Basic Microsoft Excel

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Introduction

This is for users with no knowledge of Excel

You can use Excel to enter all sorts of data and perform financial, mathematical or statistical calculations.

Range: A range in Excel is a collection of two or more cells.

Let's start by selecting a cell, row and column.

1. To select cell C3, click on the box at the intersection of column C and row 3.

2. To select column C, click on the column C header.

3. To select row 3, click on the row 3 header.

Range ExamplesA range is a collection of two or more cells.

To select the range B2:C4, click on cell B2 and drag it to cell C4.

To select a range of individual cells, hold down CTRL and click on each cell that you want to include in the range.

To Fill a Range

1. Enter the value 2 into cell B22. Select cell B2, click on the lower right corner of cell B2

and drag it down to cell B8.

Results

Results:

Why is dragging important?

Enter the value 2 into cell B2 and the value 4 into cell B3.

Select cell B2 and cell B3, click on the lower right corner of this range and drag it down.

Excel automatically fills the range based on the pattern of the first two values. That's pretty cool huh!? Here's another example.

Insert Row, ColumnSelect Row 3 Right Click, and then click insert

Results

Result:

The rows below the new row are shifted down. In a similar way, you can insert a column.

Sorting

One Column2. To sort in ascending order, on the Data tab, click AZ.

1. Click any cell in the column you want to sort.

Result

Sorting Cont’d

Result:

Note: to sort in descending order, click ZA.

Sorting Cont’d

Multiple Columns

1. On the Data tab, click Sort.

The sort dialog box appears.

2. Select Last Name from the 'Sort by' drop-down list.

Sorting Cont’d

3. Click on Add Level.4. Select Sales from the 'Then by' drop-down list.5. Click OK

Sorting Cont’d

Results:

Result. Records are sorted by Last Name first and Sales second.

Filtering

1. Click any single cell inside a data set.

2. On the Data tab, click Filter.

Arrows will appear in the column headers.

Filter your Excel data if you only want to display records that meet certain criteria.

Filtering Cont’d3. Click the arrow next to Country. 4. Click on Select All to clear all the

check boxes, and click the check box next to USA.

5. Click OK

Filtering Cont’d

Results:

Result. Excel only displays the sales in the USA.

To remove the filter, on the Data tab, click Clear. To remove the filter and the arrows, click Filter.

Formulas & Functions

A formula is an expression which calculates the value of a cell.

Functions are predefined formulas and are already available in Excel.

Example:For example, cell A3 below contains a formula which adds the value of cell A2 to the value of cell A1.

For example, cell A3 below contains the SUM function which calculates the sum of the range A1:A2.

Form

ul

aFunction

Enter a Formula

1. Select a Cell

2. To let Excel know that you want to enter a formula, type an equal sign (=).

3. For example, type the formula =A1+A2

4. Change the value of cell A1 to 3

Tip: instead of typing A1 and A2, simply select cell A1 and cell A2.

Excel automatically recalculates the value of cell A3. This is one of Excel's most powerful features!

Editing a Formula

1. To edit a formula, click in the formula bar and change the formula

2. Press Enter.

When you select a cell, Excel shows the value or formula of the cell in the formula bar.

Operator Precedence

Excel uses a default order in which calculations occur.

If a part of the formula is in parentheses, that part will be calculated

first. It then performs multiplication or division calculations. Once this

is complete, Excel will add and subtract the remainder of your

formula.

See the Following example.

Operator Precedence

First, Excel performs multiplication (A1 * A2). Next, Excel adds the value of cell A3 to this result.

First, Excel calculates the part in parentheses (A2+A3). Next, it multiplies this result by the value of cell A1.

Another example:

Insert a Function

Every function has the same structure.

For example, SUM(A1:A4). The name of this function is SUM. The part

between the brackets (arguments) means we give Excel the range

A1:A4 as input. This function adds the values in cells A1, A2, A3 and A4.

It's not easy to remember which function and which arguments to use

for a specific task. Fortunately, the Insert Function feature in Excel helps

you with this.

Look to the back of this packet for a list of useful functions: their names

and uses. Such as COUNT, SUM, COUNTIF, AND SUMIF

Inserting a Function

1. Select a cell.2. Click the Insert Function button.

The “Insert Function Dialog box appears.

Inserting Function Cont’d3. Search for a function or select a function from a category. For example, choose COUNTIF from the Statistical category.

4. Click OK.

Inserting Function Cont’dThe 'Function Arguments' dialog box appears.

5. Click in the Range box and select the range A1:C2.6. Click in the Criteria box and type >5.7. Click OK.

Result:

Result. Excel counts the number of cells that are higher than 5.

Note: instead of using the Insert Function feature, simply type =COUNTIF(A1:C2,">5"). When you arrive at: =COUNTIF( instead of typing A1:C2, simply select the range A1:C2.

Cell ReferencesRelative Reference

By default, Excel uses relative reference. See the formula in cell D2 below. Cell D2 references (points to) cell B2 and cell C2. Both references are relative.

1. Select cell D2, click on the lower right corner of cell D2 and drag it down to cell D5.

Cell D3 references cell B3 and cell C3. Cell D4 references cell B4 and cell C4. Cell D5 references cell B5 and cell C5.

In other words: each cell references its two neighbors on the left.

Absolute Reference See the formula in cell E3 below.

1. To create an absolute reference to cell H3, place a $ symbol in front of the column letter and row number of cell H3 ($H$3) in the formula of cell E3.

Cell References Cont’d

2. Now we can quickly drag this formula to the other cells.

The reference to cell H3 is fixed (when we drag the formula down and across). As a result, the correct lengths and widths in inches will be calculated.

Cell References Cont’dAbsolute Reference See the formula in cell E3 below.

Mixed ReferenceSometimes we need a combination of relative and absolute reference (mixed reference)

Cell References Cont’d

1. See the formula in cell F2 below.

2. We want to copy this formula to the other cells quickly. Drag cell F2 across one cell, and look at the formula in cell G2.

Cell References Cont’d

Do you see what happens? The reference to the price should be a fixed reference to column B. Solution: place a $ symbol in front of the column letter of cell B2 ($B2) in the formula of cell F2. In a similar way, when we drag cell F2 down, the reference to the reduction should be a fixed reference to row 6. Solution: place a $ symbol in front of the row number of cell B6 (B$6) in the formula of cell F2.

Result:

Cell References Cont’dMixed Reference

Result:

Note: we don't place a $ symbol in front of the row number of B2 (this way we allow the reference to change from B2 (Jeans) to B3 (Shirts) when we drag the formula down). Also, we don't place a $ symbol in front of the column letter of B6 (this way we allow the reference to change from B6 (Jan) to C6 (Feb) and D6 (Mar) when we drag the formula across).

Worksheets A worksheet is a collection of cells where you keep

and manipulate the data. By default, each Excel workbook contains three worksheets.

When you open Excel, Excel automatically selects Sheet1 for you. The name of the worksheet appears on its sheet tab at the bottom of the document window.

To select one of the other two worksheets, simply click on the sheet tab of Sheet2 or Sheet3.

Rename a Worksheet

To quickly insert a new worksheet, click the Insert Worksheet tab at the bottom of the document window. You may create as many worksheets as you need.

1. Right click on the sheet tab of Sheet1.

2. Choose Rename.Insert a Worksheet

Results:

Format Cells

When we format cells in Excel, we change the appearance of a number without changing the number itself. We can apply a number format (0.8, $0.80, 80%, etc.) or other formatting such as alignment, font, border, etc.

By default, Excel uses the General format (no specific number format) for numbers. To apply a number format, use the 'Format Cells' dialog box.

Format Cells Cont’d1. Enter the Value 0.8 into cell B2 2. Select cell B2

3.Right click, and then click Format Cells(or use the short cut CTRL + 1)

The 'Format Cells' dialog box will appear

Format Cells Cont’d4. For example, on the Number tab, select Currency.

Note: Excel gives you a life preview of how the number will be formatted (under Sample).

5. Click OK.

• Cell B2 still contains the number 0.8.

• We only changed the appearance of this number.

• The most frequently used commands are available on the Home tab.

6. On the Home tab, in the Number group, click the Percentage symbol, to apply a Percentage format.

7.On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, center the number.

Format Cells Cont’d

8. On the Home tab, in the Font group, change the Font color.

9. On the Home tab, in the Font group, add borders.

Format Cells Cont’d

Find & Select

You can use Excel's Find and Replace feature to quickly find specific text and replace it with other text.

You can use Excel's Go To Special feature to quickly select all cells with formulas, comments, conditional formatting, constants, data validation, etc.

Find1. On the Home tab, click Find & Select, Find...

2. Type the text you want to find. For example, type Ferrari.

3. Click ‘Find Next’

The 'Find and Replace' dialog box appears.

Find Cont’d

Excel selects the first occurrence. 4. Click 'Find Next' to select the second occurrence.

Replace

1. On the Home tab, click Find & Select Replace...

2. Type the text you want to find (Veneno) and replace it with (Diablo).3. Click ‘Find Next’

To quickly find specific text and replace it with other text, execute the following steps.

Excel selects the first occurrence. No replacement has been made yet.

Replace Cont’d3. Click ‘Find Next’Excel selects the first occurrence. No replacement has been made yet.

4. Click ‘Replace’ to make a single replacement.

Note: use 'Replace All' to replace all occurrences.

Headers & Footers1. On the View tab, click Page Layout, to switch to Page Layout view.

2. Click to add header.

Headers & Footers Cont’d3. On the Design tab, click Current Date to add the current date (or add the current time, file name, sheet name, etc). You can also add information to the

left and right part of the header. For example, click the left part to add the name of your company.

Excel automatically updates the header

or footer as you change the workbook.

Click somewhere else on the sheet to see the header.

Page Numbers

2. Click to add footer

1.On the View tab, click Page Layout, to switch to Page Layout view.

Headers & Footers Cont’d

3. On the Design tab, click Page Number to add the page number.

4. Type " of “

5. On the Design tab, click Number of Pages to add the number of pages.

Page Numbers

#5#3

#4Click somewhere else on the sheet to see the changes.

Headers & Footers Cont’dOn the Design tab, click

Options for a different first

page header/footer or a

different header/footer for odd

and even pages. In a similar

way, you can add information

to the footer.

Don’t Forget to go to the View

tab and click Normal, to switch

back to Normal view.

Print1. On the File tab, click Print.

2. To preview the other pages that will be printed, click 'Next Page' or 'Previous Page' at the bottom of the window.

3. To print the worksheet, click the big Print button.

What to print

1. First, select the range of cells you want to print.2. Next, under Settings, select Print Selection.

Instead of printing the entire worksheet, you can also only print the current selection.

3. To print the worksheet, click the big Print button.

You can also print the active sheets (first select the sheets by holding down CTRL and clicking the sheet tabs) or print the entire workbook. Use the boxes next to Pages to only print a few pages.For example, 2 to 2 only prints the second page.

Print Gridlines & Headings

1. On the Page Layout tab, check Print under Gridlines and check Print under Headings.

2. On the File tab, click Print for a print preview

Templates

Instead of creating an Excel workbook from scratch,

you can create a workbook based on a template.

There are many free templates available, waiting to

be used.

Templates To create a workbook based on an existing template, execute the

following steps.

1. On the green File tab, click New.

2. To choose a template, click a category. For example, click Calendars

Templates Cont’d To download a template, select a template and then click Download.

Excel creates a workbook (UniversalCalendar1.xlsx) based on this template.

Excel also stores the template (UniversalCalendar.xltx) in the Templates folder.

You can access this folder by clicking on My templates.