The shortcut Ctrl+E is to automatically recognize the pattern and "Flash Fill" the current column. Flash fill is a new feature since Excel 2016. It is super useful when creating a new column based on the current data.
Step 1: Click any cell next to the data range (it is not working if you click a cell far from the data range);
Step 2: Type in the rule based on the current data range in the cell, e.g., to merge the First and Last names together, type "Liam Johnson" in the cell;
Step 3: Press the "Enter" key to move the cursor out of the cell and move to the cell below;
Step 4: Press and hold the "Ctrl" key from the keyboard, then press the letter "E". All cells in the column are now filled with the First and Last Name based on column A and B.
To format the new column the same as the other columns
Step 1: Move the cursor to the header of any column with text, e.g., column A, and click when it turns black down arrow;
Step 2: Click the brush after you selected the column;
Step 3: Move the cursor to the header of the new column and click when it turns into a brush;
Step 4: The new column has the same format as other columns, but you may need to adjust the column width to make it match to the data range.
