Microsoft KB Archive/174444

= XL97: AutoComplete May Not Work =

Article ID: 174444

Article Last Modified on 10/22/2000

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APPLIES TO


 * Microsoft Excel 97 Standard Edition

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This article was previously published under Q174444





SYMPTOMS
When you type text in a cell, and the first few characters of the text you type match an existing entry in that column, the AutoComplete feature may not automatically fill the remaining characters.



CAUSE
In Microsoft Excel 97, the AutoComplete feature may not fill remaining characters if the algorithm Microsoft Excel uses detects a header row in the list.



STATUS
This behavior is by design of Microsoft Excel.



Example
When you use the steps in the following example, the AutoComplete feature does not appear to function properly.

NOTE: The text strings that are surrounded by quotation marks in the following steps should not be entered with the quotation marks.


 * 1) Save and close any open workbooks, and then create a new workbook.
 * 2) In cell A1 enter ABC in uppercase.
 * 3) In cell A2 type a in lowercase and do not press ENTER.

The AutoComplete feature automatically inserts "aBC" in cell A2.
 * 1) Continue typing abc in lowercase in cell A2, and then press ENTER.

This overwrites the text that is suggested by AutoComplete.
 * 1) In cell B1, enter ABC in uppercase.
 * 2) In cell B2, type a in lowercase and do not press ENTER.

The AutoComplete feature does not automatically suggest "aBC" in cell B2 as it does in step 3.

Because the characters in cell A1 are all uppercase, and the characters in cell A2 are all lowercase, Microsoft Excel determines that Row 1 is a list header row. The algorithm for the AutoComplete feature does not generate suggested text if the first row is considered a list header row. This behavior also occurs if characters in cell A2 are uppercase and lowercase.

