be entered into a cell, but the AutoFill feature will not work on cells that contain more than 255 characters. Instead of detecting and filling a series, Microsoft Excel will instead copy the cells.

STATUS

This is by design of Microsoft Excel 97.

MORE INFORMATION

By dragging the fill handle of a cell, you can copy that cell to other cells in the same row or column. If the cell contains a number, date, or time period that Microsoft Excel can extend in a series, the values are incremented. For example, if you have "Qtr1" (without the quotation marks) in cell A1, and you fill this down to cell A4, you will end up with the following:

   A1: Qtr1
   A2: Qtr2
   A3: Qtr3
   A4: Qtr4

REFERENCES

For more information about AutoFill, click the Index tab in Microsoft Excel Help, type the following text

   entering data, series