Power Users Series: Excel Databases Northern New York Library Network Workshop www.nnyln.org Jim Crowley C3 Crowley Computer Consulting 9148 State Highway 37 Ogdensburg NY 13669 315 394 7008 315 394 7009 fax www.crowleycomputers.com jim@crowleycomputers.com Course objectives 1. Provide participants with an exploration of database design using Microsoft Excel 2007. 2. Improve productivity through improved usage of the application. 3. Explore topics listed for the session. 4. Develop computer and spreadsheet literacy. 5. Address your questions and concerns. General session topics 1. Databasics a. Laying out fields and records i. Formatting b. Sorting c. Filtering d. Navigation tips e. Printing 2. PivotTable a. PivotChart 3. Data import and repair a. Importing from i. ASCII text files ii. Access tables iii. Web pages iv. Word tables 4. To format or not to format, that is the guess 5. Transposing rows and columns 6. Cleaning and repairing bad data Schedule 8:30 Registration 9:00 Morning session 1:00 Dismissal Handouts available in PDF format at www.crowleycomputers.com/handout.htm.
Power Users Series: Excel Databases... 1 Northern New York Library Network... 1 Course objectives... 1 Schedule... 1 General session topics... 1 1. Databasics... 3 2. Creating your database... 3 3. Sort... 5 4. Filter... 5 5. Navigation... 6 6. Printing... 7 7. Tables... 9 8. Data validation... 9 9. PivotTables... 10 10. PivotChart... 12 11. Importing data... 13 12. Repairing data... 15 C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 2
1. Databasics A. Definitions 1. Database: A databases is a collection of data organized to make it easy to search and easy to retrieve in a useful, usable form. B. Tables 1. A single store of related information. A table consists of records, and each record is made up of a number of fields. You can think of the phone book as a table: It contains a record for each telephone subscriber, and each subscriber s details are contained in three fields name, address and telephone. 2. The primary piece in a database are tables. 3. Tables contain structured information. 4. Tables construction: a. Records i. Tables are made of records. ii. Each record contains the same structure as every other record. b. Fields i. Records are made of fields. ii. A field is a single piece of information with a precise description. C. Excel vs. Access 1. Use Access when you: i Excel vs. Access a. Require a relational database (multiple tables) to store your data. Or may need to add more tables in the future to an originally flat or nonrelational data set. Pickup truck vs. U Haul b. Have a very large amount of data (thousands of entries). c. Have data that is mostly of the long text string type (not numbers or defined as numbers). d. Rely on multiple external databases to derive and analyze the data you need. Or need to maintain constant connectivity to a large external database such as one built with Microsoft SQL Server. e. Want to run complex queries. f. Have many people working in the database and want robust options to expose that data for updating. 2. Use Excel when you: a. Require a flat or non relational view of your data. b. If that data is mostly numeric or calculated. For example: i. If you want to maintain a financial budget for a given year. ii. If you want to show a cost/benefit analysis in your company's budget. c. Know your dataset is manageable in size (no more than 15,000 rows). 2. Creating your database A. Brainstorming 1. Without Excel a. What information do I need to record? b. What information do I want? c. Do I need to break it down? IE. Should I record name or first name and last name. d. Who is going to handle data entry? Who is going to fix mistakes? 2. Possibly with others using the database 3. 80/20 rule C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 3
B. Setup 1. Column headers Fields = columns 2. Start filling in records, repair missing columns and order a. Alter order by selecting column and dragging Records = rows b. If inserting, insert blank columns first! C. Formatting for pretty 1. Database header? a. Merge and center (Home) 2. Field headers a. Freeze panes for reading headers with all data (View) b. Column widths (Home) c. Cell justification and orientation C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 4
(Home) d. Wrap text 3. Record a. Spacing via row height, not by leaving blank rows! Last Name First Name Address City State/Province ZIP/Postal Code 3. Sort A. Method 1. Select a cell in the column you wish to sort by. 2. Select the Data ribbon and look for the Sort & Filter group. Population 3. Click to sort ascending or for descending. B. Perform for multiple columns from least important to most important to sort by more than one column. 1. Sort by County, then State to return to original order. 2. Sort First name then Last name to sort names in alphabetic order. C. Complex sorts can also be performed with the Sort command. D. Sorts are dead, they will not re sort as data is altered. You must re sort manually. 4. Filter A. Notes 1. Applying a filter hides rows that do not match selected criteria. Pre evaluation listing 2. Notice blue row numbers and Filter symbol on column drop down to indicate a filter is on. 3. Filters are dead, they will not re filter as data is altered. Unlike sorts, you can the sort to refresh it. 4. To remove the filter and show all data again, use. 5. Saving will save the current filter, data will remain hidden, it is not lost. 6. Filters affect printing and copying and pasting. B. Method 1. Turn on the 2. Filter with drop downs a. Select one or more items from listing b. Date, number and text filters are available for flexibile entry c. Notice sort options are also available. C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 5
5. Navigation A. View 1. Zoom with slider 2. View ribbon a. Full screen b. Show/Hide options c. Zoom i. Zoom to Selection A) Select a the cells you want to fit the screen B) Click Zoom to Selection d. Window i. New Window ii. New Window iii. Arrange All A) View Side by Side B) Synchronous scrolling e. Freeze Panes QBooks customer balances B. Accelerate your keyboard Cell Data block Scroll screen Current sheet Sheet Left Shift+Tab Ctrl+ Alt+PgUp Home (col A) Right Tab Ctrl+ Alt+PgDn Up Shift+Enter Ctrl+ PgUp Ctrl+Home (A1) Ctrl+PgUp Down Enter Ctrl+ PgDn Ctrl+End (bottrt) Ctrl+PgDn C. Selecting Cells Columns Rows Mouse, contiguous area single Click with selection cursor Click column header (letter) Click row header (number) (white plus), click multiple Click and drag Click and drag column header Click and drag row header Keyboard, contiguous C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 6
Single Navigate with table above Ctrl+Spacebar Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar Multiple Shift+navigation keys Ctrl+Spacebar, Shift+navigation Ctrl+Shift+Spacebar, Shift+navigation Keyboard & mouse, contiguous Multiple Select first, Shift+click Select first, Shift+click Select first, Shift+click Keyboard & mouse, non contiguous Single Select first, Ctrl+click Select first, Ctrl+click Select first, Ctrl+click Multiple Select first, Ctrl+click& drag Select first, Ctrl+click& drag Select first, Ctrl+click& drag 1. F8 can be used to toggle selection on and off 6. Printing A. Use View Ribbon 1. Workbook Views allow WYSIWYG editing of spreadsheet Soccer Coaches Normal View Page Layout View Page Break Preview 2. Zoom is on screen only! C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 7
B. Use Page Layout Ribbon 1. Margins 2. Orientation 3. Paper size 4. Print Area sets what you want to print rather than Excel selecting automatically. 5. Scale to fit a. Selecting a page zooms out to squeeze it on. b. Automatically, allows the Excel to determine the needed number of pages. c. So Width = 1 page and Height = Automatic will scale the print to fit one page horizontally and as many as needed vertically. C. Print command of Office Button 1. Print brings up traditional printer dialog. Pre evaluation listing 2. Quick Print sends to printer with all current settings. 3. Print Preview D. Page Setup 1. Choosing More from almost any option brings up the traditional page setup dialog box. 2. Can also be accessed from Print Preview. C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 8
7. Tables A. Combines formatting and database functions B. Home ribbon, Styles group, Format as Table Pre evaluation listing C. Is live in that rows are automatically added to the table and reformatted as filters are applied. D. Convert to range keeps formatting and turns off table functionality. 8. Data validation A. Validation allows you to automate input by giving a user choices. Used Systems C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 9
B. Create your list of choices. 1. It is recommended to put this on a separate sheet. 2. It is simpler if you create a named range. Select all of the choices and type a name in the Name Box. 3. Select the field you wish the user to use these choices. 4. Click the Data Validation tool on the Data ribbon. 5. Allow entry from a list. 6. Set the source as =NamedRange. 7. Copy this cell to all records. 8. Notes a. You can also select the range of cells to begin with. b. You can choose not to give a list of entries, but a type of entry. c. Set validation to Any value to remove the setting. 9. PivotTables A. PivotTables allow the arrangement and summary of complicated data. B. Method 1. Select a cell inside a database. 2. Insert ribbon, PivotTable a. Insure the range is correct b. Select a location for the PivotTable, often PivotTables are put on a separate sheet within the same worksheet c. Click OK. 3. In the resulting PivotTable task pane, drag fields to the areas below. Play with order and location! a. Values: generally what you want to summarize, count or average b. Column and Row labels define how you want to group data Sample Salespersons C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 10
c. Putting a field into Report filter will allow you to see individual selections or multiple selections i. If a column or record label is dragged to report filter, it will disappear from the labels. ii. You can drag it from report filters back to the labels to see the breakdown. iii. You will see a funnel next to the field name to indicate the filtering iv. You can also filter by clicking on the field name and then on the down arrow that appears to the right. v. Or, you can filter using the down arrow next to the Column Labels and Row Labels cells. A) More sophisticated filtering options may be available depending on the data type, such as dates. d. Multiple fields may be put into a label to create further grouping. Switching the order will switch the grouping. C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 11
e. Resulting data can be condensed and expanded with + and buttons on each group and with the Options ribbon. C. Options ribbon 1. Grouping a. Select a field to group by b. Click the Group Selection command c. Make your selection d. Multiple groupings can be done by Ctrl+clicking selections 2. Sort a. Select a field to sort by b. Click the ascending or descending command 3. Refresh a. If the source data is updated, the PivotTable is not updated unless Refresh is clicked. D. Design ribbon is a pretty straight forward to turn various parts of the PivotTable on and off and to format. 10. PivotChart A. Creating a PivotChart from the requires the creation of the PivotTable, the PivotChart is created simultaneously. C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 12
B. PivotCharts can also be created from the PivotTable Options ribbon. C. PivotCharts are simply charts based on the PivotTable. 11. Importing data A. Text file import 1. File Open 2. Change type to Text Files or All Files 3. Select and open your file 4. The Text Import Wizard starts. If text is typed I columns with spaces to line it up, you ll select a Fixed Width. Most time, you ll be using Delimited. 5. Common delimiters are Tabs or Commas, as you make a choice, you ll see your data displayed in fields below. 6. You can format columns now. Generally this is not used. C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 13
B. Web import 1. http://www.contactingthecongress.org/downloads.html 2. In this example the ASCII listing is not useful, records do not contain all information 3. Tabbed listing contains same information, in the records a. Select all b. Copy c. Paste i. Normal Paste (HTML) ii. Paste Special, Text C. Access import 1. Any table or query results can be imported simply by opening the database from within Excel! 2. Change the file type to show Access Databases. 3. Select the appropriate database file. 111 th Congress OFA 83 Reunion 4. You will often get a security warning. Microsoft Office documents can contain macro programming, therefore they can contain viruses. That is all the message is warning of. C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 14
5. Select the desired table or query. 6. Voila! D. Access import II 1. Open the database in Access. 2. Open the table or query desired 3. Select all the records, Ctrl+A is a quick way to do this. 4. Copy 5. Switch to Excel. 6. In a new workbook, select a cell. 7. Paste. 8. Voila! E. Word table import 1. See Access import II 12. Repairing data A. Splitting text to multiple columns 1. Data ribbon, Text to Columns 2. Insert blank columns to work with! OFA 83 Reunion 111 th Congress C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 15
B. Extracting data 1. Extracting the state from the District =LEFT(text, number of characters) 2. Extracting the Office from the District =RIGHT(text, number of characters) =IF(test, true result, false result) C. Repairing names 1. Extracting names from a regular name a. first names b. last names =LEN(text) =FIND(find text, within text, [start search at character #]) Case sensitive =SEARCH(find text, within text, [start search at character #]) Not case sensitive C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 16
D. Making changes permanent 1. Copy 2. Paste Values E. Repair incorrect data manually F. Switching rows and columns, transposing 1. Select database 2. Copy 3. Select new location 4. Paste 5. Transpose Northwind customers!transpose i Adapted from http://office.microsoft.com/en us/help/ha010429181033.aspx C3 Crowley Computer Consulting Page 17