microsoft excel xp tutorial

7/30/2019 Microsoft Excel XP Tutorial

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Microsoft Excel XP TutorialMicrosoft Excel is the industry leading spreadsheet application. Excel has grown quite a

bit in functionality over the years. You can now use Excel for data analysis, recordkeeping, for small databases, to create reports, as an accounting system, and more!

Learnthat.com offers this free Microsoft Excel tutorial to help you understand how to useExcel and what functionality you can use for your personal and professional life.

Click on one of the topics in the outline below or click on "Start Now! " to start thetutorial.

Section 1: Getting Started with Microsoft ExcelSection 2: Understanding Excel WorkbooksSection 3: Excel WorksheetsSection 4: Formatting Worksheets

How to Use This TutorialThis tutorial teaches a great foundation for Microsoft Excel. Once you complete thistutorial, you should know what you can use Excel for and how to be productive withMicrosoft Excel.

There are special icons and buttons you will see throughout this free tutorial:

Indicates a tip - expert information to educate you on the best Microsoft Excelinformation.

Section Learning Goals

In this section, you will learn:

The Excel interface

Menu options Toolbars The formula bar

The status bar

Getting Started : -


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Exploring the Excel Interface

When you first open Microsoft Excel, the window displays a new, blank worksheet, inwhich you can enter, format, and analyze data using the various commands available inthe menu bar. Toolbars provide easy access to common commands, as do shortcut menus,

which you access by right-clicking the cells in the worksheet.

You enter formulas into the formula bar, which is located below the toolbars. Theformula bar also provides access to all the functions available in Excel; these functions letyou perform a variety of simple and complex calculations on the data contained in your

worksheets.The horizontal and vertical scroll bars at the right and bottom of the Microsoft Excelwindow let you navigate to parts of the worksheet outside the visible area.

Menu Options

The Microsoft Excel menu bar contains all the commands required to create, work with, print, and save workbooks. To access these commands, click the name of the menu toopen it, and then click the command you want to access.

Each menu groups together related commands, sometimes using submenus to further group commands:

File - Create, open, save, print, and close workbooks.


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Edit - Perform editing functions on your workbook, including copying, cutting,and pasting data and objects, moving to various locations in a workbook, andundoing and redoing actions.

View - Change the workbook's display size and style. Insert - Insert new worksheets, or additional space, such as new cells, columns,

or rows; also insert charts, comments, functions, hyperlinks and other objects intoyour workbooks. Format - Apply formatting to worksheets and their contents. Tools - Use Excel's tools, such as the spell and grammar checker, macro recorder,

and protection and collaboration features, and set your Microsoft Excel preferences.

Data - Sort, filter, and otherwise arrange the data on your worksheets. Window - Switch between open workbook windows, or split the window of the

current workbook. Help - Access Microsoft Excel's online help.

Note:

Additional menus may appear when you install a program that includes a Microsoft Excel plug-in.

To access a menu command, click the main menu to open it, and then select (click) thecommand. Excel hides those commands you don't use frequently, so if you don't see acommand, click the double arrows at the bottom of the menu to expand it. Excel thendisplays all the available commands. Once you select a command, Excel includes it withthe others you commonly use.

Toolbars

The Microsoft Excel toolbars group together shortcuts to common commands; theseshortcuts take the form of buttons. You can click a toolbar button to quickly applyformatting, save or print a workbook, copy or paste data, or accomplish another of avariety of tasks.

To show or hide a toolbar, open the View menu, select Toolbars , and then select thetoolbar you want to show or hide. You can also access the toolbar menu by right-clickinganywhere on a visible toolbar.


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The most frequently used toolbars are the Standard toolbar and the Formatting toolbar.

The Standard toolbar contains buttons for opening, saving, printing, and editingworkbooks.

The Formatting toolbar contains drop-down menus and buttons for applying formattingto worksheets.

By default, these two toolbars appear next to each other, just below the menu bar.

Toolbars (Continued)

Other toolbars available in Excel are: Chart - Create and work with charts. Clipboard - View and select the contents of the clipboard. Control Toolbox - Insert ActiveX controls into a form. Drawing - Insert and format drawing objects. External Data - Work with data imported from external sources. Forms - Insert form objects.


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Picture - Insert and format pictures. Pivot Table - Create and work with pivot tables, interactive tables for large

amounts of data. Reviewing - Insert, edit, and delete comments for or by reviewers. Visual Basic - Record and run macros, and work with Microsoft Word Visual

Basic code. Web - Navigate a Web document. WordArt - Insert and format WordArt.

You can customize any of these toolbars by adding and removing buttons, or you cancreate your own toolbars to group your favorite commands: Just right-click one of thevisible toolbars, select Customize from the menu that appears, and, in the Customize dialog, select the Commands tab to add or remove commands.

Each of Excel's toolbars can be moved simply by clicking and dragging the title bar (if the toolbar is floating) or the move handle (if the toolbar is docked).

The move handle is located at the left edge of the toolbar. When you move the mouseover it, the pointer changes to horizontal and vertical arrows, indicating you can drag

the toolbar.

1. Drag the toolbar off the row. The toolbar changes from docked to floating.

2. Click the title bar and drag the toolbar back into place.

If you drag a toolbar to a full row, the surrounding toolbars will shrink to make room for it. To access a button that's no longer visible, click the chevrons at the right edge of thetoolbar.

Tip:


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To quickly remove buttons you don't use, or add new buttons, select Add or RemoveButtons . In the menu, uncheck the buttons you don't need, or select new buttons to add.Select Customize to choose from all the available commands.

Formula Bar

The formula bar displays the contents of the active, or selected, cell. If the cell contains aformula, the formula will appear in the formula bar, while the value resulting from theformula is displayed in the cell itself.

You also use the formula to enter formulas. Clicking the Edit Formula button next tothe formula bar opens the Formula Palette, which helps you select and constructfunctions. Functions are formulas that are built into Microsoft Excel, and allow you to

perform a variety of calculations.

The name box to the left of the formula bar displays the current location of your cursor. If a cell is selected, the cell is displayed here. If you're in the process of selecting a range of cells, the name box displays the range (for example, A1 X C9), and changes as theselection changes.

Status Bar

The status bar at the bottom of the Microsoft Excel window displays the current status of operations being performed on the open workbook, such as the progress as the workbook is saved.

It also includes the AutoCalculate feature, which displays a selected calculation for anyrange (or set) of cells you select, automatically. By default, it displays the sum of thevalues found in the cells.

You can select a different type of calculation by right-clicking the AutoCalculate featurein the status bar and selecting a different type of calculation from the menu.


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Section Review

In this section, you learned:

The Excel interface Menu options Toolbars The formula bar

The status bar



How to split the Excel window Freezing portions of the window Hiding rows and columns

Changing the display size (zoom)

Splitting the Window

You can view different parts of the same worksheet at the same time by splitting thewindow. Splitting the window can be useful when you want to compare data in differentlocations, or copy date from one place to another.

You can split the window both horizontally and vertically:

1. To split the window horizontally, move the mouse over the split handle , the box at the top of the vertical scroll bar.

To split the window vertically, move the mouse over the split handle at the right of thehorizontal scroll bar

2. When the mouse pointer changes to a double horizontal line with arrows, click and drag the split handle to the middle of the screen.

You can also split the window by selecting Split from the Window menu. This splits thewindow into four quadrants.


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To adjust the size of each of the panes, click and drag the border (split handle) separatingthem.

To return to a single window, double-click each of the split handles, or select RemoveSplit from the Window menu.

Freezing Portions of the Window

When you're comparing a lot of data, it's often helpful to freeze one portion of theworksheet, while you scroll through another portion. You can freeze a horizontal pane, avertical pane, or both:

1. Select the row below, or the column to the right, of the place where you want thesplit to appear.

2. From the Window menu, select Freeze Panes .

A thin line appears along the row or column, representing the split.

In the illustration above, the left pane is frozen. The horizontal scroll bar can be used toscroll through the right pane.


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The contents visible on the left stay the same, while the contents visible on the rightchange as you scroll.

Tip:

You can freeze both a horizontal and a vertical pane by selecting the cell below and to theright of where you want the split.

This is useful if you have both row and column labels. You can freeze the labels whileyou scroll through the data.


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To unfreeze the pane(s), select Unfreeze Panes from the Window menu.

Hiding Rows and Columns

Instead of freezing portions of the window, you can hide rows or columns:

1. Select the row or column.

2. From the Format menu, select Row or Column , and then select Hide .

The selection disappears.

Tip:

You can also hide entire worksheets by selecting Worksheet from the Format menuinstead.


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To show the selection again, select Unhide from the same menu.

Changing the Display Size

To zoom into or out of areas of your worksheet, use the Zoom menu, located on the

Standard toolbar.

To select a custom display size, select Zoom from the View menu and, in the Zoom dialog, enter a value into the Custom field.

Section Review


How to split the Excel window Freezing portions of the window Hiding rows and columns

Changing the display size (zoom)




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The differences between workbooks and worksheets Entering text and numbers Working with ranges of cells Inserting cells Deleting cells

Moving and copying data

Understanding Workbooks and Worksheets

A workbook is the Microsoft Excel file that stores your data. A workbook can containmany worksheets , which you use to enter and work with your data. You can enter anddisplay data in multiple worksheets in a workbook, and perform calculations using datafound across all the different worksheets.

Worksheets are composed of cells , active areas in which you input data or formulas for calculation. Cells are aligned along columns, labeled with the letters A through IV, androws, labeled with the numbers 1 through 65536.

When a cell is selected, its location appears in the name box , located to the left of theformula bar.

In Excel, this location is called a reference , and is used to point to values you want to usein a formula. References let you calculate data contained in different parts of your workbook, or in different workbooks altogether.

References are indicated using the cell's column and row headings. Cell B2, shown in thename box above, refers to the cell in column B, row 2.

Entering Text and Numbers

To enter data into a cell, you must first select, or activate , the cell. To do this, you click the cell with your mouse, or move the cursor into the cell using the arrow keys on your keyboard. Once a cell is selected, type your data and press Enter (or Tab , if you want tomove to the adjacent cell).


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Note:

Among Excel's options is the ability to turn on and off editing in cells . When this optionis turned on, you can double-click a cell and type directly into it. You can also double-click a cell and then select all or part of the data contained in the cell-if you want to

format it, for example.

When editing in cells is turned off, you must use the formula bar to enter and edit data:Select the cell, type the data in the formula bar (or highlight the data in the formula bar,to edit it), and then press Enter .

If you're having trouble editing directly in a cell, or wish to turn this option on or off:

1. Select Options from the Tools menu.

The Options dialog opens.

2. Select the Edit tab.

3. Under Settings , check or uncheck the box labeled Edit directly in cell , asappropriate.

Working with Ranges


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In Excel, you can work with multiple cells at once (called a range ). To select a range,click the first cell and, holding down the mouse button, drag the mouse to the last cell.All the cells in the range you defined are selected.

Alternatively, you can select the first cell, hold down the Shift key, and then select thelast cell in the range; this selects adjacent cells, as shown in the illustration above. If,instead, you want to select several cells that aren't adjacent, hold down the Ctrl key onyour keyboard while you click each cell you want to select.

To quickly select an entire row or column, click the row or column heading, respectively.You can select multiple rows or columns by clicking on the first row or column headingin the range, holding down the mouse button, and dragging to the last row or column

heading in the range.

Tip:

To select the entire contents of a worksheet, click the box in the upper left corner of the

worksheet, where the first row and first column intersect:


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Working with Ranges (Continued)

Ranges in Excel are used in a variety of ways. You can select a range to apply the sameformatting to all the cells (such as font, size, color, borders, and shading), or you canenter the same data into each of the cells in the range using the Ctrl + Enter shortcut:

1. Select the range.

2. Type the data.

3. Press Ctrl + Enter .

Ranges are also used in performing calculations. When you enter a formula in theformula bar, you designate a range by typing the first cell in the range, followed by a

colon ( , followed by the last cell in the range. For example:


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A1:F20

The range above includes cells A1 through A20, B1 through B20, C1 through C20, andso on through cell F20.

Inserting Cells

Use the Insert command to insert a row, a column, or a blank cell into a worksheet.

To insert a row or column:

1. Select the row below, or the column to the right, of the location where you wantthe new row or column inserted.

2. Select Rows or Columns from the Insert menu, as appropriate. Or, right-click therow or column and select Insert from the shortcut menu.

A new, blank row or column is inserted. Note that it assumes the size and formatting of the adjacent row or column.


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To insert a blank cell:

1. Select the cell adjacent to the location where you want to insert the new cell.2. Select Cells from the Insert menu. Or, right-click the current cell and select

Insert from the shortcut menu.

The Insert dialog opens.


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3. Choose how you want to shift the existing cells to accommodate the new one.4. Click OK .

Deleting Cells

To delete cells:

1. Select the cell, the range, or the row or column you want to delete.2. From the Edit menu, select Delete . Or, right-click the selection and select Delete

from the shortcut menu.

Moving and Copying Data

To move data from one cell to another:

1. Select the cell whose contents you want to move.2. Point to the edge of the cell.


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1. Select the cell whose contents you want to copy.

2. From the Edit menu, select Copy . Or, right-click the cell and select Copy from theshortcut menu. (You can also use the Ctrl+c keyboard shortcut.)

A blinking dashed border appears around the cell.

3. Select the cell where you want the data to be copied.

4. From the Edit menu, select Paste . Or, right-click the new cell and select Paste fromthe shortcut menu. (You can also use the Ctrl+v keyboard shortcut.)


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5. The data is pasted into the new cell.

You can continue to paste the same data into as many cells as you like.

Tip:

If you're only copying the data to one cell, you can press Enter as soon as you select thenew cell. Excel will automatically paste the data.

6. To finish pasting and remove the dashed outline from the original cell, press Enter .

Moving and Copying Data (Continued)

Tip:

To quickly copy a data to an adjacent cell:

1. Select the cell containing the data.

The fill handle is displayed as a small black square in the bottom right corner of the celloutline.

2. Click on the fill handle and, holding down your mouse button, drag to theadjacent cell. When that cell is highlighted, release the mouse button.

The data is copied to the adjacent cell.


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The differences between workbooks and worksheets Entering text and numbers Working with ranges of cells Inserting cells Deleting cells

Moving and copying data



How to format cells Formatting numbers Changing the appearance of cells How to apply borders and shading

Using the format painter

Formatting Cells & Formatting Numbers

Numbers in Excel can be formatted in a variety of ways: as whole numbers, as decimals,

as percentages, and even as currency. By default, numbers use the General format-thisdisplays numbers exactly as you enter them (although Excel rounds the numbers usingdecimals or scientific notation if the cells are too narrow to accommodate what you'veentered).

To apply a different number format to the contents of a cell:

1. Select the cell.

2. From the Format menu, select Cells .

The Format Cells dialog opens.

3. Select the Number tab.


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4. All the available number formats are listed under Category . Select a category,such as Currency .


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5. Formatting options for that category appear on the right side of the dialog. Selectthe options you want, such as the number of decimal places to use.

6. Click OK .7. The formatting is applied to the selected cell (or range of cells).

Note:

It isn't necessary to apply formatting to basic date and time entries. When you separatenumbers with a slash ( /) or a hyphen ( -), Excel interprets the number as a date. You canalso enter a time, such as 12:00 , followed by an a or a p to indicate morning or evening(for example, 12:00 p ). If you don't specify morning or evening, Excel assumes thedefault a (morning).

Changing the Appearance of Cells

Use the Formatting toolbar to apply basic formatting to cells, such as font face, size,color, bold or italics:

1. Select the cell you want to format. Alternatively, you can select the contents of the cell, or a part of the contents, by double-clicking inside the cell andhighlighting the contents you want to format (or selecting the contents in theformula bar).

2. Use the buttons and drop-down menus on the Formatting toolbar to applyformatting. For example:

a. Select a new size from the Font Size drop-down menu.


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The font size is applied to the contents of the cell.

b. Next, click the Bold button to apply bold formatting.

c. Use the color picker to apply a color to the contents of the cell.

For example, select the red swatch to make the text in the cell red.

Changing the Appearance of Cells (Continued)

Additional font options are available in the Format Cells dialog:

1. Select the cell whose contents you want to format.

2. From the Format menu, select Cells . You can also right-click the cell (or range of cells) and select Format Cells from the shortcut menu.


3. Select the Font tab.


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Here, you can see a sample of the options you select in the Preview pane.

Changing the Appearance of Cells (Continued)

You can also use the Format Cells dialog to change the alignment and orientation of the

contents of cells. For example, you can rotate the contents of cells containing your column headings:

1. Select the cell whose contents you want to rotate.



3. Select the Alignment tab.


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4. To change the orientation of your cell's contents, enter a new orientation, in degrees,into the Degrees field. You can also click and drag the red point in the text pane to a newlocation indicating the orientation you want. The number in the Degrees field changes asyou drag the pointer.


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3. Select a border style to apply it to your cell(s). For example, select OutsideBorders to place a border around the outside of a range of cells.

The border appears only around the outside of the range; no border appears between theindividual cells.

To apply borders to each of the cells, choose All Borders instead.

Notice that the borders are rotated to match the orientation that was applied to the cellcontents.

Applying Borders and Shading (Continued)Additional line styles are available in the Format Cells dialog:

1. With your cells selected, select Cells from the Format menu.



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2. Select the Border tab.

3. Under Style , select a line style. You can also select a color for the border usingthe Color drop-down menu.

4. Click OK to apply the border.

Similarly, you can apply a fill color to cells using the Fill Color button on theFormatting toolbar:

1. Select the cells.2. On the Formatting toolbar, click the arrow next to the Fill Color button and

select a color swatch.

The color is applied to the selected cells.


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Applying Borders and Shading (Continued)

To apply a pattern to the cells, use the Format Cells dialog:

1. Select the cells.2. Select Cells from the Format menu.


3. Select the Patterns tab.

4. The swatches under Color let you choose a fill color for the cells, just as the FillColor button on the Formatting toolbar does. If necessary, select a fill color.

5. Select a pattern from the Pattern drop-down menu. The patterns are shown inswatches above the color swatches.


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6. You can apply a color to the pattern by selecting one of the color swatches fromthe menu. If you don't select a color, the pattern will be black (for example, black dots).

7. Click OK to apply the pattern to the cells.

Using Format Painter

You can quickly copy formatting from one cell to another using the Format Painter :

1. Select a cell containing the format you want to copy.


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2. Click the Format Painter button on the Standard toolbar.

A blinking dashed border appears around the cell whose format is being copied.

3. Select the cell you want to apply the formatting to.

The formatting of the original cell is copied to the new cell.

Section Review


How to format cells

Formatting numbers Changing the appearance of cells How to apply borders and shading

Using the format painter



Creating a new workbook Saving a workbook Selecting worksheets Inserting a worksheet Naming worksheets Moving and copying worksheets Deleting worksheets


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Printing a workbook

Closing a workbook

Workbooks:-Creating a New Workbook

To create a new workbook:

1. From the File menu, select New .

The New dialog opens.

2. Make sure the General tab is selected, and then double-click Workbook .

A new blank workbook opens.

Tip:

To quickly create a new workbook from the default template, click the New buttonon the Standard toolbar.

Excel also provides a number of custom templates you can use. These are available onthe Spreadsheet Solutions tab in the New dialog.


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Saving a Workbook

To save your current (open) workbook, select Save from the File menu, or click the Save

button on the Standard toolbar.

If this is the first time you've save the workbook, the Save As dialog opens, promptingyou to enter a file name and select a location for the file.

To save changes to your open workbook, click the Save button again. Excel savesthe file in its current location.

Tip:

To save a copy of your workbook under a new file name, use the Save As commandagain. In the Save As dialog, enter a new name for the workbook file.

Selecting Worksheets

Use the sheet tabs at the bottom of the Excel window to switch between sheets in aworkbook. Simply click on the tab for the sheet you want to activate.

Note:


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The active worksheet is the worksheet that's currently selected; its contents are visible inthe Microsoft Excel window. You activate a worksheet in order to work in it.

The scroll buttons to the left of the sheet tabs let you display tabs that may be hidden.

Click the left and right scroll buttons to scroll through the tabs.

You can click the first and last scroll buttons to move to the first and last tabs,respectively.

To see a list of all the available sheets, right-click one of the scroll buttons. Then select asheet from the shortcut menu to activate it.

Tabs might be hidden if the split bar is positioned far to the left. You can click and dragthe split bar to view a larger number of tabs.

Once you've repositioned the split bar, use the scroll buttons to scroll back through thetabs. The tabs will appear in the new space you've created.


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To select multiple sheets in a workbook, click a sheet tab and then hold down the Ctrl (Control) key while clicking each additional sheet tab you want to select. If you're

selecting adjacent sheet tabs, you can click the first tab and then hold down the Shift keywhile clicking the last tab in the range you want to select.

To select all the sheets in a workbook, right-click one of the sheet tabs and select SelectAll Sheets from the shortcut menu.

When you select multiple worksheets, the changes you make are applied to all the sheetsin the selection.

Inserting a Worksheet

To insert a new worksheet into the open workbook, select Worksheet from the Insert menu, or right-click a sheet tab and select Insert from the shortcut menu.

When the new sheet is inserted, you can name it and, if necessary, move it to the desiredlocation in the workbook.

Naming Worksheets

It's helpful to name the individual worksheets in a workbook, especially when theworkbook contains a number of sheets. The easiest way to do this is to double-click thesheet tab for the worksheet you want to name, and then type the new name and pressEnter .

You can also right-click the sheet tab and select Rename from the shortcut menu. Thishighlights the current name, allowing you to type over it with a new name. Press Enter when you've finished.


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Moving and Copying Worksheets

To move a worksheet to a new location in the current workbook, use your mouse to dragand drop the sheet tab:

1. Press and hold the mouse button over the sheet tab for the worksheet you want to

move.2. Holding down the mouse button, drag the mouse to the new location.

3. Release the mouse button.

The sheet tab for the worksheet appears in the new location.

You can also copy the worksheet to a new location by holding down Ctrl key while youdrag the sheet tab. To copy multiple sheets, press Ctrl while you select each sheet andthen release the Ctrl key . Then press the Ctrl key again and, holding it down, drag thegroup of sheet tabs to the new location.

Finally, release the mouse button, and then release the Ctrl key. The sheets are copied tothe new location.

Moving and Copying Worksheets (Continued)


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To move or copy worksheets to a different workbook:

1. Open both workbooks-the one that currently contains the worksheets and the onethat you want to move or copy the worksheets to.

2. Activate the workbook that currently contains the worksheets by clicking its

button on the Windows taskbar.

3. Select the sheets you want to move or copy.4. From the Edit menu, select Move or Copy Sheet , or right-click the appropriate

sheet tab (or group of selected tabs) and select Move or Copy from the shortcutmenu.

The Move or Copy dialog opens.

5. From the To book drop-down menu, select the workbook you want to move or copy the worksheet(s) to.

Tip:

You can move or copy the sheets to a new workbook by selecting (new book) instead.

6. Under Before sheet , select the location in the workbook where you want to moveor copy the sheets. The sheets will appear before the worksheet you select here.

7. To copy the worksheets to the new location, check the Create a copy checkbox,and then click OK .

To move the worksheets, leave the box unchecked and simply click OK .


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Deleting Worksheets

To delete sheets from a workbook, select the sheets and then select Delete Sheet from theEdit menu. You can also right-click the sheet tab (or group of tabs) and select Delete from the shortcut menu.

Keep in mind that when you delete a worksheet, you delete all the data and functions thatthe sheet contains.

Click OK to confirm the deletion.

Printing a Workbook

To print your workbook, the current worksheet, or a selection within the active

worksheet, select Print from the File menu, or click the Print button on theStandard toolbar. This opens the Print dialog.


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Under Print what :

Select Entire workbook to print all the sheets in the workbook. Select Active sheet(s) to print only the active worksheet.

To print multiple worksheets (but not the entire workbook), select the worksheets by Ctrl+ clicking the sheet tabs for the sheets you want to print, and then, in the Print dialog,select Active sheet(s).

Select Selection to print only the selected cells. For example, to print cells A1through G10 in the active worksheet, select the cells with your mouse, click thePrint button, and then select Selection .

When you've defined the print settings, click OK to print.

Defining a Print Area

You can also define a specific print area within a worksheet so that only that area is printed. For example, you may want to print a chart without printing the values you usedto create that chart.

To define a print area:

1. Select the cells that comprise the area you want to print.2. From the File menu, select Print Area , and then Set Print Area from the

submenu.


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3. To print the contents of the print area, click the Print button and, under Printwhat , leave Active sheet(s) selected.

Excel prints only the area you've defined.

To clear the print area, select Clear Print Area from the Print Area submenu.

Even when you've defined a print area, you can still print other cells in the activeworksheet. To do so, simply select the cells you want to print, click the Print button, and,under Print what , select Selection .

Closing a Workbook

To close the current workbook, select Close from the File menu, or simply click theClose Window button in the upper right corner of the Excel workbook window.

To close all Excel, along with all open workbooks, click the Close button in the upper right corner of the Excel window.


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If you have outstanding (unsaved) changes, Excel will ask you if want to save them before closing. Click Yes to save the changes, or No to close the window and discard thechanges.

Section Review


Creating a new workbook Saving a workbook Selecting worksheets Inserting a worksheet Naming worksheets Moving and copying worksheets Deleting worksheets Printing a workbook

Closing a workbook



How to work with worksheets Basic formulas

Constructing a formula Excel functions Using the formula palette Absolute and relative cell references

Protecting a worksheet

Worksheets : -Basic Formulas

A formula is an equation that calculates a value for a cell or a range of cells. You enter aformula into the formula bar preceded by an equal (=) sign. This tells Excel to calculate avalue for what you've entered, rather than treating your entry as plain text. Formulas can

be very simple-such as addition or subtraction-or very complex, performing multiplecalculations and referencing additional formulas in numerous cells.

Formulas remain behind the scenes; that is, cells display the resulting values of theformulas you've entered, rather than the formulas themselves. Because formulas can refer to other cells in a worksheet, other worksheets, or even other workbooks, the value of acell containing a formula will change as the contents of the referenced cells change.


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For example, if you want to calculate the total number of widgets you sell in the year 2004, and for each month of the year you have a cell containing the total number of salesthat month, you can enter a formula into a "Total Annual Sales" cell to add together thesales for each month. By the end of June, you may have only sold 715 widgets:

But by the end of the year, as new figures are added for the remaining months, your totalwidget sales may climb to over 1,300:

As you can see, Excel automatically updates this total as figures are entered into the cellsfor monthly sales totals.

Note that in the example above the formula that calculates the value for the total annualsales actually refers to cells containing formulas of their own. Cell B6 adds together thecontents of cells B2 through B4; cell C6 adds together the contents of cells C2 throughC4; and so on. Cell C9, which calculates the total annual sales, adds together the valuesof cells B6 through M6. Thus, Excel can calculate values that are then used to calculatenew values for other cells.

Constructing a Basic Formula

To enter a formula into a cell:

1. Select the cell.2. In the formula bar, enter an equal (=) sign, and then type the formula.3. Press Enter .


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Similarly, you can view a formula contained in a cell by clicking the cell. When the cellis selected, the formula is displayed in the formula bar.

To edit the formula, you simply change it in the formula bar and press Enter .

The simplest formulas can use familiar operators, such as:

The plus sign (+) for addition The minus sign (-) for subtraction The asterisk (*) for multiplication The backslash (/) for division

Excel calculates formulas using standard mathematical rules; specifically, values arecalculated from left to right, with any operations contained in parenthesis performed first.

For example, if you want to calculate the average sales among all three widgets for themonth of January, you might enter the following formula into a new cell below themonthly total:

=(B2+B3+B4)/3

In this formula, "B2" refers to the value contained in cell B2; "B3" refers to the valuecontained in cell B3; and "B4" refers to the value contained in cell B4. If you later changethe value of one of those cells-for example, you find 46 units of Widget 1 were sold, andnot 45-Excel will update the total.

The number "3" in the formula is a constant -a value that doesn't change, unlike the cellreferences, whose values can change if you edit the data in the cells.


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"B2", "B3", and "B4" represented the number of widgets sold in the month of January."B2" represented Widget 1 sales, "B3" Widget 2 sales, and "B4" Widget 3 sales, asshown in the sample spreadsheet below:

To calculate the total number of sales for the month of January, you could enter theformula = B2+B3+B4 into cell B6 (next to Total ). However, it's easier to use the SUMfunction, particularly when you're adding together a large number of cells in a range:

=SUM(B2:B4)Functions begin with the name of the function (for example, "SUM") followed by

parentheses enclosing the specific values being calculated (called arguments ). Thesevalues can be constants, cells references, or even text you want to combine. To refer to a

range of cells, type the first cell in the range, then a colon ( , and then the last cell inthe range (for example, "B2:B4").

You enter a formula that uses a function the same way you'd enter any other formula:select the cell, type an equal sign (=) and then the formula, with its function, in theformula bar, and press Enter .

Excel calculates the value and displays it in the cell.

Functions simplify formulas by telling Excel to use a predefined method of calculatingvalues. Microsoft Excel includes functions for calculating averages, statistics, dates, andmuch more. In many cases, you need only supply simple data, such as the range of cellsto be used in the calculation.


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Using the Formula Palette

Excel's Formula Palette can help you construct formulas that contain functions bydisplaying a list of the built-in functions and the arguments used for each. To access theFormula Palette:

1. Select the cell in which you want to enter the formula.2. Click the Edit Formula button in the formula bar.3. The Formula Palette opens.

4. From the Functions drop-down menu, select a function that describes the type of calculation you want to perform.

Tip:

Select More Functions to see additional functions.

When you select a function, the Formula Palette displays fields in which you can enter the arguments (the values to be calculated), as well as a description of the function andthe current result of the calculation.


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In the example above, the AVERAGE function has been selected. The AVERAGEfunction adds together the values (called arguments) you supply and then divides thistotal by the number of values that were added, which Excel calculates for you. In thisfunction, you only need supply the values whose average you want to calculate.

5. Enter the values you want calculated into the Number 1 field.

By default, Excel has assumed you want to use the values of the range of cells above thecell containing the formula (B2:B6). This range can be deleted and another one can beentered, and the formula displayed in the formula bar will change accordingly.Alternatively, you can enter constants separated by commas, such as "3,5,7,9", in whichcase Excel will calculate the average of the numbers 3, 5, 7, and 9.

Below, "B6" has been changed to "B4" so Excel will calculate the average of the valuesin cells B2 through B4.

Tip:

If you like, you can hide the Formula Palette and use your mouse to select the range of cells whose values you want Excel to use in the formula:


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a. Click the button to the right of the Number 1 field .

The Formula Palette disappears, leaving only the field.

b. If necessary, delete the existing contents of the field. Then select the rangeof cells you want to use in the formula.

As you select the cells, Excel enters the range into the field, updating it as you move your mouse.

c. Click the button to the right of the field to display the Formula Palette

again.6. When you've finished entering the values for your function, click OK to close theFormula Palette.

Excel calculates the value and displays it in the cell.


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Absolute and Relative Cell References

By default, Excel uses relative cell references. Relative cell references are those whoselocations Excel calculates based on the location of the formula. This means that whenyou insert a new row or column into a range included in a formula, Excel automaticallyincludes the new data in its calculations, and edits the formula accordingly. Similarly,when you copy a formula from one cell to another, Excel adjusts the cell references.

For example, you can copy the formula in cell B6 below (which adds together the valuesin the range B2:B4) to cell C6, and Excel will adjust the formula to add together thevalues in the range C2:C4.

This is because the cell range used in the original formula is relative-it tells Excel to usethe values in the cells 4, 3, and 2 rows above the formula. The copy of the formula, in cellC6, also looks for values 4, 3, and 2 rows above-in the range C2:C4.

As another example, suppose the International Widget Company decided to include thesales of widget accessories in the January monthly total. A new row is inserted below row4 (which contains the monthly values for Widget 3). This moves the row containing theformula down one row, to B7.


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In the new row, total sales are entered for the widget accessories. As soon as a value isentered into cell B5, Excel changes the formula in cell B7 (formerly B6) from=SUM(B2:B4) to =SUM(B2:B5) , and updates the resulting value:

In contrast, absolute cell references are references that refer to a specific location. Theseare indicated by a dollar sign ($) preceding the part of the reference that should beabsolute-that is, before the row reference, before the column reference, or before each, tomake the entire cell reference absolute:

$B4 indicates that column B is absolute, but row 4 is relative.

B$4 indicates that column B is relative, but row 4 is absolute.

$B$4 indicates that the entire reference-to cell B4-is absolute.

When you use an absolute reference, Excel will not adjust formulas when they're copiedto new locations.

Note:

If you include in your formula a range that uses absolute cell references (for example,=SUM($B$2:$B$4) ) and then insert a row or column that produces a new cell locatedwithin that range (for example, you insert a new row before row 4), Excel will adjust therange in the formula, just as it would if you'd used relative references. This is becauseExcel assumes that you still want your calculation to include the first and last cells youinitially specified. However, if you insert a new below row 4 (as we did when we addedWidget Accessories), Excel will not adjust the range in the formula, and cell B5 (newlyinserted) will not be included in the calculation.

Absolute references should be used when you want to use the same calculated value indifferent locations in a workbook (for example, if you want to include total annual sales,calculated on the first sheet of a workbook, in subsequent worksheets).


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Tip:

To quickly change a cell reference from relative to absolute (or vice versa),select the cell and press F4 on your keyboard. This toggles the

references through the various Protecting a worksheet

When you protect a worksheet, you prevent users from viewing or making changes to thecontents, depending on the protection options you use:

If you want to prevent users from viewing certain rows or columns, hide them before you protect the worksheet using the Hide command in the Format Rows or Columns submenu.

If you want to prevent users from viewing formulas in particular cells:

1. Select the cells whose formulas you want to hide.



3. Select the Protection tab.

4. Check the Hidden checkbox.5. Click OK .


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2. To protect the contents of the worksheet, with the exception of any cells youunlocked, make sure the Contents checkbox is checked.

3. Selecting Objects protects graphics, charts, and comments in the worksheet.4. Selecting Scenarios prevents users from changing and deleting scenarios.5. To password-protect the worksheet, enter a password into the Password field.

You'll be prompted to re-enter the password. Do so to confirm the password and click OK .

6. Click OK .

To remove protection from a worksheet, select Protection and then Unprotect Sheet from the Tools menu. If you entered a password when you protected the sheet, you'll be

prompted to re-enter it now. Do so, and then click OK .

combinations of absolute and relative columns and rows.

Section Review


How to work with worksheets Basic formulas Constructing a formula

Excel functions Using the formula palette Absolute and relative cell references

Protecting a worksheet



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Formatting worksheets Using styles Modifying styles Creating a new style Copying styles from other workbooks

Using autoformats

Formatting Worksheets

Using Styles

Styles are collections of formatting choices that you can apply to the data in your cells, or to entire cells, ranges, or worksheets. Later, you can quickly change the formatting of allthe cells that use a particular style, simply by changing the formatting of the style.

Microsoft Excel includes built-in styles to format numbers as currency, percentages, andwhole numbers with commas. You can modify these styles to suit the needs of your worksheets, or you can create your own custom styles.

Applying a Style

The common number styles can be applied using the buttons on the Formatting toolbar:

Click to apply the currency style.

Click to apply the percent style.

Click to apply the comma style.

Additional options are available from the Style dialog:


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1. With the cell(s) selected, select Style from the Format menu.

The Style dialog opens.

2. Select a style from the Style name drop-down menu. The features of the styleappear below, under Style includes .

3. Click OK .

Modifying an Existing Style

To modify an existing style:

1. From the Format menu, select Style .The Style dialog opens.


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2. Select the style you want to modify from the Style name drop-down menu.3. Click the Modify button.


4. Use the options on the various tabs to select the formatting you want the style touse.

5. Click OK to close the Format Cells dialog.6. If necessary, check (select) or uncheck any formatting options under Style

includes .7. Click Add .8. To apply the style to the selected cell(s), click OK . Otherwise, click Close to

close the Style dialog.

Creating a New Style

To create a new style:1. From the Format menu, select Style .


2. Enter a name for the new style into the Style name field.


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3. Click the Modify button.


4. Use the options on the various tabs to select the formatting you want the style touse, and then click OK .

5. Check (select) or uncheck any formatting options under Style includes .

6. Click Add .7. To apply the new style to the selected cell(s), click OK . Otherwise, click Close to

close the Style dialog.

Copying Styles from Other Workbooks

Excel also lets you copy styles contained in other workbooks:


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1. Open both workbooks-the one containing the styles you want to copy and the oneyou want to copy the styles into.

2. In the workbook that will receive the styles, select Style from the Format menu.


3. Click the Merge button.

The Merge Styles dialog opens.

4. Select the workbook that contains the styles you want to copy and click OK .

5. If both workbooks contain styles with the same names (for example, the defaultnumber styles), confirm that you want to replace the existing styles in the currentworkbook.

If you don't want to replace the existing styles, click No when prompted. Only new styleswill be added to the current workbook.

Using AutoFormats


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The AutoFormat feature lets you quickly format a range of cells using one of a variety of built-in formatting combinations. When you add columns or rows to a range that's beenAutoFormatted, the new cells automatically assume the AutoFormat's properties.

To apply an AutoFormat:

1. Select the cells you want to format.

2. From the Format menu, select AutoFormat .The AutoFormat dialog opens.

3. Scroll through the list to view the available formatting combinations. Select aformat by clicking on it.

Using AutoFormats (Continued)


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4. You can choose to use only some of the properties of the selected format byclicking the Options button.

5. Uncheck any of the properties you don't want to use.6. Click OK .

The formatting is applied to the selected cells.

To remove an AutoFormat, simply select the cells, open the AutoFormat dialog, andselect None , located at the end of the list.


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Section Review


Formatting worksheets Using styles Modifying styles Creating a new style Copying styles from other workbooks

Using autoformats

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