Centre for Learning and Academic Development …Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used spreadsheet applications available today. Excel’s functionality and popularity have

Centre for Learning and Academic Development (CLAD)

Technology Skills Development Team

Microsoft Excel: An Introduction

www.intranet.birmingham.ac.uk/itskills

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Microsoft Excel: An Introduction (XL2101)

Microsoft Excel: An Introduction (XL2101)

Author: Sonia Lee Cooke (Some of the data in this course is based on previous Excel course developed by Paul Foxall)

Version: 1.0, September 2012

© 2012 The University of Birmingham

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be photocopied, recorded or otherwise reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form by any electrical or mechanical means without permission of the copyright holder.

Trademarks: Microsoft Windows is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation. All brand names and product names used in

this handbook are trademarks, registered trademarks, or trade names of their respective holders.

Microsoft Excel: An Introduction (XL2101) i

Contents Page No.

ABOUT THE WORKBOOK ...................................................................................................................... 1

HOW TO DO SOMETHING .................................................................................................................... 1

WHAT IS MICROSOFT EXCEL? ............................................................................................................... 2

STARTING MICROSOFT EXCEL .............................................................................................................. 2

THE MICROSOFT EXCEL SCREEN ..................................................................................................................... 3 Elements of Microsoft Excel screen .................................................................................................... 3 The File menu ..................................................................................................................................... 3 The Quick Access Toolbar ................................................................................................................... 3 Ribbons and Tabs ............................................................................................................................... 4 The Title bar ........................................................................................................................................ 4 Minimize/Expand the Ribbon ............................................................................................................. 4 Minimize/Restore/Close ..................................................................................................................... 4 Help button ......................................................................................................................................... 5 Mouse pointer .................................................................................................................................... 5 Active cell ............................................................................................................................................ 5 Auto fill handle ................................................................................................................................... 5 Insert Function button ........................................................................................................................ 5 Formula Bar ........................................................................................................................................ 5 Dialogue box launcher ........................................................................................................................ 5 Column headings: ............................................................................................................................... 6 Row headings ..................................................................................................................................... 6 Worksheet tabs .................................................................................................................................. 6 Insert a new worksheet ...................................................................................................................... 6 Scroll bars: .......................................................................................................................................... 6 The Status bar..................................................................................................................................... 6 The workbook views ........................................................................................................................... 6 Zoom slider ......................................................................................................................................... 6

CREATING A WORKBOOK ..................................................................................................................... 7

NAVIGATING A WORKSHEET .......................................................................................................................... 7 ENTERING DATA .......................................................................................................................................... 8

Entering labels in a worksheet ........................................................................................................... 8 Entering values in a worksheet ........................................................................................................... 9

SELECTING CELLS ......................................................................................................................................... 9 The Mini Toolbar .............................................................................................................................. 10

EDIT, CLEAR AND REPLACE CELL CONTENTS ...................................................................................................... 10 CUT, COPY AND PASTE CELL CONTENTS USING THE MOUSE AND KEYBOARD ........................................................... 11 INSERT CELLS, ROW AND COLUMNS ............................................................................................................... 12 DELETE CELLS, ROWS OR COLUMNS ............................................................................................................... 13

FORMATTING DATA IN A WORKSHEET............................................................................................... 14

FORMATTING VALUES ................................................................................................................................. 15 ADJUSTING ROW HEIGHT AND COLUMN WIDTH ................................................................................................ 15 AUTOFIT COLUMNS OR ROWS ...................................................................................................................... 16 ADDING CELL BORDERS, BACKGROUND COLOURS AND PATTERNS ......................................................................... 16 APPLYING A CELL STYLE ............................................................................................................................... 18

Applying a Document Theme ........................................................................................................... 18 Customise a Document Theme ......................................................................................................... 19

CREATING BASIC FORMULAE AND FUNCTIONS .................................................................................. 20

OVERVIEW OF FORMULAS ........................................................................................................................... 20 FORMULAS AND MULTIPLE OPERATORS ......................................................................................................... 20

ENTERING FORMULAE ................................................................................................................................. 21 USING AUTOSUM ...................................................................................................................................... 21 USING AUTO FILL ...................................................................................................................................... 22 USING ABSOLUTE AND RELATIVE CELL REFERENCES ........................................................................................... 22

USING THE FUNCTION LIBRARY ......................................................................................................... 23

EDITING A FUNCTION ................................................................................................................................. 23 INSERTING A FUNCTION............................................................................................................................... 23

CREATING AND WORKING WITH CHARTS .......................................................................................... 24

RESIZING AND MOVING A CHART.................................................................................................................. 25 MOVE A CHART WITHIN A WORKSHEET .......................................................................................................... 26 MOVE A CHART TO ANOTHER WORKSHEET ..................................................................................................... 26 CHANGING CHART TYPE .............................................................................................................................. 26 APPLYING BUILT-IN CHART LAYOUTS AND STYLES ............................................................................................ 27 WORKING WITH CHART LABELS .................................................................................................................... 28 WORKING WITH CHART AXES ...................................................................................................................... 28

PREVIEWING AND PRINTING A WORKSHEET...................................................................................... 29

PRINT A WORKSHEET .................................................................................................................................. 29 PREVIEW A WORKSHEET .............................................................................................................................. 29

Microsoft Excel: An Introduction (XL2101) 1

About the workbook

The workbook is designed as a reference for you to use after the course

has finished. The workbook is yours to take away with you so feel free

to make any notes you need in the workbook itself

The workbook is divided into sections with each section explaining

about a particular feature of the program or how to do a particular task.

Sections that take you through a particular procedure step-by-step look

like this:

How to do something

Do this first.

Then do this.

Then do this to finish.

There are also a number of text boxes to watch out for throughout the

workbook. These will help you to get the most out of the course.

Tip

The thumbs-up symbol in the margin indicates a tip. These tips will help you

work more effectively.

Danger!

The thumbs-down picture in the margin indicates common mistakes or

pitfalls to be avoided.


What is Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel 2010 is the latest version of Microsoft’s famous

spreadsheet application. In a general sense, Excel is a very powerful and

flexible tool for organising and analysing data. Excel provides a wealth

of financial, mathematical, and statistical functions that you can apply to

your data. Excel also offers numerous formatting and presentation

options that will help you create slick, professional looking reports. You

can use Excel as a database, a graphing and charting tool, a means of

evaluating complex formulas, and as a way of sharing data and

collaborating with others. When you change data in an Excel

spreadsheet, Excel will recalculate your totals, functions, and formulas

accordingly. Although Excel is often used for managing financial

information, it is just as well suited to scientific data, sports statistics, or

practically any other kind of information you need to work with

Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used spreadsheet applications

available today. Excel’s functionality and popularity have made it an

essential component on computers in countless organisations,

businesses, and other institutions throughout the world.

Excel is comprehensive enough to meet the needs of beginners and

experienced users alike. With Excel you can perform a wide range of

tasks, from building basic spreadsheets to performing advanced data

analysis. Excel can help you process, interpret, and extract meaningful

conclusions from your information. If you start at the beginning and

work your way up, it won’t be difficult to learn and work with Excel at

any level you want.

If you are new to Excel, the extensive array of features and capabilities

that it provides may seem daunting at first, but don’t worry. The keys to

becoming proficient with Excel are patience, practice, and a solid

foundation built on the basics.

Starting Microsoft Excel

There are a number of ways to start the Microsoft Excel program:

Click on the Start button (at the bottom left of the screen) then do

one of the following:

- Click on All Programs, click on Microsoft Office

- select Microsoft Excel 2010

- if you have the Microsof Excel icon on the desktop double click on it

- to start from one of the computers in a cluster on campus, click on All Programs

- Click on [ITS Applications] Click on MS Office and select MS Excel


The Microsoft Excel Screen

The MS Excel program screen may seem confusing and overwhelming

at first. This section will help you become familiar with the Microsoft

Excel program screen.

Elements of Microsoft Excel screen

1 The File menu

The File Button appears in the upper-left corner of the Excel program window. Click on the File menu to

display the backstage view, which contains file management commands where you can save a new workbook,

open an existing workbook, close the current workbook, create a new workbook, quick access to recently used

workbook, change Excel’s default setting or Exit out of the Excel program.

You can manage protect and share content?

2 The Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is located at the top left of the Excel screen it contains buttons that are shortcuts to

frequently used commands, by default there are three buttons on the Quick Access Toolbar: Save, Undo and

Redo. To show or hide buttons:


Click on the arrowhead to the right of the Quick Access Toolbar (a menu appears)

Click on any one of the options you want to display on the Quick Access Toolbar

You can also customise the Quick Access Toolbar by adding more buttons to it.

3 Ribbons and Tabs

The Ribbon is made up of three basic components (Tabs, Groups and Buttons) every Ribbon has key tips,

(numbers and letters called badges appears on the ribbon when you press the Alt key on the keyboard, depending

on the tab or command you want to select, press the letter or number key indicated on the badge. Repeat this step

as necessary until the desired command has been issued

1. Tabs There are three different types of tabs; each tab contains a different set of commands. Commands are

organised into tabs on the Ribbon.

Command tabs: These tabs appear by default whenever you open the Excel program. In Excel the

Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, View and Add-Ins tabs appear by default

Contextual tabs: Contextual tabs appear whenever you perform a specific task and offer commands

relative to only that task. For example, whenever you insert a table, the Design tab appears on the

Ribbon. If you are not working with contextual tab they will not be visible.

Program tabs: If you switch to a different authoring mode or view, such as Print Preview,

program tabs replace the default command tabs that appear on the Ribbon

2. Groups The commands found on each tab are organised into groups of related commands. For example, the Font

group contains commands used for formatting fonts. Some Groups contain dialogue launcher buttons (see

Dialogue Box Launcher below)

3. Buttons

One way to issue a command is by clicking its button on the Ribbon. Buttons are the smallest element of the

Ribbon.

4 The Title bar

The title bar displays the name of the active workbook you are currently working on and the name of the program

you are using.

5 Minimize/Expand the Ribbon

You can hide the Ribbon so that only the tab names are visible, giving you more space to view the worksheet. To

hide the ribbon, click on the Minimize button (at the top right of the Excel screen), click Minimize button again

to expand the Ribbon, alternatively, double-click the active tab to hide the Ribbon. When you need to use a

command, click the appropriate tab to temporarily show that section of the Ribbon. Double-click any tab to show

the Ribbon again permanently

6

Minimize/Restore/Close

At the top right of the Excel window are two sets of minimize restore and close buttons, theses button are used to

control the Excel program and workbook


7

Help button

Click on the Help button to access help and tutorials.

8 Select button

Click this button to select the entire worksheet.

9 Mouse pointer

Use the mouse pointer to go to a specific cell, select a cell or a range of cells and access commands.

10 Active cell

The active cell is surrounded by a black border and an auto fill handle. Each cell in a worksheet has its own cell

address made from its column letter and row number - such as cell A1, A2, B1, B2, etc.

11 Auto fill handle

The auto fill handle is the small black square at the bottom right corner of the active cell which is used to copy

data. Point the mouse onto the auto fill handle, notice the pointer changes to a black plus drag down or

double-click to copy data.

12 Name box

The Name box displays the address of the selected cell it is located to the left of the formula bar. You can also

use it to jump to a specific cell, i.e. (click in the name box, type the cell address and press enter), select a range of

cells (type the cell range you want to select i.e. A1:C5 and press enter) or list range names (if a special name has

been given to a cell or a range of cells)

13 Insert Function button

The Insert Function it is used for writing Excel formulas. When you click on the fx button the Insert Function

dialogue box appears, you can search for a specific function; select a category of functions. It is most beneficial

because it can be used as a step-by-step guide for each argument in a function.

14 Formula Bar

The Formula Bar displays the contents of the active cell, such as values or formulas, it also allows you to view,

enter, and edit data in the active cell.

15 Dialogue box launcher

Click the Dialogue Box Launcher in the bottom-right corner of a group to display a dialogue box with more

commands. Some groups also contain galleries that display several formatting options, e.g. when you create a

chart a Tool chart tab appears.


16 Column headings:

Column headings are identified by letters at the top of the. There are 16,384 columns in a worksheet.

17 Row headings

Row headings are identified by numbers, on the left side of the worksheet, there are 1,048,575

rows in a worksheet.

19 Worksheet tabs

By default MS Excel workbook contains three worksheets at the bottom of the screen, you can insert more

worksheets and you can also copy, move or rename the worksheet, by right clicking on the active worksheet.

20 Insert a new worksheet

Click on the Insert worksheet button to insert a new worksheet or press Shift F11 on the keyboard.

21 Scroll bars:

Use the Vertical and horizontal scroll bars to scroll through the worksheet.

22 The Status bar

By default the status bar is in Ready mode, is located at the bottom of the bottom left of the Excel screen, it

provides information about the current state of what you are viewing in the worksheet and any other contextual

information.

23 The workbook views

There are three workbook views at the bottom right of the Excel screen. You can switch between either of three

views (Normal, Page Layout and Page Break Preview)

24 Zoom slider

You can zoom in or out of a window by: clicking and dragging the slider

Or click on the - and + buttons, you can also click on 100% to display the Zoom dialogue box


Creating a workbook

To create a new workbook:

Click on the File tab and select New (the Backstage View appears). By

default, the Blank Workbook option is already selected.

Double-click on the Blank workbook icon (the new blank workbook appears

in the Excel application screen).

Navigating a Worksheet

Before you start entering data into a worksheet, you need to learn how to move

around in one. You must make a cell active by selecting it before you can enter

information in it, you can make a cell active by using the mouse or the keyboard

To make a cell active by using the mouse:

Click any cell with the Mouse pointer (the white cross)

To make a cell active by using the keyboard:

Press the arrow keys up, down, left and right on the keyboard

Navigation keyboard shortcuts

Press To Move

<Home> To column A in the current row.

<Ctrl> + <Home> To the first cell (A1) in the worksheet.

<Ctrl> + <End> To the last cell with data in the worksheet.


Navigation keyboard shortcuts

Press To Move

<Page Up> Up one screen.

<Page Down> Down one screen.

<F5> or

<Ctrl> + <G>

Opens the Go To dialog box where you can go to a

specified cell address.

<Ctrl Arrow Right/Left> Jump to left/right of data range.

<Ctrl Arrow Down/Up> Jump to top/bottom of data range

<Ctrl Shift Arrow

Right/Left>

Highlight a range of cells to the left/right of data range.

<Ctrl Shift Arrow Up/Down> Highlight a range of cells from the cursor’s position to

the top/bottom of a data range.

Entering data

This section focuses on labels. Labels are used for worksheet, column, and row

headings. They usually contain text, but can also consist of numerical information

not used in any calculations, such as serial numbers. Excel treats information

beginning with a letter as a label and automatically left-aligns it inside the cell.

There are two basic types of information you can enter in a cell:

Labels: Any type of text or information not used in calculations

Values: Any type of numerical data: numbers, percentages, fractions,

currencies, dates, or times, usually used in formulas or calculations.

Entering labels in a worksheet

To enter label in a cell:

Click a cell where you want to add a label (if the cell contains text, anything

you type will replace the old cell contents)

Type the label, such as a row heading in the cell, the cell entry is displayed in

the formula bar area

Press the Enter key to display the data in the active cell – (notice the text

automatically aligns on the left of the cell)

Other ways to confirm a cell entry:

Click the Enter button at the left of the Formula Bar.

Or

Press the Tab key on the keyboard


If the label is too large to fit in the cell, the text spills into the cell to the right, as

long as that cell is empty. If not, Excel truncates the text; it’s still there—you

just can’t see it, you will need to extend the column width

Entering values in a worksheet

Entering values in a worksheet is no different from entering labels.

To enter values:

Type the value in a cell and press the Enter key on the keyboard (notice the

text automatically aligns on the right of the cell), this also applies to dates.

Selecting cells

To select a range of cells:

Click and hold down the mouse button, then drag to select a range of cells. As

you drag, the cells you are selecting are highlighted

Other Ways to select a cell:

Press and hold the Shift key and use the arrow keys on the keyboard to

select a range of cells

Click and drag the mouse pointer to highlight a range of cells

then press and hold the Ctrl key on the keyboard while dragging the mouse

pointer over another range of cells

To highlight a range of cells using the Name box, enter the cell reference in

the Name box – e.g. A1:C10 and press the Enter key on the keyboard


To cancel highlighted area:

Click anywhere on the worksheet

To select contents within a cell, double-click the cell, then click and drag to select

the desired contents.

The Mini Toolbar

The Mini Toolbar, appears when you select text or data within a cell or the formula

bar, and contains common text formatting commands.

To view the Mini Toolbar:

Select text or data within a cell or the formula bar, the Mini Toolbar appears

above the text or data you selected

Sometimes the Mini Toolbar can be hard to see due to its transparency. To make the Mini

Toolbar more visible, point to it.

A larger version of the Mini Toolbar also appears along with the contextual menu whenever

you right-click an object or area.

Click the desired command on the Mini Toolbar or click anywhere outside the

Mini Toolbar to close it.

Edit, clear and replace cell contents

Once you’ve entered data into a cell, you can edit, clear, or replace those cell

contents

To edit the contents of a cell:

Double-click on the cell you want to edit, you can use the arrow keys on the

keyboard to move through the data in a cell

Press the Delete key on the keyboard to delete a character to the right and

press the Backspace keys on the keyboard to delete a character to the left.

Alternatively,

Click on the cell that contains the contents, then click in the Formula Bar and

edit the cell’s contents.

To clear the contents of a cell:

Click on the cell and press the Delete key on the keyboard


Caution!

When you use the delete key on the keyboard only the contents in the cell is cleared, all

formatting remains in the cell, you must use the Clear All option (see below).

Other ways to clear cell contents:

Click on the Home tab in the Editing group, click the Clear button to display

the drop-down menu

Select Clear All to clear all data and formats

To replace cell contents:

Click the cell, type new text or data

Press the Enter key on the keyboard. (the newly typed information replaces

the previous cell contents)

Cut, Copy and Paste cell contents using the mouse and keyboard

You can move information around in an Excel worksheet by cutting or copying and

then pasting the cell data in a new place. You can work with one cell at a time or

ranges of cells.

When you cut or copy a cell contents, it is removed from its original location and

placed in a temporary storage area called the Clipboard.

To cut or copy cell contents using the mouse:

Select the cell(s) you want to cut or copy

Click the Home tab on the Ribbon, in the Clipboard group; click the Cut

button or the Copy button , alternatively, right-click on the selection and select Cut or Copy from the contextual menu, a moving dashed border appears around the cell(s).

Select a new cell in the worksheet where you want to paste the data. (At the

bottom left of the status bar the following message appears:

“Select destination and press Enter or choose Paste”)

To cut or copy cell contents using the keyboard:

Select the data you want to cut or copy


Press Ctrl X to cut/move the cell contents

or

Press Ctrl C to copy the cell contents

Select the cell where you want to paste the data and press Ctrl V

Tip

You can drag and drop cell(s) to a different location, select the cell(s) you want to move

and place the mouse pointer around the border of the selected cell(s) until it change to a

white arrow, hold down the left mouse button while dragging to a new location.

Insert cells, row and columns

While working on a worksheet, you may need to insert new cells, columns, or rows.

When you insert cells, the existing cells shift to make room for the new cells.

To insert cell(s), rows or columns:

Select the cell or cell range where you want to insert cell(s), rows or columns.

The number of cell(s), rows or columns you select is the same amount that will

be inserted

Click on the Home tab on the Ribbon and in the Cells group, click the Insert

list arrow, alternatively,

Right-click and select Insert… from the drop-down list

Select the appropriate option from the list – e.g. Insert Cells… (the Insert

dialogue box appears)


Here you can tell Excel how you want to move the existing cells to make room

for the new ones by selecting Shift cells right or Shift cells down.

Delete cells, rows or columns

You can quickly delete existing cells, columns, or rows from a worksheet. When you

delete cells the existing cells shift to fill the space left by the deletion.

To delete cell(s), rows or columns:

Select the cell(s) you want to delete

Click the Home tab on the Ribbon and in the Cell group; click the Delete list

arrow

Select Delete Cells… (the Delete dialogue box appears)

Here you can tell Excel how you want to move the remaining cells to cover the

hole left by the deleted cell(s) by selecting Shift cells left or Shift cells up

Select an option and click OK, (the cell(s) are deleted and the remaining cells

are shifted).

Pressing the Delete key only clears a cell’s contents, it doesn’t delete the actual cell.


Formatting data in a Worksheet

You can emphasise text in a worksheet by making the text darker and heavier (bold),

slanted (italics), or in a different typeface (font). The Font group on the Home tab

makes it easy to apply character formatting.

To format a cell(s):

Select the cell(s) with the data you want to format

Click the Home tab on the Ribbon and in the Font group, click on the

required formatting button

The data in the cell(s) is formatted, alternatively, click on the Dialogue box

launcher to display the Format Cells dialogue box)

Select the required formatting option(s) on the Format Cells dialogue box

then press the OK button.

Tips

You can also Right-click the cell(s) you want to format. Click a formatting button on the

Mini Toolbar. Or, select Format Cells from the contextual menu or press Ctrl 1

Dialogue box

launcher


Formatting values

Applying number formatting changes how values are displayed - it doesn’t

change the actual information. Excel is often smart enough to apply some

number formatting automatically. For example, if you use a pound (£) sign to

indicate currency, such as £548.67, Excel will automatically apply the currency

number format for you.

Click the cell(s) with the value(s) you want to format.

Click the Home tab on the Ribbon and click a formatting button in the

Number Group.

The values are formatted

Adjusting row height and column width

When you start working on a worksheet, all the rows and columns are the same size.

As you enter information into the worksheet, you will quickly discover that some of

the columns or rows are not large enough to display the information they contain.

To adjust the column width:

Place the mouse pointer to the right of column header’s border until the mouse pointer changes to a vertical line with a horizontal double-headed arrow.

Click and drag to the left to decrease or drag to the right to increase the column width, notice a dotted vertical line appears as you drag together with a text box showing you the width of the new column. Or

Right-click on the column header to display the contextual menu

Select Column Width… (the column width dialogue box appears), enter the

column width. Or

Select the column header(s), click the Format button in the Cells group on the

Home tab, select Width, and enter the column width.

To adjust the row height:

Place the mouse pointer to the row header’s bottom border until the mouse

pointer changes to a horizontal line with a vertical double-headed arrow.


Click and drag up decrease the height or drag down to increase the height,

notice a dotted horizontal line appears as you drag together with a text box

showing you the row height, Or

Right-click the row header(s), select Row Height… from the contextual

menu, and enter the row height. Or,

Select the row header(s), click the Format button in the Cells group on the

Home tab, select Height, and enter the row height.

AutoFit columns or rows

The AutoFit feature automatically resizes columns or rows to fit the cell in each

column or row that has the widest or tallest contents.

To automatically resize one or more column width:

Double-click the right border of the column header to resize one column

To resize several columns, click on the column header and drag to highlight

the columns, then double-click or click and drag the right border of the

column header.

To automatically adjust one or more row height:

Double-click on the bottom border of the row

To resize several rows, click on the row header and drag to highlight the

rows, then double-click or click and drag the bottom border of the row

header.

Adding cell borders, background colours and patterns

Borders are lines that you can add to the top, bottom, left, or right of cells. Adding

cell borders and filling cells with colours and patterns can make them more

attractive, organized and easy to read.


To add a cell border:

Select the cell(s) you want to add the border to.

Click on the Home tab in the Font group, click the Border list arrow, (a list of borders you can add to the selected cell(s) appears):

To add a cell background colour:

Fill the background of a cell by adding a colour or pattern

Select the cell(s) you want to add the colour to

Click the Home tab, in the Font group, click the Fill Color list arrow, (a list of

colours you can add to the selected cell(s) appears)

Select the colour you want to use

The fill colour is applied. Notice that the colour you chose now appears as the

selected colour on the button.

To add a cell background pattern:

Right-click on the selected cell(s) and select Format Cells… from the

contextual menu, (the Format Cells dialogue box appears).

Under Pattern Style: click on the pattern style list arrow and select a pattern.


Under Pattern Color: click the pattern colour list arrow and select a pattern

colour.

Click on the OK button to apply the pattern or colour.

Applying a cell style

Styles contain pre-set font formatting, cell shading, and other formatting items that

can be applied to a cell or cell range all at once. Excel contains several pre-set styles

for you to use.

You can also modify Excel’s pre-set cell styles, create new styles by duplicating and

modifying the pre-set styles, or create completely new custom styles.

To apply a cell style:

Select the cell(s) you want to format

Click the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the Cell Styles button, (a gallery

of styles appears)

Select a cell style.

To remove a cell style:

Select the cell(s) that have the cell style applied

Click the Home tab, in the Styles group and click on the Cell Styles button

Click Normal.

Applying a Document Theme

Applying a document theme affects all elements of the worksheet: colours, fonts, and

effects.


To apply a document theme:

Click the Page Layout tab, in the Themes group and click on the Themes

button, (a list of built-in document themes appears).

The default theme is Office.

Click the document theme you want to apply.

The formatting associated with the selected document theme is applied to the worksheet.

Customise a Document Theme

You are not bound to keep the colours, fonts, or effects that are assigned to a

document theme. You may mix and match theme colours, theme fonts, and theme

effects.

To customise a document theme:

Click the Page Layout tab, in the Themes group, click the Theme Colors,

Theme Fonts, or Theme Effects button and select the set of colours, fonts, or

effects you want to use.

The change is applied to the document. The document theme isn't changed;

however, it is just no longer applied. If you want to use this custom set of

themes again later, you'll have to save them as a new document theme.


Creating basic formulae and functions

Overview of Formulas

Formulas are values, but unlike regular values, formulas contain information to

perform a numerical calculation, such as adding, subtracting, or multiplying.

All formulas must start with an equal sign (=). Then you must specify two more

types of information: the values you want to calculate and the arithmetic operator(s)

or function name(s) you want to use to calculate the values. Formulas can contain

numbers, like 5 or 8, but more often they reference the contents of cells. For

example, the formula =A5+A6 adds the values in cells A5 and A6. Using these cell

references is advantageous because if you change the values in the referenced cells,

the formula result updates automatically to take the new values into account.

You’re already familiar with some of the arithmetic operators used in Excel

formulas, such as the plus sign (+). Functions are pre-made formulas that you can use

as shortcuts or to perform calculations that are more complicated. For example, the

PMT function calculates loan payments based on an interest rate, the length of the

loan, and the principal amount of the loan.

Formulas and Multiple Operators

Formulas can contain several values, such as 81 and 3.5; cell references, such as B5

and C1:D11; operators, such as * (multiplication) and + (addition); and functions,

such as SUM and AVERAGE. When you combine several operations and functions

into a single formula, Excel performs the operations in a predetermined order.

When a formula contains several operators with the same precedence, Excel

calculates the formula from left to right. You can change the order by enclosing the

part of the formula you want Excel to calculate first in parentheses.

Order in Which Excel Performs Operations in Formulas

( )

Parentheses change the order of evaluation.

For example:

=(20+5)/(10-5) would add 20 and 5 (25), subtract 10 by 5 (5) and then divide

the results to equal 5.

But…

=20+5/10-5 would divide 5 by 10 (0.5), add the result to 20 (20.5) and then

subtract 5 to equal 15.5.

: Reference Operator

% Percent

^ Exponentiation

* and / Multiplication and division

+ and - Addition and subtraction

= < > <=

>= Comparison

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Entering formulae

A formula starts with an equal sign, followed by:

Values or cell references joined by an operator.

Example: =A1+A2.

A function name followed by parentheses containing function arguments.

Example: =SUM(A1:A2).

To enter a formula in a cell:

Click a cell where you want to enter a formula

Type =, then enter the formula

You can also enter the formula in the Formula Bar

Press the Enter key.(the formula calculates the result and displays it in the cell

where you entered it).

You can use the Formula AutoComplete feature to help you create and edit complex

formulas. Type an = (equal sign) in a cell or the Formula Bar and start typing the formula.

As you do this, a list appears of functions and names that fit with the text you entered.

Select an item from the list to insert it into the formula

Using AutoSum

SUM is a common Excel function used to find the total of a range of cells. Excel has

a shortcut button, called AutoSum that can insert the formula for you.

To insert a formula using AutoSum:

Click a cell next to the column or row of numbers you want to sum

Click the Formulas tab and click the AutoSum button in the Function

Library group.

The Sum function appears in the cell and a moving dotted line appears

around the cell range that Excel thinks you want to sum. If the range is not

correct, you can click and drag to select the correct range.

Select a range of cells where you want the total to appear, then click on the Formulas tab,

in the Function Library group, click on the AutoSum button


Table 4: Examples of Operators, References, and Formulas

Operator or Function

Name

Purpose Example

= All formulas must start with an equal sign.

+ Performs addition between values. =A1+B1

- Performs subtraction between values. =A1-B1

* Performs multiplication between values. =B1*2

/ Performs division between values. =A1/C2

SUM Adds all the numbers in a range. =SUM(A1:A3)

AVERAGE Calculates the average of all the numbers in a range.

=AVERAGE(A2,B1,C3)

COUNT Counts the number of items in a range. =COUNT(A2:C3)

Using Auto Fill

AutoFill automatically enters a series of labels or values in the cells you select. For

example, imagine you’re entering all twelve months as labels in a worksheet. With

AutoFill you only have to enter a couple of months and let AutoFill enter the rest for

you. Excel can’t read your mind, so the first cell or cells you select must contain the

values and increment you want AutoFill to use.

To use auto fill:

Select a cell or cell range that contains the data and increment you want to

use

Position the mouse pointer over the fill handle (the small black square in the cell’s lower-right corner) until the pointer changes to a (plus)

Click and drag the fill handle to the cells that you want to AutoFill with the information.

Using absolute and relative cell references

A cell reference identifies a cell or cell range and tells Excel which values to use in a

formula. There are two types of cell references. Relative and Absolute.

Relative: For example, if cell A2 contained the formula =A1, and you copied and

pasted the formula to cell B2, the formula in B2 would read =B1 because the

reference is relative to the location of the formula.

Absolute: Absolute references (like $A$1) always refer to the same cell address,

even if the formula is moved. They are denoted by adding dollar signs ($).


For example, if cell A2 contained the formula =$A$1, and you copied and pasted the

formula to cell B2, the formula in B2 would still read =$A$1

Using the Function Library

Another way you can access functions by category is in the Function Library group:

Select the cell where you want to enter the formula

Click the Formulas tab in the Function Library group; you’ll see the same

categories of functions that are available in the Insert Function dialogue box

Click a function category button in the Function Library and select the

function you want to use (the Function Arguments dialogue box appears).

Enter the arguments in the text boxes and click OK. (the function is inserted

into the cell).

Editing a Function

To edit a function:

Select the cell with the function you want to edit, choose from the following

options:

Click the Insert Function button on the formula bar and edit the function

arguments in the Function Arguments dialogue box.

Click in the Formula bar and directly edit the function in the formula bar

Inserting a function

In Excel, a function can be described as a built in tool for performing mathematical

or logical tests. Quite often, you may need to perform operations in your worksheets

that involve many cells, like totalling a lengthy column of numbers or averaging a

large group of data. When dealing with financial data, you might have to evaluate

loan amortizations or future values. In statistical applications, you might have to

determine the standard deviation or variance for a group of numbers. Excel’s

functions can help you with all of these tasks.

Functions can also be used to perform searches for specific values or to perform

operations based on conditions that you set.

Operations that are complex and involve many cell references can be difficult or

even impossible to implement with basic arithmetic formulas. Thankfully, Excel

provides a wide range of built in functions that help make even very complex or

repetitive calculations easy.

Excel’s functions are broken down into the following categories. Under each heading

is a list of some of the more common functions that belong to that category


Creating and working with charts

In Excel, you can quickly create a basic chart using your worksheet data.

To create a chart:

The best way to begin the process of creating a chart is to select the cell

range containing the data and labels you want to chart.

Click the Insert tab, in the Charts group, there are several chart types to

choose from. Each of the chart types then has several styles to choose from.

Click a chart type button in the Charts group and select the chart style you

want to use from the list.

The chart appears in the worksheet and the Chart Tools appear on the

Ribbon. The Chart Tools include three new tabs - Design, Layout and

Format that help you modify and format the chart

To see more chart types, click on the Dialogue launcher button.

Tip: You can chart non-adjacent cells if you hold down the Ctrl key while selecting the cells.

Chart types that are listed in the Chart group on the Insert tab

Column Column charts are used when you want to compare different values vertically

side-by-side. Each value is represented in the chart by a vertical bar. If there are

several series, each series is represented by a different colour.

Line Line charts are used to illustrate trends over time. Each value is plotted as a

point on the chart and is connected to other values by a line. Multiple items are

plotted using different lines.

Pie Pie charts are useful for showing values as a percentage of a whole. The values

for each item are represented by different colours.

Bar Bar charts are just like column charts, except they display information in

horizontal bars rather than in vertical columns.

Area Area charts are the same as line charts, except the area beneath the lines is filled

with colour.

XY

(Scatter)

Scatter charts are used to plot clusters of values using single points. Multiple

items can be plotted by using different coloured points or different point

symbols.

Other

Charts

Select from Stock, Surface, Doughnut, Bubble, or Radar-type charts. You can

also make a combination chart by selecting a different type of chart for only

one of the data series


Resizing and Moving a Chart

When you create a chart, it is embedded in the worksheet and appears in a frame.

You can resize a chart, move it within the worksheet, or move it to another

worksheet.

To resize a chart:

Click on the chart to select it. Eight sizing handles (small dots) appear along

the chart edges once it is selected.

Clicking a chart displays the Chart Tools on the Ribbon, which include the

Design, Layout, and Format tabs

Click on the Format tab in the Size group, click on the dialogue launcher in

the lower right of the Size group

Under Scale you can click on the Height: spin button and the Width: spin

button to increase or decrease the size


Click on the Close to return to the worksheet (the chart is resized).

Move a chart within a Worksheet

To move a chart to a different location in a worksheet:

Select the chart and move your mouse point to the chart’s border until the

mouse pointer changes to a cross-arrow pointer click and drag the chart to a different location on the worksheet.

Move a chart to another Worksheet

You can move a chart to another worksheet as an embedded object or move it to its

own worksheet.

To move a chart to another worksheet:

Under Chart Tools on the Ribbon in the Location group, click the Design tab

Click the Move Chart button (the Move Chart dialogue box appears)

Under where you want the chart to be placed are two options:

New sheet: Moves the chart to its own worksheet.

Object in: Allows you to embed the chart in another existing worksheet.

Select the option you want to use and enter or select a worksheet name.

Click on the OK button to change the chart location.

Changing Chart Type

Different types of charts are better for presenting different types of information. For

example, a column chart is great for comparing values of different items, but not for

illustrating trends or relationships. If you find that a chart you’ve created isn’t the

best fit for your data, you can switch to a different chart type.

To change the chart type:

Select the chart (the Chart Tools appear on the Ribbon)


Under Chart Tools on the Ribbon, click on the Design tab, in the Type group,

click on Change Chart Type button, (the Change Chart Type dialogue box

appears):

Here you can see the different types of charts that are available

Select a chart type in the list on the left, then select a chart sub-type from the

list on the right.

Click on the OK.

You can also create a combination chart. Right-click a single data series in the chart and

select Change Series Chart Type from the contextual menu. Select a new chart type for

the single data series

Applying Built-in Chart Layouts and Styles

Excel has built-in chart layouts and styles that allow you to format charts with the

click of a button.

Built-in chart layouts allow you to quickly adjust the overall layout of your chart

with different combinations of titles, labels, and chart orientations.

Built-in chart styles allow you to adjust the format of several chart elements all at

once. Styles allow you to quickly change colors, shading, and other formatting

properties

To Apply a Built-in Chart Layout:

Select the chart, the Chart Tools appear on the Ribbon

Under Chart Tools on the Ribbon, click on the Design tab. Here you can see

the Chart Layouts and Chart Styles groups.

Select the option you want to use from the Chart Layouts gallery in the Chart

Layouts group (the chart layout changes).


To Apply a Built-in Chart Style:

Select the chart, (the Chart Tools appear on the Ribbon).

Under Chart Tools on the Ribbon, click on the Design tab and select the

option you want to use from the Chart Styles gallery in the Chart Styles

group, (the new style is applied).

Working with Chart Labels

Besides using built-in chart layouts, you can manually add or edit individual chart

labels such as chart titles, axis titles, and data labels.

To Add or adjust a chart label:

Select the chart. Under Chart Tools on the Ribbon, click on the Layout tab in

the Labels group, there are several types of labels to choose from.

You can add a new chart title, legend, data label or data table, or adjust how it

appears.

Chart Title: Add, remove, or position the chart title.

Axis Titles: Add, remove, or position the text used to label the chart axes.

Legend: Add, remove, or position the chart legend.

Data Labels: Use data labels to label the values of individual chart elements.

Data Table: Add a data table to the chart. A data table is a table that contains

the data and headings from your worksheet that makes up the chart data.

Click on the button you want to use in the Labels group, A list appears with

different display options for that label

Select the label display option you want to use from the list.

The label appears on the chart. If you add a chart or axis title, placeholder text

will appear that you can replace with your own text.

Working with Chart Axes

You can manipulate how chart axes are displayed by using the Layout tab under

Chart Tools on the Ribbon. Most charts have two axes - a vertical one for values and

a horizontal one for categories. 3-D charts have an additional depth axis, while pie

charts have no axes at all. In addition, different chart types display axes in different

ways, with values appearing on different axes and with axes exhibiting various

scales.

Adjust how an axis is displayed:

You can choose different ways to display or even hide axes

Select the chart. Under Chart Tools on the Ribbon, click the Layout tab and

click on the Axes button in the Axes group.


A menu appears, allowing you to select whether you want to work with the

vertical or horizontal axis.

Point to an axis option, A list appears with different display options

Select the axis display option you want to use from the list. Using the Format

Axis dialogue box, you can fine-tune axis values, tick marks, and label location

using the Format Axis dialogue box.

Click the axis you want to adjust, under Chart Tools on the Ribbon, click on

the Format tab and click Format Selection in the Current Selection group,

(the Format Axis dialogue box appears).

Click Axis Options. The Axis Options pane appears. The Format Axis

Dialogue Box table describes the options available here.

Select the option(s) you want to use and click on the Close button

Repeat the process for additional axes.

Previewing and Printing a worksheet

Print a worksheet

To print a worksheet:

Click the File tab and select Print

The Print options appear. Here you can specify printing options such as the

number of copies you want to print, alternatively

Press Ctrl P.

Specify printing options, then click OK

Preview a worksheet

To preview the worksheet:

Click the File tab and select Print (a preview of the document appears on the

right of the screen)

You can show the margins by clicking on the Show Margins button at the

bottom right of the screen

Click on the Zoom to Page button at the bottom right of the preview

screen to enlarge your view of the worksheet.

Documents

Centre for Learning and Academic Development …Microsoft Excel is one of the most widely used spreadsheet applications available today. Excel’s functionality and popularity have