Intermediate Microsoft Excel 2007

Transcription

1 Intermediate Microsoft Excel 2007 Table of Contents ADVANCED FORMATTING... 2 FORMATTING NUMBERS... 2 WRAPPING TEXT... 3 EXPANDING THE FORMULA BAR... 3 THE MERGE AND CENTER FUNCTION... 4 INSERTING COMMENTS... 5 FREEZE PANES... 6 INSERTING AND DELETING ROWS, COLUMNS AND CELLS... 7 FORMULAS... 9 CHOOSING A FORMULA... 9 FORMULA NOTES THE TEXT TO COLUMNS FEATURE RELATIVE & ABSOLUTE REFERENCES COPYING A FORMULA USING A RELATIVE REFERENCE COPYING A FORMULA USING AN ABSOLUTE REFERENCE AUTOFIL LINKING CELLS ADDING HEADERS AND FOOTERS TO WORKSHEETS SOLVING BIZARRE PRINTING PROBLEMS Dianne Harrison Ferro Mesarch

2 ADVANCED FORMATTING Excel makes it easy to display your data in a specific format through the Format Cells dialog. To access the Format Cells dialog, follow the instructions below. Formatting Numbers 1. Select the cell(s) you want to format. 2. Go to the Home tab. 3. Click on the dialog launcher of the Number section. 4. The Format Cells dialog will appear with the Number tab displayed. 5. Select an option in the Category section. 6. A list of corresponding format options will appear in the Type section. 7. Select the desired formatting option. 8. Click on the OK button. 9. Your numbers will be formatted accordingly. Various Number Formatting Options To display the value as a regular number, select the option Number in the Category section. You can specify the number of decimal places you want to display, the use of comma as a 1,000 separator, and the way in which a negative value should be displayed. To display the value as a currency, select the option Currency in the Category section. You can specify the number of decimal places, the type of currency symbol, and the way in which a negative value will be displayed. To display the value as a date or time, select the option Date or Time in the Category section and choose the desired format. To display the value as a percentage, select the option Percentage in the Category section and choose the number of decimal places you want to display. To display the value as a zip code, phone number or social security number, select the option Special in the Category section and choose the desired format. To remove any and all number formatting, select the option General in the Category section. 2

3 Wrapping Text You can wrap text within a cell if the text extends beyond the cell s boundary. To do so, follow the instruction below. 1. Select the cell(s) in which you want to wrap text. 2. Go to the Home tab. 3. Click on the Wrap Text icon in the Alignment section. 4. The text will now be wrapped within the cell(s). Note: The Wrap Text icon functions as a toggle. Click on it once to wrap text, click on it again to unwrap text. Expanding The Formula Bar NEW IN 2007: If you do not want to wrap text, you can resize the formula bar to view the entire contents of a cell. Simply click on the Expand Formula Bar icon to expand or collapse it. 3

4 The Merge and Center Function You can merge several cells into one cell. This is very effective for titles as the Merge and Center function automatically centers the data across the selected cells. 1. Select the cells you want to merge. 2. Go to the Home tab. 3. Click on the Merge and Center icon in the Alignment section. 4. The data within the cells will be merged and centered. Note: Once the cells are merged, the cell reference for the data within the merged area is always the cell in the upper left-hand corner. In the above example, even though the title is merged from A1 to D1, the cell reference for the title is cell A1. Note 2: The Merge and Center icon functions as a toggle. Click on it once to merge and center data, click on it again to undo the merge and center formatting. 4

5 Inserting Comments Excel allows you to add comments to particular cells. This is very helpful when working with complicated spreadsheets. To insert a comment, follow the instructions below. 1. Right-click on the cell in which you want to place a comment. 2. A submenu will appear. 3. Choose the option Insert Comment. 4. A blank Comment dialog will appear, displaying the inputted user name. 5. Click underneath the name and type your comment. 6. When you finish typing, deselect by clicking outside of the Comment dialog. 7. The cell in which you added the comment will have a small, red triangle in its upper right-hand corner. 8. Hold your cursor over the cell for the comment to appear. Note 1: To edit a comment, right-click in the cell that contains it and choose the option Edit Comment from the sub menu. Note 2: To delete a comment, right-click in the cell that contains it and choose the option Delete Comment from the sub menu. Note 3: To change your Excel user name, click on the Microsoft Office button. Click on the Excel Options button at the bottom of the menu. Make sure the Popular category is selected. Type your name in the User Name field, located in the Personalize Your Copy of Microsoft Excel section. Click on the OK button. All new comments that you add will list the new user name. 5

6 FREEZE PANES To keep an area of a worksheet visible while you scroll to another area of the worksheet, you can lock specific rows or columns in one area by freezing panes. When you freeze panes, you keep specific rows or columns visible when you scroll in the worksheet. 1. Click the cell below and to the right of the rows and columns that you want to keep visible when you scroll. 2. Go to the View tab. 3. Click on the Freeze Panes icon. 4. Click on the Freeze Panes option. 5. Lines will appear, defining your frozen columns and rows. (The freeze pane lines appear above and to the left of the red lines in the example below.) 6. You can now scroll vertically or horizontally, while keeping the frozen rows and columns constantly visible. (Column A and Rows 1 and 2 in the above example.) Note: To unfreeze panes, click on the Freeze Panes icon and choose the Unfreeze Panes option. 6

7 INSERTING AND DELETING ROWS, COLUMNS AND CELLS The easiest way to insert a row, column or cell is to use the right mouse button. You can also use the Insert icon on the Home tab. To Insert a Row Select a row by clicking on its row header number, right-mouse click on the selected row, and choose the option Insert from the submenu that appears. A row will be inserted above the selected row. -or- Select the row, go to the Home tab of the ribbon, and click on the top half of the Insert icon. A row will be inserted above the selected row. To Delete a Row Select the row, right-mouse click on the selected row and choose the option Delete from the submenu that appears. The row will be deleted. -or- Select the row, go to the Home tab of the ribbon, and click on the top half of the Delete icon. The row will be deleted. To Insert a Column Select a column by clicking on its column header letter, right-mouse click on the selected column and choose the option Insert from the submenu that appears. A column will be inserted to the left of the selected column. -or- Select the column, go to the Home tab of the ribbon, and click on the top half of the Insert icon. A column will be inserted to the left of the selected column. To Delete a Column Select a column by clicking on its column header letter, right-mouse click on the selected column and choose the option Delete from the submenu that appears. The column will be deleted. -or- Select the column, go to the Home tab of the ribbon, and click on the top half of the Insert icon. The column will be deleted. 7

8 To Insert a Cell To insert a cell, right-click on the cell that is either one cell below or one cell to the left of where you want to new cell to appear. A submenu will appear. Choose the option Insert. The Insert dialog will appear. Enable the Shift Cells Right field if you want a new cell inserted to the left of the active cell. Enable the Shift Cells Down field if you want a new cell inserted above the active cell. Note that the rest of the cells in that column or row will move down or right, respectively. -or- Select the cell, go to the Home tab of the ribbon, and click on the top half of the Insert icon. A cell will be inserted above the active cell and the remaining cells within that column will all be moved down. To Delete a Cell To delete a cell, right-click on it and choose the option Delete from the submenu that appears. The Delete dialog will appear. Enable the Shift Cells Left field if you want the remaining cells in that row to all move left by one cell. Enable the Shift Cells Up field if you want the remaining cells in that column to all move up by one cell. -or- Select the cell, go to the Home tab of the ribbon, and click on the top half of the Delete icon. The cell will be deleted and the remaining cells within that column will move up. 8

9 FORMULAS Excel has a collection of built-in formulas. The following table illustrates some commonly used functions. Function Description =SUM(A1:A3) Totals all the values in the range A1 to A3. =AVERAGE(A1:A3) Averages all the values in the range A1 to A3. =MIN(A1:A3) Returns the smallest value in the range A1 to A3. =MAX(A1:A3) Returns the largest value in the range A1 to A3. =STDEV(A1:A3) Calculates the standard deviation of the range A1 to A3. Choosing a Formula To choose a formula, follow these instructions. 1. Choose the cell where you want the outcome of your formula calculation to appear. (The cell that contains the formula CANNOT be used in the formula.) 2. Go to the Formulas tab. 3. Click on the function category icon that contains the formula you want to use and select the desired formula from the dropdown menu. 4. A Function Arguments dialog will appear. 5. Various cell references will appear in the Number 1 field indicating the cells that will be involved in the calculation. 6. Confirm or change the contents to reflect the cells you want to use in the function. 7. The formula result will appear in the lower left-hand corner of the Function Arguments dialog. 8. Click on the OK button. 9. The calculation will now appear in the originally selected cell. 9

10 Formula Notes Note 1: You can collapse the Function Arguments dialog if you need more space to select cells for your formula. To do so, click on the icon with the red arrow to the immediate right of a field (the Number1 field in the example above). This action will collapse the Function Arguments dialog and allow you to select the cells that you want to include in your formula. After selecting the appropriate cells, click on the icon with the red arrow again. The function dialog will expand to its original size, and you can click on the OK button. Note 2: If you know a formula by heart, you can type the function directly into the cell without referring back to the Function Wizard. For example, if you want to average the numbers in cells A1, A2, and A3, you can type the following formula directly into a new cell =Average(A1:A3). Note 3: The cell that you choose to contain the outcome of a formula cannot be included in the formula itself. If it is, you will receive a Circular Reference error that will prevent Excel from properly calculating your formula. The best way to deal with this error is to delete the offending formula and start afresh. 10

11 The Text to Columns Feature Another popular function is the Text to Columns feature. This option allows you to split the contents of one column into adjacent columns, such as splitting a column of full names into separate first name and last name columns. 1. Select the column that contains the data that you want to separate. 2. Go to the Data tab. 3. Click on the Text to Columns icon. 4. The Convert Text to Columns Wizard Step 1 of 3 dialog will appear. 5. Select the correct file type. (For a column of full names with only spaces separating the names, choose the Delimited option.) 6. Click on the Next button. 7. The Convert Text to Columns Wizard Step 2 of 3 dialog will appear. 8. Select the delimiter that separates your data within the column. 9. Click on the Next button. 10. The Convert Text to Columns Wizard Step 3 of 3 dialog will appear. 11. Select your desired data format. 12. Click on the Finish button. 13. Your one column will be separated into two columns. 11

12 RELATIVE & ABSOLUTE REFERENCES After adding a formula to your spreadsheet, you may want to copy it. When you copy a formula, you have the choice of making it relative or absolute. The following table describes the differences between relative references, which adjust to location, and absolute references, which remain constant regardless of location: Item Relative References Absolute References Explanation When you copy formulas from one place to another in a worksheet, Excel uses Relative References, and adjusts the formula based on its new location. For example, if you copy the formula =AVERAGE(C8:F8) from G8 to G9, Excel adjusts the formula so that it reads =AVERAGE(C9:F9). There may be times when you want Excel to continue to refer to a specific cell in your formula, even if other variables change. For example, you might be adding several different columns of numbers, but want the sums of each column to be multiplied by a constant number. You can enter a constant or Absolute Reference by placing a $ in front of the column and row designation. For example, C7 is a relative reference, while $C$7 is an absolute reference. Note: If you select a cell reference within the formula bar and press the F4 key, an absolute reference will be automatically created, without you having to manually insert the dollar signs. 12

13 Copying a Formula Using a Relative Reference 1. Select the cell that contains the formula you want to duplicate. 2. Point the cursor to the lower right hand corner of the cell until the cursor changes from an arrow to a solid cross (+). 3. Press down and hold down the left mouse button while dragging the mouse down a column or across a row. 4. The cells that you dragged the mouse through will now contain the repeated formula, which has been adjusted based on every new cell location. The original formula in cell B7 The copied relative reference formula in cell C7 The copied relative reference formula in cell D7 13

14 Copying a Formula Using an Absolute Reference 1. Select the cell that contains the formula you want to duplicate. 2. To create an absolute reference formula, place the dollar sign ($) in front of the row and column reference that you do not want to change (i.e., =SUM(C4:C6)*$B$1). 3. Point the cursor to the lower right hand corner of the cell until the cursor changes from an arrow to a solid cross (+). 4. Press down and hold down the left mouse button while dragging the mouse down a column or across a row. 5. The cells that you dragged the mouse through will now contain the repeated formula, which contains the constant cell location. The original formula in cell B9, with cell D2 marked as absolute The copied formula in cell C9, with cell D2 still marked as absolute The copied formula in cell D9, with cell D2 still marked as absolute Note: In the above example, the original formula is =SUM(B4:B8)*$D$2. When the formula is dragged into new cells, the sum part of the formula changes because it is a relative reference. However, the constant rate value, $D$2, stays the same no matter where the formula is dragged, as the dollar signs have made it an absolute reference. 14

15 AUTOFIL Excel uses its absolute and relative reference logic in the AutoFil function, which allows you to create a series or a list by dragging value(s) down columns or across rows. To use the AutoFil function, follow the instructions below. 1. Enter the first option of your list or series in a cell. 2. Point the cursor to the lower right hand corner of the cell until the cursor changes from an arrow to a solid cross (+). 3. Press down and hold down the left mouse button while dragging the mouse down a column or across a row. 4. The cells that you dragged the mouse through will now contain your data series or list. Note 1: For a numbered list, you have to establish a pattern in two adjacent cells. In the example above, I entered the number 3 in cell B11 and the number 5 in cell C11. I then selected both cells B11 and C11, and then dragged across row 11. Excel picked up the pattern, increasing each subsequent number by 2 digits. If I had just selected cell B11 and then dragged it across the row, Excel would have assumed that I meant to copy the number 3. Note 2: To create your own autofil lists, enter your data, select it, go to the Home tab and click on the Fill icon. From the submenu that appears, choose the option Series. The Series dialog will appear. Enable the AutoFil field and click on the OK button. Your new list will be created and will repeat every time you drag it across rows or down columns. 15

16 LINKING CELLS Excel allows you to link one cell to another, such that a given cell will always hold the same value as the specified cell to which it is linked. Once the cells are linked, if the value of the original cell is changed, the value of the linked cell will also change. This is an important feature when there are a lot of calculations and the numbers need to be updated across different cells and sheets simultaneously. To link cells, follow the instructions below. 1. Enter data in the original cell. 2. Click on the cell that you want to link to the original cell. 3. Type an equal sign (=) in the new cell. 4. Click on the original cell containing the information or type in the original cell s address. 5. Moving lines will surround the original cell and the newly linked cell will display the original cell s address in the formula bar. The original cell s address displays in the formula bar when you click on the linked cell. 6. Click on the Enter Formula icon (the checkmark in the Formula bar). 7. The data in the original cell and linked cell are identical. 8. Test the cell link by changing the value of the original cell. Note: You can link cells in the same worksheet, the same workbook and across different workbooks. 16

17 ADDING HEADERS AND FOOTERS TO WORKSHEETS Adding headers and footers has become much easier in Excel Open your workbook. 2. Go to the Insert tab. 3. Click on the Header and Footer icon. 4. Your workbook will open in Page Layout View, your cursor will be positioned in the top center header, and the Design Header and Footer Tools contextual tab will appear. 5. Type or insert your header. 6. Click within the worksheet when you are finished. 7. Go to the View tab. 8. Click on the Normal icon. 9. You will return to the normal view. Note: The header and footer sections are divided into three areas: left, center, and right. You can click in any area to type or insert your header and/or footer. Note 2: You can access the Normal, Page Layout and Page Break Preview workbook views from the View tab. 17

18 SOLVING BIZARRE PRINTING PROBLEMS The Page Setup dialog is very handy. You can use it to solve almost any odd printing issue that you have in Excel. To access the Page Setup dialog, follow the instructions below. 1. Go to the Page Layout tab. 2. Click on the Page Setup dialog launcher. 3. The Page Setup dialog will appear. The table below illustrates some of the different setup commands that you can choose. Function Portrait or Landscape Paper Size Margins Center on Page Header/Footer Print Area Rows to Repeat/ Columns to Repeat Gridlines Row and Column Headings Description and Comment On the Page tab, choose the page orientation. On the Page tab, choose the page size (legal, letter, etc.) On the Margins tab, change the different margins of the page. On the Margins tab, choose whether the information should be centered horizontally, vertically or both on the page. On the Header/Footer tab, enter text for the page header or footer by clicking on the Custom Header or Custom Footer button. On the Sheet tab, select the area on the spreadsheet that you want to print. On the Sheet tab, set the header for a row, a column, or both if you want the headers repeated on all of the workbook s pages. On the Sheet tab, enable the Gridlines option if you want the cell gridlines to be printed. On the Sheet tab, choose the Row and Column Headings option if you want the printout to have the row and column references. This helps you identify the cell references on a hard copy of the printout. 18