Excel's wonderful uses: use check boxes to automatically generate timestamps to efficiently track task progress! This article will guide you step by step how to automatically record timestamps using check boxes in Excel, clearly track the start and end time of a task, and calculate the completion time.

Step 1: Format the table

Suppose you have a to-do list that needs to track the start and end times of each task. First, name your column (for example: task name, person in charge, start, start, end, completed, total duration).

Next, for the sake of aesthetics and ease of calculation, the data area is formatted into a table. Select any data cell, click "Format Table" in the "Start" tab, and select the table style you like.

In the Create Table dialog box, check "My Table contains titles" and click "OK".

Your form is now ready.

Step 2: Set the time data type

Before adding check boxes and formulas, you need to set the data type of the columns used to display time (such as Start, End, Total Time columns) to "Time".

Select the columns that need to display the time (if there are multiple columns, press and hold the Ctrl key to select one by one). If the table has many rows, you can first select the cell corresponding to the first row and press the Ctrl Shift down arrow key to quickly select the entire column. Repeat this to select another column.

In the "Number" group on the "Start" tab, click the "Number Format" drop-down menu and select "Time".

Excel uses HH:MM:SS format to display time by default. To change, click the "Number Format" drop-down menu again, select "Other Number Format", select the format you need, or customize the date and time format (for example: dd/mm/yyyy hh:mm:ss).

Step 3: Add a check box

Now, in the columns that need to add check boxes (such as "Started" and "Finished" columns), select the first row cell and click "Checkbox" in the "Insert" tab. If the option is not found, enter the "check box" in the top search bar and click.

Select the first check box cell, double-click the fill handle in the lower right corner, and fill the check box to the remaining cells in the column.

For other columns that require check boxes, repeat the above steps or copy and paste the created check box column.

Step 4: Enable iterative computing

In order for the timestamp formula to work properly, Excel's iterative calculation function needs to be enabled.

Press Alt > F > T to open the Excel Options dialog box and check "Enable iterative calculation" in the "Formula" menu.

After clicking "OK", the appearance of the table will not change, but you are ready for the next step.

Note: Enabling iterative computing may affect Excel performance and may cause circular reference issues, please use with caution.

Step 5: Apply the formula

The last step is to create a formula that generates a timestamp when the check box is selected. The following formula will be used for the "Start Time" column (assuming that the "Start" column is column C and the "Start Time" column is column D):

=IF([@已開始],IF([@[開始時間]]="",NOW(),[@[開始時間]]),"")

Interpretation of this formula:

The first IF function determines whether the check box in the "Start" column is selected; the second IF function determines whether the "Start Time" cell is empty. If it is empty, the current time is inserted, otherwise the original value will be maintained. ; If the Start check box is not selected, the cell is empty.

Press Enter after entering the formula in cell D2, and the formula will be automatically applied to the remaining cells of the column.

Copy this formula to other columns that require a timestamp (such as the "End Time" column) and modify the column reference. For example, the formula for the "End Time" column is:

=IF([@已完成],IF([@[結(jié)束時間]]="",NOW(),[@[結(jié)束時間]]),"")

Finally, use the formula to calculate the completion time in the "Total Duration" column:

=IFERROR(SUM([@[結(jié)束時間]]-[@[開始時間]]),"")

This formula uses the IFERROR function to handle errors, and if the start or end time is empty, the Total Time cell is empty.

Step 6: Test

Finally, test if your checkboxes and timestamps work as expected.

You can make the data easier to read by adding conditional formatting to make the selected checkbox cell or entire row color change.

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