an_introduction_to_excel

An Introduction to Microsoft Excel

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Table of Contents

AN INTRODUCTION TO MICROSOFT EXCEL..................................................... 1

INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL .................................................................................. 4

DOCUMENT WINDOW ................................................................................................... 4 THE EXCEL WINDOW ................................................................................................. 5 TOOLBARS & SHORTCUT MENUS ................................................................................ 6 STANDARD TOOLBAR ................................................................................................... 7 FORMATTING TOOLBAR ............................................................................................... 7 USING THE RIGHT MOUSE BUTTON............................................................................... 8 GETTING AROUND IN EXCEL ...................................................................................... 8 SELECTING GROUPS OF CELLS...................................................................................... 9 ENTERING DATA INTO A WORKSHEET ........................................................................ 9 TYPES OF DATA .......................................................................................................... 10 TEXT VALUES............................................................................................................. 10 CHECK SPELLING ........................................................................................................ 11 EDITING CELL CONTENTS ........................................................................................... 11 THE UNDO FEATURE ................................................................................................. 13 WIDENING COLUMNS ................................................................................................ 13 ALTERING THE ROW HEIGHT .................................................................................... 14 INSERTING & DELETING COLUMN/ROWS .................................................................. 15 INSERTING COLUMNS AND ROWS ................................................................................ 15 DELETING COLUMNS AND ROWS ................................................................................. 15

WORKSHEET ESSENTIALS .................................................................................. 17

FILL DATA INTO A SERIES OF CELLS ............................................................................ 17 USING AUTOFILL ........................................................................................................ 17 USING FORMULAE ..................................................................................................... 18 ADDING UP A COLUMN OR ROW .................................................................................. 19 USING FUNCTIONS ..................................................................................................... 19 ERROR MESSAGES ...................................................................................................... 20 COPY AND PASTE DATA .............................................................................................. 20

FORMATTING YOUR WORKSHEET .................................................................... 21

FONTS, SIZE, BOLD & ITALIC - EFFECTS ...................................................................... 21 BORDER AND SHADING ............................................................................................... 21 TEXT COLOURING ....................................................................................................... 21 ALIGNMENT ............................................................................................................... 21 NUMBER AND CURRENCY FORMATS ............................................................................ 22 PRINTING A WORKSHEET .......................................................................................... 22 PAGE SETUP… PAGE .................................................................................................. 23 PAGE SETUP… MARGINS ............................................................................................ 23 PAGE SETUP… HEADERS & FOOTERS .......................................................................... 23 PAGE SETUP… SHEET ................................................................................................. 24 PRINT PREVIEW .......................................................................................................... 24 SAVING YOUR WORKBOOK ....................................................................................... 25 CLOSING AND EXITING ............................................................................................... 25

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OPENING AND EXISTING WORKBOOK .......................................................................... 25

OTHER WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES ..................................................................... 26

NAMING A WORKSHEET .............................................................................................. 26 DELETING A WORKSHEET ........................................................................................... 26

CHARTS AND GRAPHS .......................................................................................... 27

CREATING A STANDARD CHART ................................................................................ 27 TYPES OF CHARTS ...................................................................................................... 28 CHANGING THE CHART TYPE ...................................................................................... 28 USING THE CHART WIZARD ...................................................................................... 29 ADDING DATA TO A CHART......................................................................................... 31 CREATING CHARTS FROM DATA IN NON-CONTIGUOUS CELLS ...................................... 32 CHANGING DATA BY CHANGING THE CHART .............................................................. 32 MODIFYING CHART COMPONENTS AND CHART TYPES .................................................. 32 CHART TOOLBAR ...................................................................................................... 33

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INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL Excel documents are called workbooks and you could compare them to a binder containing several sheets of paper. These sheets of paper are worksheets. Each worksheet is similar to an accountant’s ledger, a large sheet of paper divided into columns and rows, with numbers, text and calculations lined up within those columns and rows. However, unlike a ledger, Excel performs your calculations automatically for you.

Excel Workbook

Active Cell Column Headings

Vertical Scroll Bar

Horizontal Scroll Bar

Row Headings

Worksheets

Name Box Document Window Application Window

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The Excel Window Whenever you start Excel, it opens a Workbook Window, a group of related worksheets named Sheet 1, Sheet 2 and Sheet 3. Sheet 1 is open and ready for you to start typing your data. The screen splits into two windows, an outer Application Window that holds the menus and toolbars and an inner Document Window that is the workbook itself with its columns, rows and worksheets. On each window, both Application and Document, you will find in the right upper corner, a set of three buttons.

1. Minimising Button – allows the Application or Document to be shrunk 2. Maximise Button – allows the Application or Document to display filling the whole of

your screen. 3. Restore Button – restores the Application or Document window to its original size. 4. Close Button – Closes down the Application or Document but it will prompted you to

save any changes you may have made.

These buttons change the view of your working environment. They can hide Excel allowing you to work within Windows or another application. When the Excel application is minimised, it is still running but you cannot used it, you can’t see it, not until you choose to restore the application to is original or maximised size.

Close Buttons

Minimise Buttons

Maximise Button

Restore Button

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Toolbars & Shortcut Menus

When Excel is open, you can see a title bar, at the top. This shows the program name and filename. In my example, the filename is book1. This is because Excel, by default, names the first workbook, Book1. When you save your spreadsheet and give it a name, that name will show instead of Book 1. The Main Menu bar is under the title bar. It shows a list of menu names, File, Edit, view etc. and ends with the Help menu. Each of the menu names has a drop-down menu. Some of these have their own sub-menus or cascading menus.

Try clicking the View menu

Hold your mouse over Toolbars (notice you do not have to click) As you can see, there is a list of different toolbars available in Excel. Standard and formatting have a tick next to them. This tells us we can currently see these toolbars.

Try clicking these toolbars to cancel the tick

Try clicking these toolbars to select the tick

Title Bar Main Menu Bar Standard Toolbar

Formatting Toolbar Formula Bar Name Box

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TOOLBARS DESCRIPTION

Standard A toolbar with icons for selecting New, Open, Save, Print

and other commonly used tools Formatting A toolbar with the font control icons, cell formatting icons and

pattern tools

Standard Toolbar

New Spreadsheet

Open Spreadsheet

Save

Print

Print Preview

Spelling

Cut

Copy

Paste

Format Painter

Undo

Redo

Insert Hyperlink

Open Web Toolbar

AutoSum

Insert Function

Sort Ascending

Sort Descending

Chart Wizard

Map

Drawing

Zoom

Help

Formatting Toolbar

Font

Font Size

Bold

Italic

Underline

Left Alignment

Right Alignment

Center Alignment

Merge and Center

Currency

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Percentage Style

Comma Style

Increase Decimals

Decrease Decimals

Increase indent

Decrease Indent

Borders

Fill Colour

Font Colour

Using the Right Mouse Button

A useful shortcut is the right mouse button. By right clicking over an active cell, a menu pops up and lets you choose from a list of frequently used options. When you see the option you want, you click it with the left mouse button. (This reverses if you have changed your mouse to a left-handed button configuration.)

Getting Around In Excel A worksheet has columns and rows. Columns run vertically and rows run horizontally. Both have identification headers. The intersection of a row and a column is the cell. That cell will have a cell reference made from the column header letter and the row header number. E.g. A1 When you first start a workbook the top left cell, A1 , has a heavy outlined border. This is how a selected or highlighted cell shows. This cell is the active cell and any typing you do will appear in that active cell. To make a different cell active, you just need to move to another cell. You will notice that the heavy border, the highlight, has moved to that new cell. You can move to a new cell in several ways.

1. By moving your mouse over the worksheet and single clicking another cell 2. By using the arrow directional keys on your keyboard 3. By pressing the Tab key 4. By pressing the Enter key Once a cell is active, any information typed will appear in that cell. In addition, the new cell reference will show in the name box, and the corresponding row and column headers become bold and raised. An alternative way of moving around your spreadsheet is to use keyboard commands

Hold down the Ctrl key and press Home – returns you to cell a1

Hold down the Ctrl key and press End – takes you to the last cell containing data or formatting

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Selecting Groups of Cells

When you select cells, you highlight them. It’s possible to highlight groups of cells or ranges of cells, and whole columns or rows. To highlight cells within a worksheet, click within the first cell and drag, while holding down your left mouse button, until you have selected all the cells required.

Notice that the first cell highlighted within that range remains white while the others go dark. – That white cell remains the active cell. To deselect this range, click anywhere within the worksheet. To highlight a column click on the Column Header. E.g. the letter M. To highlight a row click on the Row Header. E.g. the number 14

Entering Data into a Worksheet When you begin Excel, you start with a new workbook opened at sheet 1 with cell reference A1 active. Once you start typing, your data appears in that active cell. To enter data into a different cell, click, using your left mouse button within that cell. When you have finish typing, press the Enter key on your keyboard to enter that data, and you will move to another cell. Alternatively, you could use the arrow keys on your keyboard this will also enter the data and move you to your next cell.

How you lay out your spreadsheet is a personal choice. Usually a spreadsheet will have an overall heading title at the top. It could then have column or row titles below with corresponding data below and to the right.

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Types of Data

Your data will mainly be text values and numerical values.

Text Values

This is can be letters, numbers, punctuation and symbols. Any value that is a combination of text and numbers within the same cell is a text value.

To enter text into an active cell just start typing. What you wil l notice is that your text is also appearing within the formula bar. When you finish typing, enter that data by using the enter key on your keyboard or, using the directional arrow keys on your keyboard or, by clicking the green check mark on your formula bar.

You have now entered your data. Excel is ready for your next entry. If you want a line of text wrapped within a cell, press Alt+Enter where you want the return to appear. Some numbers such as identification numbers should be treated as text; they do not hold a numerical value. Format these types of numbers as text.

In excel text is aligned by default to the left.

Numerical Values

A numerical value can contain any of the following characters: 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 + - ( ) , / £ $ % . E e Excel has defined formats for each type of numerical value. These number formats differ in their alignment and in how they perform calculations.

Formula Bar

Check Mark

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Check Spelling

1) Click the Spell Check Button on the standard too lbar 2) A dialog box opens with your first spelling mistake

a) Choose to ignore the error by clicking the Ignore Button or Ignore All b) Otherwise, choose from the list of suggested spellings for your error then click

Change or Change All

3) Continue your spell check until Spell check is complete then click ok a) Spell check will not recognise most abbreviations and proper names, unless you

added them to the dictionary. b) Click Add to add spellings to the dictionary.

4) If a word is constantly misspelled, you can choose to correct them automatically each time it is misspelled. a) Select the correct spelling for your word, and then click the AutoCorrect button.

Editing Cell Contents

Once you have entered the data, you may want to edit the cell contents. There are three types of editing data within a cell Information Only If you need to delete the entire cell contents or replace the cell contents with different data.

Spell Check Button

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To delete the cell contents 1) Click within your cell to make that cell active 2) Either press the delete key on your keyboard or 3) Click on the edit… clear menu then choose contents or 4) Using your right mouse button, click within the cell – choose clear contents by click

this option with your left mouse button

To overtype existing data 1) Click within your cell to make that cell active 2) Type your new data – (there is no need to delete the contents first) 3) Your new data will now replace the original data

Editing Cell Contents Using the Formula Bar You can use the formula bar to do fine editing such as altering a word or numbe r, adding a word or number. It is a finer editing tool. 1) Click within your cell to make that cell active 2) The data should now be appear in the formula bar 3) Move your cursor over the formula bar and click, type your amendment 4) Press the enter key or 5) Click the green check mark 6) The cell is now changed In-Cell Editing Again, another way of fine editing but this time instead of using the formula bar, you click within the active cell itself. You may need to click several times before a flashing cursor appears within the cell. Position your cursor and you can change your data.

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The Undo Feature

At some point, you will type an incorrect value. Excel has an “undo” feature; it comes with multiple “undo” actions. – You can also “redo” multiple actions. If you want to undo or cancel your last entry

Choose Edit…Undo from the main menu

Click the Undo button on the standard toolbar

Click undo as many times as you need to undo a number of errors If you undo too many times, you can restore your undo actions

Click the Redo button on the standard toolbar

Click redo as many times as you need to restore your work

Widening Columns Some of the labels you type in a column may hang over into the next column. This label will truncate when you type something in the next column. Your first column is too narrow for your data and you will need to widen that column.

There are different ways for widening a column

Dragging to size columns 1) Locate your cursor between the column headings e.g. A & B 2) Your cursor changes to a double headed arrow 3) Hold down your left mouse button and drag to the right until the column is wide

enough

Using Menu Options to Widen Columns 1) Click the column heading e.g. ‘A’ 2) This selects the whole column – highlights the column

Undo Button Redo Button

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3) Choose the Format menu…Column…Width 4) A dialog box is displayed 5) Enter the new width and click OK

Alternatively, you can choose Format menu… Column… AutoFit This automatically adjusts the column to fit your longest entry Using the Right Mouse Button to Widen Columns 1) Locate your cursor between the column headings A & B 2) Your cursor changes to a double headed arrow 3) Right Click – This brings up a menu list 4) Left Click on Column Width

Using a Double Mouse Click to Widen Columns 1) Locate your cursor between the column headings A & B 2) Your cursor changes to a double headed arrow 3) Now quickly double click You will find, as you get used to using Excel, your preferred way of widening columns. Many use the double mouse click method.

Altering the Row Height As well as changing the column width, Excel also allows you to change a row height.

Dragging to size rows 1) Locate your cursor between the row headings e.g. 1 & 2 2) Your cursor changes to a double headed arrow 3) Hold down your left mouse button and drag downwards until the row is twice its

original width

Using Menu Options 1) Click the row heading e.g. the ‘1’ 2) This selects the whole row – highlights the row 3) Choose the Format menu…Row…Height 4) A dialog box is displayed 5) Enter the new height e.g. 24 and click OK

Alternatively, you can choose Format menu… Row… AutoFit to adjust your row to fit your longest entry Using the Right Mouse Button to Alter Row Height 1) Locate your cursor between the row headings 1 & 2 2) Your cursor changes to a double headed arrow 3) Right Click – This brings up a menu list, Left Click on Row Height Using a Double Mouse Click to Widen Columns 1) Locate your cursor between the row headings 1 & 2 2) Your cursor changes to a double headed arrow 3) Now quickly double click You will find, as you get used to using Excel, your preferred way of widening rows. Many use the double mouse click method.

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Inserting & Deleting Column/Rows No matter how much thought you put into laying out your spreadsheet, there will be a time when you wish you had another column or could insert just one more row.

Inserting Columns and Rows

1. To insert a Column – highlight the cell to the right of where you want to insert your new column

2. Go to Insert menu… Column

3. To insert more than one column, highlight that number of columns to the right of where you want to insert your new columns.

1. To insert a Row – highlight to the bottom of where you want to insert your new row

2. Go to Insert menu… Row

3. To insert more than one row, highlight that number of rows to the bottom of where you want to insert your new row.

Alternatively, try clicking your right mouse button. Right click on the column heading to the right of where you want to insert your new column. Right click on the row heading to the bottom of where you want to insert your new row.

Deleting Columns and Rows

1. To delete a Column – highlight within the column you want to delete

2. Go to Edit menu… Delete – choose to Delete Entire Column

3. Alternatively, highlight the column heading e.g. Heading A - then go to Edit menu… Delete

4. To delete more than one column, highlight that number of column headings t hen go to Edit menu… Delete.

1. To delete a Row – highlight within the row you want to delete

2. Go to Edit menu… Delete – choose to Delete Entire Row

3. Alternatively highlight the row heading - then go to Edit menu… Delete

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To delete more than one row, highlight that number of row headings then choose Edit menu… Delete.

Alternatively, you could try using your right mouse click.

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WORKSHEET ESSENTIALS

Fill Data into a Series of Cells

When entering data into your cells, there are some things Excel already knows Excel knows, February follows January etc. Tuesday follows Monday etc.

You can use Excel’s knowledge to fill in your data automatically.

Using AutoFill

1. Type in your data e.g. January

2. Move your mouse cursor to the bottom right of your highlighting box . You will see a little black fill handle.

3. When you move your mouse to this handle, it changes to a black cross.

4. Click and drag this fill handle over the series of cells you want to fill.

5. The number of cells that you highlight will be the number of cells Excel fills for you.

AutoFill can fill sequential data. Enter two sequences into adjacent cells then highlighting both cells. Drag the fill handle to highlight more cells and your sequence will continue.

AutoFill can also be used to copy and paste information. If a cell contains a formula, using the fill handle to drag and select adjacent cells , you will actively copy and paste the cells contents. When you use this method to copy and paste a formula, the formula adjusts to reflect the new row or column. This is Relative Reference.

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Using Formulae Formulae perform a variety of operations such as calculations.

You type formula, in a cell, the same way as text or numbers. It can be very simple, such as adding the contents of 2 cells, or complex, containing mathematical or financial functions.

You must always start a formula with an equal (=) sign; it tells Excel that you are about to apply a formula to that cell.

Let us consider a sum

25 + 16 = Answer 41 that sum could also be written Answer 41 = 25 + 16

When entering a formula into a cell the second example is used.

Click into your cell (that cell will contain the answer therefore we could say Answer 41)

Now you must type = (that cell =) Now you are ready to type in the rest of the sum.

Consider a Sales row and a Costs row. It could be said that Sales – Costs = Profit. Or Excel may say, Profit = Sales - Costs

1. Click where you want to see your Profit

2. Type = (that cell =)

3. Now click on the Sales figure. (Your profit cell now reads = B3)

4. Now type – (Your profit cell now reads = B3 –)

5. Now click on the Costs figure. (Your profit cell now reads = B3 – B4)

6. Click Enter on your keyboard. This enters the formula and Excel makes the calculation.

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Adding Up a Column or Row

When adding up a large number of figures, total a range, we could type in the answer cell = b2+b3+b4+b5 etc… but this is rather time consuming and open to error.

Excel allows an automatic calculation of this range by giving us a special function button called the AutoSum button. This makes the equation much easier.

1. Highlight all the cells you want to add up, together with a blank cell where you want your answer to appear.

2. Click the AutoSum button

3. Your answer is calculated and entered in the blank cell.

This is the start of using functions. Although you have clicked a button, that button activates the function =sum().

Using Functions Ultimately, the reason we use Excel is to manipulate numbers. Excel offers a range of functions to help us do calculations. Formulae perform many operations such as calculations. We saw earlier how to use formulae to make basic calculations: addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. Formulae can also perform calculations that are more complex. Averages, sum, minimum and maximum values along with many much more complex These more complex formulae are functions. They take on a structure that states it equals the name of the function () e.g. =sum() =sum(B4:B60) this will add up a range of cells enclosed in the brackets. =average() =average(B4:B60) this will average the range of cells enclosed in the brackets. There are many functions used on a regular basis. Minimum functions =min() Max functions =max() There are many functions available. You can access them through the function wizard.

Min and Max functions work in a similar way to the sum and average functions. e.g. =min() =min(B4:B60) this will return the lowest value in the range =max() =max(B4:B60) this will return the highest value in the range.

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Error Messages

What do you do if you find error message after entering your formula? Check the formatting bar. Here you can read your formula. Have you highlighted a wrong cell by mistake? Check you haven’t included the answer cell within your equation – This is a Circular Reference.

Copy and Paste Data

Once you have entered a formula you can use your copy button to copy that formula and paste to another location. The process of copy and paste takes into account cell references. Not only does excel paste the formula into your new cell it also automatically adjusts the cell reference to correspond to its new site. This is relative referencing. You first saw this when you used the fill handle to copy and paste your formula.

However, absolute references are sometimes necessary. Suppose a formula in one cell, “G8” refers to data within another cell “B2” and that cell holds a constant (e.g. an interest rate). You will want your formula to reference that cell regardless of where it copies. If you copy the formula from “G8” to “H8”, relative reference will amend “B2” to “C2”. But , we require cell “B2” to refer absolutely; that is, Excel must realise that it cannot change the reference.

To refer to a cell absolutely, when creating the formula in cell “G8 ” we must press the F4 key once the “B2” cell has been clicked. This will enclose the cell reference within dollar signs ($) e.g. “$B$2”. Now you can copy and paste. The cell B2, in your formula, will not change.

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FORMATTING YOUR WORKSHEET

Fonts, Size, Bold & Italic - Effects

To change a font or font style in your data, first highlight the range of cells then click your Bold or Italic button. Choose your Font and Font Size from the drop down list options on your toolbar.

For more options including a range of effects that you can apply to your data, click Format menu… Cells… Font - as long as you have highlighted your cell first, click ok to activate that change.

Border and Shading

Again within the Format menu… Cells… Borders or Patterns, you can format your highlighted cells with a variety of shading and borders and coloured bordering. A Borders and Shading button is also on the formatting toolbar.

Text Colouring

Again within the Format menu… Cells… Font, you can format your highlighted text with a variety of colours. A Font Colour button is available on the formatting toolbar.

Alignment

There different alignment options within Excel. There is the usual Left, Centre and Right alignment on your formatting toolbar. However, within Format menu… Cells… Alignment, you can choose a wider range of alignments including wrap text within a cell for double lined data.

Alignment within the Format menu includes changing the orientation of your text. By dragging a hand around to different degrees in the Orientation box, your text aligns at different angles.

Another alignment tool is Merge and Centre. This option allows you to align your text, centrally, over a number of cells. Highlight a range of cells then choose Merge & Centre, this will then centre your data over that range of highlighted cells.

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Number and Currency Formats

To change the display of numeric values, select the numeric cell then choose Format menu... Cells… Number, you can change the display by choosing a Category and then a Format Code.

With numbers, you can choose to display or not to display decimals and commas.

Many of these formatting tools are found on your Formatting Toolbar.

Printing a Worksheet Once you have created and formatted your spreadsheet , you will need to present it on paper. In File menu… Page Setup you can control how your spreadsheet will look on paper.

In the Page Setup dialog box, you can choose to change your Page, Margins, Header/Footer and Sheet

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Page Setup… Page

Choosing this Tab lets you to change the orientation of your page.

Adjust the Scaling of your spreadsheet.

o By changing the scaling percentage, the size of your printed worksheet will change. This is useful if your spreadsheet doesn’t quite fit on the page.

o You can also choose to force your spreadsheet to f it on a selected number of pages.

Page Setup… Margins

Choose Margins Tab to set your page margins

To centre your worksheet on the page by choosing Horizontally and/or Vertically.

Page Setup… Headers & Footers

Choose Header/Footer to add or change your headed title or footer.

o You can choose from the drop down list a range of header or footer titles. Alternatively, you may use the custom option to type your own header/footer. In the Header/Footer custom option, you can type in three sections. Where you type determines your alignment. E.g., type in the left section for left alignment, center section for centre alignment etc.

o In the Custom box, Excel offers a range of option buttons.

o Font button to change the format of text.

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o Page Number button to add sequential numbering to your pages

o Pages button to add the total number of pages for your document

o Date button to add today’s date to your document

o Time button to add the time to your document

o Filename button to add the document name

o Tab button to add the sheet name to your document

Page Setup… Sheet

o Use this tab to control the look and layout of your worksheet.

o Use to select a range in the Print Area box if you want to print a smaller or larger default area of your worksheet, type your range within the Print Area box.

o Alternatively, you can highlight an area of the worksheet you want to print then choose File menu… Print Area and choose Set Print Area.

Print Preview

o Use Print Preview to check over your worksheet before printing.

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Saving Your Workbook Once you have completed your spreadsheet, you may want to save that work.

There are two different types of saving.

Save and Save as…

If you have a new workbook, which has no name or location on your hard disk, then use File Menu… SAVE AS…

Give your workbook a name in File name drop down list and a save location on your disk by either accepting the default location, or by using the Save in drop down list to choose your save location pathway.

Closing and Exiting

When you have finished working on your worksheet, but you want to continue working within Excel, choose File Menu… Close

When you have finished with Excel, you can exit the software using File menu… Exit

Opening and Existing Workbook

To open an existing workbook choose File menu… Open. Select the file you want to open and click OK.

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OTHER WORKSHEET ACTIVITIES

Naming a Worksheet

The default names for worksheets in a workbook are Sheet1, Sheet2 and Sheet3 etc. These names are unlikely to reflect what you are doing with your data and therefore it is useful to rename your sheets. To rename a worksheet, using your right mouse button click on the tab, choose rename and type your new name. Alternatively, double click the tab with your left mouse button.

Deleting a Worksheet

If you decide to delete a worksheet, you can choose Edit menu… De lete Sheet. Alternatively, using your right mouse button click on the tab and choose delete.

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CHARTS AND GRAPHS Charts are an excellent way to present data in a powerful way. If you want to make sure your data is understood, offer that data in more than one way. Some people find a table the easiest way to interpret data; others prefer a visual, graphic way. Excel lets you create and manipulate charts to present your data in a professional , visual way. Excel offers you pre-designed formats or you can design your own. With Excel, you can link charts to your data, so when the data changes, the chart will as well.

To create charts, you first need your data.

Creating a Standard Chart When you create your spreadsheet, you may want to see that data in a standard chart. It is a quickly way to see how that data looks visually. You can then change your chart to suit your needs later. The quickest way to create a chart is to use the F11 function key on your keyboard.

o Select the data you want to show in your chart

o Press the F11 function key. o A default column chart is created on a separate sheet called Chart 1

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Types of Charts

Once you have made your chart, you can change the type by clicking the down arrow next to the Chart Type button on the Chart Toolbar , or by choosing Chart menu… Chart Type

Changing the Chart Type

When you choose Chart Type from the Chart menu, a dialog box opens displaying a range of Chart types. Within each chart type, there are sub-types.

Select a Chart type, and then choose a Chart from the sub-type section. You can preview any choice by clicking and holding the Press and hold to view sample button. The preview will last for as long as you hold your mouse button down.

Chart Type Button

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There are a number of pre-defined custom chart too. Click the Custom Types tab.

To view the custom types supplied with Excel, select from Built -in.

To view user-defined custom types, select from User Types.

To define your own custom type, click Add.

Using the Chart Wizard Another way of creating a chart is using Excel ’s Chart Wizard. The wizard takes you step-by-step through the process of creating your chart.

Step 1. Highlight the range of cells you want to include in your chart then click the Chart Wizard button on the standard toolbar or choose Insert menu… Chart. Now the Chart Wizard has begun and a dialog box opens tell ing you this is Step 1 of 4.

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From the Chart Type listed, choose your preferred chart style. Once you have made your choice, click the Next button.

Step 2. The next screen, step 2 of 4 shows.

The option button you choose for Series In, Rows or Columns, decides how the data will be orientated. (Which data label goes on the bottom axis of your chart). The Data range shows the area you highlighted before you started the chart wizard. By clicking the button to the right, you can see your selected area, on your spreadsheet. The selected area shows within dashed lines. You can reselect a new data range if required. This Data range is expressed as an Absolute Reference. Click Next.

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Step 3. With this new dialog box, you need to use the tabs to format your chart.

Use the Titles tab to label the chart and its axes.

Use the Axes tab to control if the labels for your values on the axes will show

Use the Gridlines tab to decide if you want gridlines to appear on your chart and to set the density of those gridlines

Use the Legend tab to control a legend (to show, which colour represents, which data) and to set its placement

Use Data Labels tab to control the data values to be included on the chart.

Use Data Table tab to specify if a formatted table of your data is included with the actual chart.

When you have made all your choices click Next to, display the final wizard screen.

Step 4. On this last screen, you can choose to embed your chart as an object in one of the worksheets or to place the chart in a separate worksheet.

Whichever option you choose, your chart is linked to the data. If the data is changed, your chart will change to reflect that amendment.

Adding Data to a Chart

To add more data to an existing chart: 1. Highlight the range of cells you want to add (That data range does not have to be

contiguous with the rest of the table) 2. Choose Edit menu… Copy or click the Copy button on the Standard Toolbar. 3. Go to your chart and click the chart’s plot area.

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4. Choose Edit menu… Paste or click the Paste button on the Standard Toolbar.

Creating Charts from Data in Non-Contiguous Cells

You can create charts using data from cells that are not touching. Select the first group of cells you want to show in your chart then hold down the Control (Ctrl) key on your keyboard and select a different group of cells. Then press your F11 key or start the chart wizard.

Changing Data By Changing The Chart

You can also change data in your workbook by changing the chart. o Select the data point within the chart and then drag the handles to resize it.

o Resizing the data point increases or decreases the value in the worksheet. o The data in the chart and worksheet are always in accord.

Modifying Chart Components and Chart Types

As we have seen by using the Chart Wizard, a chart contains several components. Titles Legends etc. To modify chart components you need to first select that component within the chart, and then right click on that component. A popup menu will appear letting you to choose whether you want to Clear (erase) or Format that component.

Alternatively, you can use the Chart Toolbar to modify your chart.

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Chart Toolbar Icon Name Description

Chart Objects Displays a drop-down menu that allows you to choose a particular chart component to modify.

Format Displays the appropriate dialog box, depending on the chart object you have selected from the Chart Objects drop-down menu.

Chart Type Displays a drop-down list of chart types from, which you can select to change the type of chart you are using.

Legend Hides or displays the legend.

Data Table Hides or displays the corresponding data table.

By Rows Changes the orientation of the data.

By Columns Changes the orientation of the data.

Angle Text Up Alters the position of the text in the chart.

Angle Text Down

Alters the position of the text in the chart.

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