Excel BasicsTJ McKeon

What is Excel?

• Electronic Spreadsheet in a rows and columns layout

• Can contain alphabetical and numerical data (text, dates, times, numbers)

• Allows for easy calculations and mathematical operations

• Allows for the creation of graphs and charts

• Allows data management capabilities (sorting and selecting data according to criteria)

• Allows for conditional functions (if…then statements)

Starting Excel

1. Start up the PC

2. Click on the Start Button

3. Select Programs

4. Select Microsoft Excel

Or

Use the Excel Shortcut icon

Parts of the Excel Screen

1. Title Bar 5. Formula Bar

2. Menu Bar 6. Active Cell

3. Standard Toolbar 7. Scroll Bar

4. Formatting Toolbar 8. Sheet Tabs

Minimize, Maximize and Close Buttons

Microsoft Help in Excel

To get help while using Excel:

1. Click on Help in the menu bar

2. Select Microsoft Excel help

3. Type the topic for which you need help

4. Hit enter or click on Search

Or

In the Menu Bar, click the “Type a question for help”box for help

.

Selecting a Cell

To select a cell, use the mouse to point and click within the cell

Or

Use the arrow keys to move the cursor to the desired cell

Cell Address: The descriptive name attached to a cell. A cell address consists of the column and row number of the cell. I.e. cell A1 or C43 for G11

Entering Data in a Cell

1. Select a cell to make it active

2. Enter the desired data

3. Hit the tab or right arrow key to move the cursor one cell to the right

4. Hit the enter key to move the cursor down one cell------------------------------------------------------Data to Enter:

Sandy Johnson Diane Lehman

Paul Snyder Steven Wolfe

Joanne Kruse Jacob Barnes

Jacob Burns Benjamin McCloud

Adjusting Column Width

Click on the Column Heading of the column to be adjusted. Select Format in the menu bar, then select Column. Select Width, or AutoFit in order to adjust the width of a column.

orPosition the mouse cursor on the border between the Column

Heading of the column to be adjusted, and the column to its right. The mouse pointer will become a double-headed arrow. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the column to the desired width.

orPosition the mouse cursor on the border between the Column

Heading of the column to be adjusted, and the column to its right. The mouse pointer will become a double-headed arrow. Double click to make the computer auto fit the column width.

Adjusting Row Height

Click on the Column Heading of the column to be adjusted. Select Format in the menu bar, then select Column. Select Width, or AutoFit in order to adjust the width of a column.

orPosition the mouse cursor on the border between the Row

Heading of the row to be adjusted, and the row adjacent to it. The mouse pointer will become a double-headed

arrow. Hold down the left mouse button and drag the row to the desired height.

orSelect Format in the menu bar, then select Row. Select

Height, or AutoFit in order to adjust the height of a row.

Editing Data

1. Select a cell to make it active:

• Use the mouse to click on the cell and then make the corrections in the formula bar

or

• Use the mouse to double click on the cell to select it and place the cursor within the cell

2. Use the delete key to remove characters to the RIGHT of the cursor

3. Use the backspace key to remove the characters to the LEFT of the cursor

4. Highlight characters and hit enter, spacebar or the delete key to remove the characters.

What is Autofill?

Autofill is an Excel feature that allows the user to:

1. Copy text from one cell to another, or several other cells

2. Increase numbers, dates, days, months, years in desired amounts

3. Copy formulas from one cell to another, or several other cells.

4. Increment Custom Lists as designed by the user

How to Use Autofill

To use Autofill:

• Click on a cell or highlighted cells to select the desired data

• Position the mouse pointer over the lower right hand corner of the selected cell(s). The mouse pointer will become a + sign

• Drag the mouse to highlight the desired cells to receive the new data

Types of Data Used in Excel

Data that can be entered into an Excel spreadsheet:

1. Text – any enter that contains at least ONE alphabetical letter or symbol. (Left aligned by default by Excel

2. Numbers – right aligned by default by Excel

3. Dates – right aligned by default by Excel

4. Times – right aligned by default by Excel

5. Formulas – right aligned by default by Excel

6. Special – right aligned (Phone numbers, zip codes and social security numbers)

Navigating an Excel Spreadsheet

Arrow Keys – move cursor one cell in the indicated direction

Tab Key – moves cursor one cell to the right

Shift + Tab – moves cursor one cell to the left

Ctrl + Home – moves cursor to the first cell in spreadsheet (A1)

Ctrl + End – moves the cursor to the last used cell inthe spreadsheet

Home – moves the cursor to the first cell in the current row

End – moves the cursor to the last cell in the current row

Navigating an Excel Spreadsheet

Page Up – moves the cursor up one screen

Page Down – moves the cursor down one screen

Alt + Page Up – moves cursor one screen to the left

Alt + Page Down – moves cursor one screen to the right

Ctrl + Arrow Keys – moves the cursor to the next blank cell in the indicated direction

Ctrl + G – (or F5 key) displays the GoTo window. Enter cell address of desired cell. Cursor is moved to that cell

Name Box – enter address of desired cell. Cursor is moved to that cell

Formatting in Excel

Primary rule of formatting in any Microsoft application:

Choose It to Use It ~ Click It to Pick It

Before any formatting effects can be applied, the data to which it will be applied must be highlighted

To Format in Excel:

1. Highlight the data to be formatted

2. Select Format from the menu bar

3. Select Cells

4. Apply formatting as desired

Formatting in Excel

Formatting in Excel

Formatting in Excel

Formatting in Excel

Formatting in Excel

Excel Formatting Toolbar

1. Font face 9. Merge cells

2. Font size 10. Currency

3. Bold 11. Percent

4. Italics 12. Set commas for thousands

5. Underline 13. Increase number of decimal places

6. Left align 14. Decrease number of decimal places

7. Center 15. Borders settings

8. Right align 16. Shading

17. Text color

Saving an Excel Workbook

When saving an Excel workbook, all the worksheets within the workbook are saved

Save As

1. Save the 1st time

2. Save the workbook under a new name

3. Save the workbook in a new location

4. Retains original workbook and saves another copy of the workbook

Save

1. Save the 1st time

2. Save the workbook under the same name

3. Save the document in the same location

4. REPLACES ORIGINAL DOCUMENT

Using Save As

1. Select File from the Menu Bar

2. Select Save As

3. The Save As screen will appear

Formulas in Excel1. ALWAYS begin with =

2. Can be used for constants I.e. =100*.06

3. Can be used with cell addresses I.e. =c13+d13

4. Can be used with Functions I.e. =sum(c13:h13) or =average(a1, a3, a5) or =count(a3:a57)

5. Order of math operators in a formula: exponents, multiplication, division, addition, subtraction

6. The order of math operators in a formula can only be changed using ( )

=8+4/2

=(8+4)/2

Inserting Columns To Insert Columns into a Spreadsheet

1. Select a column heading to highlight the column

2. Select Insert from the menu bar

3. Select Columns

Or

1. Select a column heading to highlight the column

2. Position the mouse pointer over the highlighted column

3. Click the RIGHT mouse button to display a shortcut menu

4. Click the LEFT mouse button to select Insert

NOTE: Columns will always be inserted to the LEFT of the highlighted column

Inserting Rows

To Insert Rows into a Spreadsheet

1. Select a row heading to highlight the row

2. Select Insert from the menu bar

3. Select Row

Or

1. Select a row heading to highlight the row

2. Position the mouse pointer over the highlighted row

3. Click the RIGHT mouse button to display a shortcut menu

4. Click the LEFT mouse button to select Insert

NOTE: Rows will always be inserted ABOVE the highlighted row

Deleting Row/Columns

To Delete Columns or Rows in a Spreadsheet

1. Select a column or row heading to highlight it

2. Select Edit from the menu bar

3. Select Delete

Or

1. Select a column or row heading to highlight it

2. Position the mouse pointer over the highlighted area

3. Click the RIGHT mouse button to display a shortcut menu

4. Click the LEFT mouse button to select Delete

Sheets in a Workbook

1. Workbooks contain multiple sheets

2. Sheets can be

• Inserted

• Deleted

• Renamed

• Moved

• Copied

3. The number of sheets per workbook can be set as desired

Workbook Settings

1. To change the default font, number of sheets per workbook or search location for workbooks click on Tools in the Menu bar

2. Select Options

3. Select the General Tab

4. At the bottom half of the General window set the

• Sheets in new workbook

• Font and font size

• Default file location as desired

Copying and Pasting in Excel

1. Before copying an item be sure to SELECT it (highlight it)

2. To copy and paste:

• select the desired area of the spreadsheet

• Click Edit in the menu bar

• Click Copy

• Move the cursor to the new desired location within the worksheet, a different worksheet or even a different workbook

• Click on Edit in the menu bar

• Select Paste

Moving Items in Excel

1. Before moving an item be sure to SELECT it (highlight it)

2. To move an item:

• Select the desired area of the spreadsheet

• Point at any border area of the selected items with the mouse

• The mouse pointer will become a left pointing arrow

• Holding the left mouse button down, drag the selected items to the new desired location

• Release the mouse button

Paste Special

1. In order to copy values only from a formula from worksheet to worksheet or workbook to workbook, use the Paste Special feature

• Select the desired area of the spreadsheet

• Click Edit in the menu bar

• Click Copy

• Move the cursor to the new desired location within the worksheet, a different worksheet or even a different workbook

• Click on Edit in the menu bar

• Select Paste Special

• Select Values

Charts

1. Highlight the data to be included in the chart. NOTE: Be sure to include the labels for categories!

2. Click on the Chart icon in the toolbar(or click on Insert in the menu bar and select Chart)

3. Select the desired type of chart and click Next

4. Check the chart series setup (rows vs. columns), click next

5. Enter the Chart title, X and Y axis titles, click Next

6. Select to create chart as a separate sheet, or as an object on the current worksheet

7. Click Finish

Modifying Charts

If the chart is embedded as an object on a worksheet with data, click on the chart first to select it. If a chart is selected square “handles” will appear along the borders of the chart.

1. RIGHT click on a portion of the chart to access a shortcut menu of options to be changed on the chart.

NOTE: The shortcut menu that is displayed is dependent on the item the mouse is pointing at on the chart. I.e. if the mouse is pointing at the chart background, the shortcut menu will list options for modifying the chart background. If the mouse is pointing at the chart title, the shortcut menu will list options for modifying the chart title.

Modifying Charts (Cont’d)

2. Left click on the desired option to modify the chart

3. Make the desired modifications

4. Click OK

Areas of the Chart That Can be Modified

Chart Type

Titles

Walls

Axis

Color of chart bars or pie slices

Add data labels or values

Printing Excel SpreadsheetsPage Set-Up

• Click on File in the menu bar

• Select Page Set-Up

• Use the Page tab to set the page orientation (portrait or landscape), set the page scale and size

• Use the Margins tab to set margins and center the page horizontally or vertically

• Use the Header/Footer tab to add headers and footers

• Use the Sheet tab to define the print area, to define rows or columns as repeated titles, to add gridlines, and to determine page order for multiple page report printouts

Print Preview

Shortcut Icon Method

1. Click on the Print Preview icon on the toolbar

2. If needed, use the buttons at the top of the print preview page to move to another page of the report, to zoom in or out, to adjust page set-up, margins, or page breaks prior to printing

Alternate Print Preview Method

1. Click on File in the menu bar

2. Select Print Preview

Printing an Excel Spreadsheet

1. Click on File in the menu bar and select Print

2. Select the printer to be used

3. Set the pages, range or worksheets to be printed

4. Set the number of copies to be printed

5. Click on OK to begin printing

Alternate Printing Method

Click on the Print icon in the toolbarNOTE: Selecting the Print icon in the toolbar, begins the printimmediately. There is no opportunity to set a print area, range, or number of copies.

Contact Information

TJ McKeonSpecial Projects Coordinator

Carbon Lehigh Intermediate Unit

mckeontj@cliu.org610 – 769 – 4111 Ext. 1696