Microsoft Knowledge Base

• Microsoft Excel for Windows, versions 5.0, 5.0c
• Microsoft Excel for Windows 95, version 7.0
• Microsoft Excel for the Macintosh, version 5.0, 5.0a

SUMMARY

If you use the shift key in conjunction with buttons on the drawing toolbar, you modify the behavior of drawn element(s). This modified behavior depends on whether you press the shift key before or after you click the button on the drawing toolbar.

MORE INFORMATION

The following table describes the different behavior of the Drawing Toolbar icons when the shift key is used in conjunction with the respective buttons. Note that this list does not describe the normal purpose of each drawing tool, just their behavior when the tools are modified by pressing the shift key.

In the following list, the Shift prior column lists drawing tool behavior when you press the shift key prior to clicking the button. The Shift after column lists drawing tool behavior when the shift key is depressed after selecting the icon with the mouse.

Drawing Tool        Shift Prior Draws:       Shift After Draws:
------------        --------------------     -----------------------

Line                Lines drawn in           Lines drawn in
                    45 degree increments     45 degree increments

Arrow               Arrows drawn in          Arrows drawn in
                    45 degree increments     45 degree increments

Freehand            Filled drawing           Normal freehand drawing

Rectangle           Filled square            Square

Ellipse             Filled circle            Circle

Arc                 Filled arc               Arc

Freehand Polygon    Filled polygon           Normal polygon

Filled Rectangle    Square                   Filled Square

Filled Oval         Circle                   Filled Circle

Filled Arc          Arc of equal axes        Filled Arc of equal axes

Filled Freehand     Filled polygon           Filled Freehand Polygon

Text Box            Square text box          Square text box


Drawing selection   Selects/drags elements   Normal Behavior
                    along horizontal,
                    vertical or 45 degree
                    directions from source

Group box when      Ungroups objects         Menu flashes indicating
grouped objects                              erroneous event

Group box when      Menu flashes indicating  n/a objects already selected
ungrouped objects   erroneous event

Ungroup box when    Menu flashes indicating  Ungroups grouped objects
grouped objects     erroneous event

Ungroup box when    Groups objects           Menu flashes indicating
ungrouped objects                            erroneous event

Bring to front      Sends to back            Brings objects to front

Send to back        Brings to front          Sends to back

Drop shadow         Normal behavior          Normal behavior

Color               Normal behavior          Normal behavior

Resizing sheet      Retains proportions if   Normal behavior
objects             dragging on any corner

Create button       Draws square button      Draws square button