Prepared by:

IAS Information Technology Group Einstein Drive

Princeton, NJ 08540 (609) 734-8044 ♦ helpdesk@ias.edu

Getting started with

Microsoft Excel 2003

20081021 – rev. 1

Table of Contents Introduction .................................................................................................................................1 Getting Help.................................................................................................................................2 Starting and exiting Microsoft Excel .........................................................................................3 Introducing the Microsoft Excel user interface........................................................................4 Working with Workbooks...........................................................................................................6

Opening a new workbook ....................................................................................................... 6 Using workbook templates ..................................................................................................... 6 Switching between open workbooks ...................................................................................... 7 Comparing the contents of two workbooks ............................................................................ 7 Saving a workbook ................................................................................................................. 7 Closing a workbook ................................................................................................................ 8

Working with Worksheets ..........................................................................................................9 Inserting new worksheets........................................................................................................ 9 Renaming a worksheet............................................................................................................ 9 Changing the color of a worksheet tab ................................................................................. 10 Switching between worksheets ............................................................................................. 10 Inserting and deleting worksheet cells, columns and rows................................................... 10 Hiding and unhiding worksheet columns and rows.............................................................. 11 Navigating within worksheets............................................................................................... 12 Freezing a worksheet column or row.................................................................................... 13 Hiding and unhiding a worksheet ......................................................................................... 13 Deleting a worksheet............................................................................................................. 13

Working with Data.....................................................................................................................14 Entering data into worksheets............................................................................................... 14 Entering data that is repeated................................................................................................ 15 Entering a series of data........................................................................................................ 15 Editing cell data .................................................................................................................... 15 Replacing data....................................................................................................................... 15 Copying and moving data ..................................................................................................... 16 Finding data .......................................................................................................................... 16 Filtering data ......................................................................................................................... 17 Sorting data ........................................................................................................................... 17

Formatting worksheet data ......................................................................................................18 Changing the font, font size and font style ........................................................................... 18 Changing column width or row height ................................................................................. 18 Merging multiple cells into one ............................................................................................ 19 Formatting numeric data ....................................................................................................... 19 Changing horizontal and vertical alignments ....................................................................... 20 Changing cell orientation...................................................................................................... 20 Wrapping data in a cell ......................................................................................................... 20

Adding cell borders............................................................................................................... 21 Using AutoFormat ................................................................................................................ 21 Using the Format Painter ...................................................................................................... 21

Working with Formulas ............................................................................................................22 What is a formula? ................................................................................................................ 22 Entering a formula ................................................................................................................ 24 Resolving a circular reference .............................................................................................. 24 Editing a formula .................................................................................................................. 24 Copying and pasting formulas and functions........................................................................ 25

Working with charts..................................................................................................................26 Creating a chart ..................................................................................................................... 26 Changing the chart type ........................................................................................................ 26 Changing chart formatting options ....................................................................................... 26 Formatting the plot area ........................................................................................................ 27 Formatting the chart area ...................................................................................................... 27 Formatting the axis ............................................................................................................... 27 Adding a legend to your chart............................................................................................... 28

Printing in Excel........................................................................................................................29 Printing a worksheet ............................................................................................................. 29 Defining the print area .......................................................................................................... 29 Defining page margins.......................................................................................................... 29 Adding a worksheet header and/or footer............................................................................. 30 Printing column and row headings across multiple pages .................................................... 30 Printing a worksheet to fit a paper width or a number of pages ........................................... 31 Changing the printing orientation for a worksheet ............................................................... 31

1

Introduction A spreadsheet displays multiple cells that together make up a grid consisting of columns and rows. Each cell can contain alphanumeric data, a formula or a non-alphanumeric object (e.g. graphic). Spreadsheet applications are frequently used for storing and manipulating financial data; however, they can be used to perform a wide variety of data management or storage tasks as well. Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application that allows you to organize your data in columns and rows. The data, stored in individual cells, can take on many forms such as text, dates and times, and numbers (including currency and percentages). Once your data is present, you can use any number of built-in tools to summarize and/or analyze your data. This training manual will assist you with the following:

• Learning about the user interface. • Understanding the difference between a workbook and worksheet. • Writing formulas. • Creating charts. • And more.

This training manual assumes that you have a basic understanding of the Microsoft Windows operating system, know how to use a keyboard and/or mouse to perform tasks such as accessing commands from the menus on the menu bar, selecting items and entering information into dialog boxes and have some experience with using the application. If you have any questions about the information in this training manual or about Microsoft Excel 2003 in general, please bring it to the attention of the trainer during or after the training session.

2

Getting Help If you experience problems using Microsoft Excel 2003, you can obtain help from several sources:

Office Assistant

When you have a question about how to do something in Microsoft Excel 2003, you can ask the Office Assistant. To access the Office Assistant, click on the Help menu and click on Show the Office Assistant. After the Office Assistant appears, double-click on it so that you can type your question.

Microsoft Excel Help

To search for help with a general topic, use Microsoft Excel Help. To access the Microsoft Excel Help, click on the Help menu and select Microsoft Excel Help.

Information Technology Group

The Information Technology Group can be reached Monday through Friday between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. by telephone (extension 8044) or e-mail (helpdesk@ias.edu).

3

Starting and exiting Microsoft Excel Starting Microsoft Excel Microsoft Excel is started in the same way that you start most other Windows applications

1. Click on the Start button (Windows 2000 and XP) or Start Globe (Windows Vista). 2. Click on All Programs. 3. Click on the Microsoft Office submenu. 4. Click on Microsoft Office Excel 2003.

Did you know?

There are two other methods that you can use to start Microsoft Excel:

1. Double-clicking on a desktop shortcut for Microsoft Excel application.

2. Double-clicking on a file that you previously created using Microsoft Excel.

Exiting Microsoft Excel Microsoft Excel is exited in the same way that you exit most other Windows applications

1. On the File menu, click on Exit. 2. If you made any edits to an open workbook since saving it last, you will be prompted to

save your changes. Click on Yes to save your changes or click on No if you don't want to save your changes.

4

Introducing the Microsoft Excel user interface

The following elements appear within the Microsoft Excel user interface:

• Worksheet – A workbook is a file that contains one or more worksheets, which you can use to organize your data. By default, each workbook consists of three independent worksheets – Sheet1, Sheet2 and Sheet3. Many users relate the function of the workbook to that of a binder.

• Worksheet - A worksheet contains a grid of 256 columns (columns A to IV) and 65,536 rows. The intersection of any column and row is referred to as a cell. You enter your data into cells.

• Name Box - This appears above the Column A heading and displays the name of the active cell.

• Formula Bar - This appears below the toolbars and displays the contents of the active cell in a worksheet.

• Columns and Rows – The columns appear vertically and are identified by letters. The rows appear horizontally and are identified by numbers. Each cell in a worksheet has a unique cell reference, the designation formed by combining the column and row identifiers. For example, A1 refers to the cell at the intersection of column A and row 1. If multiple cells are selected, either within the same column or row or across multiple columns and/or rows, range coordinates are used to identify the range. For example, the range A1:A3 indicates that the contents of cells A1, A2 and A3 are all included.

Formula BarName Box

Worksheet tabs Scroll bars

Active Cell

Rows

Columns

Workbook

Worksheet

Menu and Toolbars

5

• Active Cell – This is the cell(s) that is currently selected. There will always be at least one cell selected at all times in any worksheet.

• Worksheet tabs – These appear at the bottom of the workbook and allow you to move between multiple worksheets within the same workbook.

• Scroll bars – These allow you to move horizontally or vertically through your worksheet.

Did you know?

• If a worksheet contains only a chart, it is actually referred to as a

Chart Sheet. • There are 16,777,216 cells available on each worksheet within a

workbook. By default, how many cells are in a new workbook?

6

Working with Workbooks Opening a new workbook Microsoft Excel provides you with a new workbook every time that you launch the application; however, you can open another new workbook without closing Microsoft Excel.

1. On the File menu, click on New. 2. In the New Workbook Task Pane, under New, click on Blank workbook. A new blank

workbook automatically opens.

Did you know?

• You can also open a new workbook by clicking on the New Workbook button on the Standard toolbar or by pressing Ctrl+N on your keyboard.

• Each new workbook that is opened is given the name BookX, where “X” represents which workbook was opened since you launched Excel. For example, the first workbook is called Book1 and the second workbook is called Book2.

Using workbook templates Microsoft Excel offers several built-in or downloadable workbook templates for you to use for a specific purpose (e.g. balance sheet, loan amortization, time sheet, etc.). To access the Microsoft Excel built-in templates on your computer

1. On the File menu, click on New. 2. On the Task Pane, click on On my computer to display the Templates dialog window. 3. Double-click on the appropriate template.

To access the Microsoft Excel templates available for download from Microsoft

http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/templates/CT101485751033.aspx?av=ZXL

7

Switching between open workbooks If you have multiple workbooks open at the same time, you may need to switch between them from time to time.

• Click on the corresponding workbook button on the operating system taskbar. Doing this will cause this workbook to become the active workbook.

• You can also select a workbook's filename from the Window menu to switch to that workbook.

• You can use the Alt+Tab keyboard command to toggle between all open files and applications.

Comparing the contents of two workbooks Depending on the project that you are using Microsoft Excel for, you may have the need to compare the contents of two workbooks.

1. Open the two workbooks that you would like to compare. 2. On the Window menu, click on Compare Side by Side with filename, where filename

represents the file that you want to compare the existing workbook to. 3. Click on the Close Side by Side button on the floating toolbar when you are finished

comparing the two workbooks.

Saving a workbook Until you save the workbook that you are working on, the data that appears within it is not saved. It is recommended that you regularly save your workbooks so that you do not lose your data. Once a workbook is saved, you can work on it again at some point in the future if you so desire.

1. On the File menu, click on Save As to open the Save As dialog box. 2. Click the My Documents icon or use the Save In drop-down list to move through the

folder structure to save the file in the location of your choice. 3. In the File name field, type a descriptive name for the file and then click on the Save

button. The new file name will appear in the Excel title bar.

Did you know?

To save a workbook that was previously saved:

• On the File menu bar, click on Save. • Click on the Save icon on the toolbar. • Use the keyboard command Ctrl+S.

8

Closing a workbook When you are finished working with a workbook, you can close it. Before the workbook is closed, Microsoft Excel will ask you whether you want to save the workbook before it is closed.

1. On the File menu, click on Close.

9

Working with Worksheets Inserting new worksheets Each Microsoft Excel workbook offers three worksheets by default; however, some projects that you work on may require additional worksheets.

1. On the Insert menu, click on Worksheet.

Did you know?

• You can also insert a new worksheet by right-clicking on an

existing worksheet, click on Insert, then click on Worksheet and the click on the OK button.

• Each workbook can have a maximum of 255 workbooks.

Renaming a worksheet The name of a worksheet appears on its Worksheet tab on the Worksheet tab bar at the workbook. By default, the worksheet names are Sheet1, Sheet2, and so on; however, you can rename them to something more appropriate if necessary. To rename the active sheet, do one of the following:

1. On the Format menu, click on Sheet and then click on Rename. Type in the new worksheet name.

2. Double-click on the appropriate worksheet tab and type in the new worksheet name. 3. On the Worksheet tab bar, right-click on the worksheet tab you want to rename, and

then click on Rename. Type in the new worksheet name.

10

Changing the color of a worksheet tab In addition to renaming worksheet tabs, you can also change the worksheet tab color.

1. Right-click on the worksheet tab that you want to apply color to, and select Tab Color from the shortcut menu to display the Format Tab Color dialog box.

2. Click on the desired color. 3. Click on the OK button.

Switching between worksheets If you have a workbook where all the worksheets have data stored on them, click on the corresponding worksheet tab to switch to that worksheet.

Did you know?

If your workbook contains more than the default three worksheets, you can scroll among the worksheet tabs by using the scroll buttons in the far-left bottom corner of the worksheet.

Inserting and deleting worksheet cells, columns and rows There may be a time when you are entering data into your worksheet and realize that you either typed something wrong or that you need additional cells, columns or rows. Inserting a cell

1. Click on the spot in your worksheet where you want to insert a cell. 2. On the Insert menu, click on Cells to open the Insert dialog box. 3. Make the appropriate choice and then click on the OK button. 4. The existing cells will shift accordingly and a new cell is inserted.

Deleting a cell

1. Select the cell that you want to delete. 2. On the Edit menu, click on Delete to open the Delete dialog box. 3. Select what you want to happen to the remaining cells after the selected cell is deleted

and then click on the OK button. 4. The selected cell is deleted and the other cells shift accordingly.

11

Adding a column

1. Click on the Column identifier of the column that will move to the right of new column. 2. On the Insert menu, click on Columns to insert the new column. 3. The new column is added and the other columns shift accordingly.

Deleting a column

1. Click on the Column Identifier of the column that you want to delete. 2. On the Edit menu, click on Delete to open the Delete dialog box. 3. Select what you want to happen to the remaining columns after the selected column is

deleted and then click on the OK button. 4. The selected column is deleted and the other columns shift accordingly.

Adding a row

1. Click on the row above where you want to insert a new row. 2. On the Insert menu, click on Rows to insert the new row. 3. The new row is added and the other rows shift accordingly.

Deleting a row

1. Click on the row that you want to delete. 2. On the Edit menu, click on Delete to open the Delete dialog box. 3. Select what you want to happen to the remaining rows after the selected row is deleted

and then click on the OK button. 4. The selected row is deleted and the other rows shift accordingly.

Hiding and unhiding worksheet columns and rows Hiding columns and rows is a good way to hide calculations or data that you don’t want other users to see. To hide a column or row

1. Click on any cell in the column or row that you want to hide. 2. On the Format menu, click on Column or Row and select Hide.

To unhide a column or row

1. Select the columns on both sides of the hidden column or the rows above and below the hidden row.

2. On the Format menu, click on Column or Row and select Unhide.

12

Navigating within worksheets There are a number of ways that you can use the mouse or keyboard to move around within a worksheet. Navigating a worksheet by using the mouse To Do this Move the worksheet display up or down one row per click

Click on the vertical scroll arrow.

Move the worksheet display left or right one column per click

Click on the horizontal scroll arrow.

Continuously move the worksheet display up or down

Press the mouse button down on either the horizontal or vertical scroll arrow.

Move to a specific cell Click in the Name Box, type in the cell reference and then press the Enter key.

Navigating a worksheet by using the keyboard To move the Active Cell Do this One cell at a time in any direction Press the corresponding arrow key. Down or up by one screen’s worth of rows Press the Page Down or Page Up button. To the right, one cell at a time Press the Tab key. To the left, one cell at a time Press the Shift+Tab keys simultaneously. To cell A1 in the active worksheet Press the Ctrol+Home keys

simultaneously. Navigating a worksheet using the Go To option

1. On the Edit menu, click on Go To to open the Go To dialog box. 2. In the Reference field, type the cell reference for the cell you want to move to (e.g. IV26). 3. Click on the OK button to move to the specified cell.

Did you know?

• The keyboard command Ctrl+G can be used to quickly open the

Go To dialog box. • The keyboard command Ctrl+End will take you to the last cell in

the worksheet that has data in it.

13

Freezing a worksheet column or row Some worksheets contain so much data that it becomes impossible to view all of the data on a single screen. To make matters worse, your column or row headings will move off of the screen as you scroll horizontally or vertically through your worksheet. To alleviate this problem, you can freeze the column or row headings so that they are always visible.

1. Click in the cell to the right of and below the cells you want to freeze. 2. On the Window menu, click on Freeze Panes. 3. Use your keyboard arrow keys or mouse to move through the worksheet.

To unfreeze the panes, on the Window menu, click on Unfreeze Panes.

Hiding and unhiding a worksheet Hiding worksheets is a good way to hide data that you don’t want other users to see. To hide a worksheet

1. Select the worksheet tab that you want to hide. 2. On the Format menu, choose Sheet and click on Hide.

To unhide a worksheet

1. On the Format menu, choose Sheet and click on Unhide. 2. The Unhide dialog box opens, listing worksheets that are hidden in your workbook. 3. Double-click the worksheet name you want to unhide.

Deleting a worksheet If the contents of a worksheet are no longer needed, you can delete just that worksheet from the workbook. One benefit of doing this is that the overall size of the workbook is decreased. Just be sure when you delete a worksheet that you definitely no longer need the information it contains.

1. Select the worksheet you want to delete. 2. On the Edit menu, click on Delete Sheet.

Did you know?

You can also delete a worksheet by right-clicking on the worksheet’s worksheet tab on the Sheet tab bar and clicking on Delete.

14

Working with Data Entering data into worksheets Before you can use any of Microsoft Excel’s built-in tools for analyzing your data, you first need to enter data into a worksheet. The data that you enter can contain text, numbers, or any combination of both. In some cases, it may even be a non-alphanumeric object (e.g. a chart, logo, etc.)

1. Create a new workbook. 2. Select the cell in which you want to enter data. 3. Type in the data. 4. Press the Enter to commit the data to the chosen cell and move down one cell.

Alternatively, press the Tab key to commit the data to the chosen cell and move right one cell.

Did you know?

You can also enter data into a worksheet by importing data from an external source such as a database or comma-delimited file. Reminder!

Now that you have entered your data, make sure that you save your workbook so that you can access the data again in the future.

To save a new workbook

1. On the File menu, click on Save As to open the Save As dialog

box. 2. Click on the My Documents icon or use the Save In drop-down

list to move through the folder structure to save the file in a location of your choice.

3. In the File Name field, type a descriptive name for the file and then click on the save button. The new file name will appear in the Excel title bar.

To save an existing workbook

1. On the File menu bar, click on Save.

15

Entering data that is repeated While entering data into a worksheet, you may come across situation where you are required to enter a data value that was previously entered in the same row or column. In these situations, Microsoft Excel tries to "infer" the data you want to enter (only for text entries, not numbers). For example, suppose you created a worksheet that contained the first name of all your colleagues. As you type in the names, Microsoft Excel will offer suggestions to you based on previous entries with similar text strings. If Microsoft Excel suggests the proper data value, stop typing and press the Enter key. If the proper data value is not suggested, continue typing in the name.

Entering a series of data If the data that you are entering into a worksheet follows a specific pattern (e.g. days of the week, months of the year, consecutive numbers, etc.), Microsoft Excel can make this data entry process much faster.

1. Type the data for the first few cells in the series you want to fill. For example, type January, February and March into cells A1, A2 and A3, respectively.

2. Select cells A1, A2 and A3, and then move your mouse pointer over the lower-right corner of the range until the pointer changes to a thin, black plus sign.

3. Press and hold down the left mouse button and drag down until all the cells you want to fill are selected.

4. Release the left mouse button to fill the selected cells with the appropriate fill data.

Editing cell data You can edit the contents of specific cell by selecting the cell and then typing in the new data value.

Replacing data If you discover a typographical error in your data, you can quickly correct it.

1. On the Edit menu, click on Replace to display the Find and Replace dialog box. 2. Click on the Replace tab. 3. In the Find what text box, type the data you would like to find. 4. In the Replace with text box, and type the replacement data. 5. Click on the Replace or Replace All buttons to replace each instance one at a time or all

at the same time.

16

Copying and moving data By using the Copy, Cut and Paste commands in Microsoft Excel, you can copy or move entire cells or their contents. To copy data between cells

1. Select the contents of the cell that contains the data that you want to copy. 2. On the Edit menu, click on Copy. 3. Select the cell that you want to copy the data to. 4. On the Edit menu, click on Paste.

To move data between cells:

1. Select the contents of the cell that contains the data that you want to move. 2. On the Edit menu, click on Cut. 3. Select the cell that you want to move the data to. 4. On the Edit menu, click on Paste.

Did you know?

• When you copy or move a cell, Excel copies or moves the entire

cell, including formulas and their resulting values, comments, and cell formats.

• When you copy cells, cell references are automatically adjusted. When you move cells, however, cell references are not adjusted, and the contents of those cells and of any cells that point to them may be displayed as reference errors. In this case, you will need to adjust the references manually.

Finding data There might be times when you will need to find specific information in a worksheet that contains data in hundreds or thousands of cells.

1. On the Edit menu, click on Find to display the Find and Replace dialog box. 2. In the Find what text box, type in the data value that you are looking for and then click

on the Find Next button. 3. Once the first instance of the data value you are looking for is located, Microsoft Excel

makes that cell the active cell. 4. Click on Find Next to search for the next instance, or Close to end.

17

Filtering data Filtering is a quick and easy way to find and work with a subset of data in a specified range of cells. A filtered range of cells displays only the rows that meet the criteria you specify for a column. Unlike sorting, filtering does not rearrange your data. Rather, filtering temporarily hides the rows that do not meet your filtering criteria. When Microsoft Excel filters rows, you can edit, format, chart, and print your range subset without rearranging or moving it. How to use AutoFilter with simple criteria

1. Select the range of cells that you want to filter. 2. On the Data menu bar, click on Filter and then click on AutoFilter. 3. When you use the AutoFilter command, the AutoFilter arrow appears to the right of

the column label in the filtered range. Select the item from the drop-down list that you want to filter your list by. You can also use custom AutoFilter to display rows that meet more than one condition for the specified range of cells.

Sorting data You may have data in your worksheet that you would like to rearrange and display in a different sequence. To do this you can sort the data. When you sort data, you can create a different view of the same data without altering its original format.

1. Select the range of cells that you want to sort. 2. On the Data menu bar, click on Sort to display the Sort dialog window. 3. Choose the appropriate sorting options and click on the OK button.

18

Formatting worksheet data Microsoft Excel provides you with a wide assortment of formatting tools and options. By formatting a worksheet, you are changing the appearance of the data in it so that it is more attractive and easier to read.

Changing the font, font size and font style Perhaps the easiest formatting that you can apply to the data on your worksheet is to change the font and font size. To change the font type

1. Select the cell(s) that contain(s) the font type that you want to change. 2. From the Font drop-down list, select the new font face to change the font.

To change the font size

1. Select the cell(s) that contain(s) the font size that you want to change. 2. From the Font Size drop-down list, select the new font size to change the size of the font.

To applying Bold, Italics and Underlining

1. Select the cells that contain the data you want to format. 2. Click on the appropriate toolbar icon(s) to apply any individual or combination format.

Changing column width or row height Every now and then your data may be too wide or tall to be properly displayed within a cell. This frequently happens after you apply a formatting change to a cell. If the column width or row height is too small, the cell will contain a series of number symbols (e.g. ####). To change the column width

1. Click on the alpha character identifier above the column that you would like to adjust the width for.

2. From the Format menu, click on Column and then click on AutoFit. To change the row height

1. Click on the row number identifier for the row that you would like to adjust the height for. 2. From the Format menu, click on Row and then click on AutoFit.

19

Did you know?

You can use your mouse to resize a column width or row height by clicking and dragging the column or row edge to the desired column width or row height.

Merging multiple cells into one You can merge two or more adjacent cells into one cell and display the contents of one cell

1. Select the range of contiguous cells that you want to merge together. 2. On the Format menu, click on Cells to open the Format Cells dialog box. 3. On the Align tab, place a checkmark ( ) in the Merge Cells check box. 4. Click on the OK button to merge the cells together.

Formatting numeric data A number format is a format that forces the numerical data in a cell to be displayed in a particular way. You can apply a number format to a cell or a range of cells before or after you add the data to your worksheet. Microsoft Excel offers a number of pre-installed number formats including, but not limited to:

• General – This is the default format that Microsoft Excel uses when you enter data into a worksheet. No specific format is applied.

• Number – This format uses two decimal places. • Currency – This format uses two decimal places and a dollar sign by default.

To format numeric data

1. Select the cells you want to format. 2. On the Format menu, click on Cells and then click on the Number tab. 3. Click on the appropriate category (e.g. General, Number, Currency, Date, etc.) and make

the appropriate configuration changes that you desire. 4. Click on the OK button to apply the format.

20

Changing horizontal and vertical alignments The default alignment for text is left-aligned and the default alignment for numbers is right-aligned.

1. Select the cell(s) that you want to align. 2. On the Format menu, click on Cells to open the Format Cells dialog box. 3. Click on the Alignment tab. 4. Under Text Alignment, select your desired alignment. 5. Click on the OK button to apply the alignment.

Did you know?

You can also change the horizontal alignment of a cell by clicking on the appropriate Alignment icon on the Formatting toolbar.

Changing cell orientation You can also specify the angle at which a cell displays information. This formatting method is typically applied when you want to draw attention to important data or text or when you don’t want your column or row headings to take up a lot of horizontal space.

1. Select the cell(s) whose orientation you want to change. 2. On the Format menu, click on Cells to open the Format Cells dialog box. 3. Click on the Alignment tab. 4. Type in the desired angle in the Degrees field in the Orientation area. 5. Click on the OK button to apply the format.

Wrapping data in a cell If you want text to appear on multiple lines in a cell, you can format the cell so that text wraps automatically, or you can enter a manual line break. To wrap data automatically

1. Select the cell(s) that you want to format. 2. On the Format menu, click on Cells, and then click the Alignment tab. 3. Under Text control, place a checkmark ( ) in the Wrap text check box, and then click

on the OK button.

21

To wrap data by entering a line break To start a new line of text at a specific point in a cell, click where you want to break the line, and then press ALT+ENTER.

Adding cell borders Each side of a cell is considered a border. These borders provide a visual cue as to where a cell begins and ends. Using predefined border styles, you can quickly add a border around cells.

1. Select the cell or range of cells that you want to add a border to. 2. To apply a new border style, click on the arrow next to the Borders icon on the

Formatting toolbar, and then choose a border style from the palette.

Using AutoFormat This feature quickly formats the contents of your worksheet using predefined formats.

1. Select the cells that you want to apply an AutoFormat to. 2. On the Format menu, click on AutoFormat to open the AutoFormat dialog box. 3. Scroll through the available AutoFormats and double-click the one you want to apply to

your data.

Using the Format Painter Click on the Format Painter icon on the Standard toolbar to quickly copy the formatting of a selected cell (such as borders, fills, text formats, or number formats) and apply that formatting to other cells.

1. Select a cell that has the formatting that you want to copy. 2. Do one of the following:

• To copy the formatting to a single cell or range of cells, single-click on the Format

Painter icon , and then click on each cell that you want to apply that format to. • To copy the formatting to several cells or ranges of cells, double-click on the Format

Painter icon , and click on each cell that you want to apply that format to. When you are done, either click on the Format Painter icon again or press ESC to turn it off.

22

Working with Formulas

What is a formula? Formulas are equations that perform calculations on data values that appear in your worksheet. A formula may contain any or all of the following:

• Functions – these are predefined formulas that perform calculations by using specific values, called arguments, in a particular order, or structure. Functions can be used to perform simple or complex calculations. Some common functions include:

• =SUM( ) – instructs Microsoft Excel to add all values in the specified range. • =AVERAGE( ) – instructs Microsoft Excel to calculate the mean average of the

values in the specified range. • =MIN( ) – instructs Microsoft Excel to find the minimum value in the specified

range. • =MAX( ) – instructs Microsoft Excel to find the maximum value in the specified

range. To view a list of Microsoft Excel’s built-in functions, on the Insert menu bar, click on Functions.

• References – these identify a cell or a range of cells on a worksheet and tell Microsoft

Excel where to look for the data you want to use in a formula. There are three types of cell references:

1. Relative cell references - A relative cell reference in a formula, such as A1, is

based on the relative position of the cell that contains the formula and the cell the reference refers to. If the position of the cell that contains the formula changes, the reference is changed. If you copy the formula across rows or down columns, the reference automatically adjusts. By default, new formulas use relative references.

2. Absolute cell references - An absolute cell reference in a formula, such as $A$1, always refer to a cell in a specific location. If the position of the cell that contains the formula changes, the absolute reference remains the same. If you copy the formula across rows or down columns, the absolute reference does not adjust. By default, new formulas use relative references, and you need to switch them to absolute references.

3. Mixed cell references - A mixed reference has either an absolute column and relative row, or absolute row and relative column. An absolute column reference takes the form $A1, $B1, and so on. An absolute row reference takes the form A$1, B$1, and so on. If the position of the cell that contains the formula changes, the relative reference is changed, and the absolute reference does not change. If

23

you copy the formula across rows or down columns, the relative reference automatically adjusts, and the absolute reference does not adjust.

• Operators – these specify the type of calculation that you want to perform on the

elements of a formula. Microsoft Excel includes four different types of calculation operators:

1. Arithmetic – these operators are used to perform basic mathematical operations

such as addition, subtraction, or multiplication. 2. Comparison - You can compare two values with the following operators. When

two values are compared by using these operators, the result is a logical value either TRUE or FALSE.

3. Text - Use the ampersand (&) to join, or concatenate, one or more text strings to produce a single piece of text.

4. Reference – combine ranges of cells for calculations

Understanding the Order of Operations The order of operations is the sequence of computations that a formula follows to arrive at the final result. The order of operations follows this sequence:

1. Calculations inside parentheses are performed first. 2. Calculations involving all exponents, working from left to right, are performed

second. 3. Calculations involving all multiplications and divisions, working from left to right,

are performed third. 4. Calculations involving all additions and subtractions, working from left to right,

are performed fourth. If you construct a formula and you do not end up with the expected results, check to see if your formula followed the order of operations.

• Constants - A value that is not calculated and, therefore, does not change.

The formula below shows all four formula references in action:

=SUM(A1:A10)*B1^10

1. Functions: The SUM() function returns the value of range A1 to A10. 2. References: B1 returns the value in cell B1. 3. Constants: Numbers or text values entered directly into a formula, such as 10. 4. Operators: The ^ (caret) operator raises a number to a power, and the * (asterisk) operator

multiplies.

24

Entering a formula Every formula starts with the equal sign (=). While you can include actual numbers in your formulas (e.g. =(10*20)+30 ), a better practice is to include cell references (e.g. =(A1*A2)+A3 ) when constructing your formulas.

1. Click on the cell that you want the result of the formula to appear in. This cell is referred to as the resultant cell.

2. Type = (the equal sign) followed by the references of the cells containing the data you want to perform a calculation on and then press the Enter key.

Resolving a circular reference A circular reference occurs when a formula refers back to its own cell, either directly or indirectly.

1. If the Circular Reference toolbar is not displayed, click Customize on the Tools menu, click the Toolbars tab, and then select the Circular Reference check box.

2. On the Circular Reference toolbar, click the first cell in the Navigate Circular Reference box.

3. Review the formula in the cell. If you cannot determine whether the cell is the cause of the circular reference, click the next cell in the Navigate Circular Reference box. The status bar displays the word "Circular," followed by a reference to one of the cells contained in the circular reference. If the word "Circular" appears without a cell reference, the active worksheet does not contain the circular reference.

4. Continue to review and correct the circular reference until it is resolved.

Editing a formula After you enter a formula or function, you can edit it, which in turn will cause Microsoft Excel to recalculate the resulting value.

1. Click on the cell you want to edit. The formula or function is displayed in the Formula bar .

2. Make the changes to your formula, and then hit the Enter key.

25

Copying and pasting formulas and functions You can copy a formula or function just like you would copy any other data object in a worksheet. This is not only a quick way to insert the same formula into other parts of your worksheet, but it also helps to reduce errors that may be introduced by manually typing in the formula multiple times.

1. Select the cell that contains the formula that you want to copy. 2. On the Edit menu, click on Copy. 3. Select the cell you want to copy it to. 4. To copy the formula and any formatting, on the Edit menu, click on Paste. To copy the

formula only, on the Edit menu, click on Paste Special, and then click Formulas.

26

Working with charts Charts are visually appealing and make it easy for you to see comparisons, patterns and trends in data. For instance, rather than having to analyze several columns of worksheet numbers, you can see at a glance whether your data is falling or rising over time.

Creating a chart

1. Select the cells you want to include in your chart. 2. Click the Chart Wizard icon on the Standard toolbar. The first page of the Chart

Wizard opens. 3. Select the desired Chart Type and Chart Subtype and then click on the Next button. 4. Depending on how you want your chart information to appear, click Rows or Columns

in the Series in area. 5. Type a name for the chart in the Chart title field, a value for the x-axis in the Category

(X) axis field, and any other values you want and then click on the Next button. 6. Click the As New Sheet option to insert the chart as a new sheet (and type a sheet name),

or the As Object in option to insert the chart in the worksheet you specify. 7. Click on the Finish button.

Changing the chart type Once a chart is created, you can always change it to a different chart type.

1. Right-click the plot area and select Chart Type from the shortcut menu. 2. Select a new chart type and chart subtype in the Chart Type dialog box. 3. Click on the OK button. The updated chart type appears in your chart

Changing chart formatting options Once a chart is created, you can add or edit chart titles, alter your X and Y axes, add or remove gridlines, move or delete your legend, add or remove data labels and even show the data table containing your original data.

1. Right-click the plot area and select Chart Options from the shortcut menu that appears. 2. Once the Chart Options dialog box opens, you can type in any changes you want to

make on the Titles, Axes, Gridlines, Legend, Data Labels and Data Table tabs. 3. Click on the OK button when you are done.

27

Formatting the plot area The plot area is the area where that data from a worksheet is plotted on a chart. Microsoft Excel allows you to change the style, color and weight of the border as well as the background color for the entire plot area.

1. Right-click in the plot area and select Format Plot Area from the shortcut menu that appears.

2. Make the appropriate changes in the Border and Area sections of the Patterns tab of the Format Plot Area dialog box.

3. Click on the OK button to apply your changes.

Formatting the chart area The chart area consists of a border, the background and all the chart fonts. Microsoft Excel allows you to change the style, color and weight of the border, change the font and font styles and change the chart background color.

1. Right-click the chart area and select Format Chart Area from the shortcut menu that appears.

2. Make the appropriate configuration changes on the Patterns, Fonts and Properties tabs on the Format Chart Area dialog window.

3. Click on the OK button to apply your changes.

Formatting the axis While Microsoft Excel does automatically create axis increments for you, it also allows you to change these values.

1. Right-click the axis that you want to change and select Format Axis from the shortcut menu that appears.

2. Make the appropriate changes on the Patterns, Scale, Font, Number and Alignment tabs on the Format Axis dialog window.

3. Click on the OK button to apply your changes.

28

Adding a legend to your chart A legend is used to help explain the data points and colors that appear on your chart. The legend is usually included when you create you chart; however, you also have the option to not create it at that point in time.

1. Right-click the plot area or chart area and select Chart Options from the shortcut menu to open the Chart Options dialog box.

2. Click on the Legend tab and click the Show legend check box to mark it. 3. Choose the appropriate legend placement option. 4. Click on the OK to add the legend to your chart.

29

Printing in Excel There will be times when you need to print out the contents of a worksheet or chart sheet.

Printing a worksheet The process of printing a worksheet is similar to process of printing a word processing document or page from the Internet.

1. On the File menu, click on Print. 2. On the Print dialog box, specify the printer to print to, page range and the number of

copies to print. 3. Click on the Print button to print the worksheet.

Where Microsoft Excel differs from many other applications is with the various options that you can set before you print you worksheet.

Defining the print area While a worksheet consists of over 16 million cells, you typically will not need to print them all. By defining the print area, you are telling Microsoft Excel which cells you are interested in printing.

1. Select the exact cells you want to print. 2. On the File menu, click on Print Area, and then click on Set Print Area to store the

print area as part of the worksheet. Only the cells in the specified print area will print.

Defining page margins By setting the margins, you can specify how worksheets appear on a printed page. You can also quickly center worksheets horizontally or vertically on a printed page.

1. On the File menu, click on Page Setup, and then click on the Margins tab. 2. Do one of the following:

To set page margins

1. In the Top, Bottom, Left, and Right boxes, enter the margin size you want to use.

30

Set header or footer margins

1. To change the distance from the top edge to the header, enter a new margin size in the Header box.

2. To change the distance from the bottom edge to the footer, enter a new margin size in the Footer box.

These settings should be smaller than your top and bottom margin settings, and larger than or equal to the minimum printer margins.

Center the page horizontally or vertically

1. Under Center on page, select the Horizontally or Vertically check box.

Adding a worksheet header and/or footer Headers and footers appear at the top and bottom of your printed worksheets.

1. On the View menu, click Header and Footer. 2. In the Header or Footer box, click the header or footer you want or click on the Custom

Header or Custom Footer button to add your own custom header or footer.

Printing column and row headings across multiple pages If you have a worksheet that is printed across multiple pages, it might be useful to repeat the column and/or row headings across each page. Column headings are the letters or numbers that appear at the top of the columns on a worksheet. Row headings are the row numbers to the left of the worksheet.

1. On the File menu, click on Page Setup, and then click on the Sheet tab. 2. Do one of the following:

Print row and column headings

1. Select the Row and column headings check box, and click Print.

Print row and column labels on every page

1. To print column labels on every page, under Print titles in the Rows to repeat at

top box, enter the rows that contain the column labels, and then click on the OK button.

2. To print row labels on every page, under Print titles in the Columns to repeat at left box, enter the columns that contain the row labels, and then click on the OK button.

31

Printing a worksheet to fit a paper width or a number of pages Microsoft Excel prints each worksheet at a scale of 100%; however, it provides you with the option to decrease or increase that value. By decreasing the value, you can fit more data on a single page. Microsoft Excel also provides you with the option of fitting your entire worksheet on a single page.

1. On the File menu, click on Page Setup, and then click the Page tab. 2. Under Scaling, do one of the following:

To change the print scale

1. In the box beside Adjust to, enter the appropriate value. 2. Click on the OK button.

To print a worksheet to fit a paper width

1. In the first box beside Fit to, enter 1 2. In the second box beside Fit to, enter 1. 3. Click on the OK button.

To print a worksheet on a specified number of pages

1. In the boxes beside Fit to, enter the number of pages on which you want to print

the worksheet on. 2. Click on the OK button.

Changing the printing orientation for a worksheet

1. On the File menu, click on Page Setup, and then click on the Page tab. 2. Under Orientation, click Portrait or Landscape. 3. Click on the OK button.