Apply formula to the entire column

Question

I'm changing all the zip codes from Column A into Column B with the formula:

=TEXT(A1,"00000")

Like this:

I want every cell in Column B to be transformed using the formula above. But I have over 40,000 rows, so it is not feasible to drag the formula down to apply it to the entire Column B because it takes so long.

Are there any alternatives to dragging?

Answer 1

It looks like some of the other answers have become outdated, but for me this worked:

1. Click on the cell with the text/formula to copy
2. Shift+Click on the last cell to copy to
3. Ctrl + Enter

(Note that this replaces text if the destination cells aren't empty)

Answer 2

I think it's a more recent feature, but it works for me:

Double clicking the square on the bottom right of the highlighted cell copies the formula of the highlighted cell.

Hope it helps.

Answer 3

I think you are in luck. Please try entering in B1:

=text(A1:A,"00000")

(very similar!) but before hitting Enter hit Ctrl + Shift + Enter .

Answer 4

This worked for me:

• Input the formula in the first cell.
• Press Enter .
• Click on the first cell and press Ctrl + Shift + down_arrow . This will select the last cell in the column used on the worksheet.
• Ctrl + D . This will fill copy the formula in the remaining cells.

Answer 5

This is for those who want to overwrite the column cells quickly (without cutting and copying). This is the same as double-clicking the cell box but unlike double-clicking, it still works after the first try.

1. Select the column cell you would like to copy downwards
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + ⇓ to select the cells below
3. Press Ctrl + Enter to copy the contents of the first cell into the cells below

BONUS:

The shortcut for going to the bottom-most content (to double-check the copy) is Ctrl + ⇓ . To go back up you can use Ctrl + ⇑ but if your top rows are frozen you'll also have to press Enter a few times.

Answer 6

For Mac:

Click on the first cell having the formula and press Ctrl + Shift + down_arrow. This will select the last cell in the column used on the worksheet.

---

Command + D

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(don't use ctrl) . This will fill the formula in the remaining cells.

Answer 7

Let's say you want to substitute something in an array of string and you don't want to perform the copy-paste on your entire sheet .

Let's take this as an example:

• String array in column "A": {apple, banana, orange, ..., avocado}
• You want to substitute the char of "a" to "x" to have: {xpple, bxnxnx, orxnge, ..., xvocado}

To apply this formula on the entire column (array) in a clean an elegant way, you can do:

=ARRAYFORMULA(SUBSTITUE(A:A, "a", "x"))

It works for 2D-arrays as well, let's say:

=ARRAYFORMULA(SUBSTITUE(A2:D83, "a", "x"))

Answer 8

Found another solution:

• Apply the formula to the first 3 or 4 cells of the column
• Ctrl + C the formula in one of the last rows (if you copy the first line it won't work)
• Click on the column header to select the whole column
• Press Ctrl + V to paste it in all cells bellow

Answer 9

Just so I don't lose my answer that works:

1. Select the cell to copy
2. Select the final cell in the column
3. Press CTRL + D

Answer 10

You can use Ctrl+Shift+Down+D to add the formula to every cell in the column as well.

Simply click/highlight the cell with the equation/formula you want to copy and then hold down Ctrl+Shift+Down+D and your formula will be added to each cell.

Answer 11

The exact formula is:

=ArrayFormula(text(A1:A,"00000"))

ArrayFormula works on multiple rows (in the above example, every row), and results are placed in the cell with the formula and the cells below it in the same column. It looks as if the same formula was copied into all those rows.

If any of the cells in that column are not empty, they won't get overwritten. Instead, you will get an error message.

To save yourself typing, you can use the trick from the answer above by pnuts :

Type: =text(A1:A,"00000") and then hit the following key combination:

• On windows: Ctrl + Shift + Enter

• On a MAC: Command + Shift + Enter

This will convert the formula to ArrayFormula .

After hitting the key combination, you need to hit Enter, to actually apply the converted formula.

If your sheet contains header row(s), and you want to apply formula from (for example) row 5 on, you would use =text(A5:A,"00000") instead.

This answer includes information from pnuts 's answer and LOAS 's comment.

Answer 12

To be clear when you us the drag indicator it will only copy the cell values down the column whilst there is a value in the adjacent cell in a given row. As soon as the drag operation sees an adjacent cell that is blank it will stop copying the formula down.

.eg

1,a,b
2,a
3,
4,a

If the above is a spreadsheet then using the double click drag indicator on the 'b' cell will fill row 2 but not row three or four.

Answer 13

Well, Another easiest and simplest way is as in my file rows were above 16000, which is pretty huge number. So steps which helped me are:

1. Select the cell in which formula is written.
2. Then go to NameBox (it is the box which tells about active cell). Here in my case it was the cell where was formula was written(ie P2).
3. Then in that cell type your active cell number:your last row .For example last row of my column was 16745 and formula was written in P2 . So write P2:P16745 ,
4. Press Enter in Name Box and bingo your whole area of column till last row is selected.
5. Now press Ctrl+D (Windows)

Answer 14

Lambda Solution

Using the new LAMBDA and MAP functions, this is now doable without an ArrayFormula or having to drag anything.

=MAP(A2:A6, LAMBDA(value, TEXT(value, "00000")))

• LAMBDA defines a function. value is the parameter, which we can use in the formula expression.
• MAP applies the LAMBDA to each value in the given range. This also works on 2D ranges.

Answer 15

try:

=INDEX(TEXT(A2:A; "00000"))

advantages: short, works, smells nice

to map out empty cells you can do:

=INDEX(IF(A2:A="";;TEXT(A2:A; "00000")))

Answer 16

You may fill the column by double-clicking on the bottom right hand corner of the cell which you want to copy from (the point on the box that you would otherwise drag) and it will be applied to whole column.

NB: This doesn't work if you have the filter applied, nor if there is already something already in the cells below.