TABLE OF CONTENTS MICROSOFT EXCEL...3 Introduction...3 TYPES OF ENTRIES...3 Entering Data:...4 EDITING...4 Clearing an Entry... 4 Moving and Entry... 4 Editing an Entry... 4 ADJUSTING COLUMN WIDTHS...5 Adjusting the column width to accommodate the text/data... 5 COPYING DATA...5 Copying an Entry... 5 USING THE FILL HANDLE...6 Copying Using the Fill Handle...6 Deleting with the Fill Handle...6 AutoFill Function...6 FORMULAS...7 Totaling a column of numbers... 8 Using the AutoSum function... 8 FORMATTING THE WORKSHEET...8 Inserting A Row:... 8 Inserting a column:... 8 Cell data alignment:... 8 To Align data in a cell:... 9 Indenting Entries:... 9 Changing Font, and Using Bold, Italic, and Underline... 9 CREATING A DATA FILE FOR MAIL MERGE...9 To create a data file:... 10 Mail Merge... 10
Microsoft Excel Introduction Excel is an electronic spreadsheet, or worksheet, that is an automated version of the accountant s ledger. Like the accountant s ledger, it consists of rows and columns of numerical data. Unlike the accountant s ledger, which is created on paper using a pencil, an eraser, and a calculator, the electronic spreadsheet is created using a computer system. Excel helps you create well-designed spreadsheets that produce accurate results. The application not only makes it faster to create the spreadsheet, but produces a professional appearing result. The advantages are in the ability of the spreadsheet program to quickly edit and format data, perform calculations, create charts and print the spreadsheet. When Excel is opened the workbook window displays a new blank workbook file containing three blank sheets. A sheet is used to display different types of information, such as financial data or charts. Whenever you open a new workbook, it displays a worksheet. A Worksheet, also commonly referred to as a spreadsheet, is a rectangular grid of rows and columns used to enter data. The worksheet is is much larger than the part you are viewing in the window. The worksheet actually extends 256 columns to the right and 65,536 rows down. The row numbers along the left side and the column letters across the top of the workbook window identify each worksheet row and column. The intersection of a row and column creates a cell. A heavy border, called a cell selector, surrounds the cell A1 when the workbook is opened. The cell selector identifies the active cell, which is the cell your next entry or procedure affects. Additionally, the Name box in the formula bar (top left-hand corner of the screen) displays the reference, consisting of the column letter and the row number of the active cell. This is called the Cell Address. Types of Entries The information or data you enter in a cell can be text, numbers or formulas. Text entries can contain any combination of letters, numbers, spaces, and any other special characters. Number entries can include only the digits 0 to 9 and any of the special characters, + - ( ),. / $ % E e. Number entries are used in calculations. An entry that begins with an equal sign (=) is a formula. Formula entries perform calculation using numbers or data contained in other cells. The resulting value is a variable value because it can change if the data it depends on changes. In contrast, a number entry is a constant value. It does not begin with an equal sign and does not change unless you change it directly by typing in another entry.
Entering Data: First you will enter the work sheet headings. Row and column headings are entries that are used to create the structure of the worksheet and describe other worksheet entries. Generally, headings are text entries. To enter data into the worksheet you must first select the cell where you want the entry displayed. Type the data into the cell you have selected and press enter. This completes the cell entry and moves you to the next cell down if you are working in only one column. To move from one cell to the next one on the right press the Tab key. Continue to press the Tab key after you enter data into a cell and you will move from left to right across the worksheet. For example, if you are in cell A1 and have entered data, pressing the Tab key will move you to cell B1 and the next Tab key will move you cell C1. When you have entered data as far to the right as you need to go press the Enter key and you will return to the next line down below the cell you started from. To use the example above, when you reach cell C1 and you want to continue on a new row, pressing the Enter key will take you back to cell A2. As you enter the data you will see it appear in the formula bar at the top of the page. Clearing an Entry To clear an entry from the cell: Select the cell you want to clear. Right Click on that cell Select Clear Entry from the drop down menu. Editing You can also clear an entry by selecting the cell you want to clear and pressing the delete key on the keyboard. Moving and Entry To move an entry from one cell to another you can use the cut and paste functions from the Standard Toolbar. Select the cell you want to move Click on Cut on the Standard Toolbar (a marquee will appear around the cell) Click on the cell where you want the entry to be located Click on Paste on the Standard Toolbar. You can also do this by Right clicking on the cell you want to move. Select Cut Right click on the new location for the data Select Paste Editing an Entry To edit data in a cell, click on the cell and begin typing the new data or text for the cell. As soon as you begin to enter new data your old data will disappear. This is editing the Ready mode and is helpful if you want to change the entry completely.
If you need to change only part of an entry, it is quicker to use the Edit mode. To change to Edit mode, double click on the cell whose contents you want to edit. The status bar at the bottom of the screen shows that the new mode of operation is Edit. The insertion point appears in the entry, and the mouse pointer changes to an I-beam when positioned on the cell. The mouse pointer can now be used to move the insertion point in the entry by positioning the I-beam and clicking. Once the insertion point is appropriately positioned, you can edit the entry by removing the incorrect character using the delete key or the backspace. Type in the correct characters and press the Esc key on the keyboard to return to Ready mode. Adjusting Column Widths The size or width of a column controls how much information can be displayed in a cell. A text entry that is larger than the column width will be fully displayed only if the cells to the right are blank. If the cells t the right contain data, the text is interrupted, Therefore, you want to increase the column width to display the largest entry. Likewise, you can decrease the column width when the entries in a column are short. Adjusting the column width to accommodate the text/data The column width can be quickly adjusted by dragging the boundary line located to the right of the column letter. Dragging it to the left decreases the column width, while dragging it to the right increases the width. As you drag, a temporary column reference line shows where the new column will appear. Another way to change the column width is to automatically adjust the width to fit the column contents. Place the cursor on the boundary line to the right of the column letter. When it turns to a cross with arrows on the cross bar double click and the boundary automatically adjusts the column width to the longest entry. Copying Data Copying an Entry The contents of worksheet cells can be duplicated (copied) to other locations in the worksheet using the Copy and Paste commands on the Edit menu or their toolbar shortcuts. To copy data using the Copy command. Select the cell or cells containing the data to be copied, called the copy area or source. A moving boarder, marquee, identifies the source and indicates that the contents have been copied to the Clipboard. Select the destination or paste area where you want the contents to be copied.
Click on the paste icon on the tool bar or select paste from the Edit menu. To release the marquee from around the copy area, press the Esc key. Tip: Copy and paste can be used from the right click shortcut menus. To get the copy command, right click on the selected copy area and then right click on the destination or paste area and selecting paste. Copying Using the Fill Handle Using the Fill Handle The fill handle is the black box in the bottom right hand corner of an active cell or group of selected cells. Another way to copy is to drag the fill handle. To activate the fill handle, place the cursor on the black box and it will turn to a black cross. By dragging to the right of a selected cell or group of cells, the range to the right of active cell will be filled to with the same data as the active cell(s). This function can be used to copy up or down, left or right from an active cell or group of cells. The Fill command does not copy the source to the Clipboard; therefore, you cannot paste the source multiple times. Copy methods 1. Use the Copy command: Edit/Copy or the Ctrl +C keys together or the icon from the toolbar 2. Use the Paste command: Edit/Paste or the Ctrl +V keys together, or the icon from the tool bar. 3. Use the Edit/Fill command: Right, Left, Up, or Down, or drag the Fill Handle. Deleting with the Fill Handle The Fill Handle can also be used to delete a selection area in an Excel page. Click on a cell at the beginning of a selection area. Click and drag the fill handle across the area that you want to delete Once all the cells are selected press the Delete key on the keyboard. AutoFill Function The AutoFill feature makes entering a series of headings easier by logically repeating and extending the series. Auto Fill recognizes trends and automatically extends data and alphanumeric headings as far as you specify. Draggin the fill handle activates the AutoFill feature if Excel recognizes the entry in the cell as an entry that can be incremented. When Auto fill extends the entries it uses the same style as the original entry. For example if you enter the heading for July as JUL (abbreviated with all the letters in uppercase), all the extended entries in the series will be abbreviated and uppercase. Dragging down or right increments in increasing order and up or left increments in decreasing order. A linear series increases or decreases vlaues by a constant value, and a growth series multiplies values by a constant factor.
Initial Selection Qtr1 Mon Jan, Apr Extended Series Qtr2, Qtr3, Qtr4 Tue, Wed, Thu Jul, Oct, Jan A starting value of a series may contain more than one item that can be incremented, such as Jan-02, in which both the month and year can increment. If you want only one value to increment, hold down the right mouse button as you drag, and then click the appropriate command on the AutoFill shortcut menu to specify which value to increment. Formulas A formula is an entry that performs a calculation. The result of the calculation is displayed in the cell containing the formula. A formula always begins with an equal sign (=), which defines it as a numeric entry. Formulas use the following arithmetic operators to specify the type of numeric operation to perform. Symbol OPERATION + Addition - Subtraction / Division * Multiplication ^ Exponentiation In a formula that contains more than one operator, Excel performs the calculation in the following order of precedence: Exponentiation Multiplication and Division Addition and Subtraction This order can be overridden by enclosing the operation you want performed first in parentheses. Excel evaluates operations in parentheses working from the innermost set of parentheses out. For example, in the formula =5*4-3, Excel first multiplies 5 times 4 to get 20, and then subtracts three for a total of 17. If you enter the formula as =5*(4-3), Excel first subtracts 3 from 4 because the operation is enclosed in parentheses. Then Excel multiplies the result 1, by 5, for a final result of 5. If two or more operators have the same order of precedence, calculations are performed in order from left to right. The values on which a numeric formula performs a calculation are called operands. Numbers or cell references can be operands in a formula. Tip: Usually cell references are used, and when the numeric entries in the referenced cell(s) change the result of the formula is automatically recalculated.
Totaling a column of numbers To add a column of numbers you can use the cell references and the operands to tell Excel what you want to do with the numbers. For example: to add cells A5 A10 you would select the cell you want the total to appear in and type: =A5+A6+A7+A8+A9+A10 The shorthand method of entering this formula is =SUM(A5:A10) The colon is the syntax for through in a formula. Syntax is the rules of structure that the computer understands. Using the first example you can also subtract a column by entering the operand. =A5+A6+A7-A8-A9+A10 Using the AutoSum function Another and most commonly used way to total a column is to use the AutoSum function. Click and select the numbers in the column plus one empty cell. Click on the Sigma (the Ε on the toolbar) By using cell Formatting the Worksheet Inserting A Row: You realize that you forgot to include a row in your worksheet. To add the row: Click on the number of the row Select Insert from the menu bar Select Rows The new row will be inserted above the row you highlighted. Tip: You can also insert the row by clicking on the row number and right clicking. Choose insert and a new row will be inserted. Inserting a column: Click on the Column letter Click Insert and choose column The new column will be inserted to the left of the column you selected. Tip: You can also insert a column by clicking on the column and right clicking. Choose insert and the new column will be inserted. Cell data alignment: Alignment settings allow you to change the horizontal and vertical placement and the orientation of an entry in a cell. Horizontal placement allows you to left-, center -, or
right align text and number entries in the cell space. Entries can also be indented within the cell space, centered across a selection, or justified. You can also fill a cell horizontally with a repeated entry. Vertical placement allows you to specify whether the cell contents are displayed at the top, centered or at the bottom of the vertical cell space or justified vertically. To Align data in a cell: Select the cell or group of cells that you want to align Click on Format Click on Cells Click on the Alignment tab Select the Horizontal Alignment of your choice Select the position of the text in the cell, Top, Bottom, Justify, or Center Click OK You can also use the left, center, right or justify icons on the formatting toolbar to horizontally align your cell entries. Indenting Entries: You can indent the row headings by highlighting the cells that you want to indent the entry. Click on Format Click on Cells Click on the alignment tab In the Horizontal space select Left (indent) In the Indent area place a number such as 1 or 2 Click OK The data in the cells you had selected will be indented two spaces from the left side of the cell. Shortcut: Highlight the cells you wish to indent and click on the Increase Indent icon on the Formatting Toolbar. Changing Font, and Using Bold, Italic, and Underline Using the method of highlighting cells you can also change the Font and Font Point in the cells. While the cells are highlighted you can also change the look of the entry by clicking on the Bold, Italic or Underline icons on the formatting toolbar. Creating a Data File for Mail Merge Microsoft Excel can be used as a data file for mail merge. The advantage to this is that you can sort the data by whichever heading you choose. For example, if you sort the data by City you can then use only certain rows for a mail merge data file.
To create a data file: Plan your data file column headings. Sometimes it is easier, for sorting purposes to separate each part of the address. For example some headings you may want to use are Title, First Name, Middle I, Last Name, Street Address, Apt. Number, Address 2, City, State, Zip, Phone Number. Save the file with a name that will designate that it is an address or merge file. Mail Merge Once you have created your data file. Close the program and open Microsoft Word. Create the Merge document by clicking on Tools and selecting Mail Merge Select which type of merge you want to do. Select Create merge document Select Get data and Open data source Select the file you want to use for the data source Insert your merge fields Create your form letter or envelope or mailing labels. When you have finished creating your form letter or merge document click on Tools and select Mail Merge. Click on Merge.
Tab Scroll Buttonns Sheet Tabs