Chapter 2: Creating a Spreadsheet Chapter 2: Creating a Spreadsheet 1.Planning and designing a spreadsheet...........................................................................................CA-30

2.Entering data into Calc..................................................................................................................CA-31

2.1.Inputing data..........................................................................................................................CA-31

2.2.Moving between cells............................................................................................................CA-31

3.Working with cells, columns and rows.........................................................................................CA-32

3.1.Changing Row Height or Column Width .............................................................................CA-32

3.2.Inserting cells ........................................................................................................................CA-33

3.3.Inserting columns and rows...................................................................................................CA-33

3.4.Deleting Cell..........................................................................................................................CA-34

3.5.Deleting columns and rows...................................................................................................CA-35

4.Working with sheets......................................................................................................................CA-36

4.1.Inserting new sheets...............................................................................................................CA-36

4.2.Deleting sheets.......................................................................................................................CA-37

4.3.Renaming sheets....................................................................................................................CA-37

5.Copy and paste data.......................................................................................................................CA-38

5.1.Using Copy and paste buttons...............................................................................................CA-38

5.2.Using drag and drop..............................................................................................................CA-38

5.3.Using Fill Handle...................................................................................................................CA-39

6.Associating a range to a name.......................................................................................................CA-39

6.1.Named range..........................................................................................................................CA-40

7.Formatting data in Calc.................................................................................................................CA-40

7.1.Numbers................................................................................................................................CA-41

7.2.Font........................................................................................................................................CA-41

7.3.Font effects............................................................................................................................CA-43

7.4.Alignment and orientation.....................................................................................................CA-44

7.5.Borders...................................................................................................................................CA-46

7.6.Background............................................................................................................................CA-47

8.Exercise.........................................................................................................................................CA-48

1. Planning and designing a spreadsheet

It is very important for you to know the right approach to be followed in order to create a spreadsheet. By following the right approach, you will find it is easier to design the spreadsheet with less error. Below are the guidelines that you should follow before constructing your sheet:

Plan

The first thing you should do is to recognize the problem, and the solution to that problem. Then you can determine the purpose of the sheet and how it should be organized. Hence you can think of the title of the sheet, the column/row heading to be created, the type of data to be input, the formulas to be used in order to achieve the results, and the output that is desired. It is best if you could come up with a rough sketch on paper of how you want the sheet to look including the placement of labels and values.

Enter and Edit

Once you have all the attributes ready, your next step is to create the actual sheet, based on the one created on paper. You need to enter all the titles, column/row headings, values as well as the formulas in the sheet. In the process, such errors need to be corrected, data may need to be added, or deleted, and the content of the entire sheet may need to be revised.

Test

At this stage you can start testing your sheet by using certain range of values in order to check the formulas are correct, and the output are as expected. The input data should include a full range of possible values for each data item to ensure that the sheet can function successfully under all possible conditions.

Format

The last step is to enhance the appearance of the worksheet to make it more readable and more attractive. Formatting will include changing font types and sizes, colors and etc.

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2. Entering data into Calc

Entering data into OpenOffice.org (OOo) Calc is a simple process, accomplished using the keyboard. Whichever cell is selected in your spreadsheet is where the data will be input. Navigating through the spreadsheet can be done by using either the keyboard or the mouse.

2.1.Inputing dataMost data entry in Calc can be accomplished using the keyboard. You can enter both text and numbers using either the main keyboard area or the number pad. As discussed in Chapter 1, “Introducing Calc,” a Calc spreadsheet is divided into several different cells. Each cell can contain an independent piece of data, as shown in Figure1.

Figure 1: Independent cells

2.2.Moving between cellsThere are three ways to navigate between cells in Calc.

a)Using the mouse

To move the focus using the mouse, simply move the mouse pointer to the cell where the focus should be and click the left mouse button. This changes the focus to the new cell. This method is most useful when the two cells are a large distance apart.

b)Using the arrow keys

The arrow keys on the keyboard can move the focus one cell at a time left, right, down, or up.

c)Using the Enter key

You can customize the direction the Enter key moves the focus, by selecting Tools >

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Options > OpenOffice.org Calc > General. (See Figure 2.)

Figure 2: Customizing the effect of the Enter key

The four choices for the direction of the Enter key are shown on the right side of Figure 2. It can move data down, right, up, or left. Depending on the file being used or on the type of data being entered, different directions can be useful.

In addition to this, the Enter key doesn’t have to make the focus move at all. It can also be used to switch into and out of editing mode. Use the checkboxes under Input settings in Figure 2 to change the Enter key settings.

3. Working with cells, columns and rows

3.1.Changing Row Height or Column Width You can change the height of the rows with the mouse or through the dialog. The same applies for columns and column widths.

a)Using the mouse to change the row height or column width

• Click the area of the headers on the separator below the current row, keep the mouse button pressed and drag up or down in order to change the row height.

• Select the optimal row height by double-clicking the separator below the row.

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b)Using the dialog to change the row height or column width

1. Click the row so that you achieve the focus.

2. Start the context menu on the header at the left-hand side.

You will see the commands Height and Optimal row height. Choosing either opens a dialog.

3.2.Inserting cells Cell can be inserted in several ways according to the options that you specify (Figure3).

Shift cells down : Moves the contents of the selected range downward when cells are inserted.

Shift cells right : Moves the contents of the selected range to the right when cells are inserted.

Entire row : Inserts an entire row. The position of the row is determined by the selection on the sheet. The number of rows inserted depends on how many rows are selected. The contents of the original rows are moved downward.

Entire column : Inserts an entire column. The number of the columns to be inserted is determined by the selected number of columns. The contents of the original columns are shifted to right.

3.3.Inserting columns and rowsColumns and rows can be inserted in several different way and quantities.

a)Single column or row

A single column or row can be added using the Insert menu:

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Figure 3: Insert Cell Options

Select the column or rows where you want the new column or row inserted.

Select either Insert > Columns or Insert > Rows.

Note When you insert a single new column, it is inserted to the left of the highlighted column. When you insert a single new row, it is inserted above the highlighted row.

A single column or row can also be added using the mouse:

Select the column or rows where you want the new column or row inserted.

Right-click the header.

Select Insert Rows or Insert Columns.

b)Multiple columns or rows

Multiple columns or rows can be inserted at once rather than inserting them one at a time.

Highlight the required number of columns or rows by holding down the left mouse button on the first one and then dragging across the required number of identifiers.

Proceed as for inserting a single column or row above.

3.4.Deleting CellWhen you delete a cell, you not only delete the content but also will make the particular cell disappear from the spreadsheet. The cells below or to the right of the deleted cells will fill the space. This will depend on the option that you use(Figure 4)

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Figure 4: Delete cell options

a)Deleting cell contents

In Excel, pressing the Delete key instantly deletes the contents of the cell. In Calc, pressing Delete calls up a dialog box where you can specify what to delete:

Strings

Numbers

Date & Time

Formulas

Notes

Formats

Objects

The items checked by default are: Strings; Numbers; Date & Time; Formulas; and Notes. Thus, pressing Delete and then Enter will delete the items checked by default.

You can bypass the dialog and instantly delete the items checked by default by pressing the Backspace key rather than the Delete key.

3.5.Deleting columns and rowsColumns and rows can be deleted individually or in groups.

a)Single column or row

A single column or row can only be deleted by using the mouse:

Select the column or row to be deleted.

Right-click on the column or row header.

Select Delete Columns or Delete Rows from the pop-up menu.

b)Multiple columns or rows

Multiple columns or rows can be deleted at once rather than deleting them one at a time.

Highlight the required number of columns or rows by holding down the left mouse button on the first one and then dragging across the required number of identifiers.

Proceed as for deleting a single column or row above.

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4. Working with sheets

Like any other Calc element, sheets can be inserted, deleted and renamed.

4.1.Inserting new sheetsThere are many ways to insert a new sheet. The first step for all of the methods is to select the sheets that the new sheet will be inserted next to. Then any of the following options can be used.

Click on the Insert menu and select Sheet, or

Right-click on its tab and select Insert Sheet, or

Click into an empty space at the end of the line of sheet tabs (see Figure 5).

Figure 5. Creating a new sheet

Each method will open the Insert Sheet dialog box (Figure 6). Here you can select whether the new sheet is to go before or after the selected sheet and how many sheets you want to insert. If you are inserting only one sheet, there is the opportunity to give the sheet a name.

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Click here to insert a new sheet

Figure 6. Insert Sheet dialog box

4.2.Deleting sheetsSheets can be deleted individually or in groups.

a)Single sheet

Right-click on the tab of the sheet you want to delete and select Delete Sheet from the pop-up menu, or click Edit > Sheet > Delete from the menu bar.

b)Multiple sheets

To delete multiple sheets, select them as described earlier, then either right-click over one of the tabs and select Delete Sheet from the popup menu, or click Edit > Sheet > Delete from the menu bar.

4.3.Renaming sheetsThe default name for the a new sheet is “SheetX”, where X is a number. While this works for a small spreadsheet with only a few sheets, it becomes awkward when there are many sheets.

To give a sheet a more meaningful name, you can:

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Enter the name in the name box when you create the sheet, or

Right-click on a sheet tab and select Rename Sheet from the popup menu and replace the existing name with a better one.

Note Sheet names must start with either a letter or a number; other characters including spaces are not allowed. Aside from the first character of the sheet name, allowed characters are letters, numbers, spaces, and the underline character. Attempting to rename a sheet with an invalid name will produce an error message.

5. Copy and paste data

Text, numbers and formulas can always be copied from one cell to another cell in the spreadsheet.

5.1.Using Copy and paste buttonsWhen Copy button is clicked on the toolbar , the content of the cell(s) will be copied to the clipboard. This content will be in the memory until the button Cut or Copy is clicked again. The Paste button will recall the memory and data will appear in new position. If you click Paste again and again the content will be pasted again and again. The Copy and Paste button can be obtained from three ways:

Edit menu – Select the cell(s), click Edit menu, choose Copy, select the destination cell(s), click Edit menu again, and choose Paste.

Standard toolbar – Select cell(s), click Copy button select destination cell(s), click Paste button

Shortcut menu - Select the cell(s), right click at the selected cell, shortcut menu appear, choose Copy, select the destination cell(s), right click at the destination cell, and choose Paste.

5.2.Using drag and dropTo use the pointer, select the source cell, hold the left button and at the same time click Shift key. Source cell will be darken. Drag it to the new cell.

Mouse Pointer

Description

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Moving

Copying

If you press Ctrl while releasing the mouse button, the data is copied. Note that the mouse pointer displays a plus sign when copying. Otherwise, the data is moved.

5.3.Using Fill HandleThe fill handle can be used to copy contents of a cell down or to the right.

To use the fill handle, select the source cell, position the pointer over the fill handle so it becomes a small plus sign, and then drag either down or to the right.

If the source cell contains only letters, or a string of letters and numbers but not ending in a number (example: A4B), then the source cell will be copied exactly.

If the cell is numeric, the number will increment by 1 with each additional cell (example: 5, 6, 7, ...; or 1.5, 2.5, 3.5, ...). If the source entry is a string which begins with or ends with a number, the number component of the string will increment by 1 (example: A1, A2, A3, ...).

It is possible to copy the source cell exactly, without incrementing, by holding the Ctrl key while clicking the fill handle and dragging.

6. Associating a range to a name

In a Calc document, a range refers to a contiguous group of cells containing at least one cell. You can associate a meaningful name to a range, which allows you to refer to the range using the meaningful name. A name is usually associated with a range for one of three reasons:

Associating a range with a name enhances readability by using a meaningful name.

If a range is referenced by name in multiple locations, you can point the name to another location and all references point to the new location.

Ranges associated to a name are shown in the Navigator, which is available using the F5 key. The Navigator allows for quick navigation to the associated ranges.

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Fill Handle

6.1.Named rangeThe most common usage of a named range is, as its name implies, to associate a range of cells to a meaningful name. For example, I created a range named Scores, and then I used the following equation: =SUM(Scores). To create a named range, select the range to define. Use Insert > Names > Define to open the Define Names dialog. Use the Define Names dialog to add and modify one named range at a time (see Figure 7).

1.

Figure 7. Define a named range.

7. Formatting data in Calc

The data in Calc can be formatting in several different ways. It can either be edited as part of a cell style so that it is automatically applied, or it can be applied manually to the cell. To access the options to format a cell, select the appropriate cell or cells, right-click on it, and select Format Cells. All of the format options are discussed below.

Note All the settings that will be discussed below can also be set as a part of the style using the Styles and Formatting window. See Chapter 10, “Using Styles in Calc” for more information.

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7.1.NumbersOn the Numbers tab (Figure 8), the behavior of the data in the cell can be controlled:

Any of the data types in the Category list can be applied to the data.

The number of decimal places and leading zeros can be controlled. A custom format code can also be entered

Using the language setting in this menu controls the local settings for the different formats such as the date order and the currency marker.

Figure 8: Format Cells > Numbers

7.2.FontThe font for the cell can be chosen on the Font tab (Figure 9). The display on the bottom shows a preview of the cell.

Here you can also set the language of the cell. The language setting is useful, because it allows different languages to exist in the same document and be spell checked correctly.

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Figure 9: Format Cells > Font

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7.3.Font effectsThe Font Effects tab (Figure 10) offers more font options.

Figure 10: Format Cells > Font Effects

a)Underlining

The underlining options are summarized in Figure 11.

Figure 11: Calc underline options

The underlining color can also be changed on this tab.

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b)Strikethrough

The strikethrough options are summarized in Figure 12.

Figure 12: Calc strikethrough options

c)Relief

The relief options are embossed (raised text), engraved (sunken text), outline, and shadow, as shown in Figure 13.

Figure 13: Calc relief options

7.4.Alignment and orientationOn the Alignment tab (Figure 14), you can set the horizontal and vertical alignment and rotate the text.

Figure 14: Format Cells > Alignment

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If you have Asian languages enabled (in Tools > Options > Language Settings > Languages), then the Text orientation section shows an extra checkbox (labelled Asian layout mode) under the Vertically stacked checkbox, as shown in Figure 15.

Figure 15: Asian layout mode option

The difference in results between having Asian layout mode on or off is shown in Figure 16.

Figure 16: Two types of vertical stacking

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7.5.BordersOn the Borders tab (Figure 17) you can set the borders for the cell, along with a shadow.

Figure 17: Format Cells > Borders

Note The cell border properties apply to a cell, and can only be changed if you are editing that cell. For example, if cell C3 has a top border (which would be equivalent visually to a bottom border on C2), that border can only be removed by selecting C3. It can not be removed in C2.

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7.6.BackgroundOn the Background tab (Figure 18) you can choose the background color for a cell.

Figure 18: Format Cells > Background

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8. Exercise

1. Type the following in a new sheet.

2004 First Half BudgetJan

Sales 100000 110000 99000 89000 99000 79000Clothing 90000 80000 70000 80000 70000 60000

Hard GoodsTotal Sales

Expenses

Advertising 9500 8500 7500 6500 9500 8500Cost of Goods

99000 99000 89000 89000 99000 99000

Miscellaneous

5000

Overhead 2200

Total Expenses

a) Insert 2 rows after Overhead. Type:

Salary 50000Lease 19000

b) Merge cell A1 to G1. Make the content in the center.

c) Use AutoFill to have the months fill up until Jun in row 2.

d) Bold all the months, and align to the right.

e) Bold the word Sales, Total Sales, Expenses and Total Expenses

f) use Sum to get the total of Total Sales and Total Expenses in Jan.

g) Change the orientation of the months to 45 degrees

h) Copy the contents of B11:B14 to C11:G14(each item will get the same figures for each month)

i) Copy the formula in B6 to C6:G6. You may use Copy & Paste or drag the fill handle to copy the formula

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j) Copy the formula in B15 to C15:G15.

k) Preview the sheet. Add borders to all cells and preview again.

l) Change the sheet name to Budget and save it.

2. You are required to create the following sheet and enhance the sheet using the format specified as the following:

Millenium Jobs with Number of positions2000 – 2005 in Kuala Lumpur

KL. Projected no. of positions

Average Pay per Hour

Percent Above National Average

System analyst/Programmer 23,000 16.59 0.141

Nursing Aides and Orderlies 11400 7.5 0.183

Waiters and waitresses 9500 5.07 0.84

Home Health Aides 9600 7.5 0.18

Marketing and Sales Supervisor 8620 9.3 0.259

Janitors and Cleaners 8250 4.5 0.113

Salesperson, Retail 7600 4.9 0.131

Guards and Watch guards 6670 4.7 0.28

Nurse: Registered, Practitioner etc 5710 15.1 0.159

a) Begin with cell A1 type the title of the sheet. Enlarge the heading to Comic San MS size 12. Merge and center the heading across column D. Using Format Paintbrush apply the same format to the second heading

b) Enter the heading in cell B3, C3 and E3. Adjust the heading to be in separate lines.

c) Adjust the column widths so that all the data is fully displayed

d) Format the number in column B as number with comma to separate thousands and 0 decimal places. Format the number in column C as currency with dollar signs and two decimal places. Format the number in column D as percent with one decimal.

e) Insert a new row before and after the column headings

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f) Bold and underline the titles in row 4

g) Center the values in columns B, C and D.

h) Save the spreadsheet as Jobs. Preview and print the sheet.

3. Indicate the menu in the Menu bar you used to do the following:

a) Add a row ______________________b) Change column width ______________________c) Add a new sheet ______________________d) Delete a column ______________________e) Preview the sheet ______________________f) Delete contents of a range ______________________g) Show the standard toolbar ______________________h) Add a new spreadsheet ______________________i) Change the orientation of the text to 45 degree______________________

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