INTRODUCTION TO SPREAD SHEET

You will need to know how to insert text and numbers into Excel
workbooks to be able to use it to calculate, analyze, and organize data. In this
lesson, you will learn how to create a new workbook, insert and delete text,
navigate a worksheet, and save an Excel workbook.

To create a new blank workbook:

 Left-click the Microsoft Office button.
 Select New. The New Workbook dialog box opens, and Blank
Workbook is highlighted by default.

 Click Create. A new blank workbook appears in the window.

When you first open Excel, the software opens to a new blank workbook.

To insert text:
 Left-click a cell to select it. Each rectangle in the worksheet is called
a cell. As you select a cell, the cell address appears in the Name Box.

 Enter text into the cell using your keyboard. The text appears in the cell
and in the formula bar. 2
 Cell addresses

Each cell has a name, or a cell address, based on the column and row where it is
located. For example, this cell is C3 because it is where column C and row 3
intersect.

You can also select multiple cells at the same time. A group of cells is known as
a cell range. Rather than a single cell address, you will refer to a cell range using
the cell addresses of the first and last cells in the cell range, separated by a colon.
For example, a cell range that included cells A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5 would be
written as A1:A5.

If the columns in your spreadsheet are labeled with numbers instead of letters,
you'll need to change the default reference style for Excel. Review our Extra
on What are Reference Styles? to learn how. 3
 To edit or delete text:
 Select the cell.
 Press the Backspace key on your keyboard to delete text and make a
correction.
 Press the Delete key to delete the entire contents of a cell.

You can also make changes to and delete text from the formula bar. Just select the
cell, then place your insertion point in the formula bar.

To move through a worksheet using the keyboard:

 Press the Tab key to move to the right of the selected cell.
 Press the Shift key then the Tab key to move to the left of the selected
cell.
 Use the Page Up and Page Down keys to navigate the worksheet.
 Use the arrow keys.

To save the workbook:

 Left-click the Microsoft Office button.
 Select Save or Save As.
o Save As allows you to name the file and choose a location to
save the spreadsheet. Choose Save As if you'd like to save the
file for the first time or if you'd like to save the file as a different
name.
o Select Save if the file has already been named.

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 Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
When you open a new blank workbook, the cells, columns, and rows are set
to a default size. You have the ability to change the size of each, as well as to
insert new columns, rows, and cells as needed. In this lesson, you will learn various
methods to modify the column width and row height, as well as how to insert new
columns, rows, and cells.

To modify column width:

 Position the cursor over the column line in the column heading, and
a double arrow will appear.

 Left-click the mouse, then drag the cursor to the right to increase the
column width or to the left to decrease the column width.
 Release the mouse button.
OR
 Left-click the column heading of a column you'd like to modify. The
entire column will appear highlighted.
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 Click the Format command in the Cells group on the Home tab. A
menu will appear.

 Select Column Width to enter a specific column measurement. 6

 Select AutoFit Column Width to adjust the column so all of the text
will fit.
If you see pound signs (#######) in a cell, it means that the column is not wide
enough to display the cell content. Simply increase the column width to show the
cell content.

To modify the row height:

 Position the cursor over the row line you want to modify, and a double
arrow will appear.

 Left-click the mouse, then drag the cursor upward to decrease the row
height or downward to increase the row height.
 Release the mouse button.
OR
 Click the Format command in the Cells group on the Home tab. A
menu will appear.

 Select Row Height to enter a specific row measurement.

 Select AutoFit Row Height to adjust the row so all of the text will fit.
 To insert rows:
 Select the row below where you want the new row to appear.
 Click the Insert command in the Cells group on the Home tab. The row
will appear.

The new row always appears above the selected row.

Make sure you select the entire row below where you want the new row to appear
and not just the cell. If you select just the cell and then click Insert, only a new cell
will appear.

To insert columns:
 Select the column to the right of where you want the column to appear.
 Click the Insert command in the Cells group on the Home tab. The
column will appear.

The new column always appears to the left of the selected column. For example, if
you want to insert a column between September and October, select the October
column, then click the Insert command.

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Make sure you select the entire column to the right of where you want the new
column to appear and not just the cell. If you select just the cell and then click
Insert, only a new cell will appear.

To delete rows and columns:

 Select the row or column you‟d like to delete.
 Click the Delete command in the Cells group on the Home tab.

FORMATTING TEXT

Once you have entered information into a spreadsheet, you will need to be
able to format it. In this lesson, you will learn how to use the bold, italic, and
underline commands; modify the font style, size, and color; and apply borders and
fill colors.

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 To format text in bold or italics:
 Left-click a cell to select it, or drag your cursor over the text in the
formula bar to select it.
 Click the Bold or Italics command.

You can select entire columns and rows, or specific cells. To select the entire
column, just left-click the column heading, and the entire column will appear as
selected. To select specific cells, just left-click a cell and drag your mouse to select
the other cells, then release the mouse button.

To format text as underlined:

 Select the cell or cells you want to format.
 Click the drop-down arrow next to the Underline command.
 Select the Single Underline or Double Underline option.

To change the font style:

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 Select the cell or cells you want to format.
  Left-click the drop-down arrow next to the Font Style box on the
Home tab.
 Select a font style from the list.

As you move over the font list, the Live Preview feature previews the font for you
in the spreadsheet.

To change the font size:

 Select the cell or cells you want to format.
 Left-click the drop-down arrow next to the Font Size box on the
Home tab.
 Select a font size from the list.

To change the text color: 11

 Select the cell or cells you want to format.

  Left-click the drop-down arrow next to the Text Color command. A
color palette will appear.
 Select a color from the palette.

OR

 Select More Colors. A dialog box will appear.

 Select a color.
 Click OK.

To add a border:
 Select the cell or cells you want to format.
 Click the drop-down arrow next to the Borders command on the
Home tab. A menu will appear with border options.

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 Left-click an option from the list to select it.

You can change the line style and color of the border.

To add a fill color:

 Select the cell or cells you want to format.
 Click the Fill command. A color palette will appear.
 Select a color.

OR

 Select More Colors. A dialog box will appear.

 Select a color.
 Click OK.

You can use the fill color feature to format columns and rows and format a
worksheet so it's easier to read.

To format numbers and dates:

 Select the cell or cells you want to format.
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 Left-click the drop-down arrow next to the Number Format box.
 Select one of the options for formatting numbers.
By default, the numbers appear in the General category, which means there is no
special formatting.

In the Number group, you have some other options. For example, you can change
the U.S. dollar sign to another currency format, switch numbers to percents, add
commas, and change the decimal location.

CREATING SIMPLE FORMULAS

Excel can be used to calculate and analyze numerical information; however,

you will need to know how to write formulas to maximize Excel's capabilities. A
formula is an equation that performs a calculation using values in the worksheet. In
this lesson, you will learn how to create simple formulas using mathematical
operators such as the addition, subtraction, multiplication, and division signs.

To create a simple formula that adds two numbers:

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 Click the cell where the formula will be defined (C5, for example).
 Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a formula is being defined.
  Type the first number to be added (e.g., 1500).
 Type the addition sign (+) to let Excel know that an add operation is to
be performed.
 Type the second number to be added (e.g., 200).
 Press Enter, or click the Enter button on the Formula bar to complete
the formula.

If the result of a formula is too large to be displayed in a cell, it may appear

as pound signs (#######) instead of a value. This means that the column is not
wide enough to display the cell content. Simply increase the column width to
show the cell content.

Excel will not always tell you if your formula contains an error, so it's up to you to
check all of your formulas. To learn how to do this, you can read the Double-
Check Your Formulas lesson from our Excel Formulas tutorial.

To create a simple formula that adds the contents of two cells:

 Click the cell where the answer will appear (C5, for example).
 Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a formula is being defined.
 Type the cell number that contains the first number to be added (C3, for
example).
 Type the addition sign (+) to let Excel know that an add operation is to
be performed.
 Type the cell address that contains the second number to be added (C4, 15
for example).
  Press Enter, or click the Enter button on the Formula bar to complete
the formula.

To create a simple formula using the point-and-click method:

 Click the cell where the answer will appear (C30, for example).
 Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a formula is being defined.
 Click on the first cell to be included in the formula (C5, for example).
 Type the subtraction sign (-) to let Excel know that a subtraction
operation is to be performed.
 Click on the next cell in the formula (C29, for example).

 Press Enter, or click the Enter button on the Formula bar to complete
the formula.

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To create a simple formula that multiplies the contents of two cells:
 Select the cell where the answer will appear (E32, for example).
 Type the equals sign (=) to let Excel know a formula is being defined.
 Click on the first cell to be included in the formula (C9, for example),
or type a number.
 Type the multiplication symbol (*) by pressing the Shift key and then
the number 8 key. The operator displays in the cell and Formula bar.
 Click on the next cell in the formula or type a number (12, for
example).
 Press Enter, or click the Enter button on the Formula bar to complete
the formula.

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 Working with Basic Functions

A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using specific

values in a particular order. While you may think of formulas as being short
mathematical equations, like 2+2 or F2*C2, they can actually be very lengthy and
involve complex mathematical calculations.

One of the key benefits of functions is that they can save you time because you do
not have to write the formula yourself. For example, you could use an Excel
function called Average to quickly find the average of a range of numbers or
the Sum function to find the sum of a cell range.

In this lesson, you will learn how to use basic functions such as SUM and
AVERAGE, use functions with more than one argument, and access other Excel
2007 functions.

The parts of a function:

Each function has a specific order, called syntax, which must be strictly followed
for the function to work correctly.

Syntax order:

1. All functions begin with the = sign.

2. After the = sign, define the function name (e.g., Sum).
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3. Then there will be an argument. An argument is the cell range or cell
references that are enclosed by parentheses. If there is more than one
argument, separate each by a comma.
An example of a function with one argument that adds a range of cells, A3 through
A9:

An example of a function with more than one argument that calculates the sum
of two cell ranges:

Excel literally has hundreds of different functions to assist with your calculations.
Building formulas can be difficult and time consuming. Excel's functions can save
you a lot of time and headaches.

Excel's different functions

There are many different functions in Excel 2007. Some of the more common
functions include:

Statistical functions:
 SUM: Adds a range of cells together
 AVERAGE: Calculates the average of a range of cells
 COUNT: Counts the number of chosen data in a range of cells
 MAX: Identifies the largest number in a range of cells
 MIN: Identifies the smallest number in a range of cells

Financial functions:
 Interest rates
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 Loan payments
 Depreciation amounts
Date and time functions:
 DATE: Converts a serial number to a day of the month
 Day of Week
 DAYS360: Calculates the number of days between two dates based on
a 360-day year
 TIME: Returns the serial number of a particular time
 HOUR: Converts a serial number to an hour
 MINUTE: Converts a serial number to a minute
 TODAY: Returns the serial number of today's date
 MONTH: Converts a serial number to a month
 YEAR: Converts a serial number to a year

You don't have to memorize the functions, but you should have an idea of what
each can do for you.

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 Press the Enter key or Enter button on the formula bar. The total will
appear.
Excel will not always tell you if your formula contains an error, so it's up to you to
check all of your formulas. To learn how to do this, read the Double-Check Your
Formulas lesson from our Excel Formulas tutorial.

 Click OK, and the Function Arguments dialog box appears so you can
enter the range of cells for the function.
 Insert the cursor in the Number 1 field.
 In the spreadsheet, select the first range of cells—in this example, G21
through G26. The argument appears in the Number 1 field.
o To select the cells, left-click cell G21 and drag the cursor to
G26, then release the mouse button.
 Insert the cursor in the Number 2 field.

 In the spreadsheet, select the second range of cells—in this example,

G40 through G41. The argument appears in the Number 2 field. 21
 Notice that both arguments appear in the function in cell G44 and the
formula bar when G44 is selected.
  Click OK in the dialog box, and the sum of the two ranges is
calculated.

Sorting, Grouping, and Filtering Cells

A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet can contain a great deal of information. With

more rows and columns than previous versions, Excel 2007 gives you the ability
to analyze and work with an enormous amount of data. To most effectively use
this data, you may need to manipulate it in different ways.

In this lesson, you will learn how to sort, group, and filter data in various ways
that will enable you to most effectively and efficiently use spreadsheets to locate 22
and analyze information.
A Microsoft Excel spreadsheet can contain a great deal of information. Sometimes
you may find that you need to reorder or sort that information, create groups, or
filter information to be able to use it most effectively.

Sorting

Sorting lists is a common spreadsheet task that allows you to easily reorder your
data. The most common type of sorting is alphabetical ordering, which you can do
in ascending or descending order.

To sort in alphabetical order:

 Select a cell in the column you want to sort (In this example, we choose
a cell in column A).
 Click the Sort & Filter command in the Editing group on the Home
tab.
 Select Sort A to Z. Now the information in the Category column is
organized in alphabetical order.

You can Sort in reverse alphabetical order by choosing Sort Z to A in the list.

To sort from smallest to largest:

 Select a cell in the column you want to sort (a column with numbers).
 Click the Sort & Filter command in the Editing group on the Home
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tab.
 Select From Smallest to Largest. Now the information is organized
from the smallest to largest amount.
You can sort in reverse numerical order by choosing From Largest to
Smallest in the list.

Formatting Tables

Once you have entered information into a spreadsheet, you may want
to format it. Formatting your spreadsheet can not only make it look nicer but also
easier to use. In a previous lesson, we discussed manual formatting options such as
bold and italics. In this lesson, you will learn how to use the predefined tables
styles in Excel 2007 and some of the Table Tools on the Design tab.

Formatting tables

To format information as a table:

 Select any cell that contains information.
 Click the Format as Table command in the Styles group on the Home
tab. A list of predefined tables will appear.

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  Left-click a table style to select it.
 A dialog box will appear. Excel has automatically selected the
cells for your table. The cells will appear selected in the spreadsheet,
and the range will appear in the dialog box.

 Change the range listed in the field if necessary.

 Verify that the box is selected to indicate your table has headings, if it
does. Deselect this box if your table does not have column headings.
 Click OK. The table will appear formatted in the style you chose. 25

By default, the table will be set up with the drop-down arrows in the header so
you can filter the table if you wish.
In addition to using the Format as Table command, you can select the Insert tab
and click the Table command to insert a table.

To modify a table:
 Select any cell in the table. The Table Tools Design tab will become
active. From here, you can modify the table in several ways.

You can:

 Select a different table in the Table Styles Options group. Click

the More drop-down arrow to see more table styles.
 Delete or add a Header Row in the Table Styles Options group.
 Insert a Total Row in the Table Styles Options group.
 Remove or add banded rows or columns.
 Make the first and last columns bold.
 Name your table in the Properties group.
 Change the cells that make up the table by clicking Resize Table.

When you apply a table style, filtering arrows automatically appear. To turn off
filtering, select the Home tab, click the Sort & Filter command, and
select Filter from the list.

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 Working with Charts

A chart is a tool you can use in Excel to communicate your data

graphically. Charts allow your audience to more easily see the meaning behind the
numbers in the spreadsheet, and to make showing comparisons and trends much
easier. In this lesson, you will learn how to insert and modify Excel charts and see
how they can be an effective tool for communicating information.

Creating a chart

Charts can be a useful way to communicate data. When you insert a chart in Excel,
it appears in the selected worksheet with the source data by default.

To create a chart:
 Select the worksheet you want to work with. In this example, we use
the Summary worksheet.
 Select the cells you want to chart, including the column titles and row
labels.
 Click the Insert tab.
 Hover over each Chart option in the Charts group to learn more about
it.
 Select one of the Chart options. In this example, we'll use the Columns 27
command.
  Select a type of chart from the list that appears. For this example, we'll
use a 2-D Clustered Column. The chart appears in the worksheet.

Identifying the parts of a chart

Have you ever read something you didn't fully understand but when you saw a
chart or graph, the concept became clear and understandable? Charts are a visual
representation of data in a worksheet. Charts make it easy to see comparisons,
patterns, and trends in the data.

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Source data

The range of cells that make up a chart. The chart is updated automatically
whenever the information in these cells changes.

Title

The title of the chart.

Legend

The chart key, which identifies what each color on the chart represents.

Axis

The vertical and horizontal parts of a chart. The vertical axis is often referred to as
the Y axis, and the horizontal axis is referred to as the X axis.

Data series

The actual charted values, which are usually rows or columns of the source data.

Value axis

The axis that represents the values or units of the source data.

Category axis

The axis identifying each data series.

Chart tools

Once you insert a chart, a new set of Chart Tools, arranged into three tabs, will
appear above the Ribbon. These are only visible when the chart is selected.
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To change the chart type:
 Select the Design tab.
 Click the Change Chart Type command. A dialog box appears.

 Select another chart type.

 Click OK.

The chart in the example compares each salesperson's monthly sales to his or her
other months' sales; however, you can change what is being compared. Just click
the Switch Row/Column Data command, which will rotate the data displayed on
the x and y axes. To return to the original view, click the Switch Row/Column
command again.

To change chart layout:

 Select the Design tab.
 Locate the Chart Layouts group.
 Click the More arrow to view all of your layout options.

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  Left-click a layout to select it.

If your new layout includes chart titles, axes, or legend labels, just insert your
cursor into the text and begin typing to add your own text.

To change chart style:

 Select the Design tab.
 Locate the Chart Style group.
 Click the More arrow to view all of your style options.
 Left-click a style to select it.

Creating PivotTables

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 PivotTable reports, or PivotTables as they are often called, can help you
answer questions about your spreadsheet by analyzing the numerical information in
various ways. If you work with spreadsheets with a lot of data, a PivotTable can be
an extremely useful tool. PivotTable reports give you power because you
can quickly find the answer to many different questions and can manipulate your
data in many different ways.

Why are they named PivotTables?

You may be wondering why it is called a PivotTable. Basically, PivotTables allow

you to pivot, or move, data so you can produce answers to questions. Once you
create a PivotTable, you can very easily see what effect pivoting the data has on
the spreadsheet information.

To create a PivotTable report (Part I):

 Select the cells in your spreadsheet that you want to use in the
PivotTable report.
 Select the Insert tab.
 Click the PivotTable command.
 Click PivotTable again. Excel selects cells in the actual spreadsheet,
and the Create PivotTable dialog box opens.
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o Select a table or range is already selected, and
the Table/Range field shows the range of the selected
 data. New Worksheet is also selected by default as the place
where the report will be placed.

 Click Existing Worksheet, then select a worksheet if you do not want

the PivotTable to appear in a new worksheet.
 Click OK.

Creating a PivotTable report

If you use the sample spreadsheet to create a PivotTable, you can see that the
column headings are salesperson, region, account, order amount, and month.
When you create a PivotTable, each column label in your data becomes a
field that can be used in the report. The Field List appears on the right side of the
report, while the layout area appears on the left.

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 To create a PivotTable report (Part 2):
 Determine what question you want your PivotTable report to answer.
For example, using the sample spreadsheet, you might want to
know which salesperson sold the highest dollar amount.
 Determine the fields that are necessary to answer this question—in this
example, salesperson and order amount.
 Select the check box next to the Salesperson field in the PivotTable
Field List. The field will appear in the drag-and-drop area at the
bottom of the field list and in the layout area. The order amount data
appears on the right. This is a default setting in Excel—data with
numbers will always appear on the right.
 Select the check box next to the Order Amount field in 34
the PivotTable Field List. The field will appear in the drag-and-drop
area at the bottom of the field list and in the layout area. All of the
salesperson data appears on the left side as rows.
  You can now see the answer to your question in the report on the left.

If you change any of the data in your source worksheet, the PivotTable will not
update automatically. To manually update it, select the PivotTable and then go
to Options Refresh.

To add a report filter:

 Select a field in the Field List. In this example, choose Region. By
default, it will appear in the Row Labels group.
 Click and drag Region into the Report Filter section.
 Release the mouse button. The region appears at the top of the report as
a filter.
 The arrow by the Region fields shows (All). To show just the data for
a specific region, click the drop-down arrow, and select the region. To
see multiple regions, click the Multiple Regions box, select the regions
to display, then click OK.

To move or pivot data:

 Click and drag a field from one area to another.

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  Release the mouse button to drop the field in the new area. In this
example, we move Region from Report Filter to Column Label. The
PivotTable report will change.

OR

 Right-click one of the rows. A menu will appear.

 Select Move, then select a move option.

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 To create a PivotChart:
 Select the PivotChart command from the Options tab. The Insert Chart
dialog box appears.

 Select the chart you‟d like to insert.

 Click OK. The chart will now appear on the same sheet as the
PivotTable.
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The information in the chart includes the information in the PivotTable rather than
all of the original source data.
 What is Excel consolidate?
The consolidate function in Excel allows an analyst to combine information from
multiple workbooks into one place. The Excel consolidate function lets you select
data from its various locations and creates a table to summarize the information for
you.

How to consolidate data in Excel

We‟ve created a step-by-step guide to help you create your own consolidation by
combining similarly organized data across multiple worksheets and workbooks.

The screenshots below will help you see an example of how to use the Excel
consolidate function:

Step 1: Open all files (workbooks) that contain the data you want to consolidate.

Step 2: Ensure the data is organized in the same way (see example below).

Step 3: On the Data ribbons, select Data Tools and then Consolidate.

Step 4: Select the method of consolidation (in our example, it‟s Sum).

Step 5: Select the data, including the labels, and click Add

Step 6: Repeat step 5 for each worksheet or workbook that contains the data you
need included

Step 7: Check boxes “top row”, “left column”, and “create links to data source”
(note you don‟t have to tick these boxes if you don‟t want labels or don‟t want live
links) and click the OK button.

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39
40
 Why use the data consolidation function?

There are many reasons a financial analyst may want to use the Excel consolidate
function. One example would be combining budgets from various departments
into one company-wide budget. This may be common for an analyst or manager
working in financial planning and analysis (FP&A) or other accounting functions.

Data Linking in MS Excel

Data linking can be used to prevent your spreadsheet need to hold multiple
copies of the same data.

For example, maintaining one master price list and linking any other spreadsheet
that needs that same information to it.

This helps maintain data accuracy as only one spreadsheet needs to be updated for
price changes. It is an excellent way to make it very simple to create a summary of
up to date data. This becomes especially important when multiple people are
working on the same spreadsheet. If the data inputs are not logically presented and
organised it is impossible for someone else to update the spreadsheet accurately.
Excel offers lots of different ways to validate and track your data in larger more
complex spreadsheets which we cover in more advanced training courses.

There are two methods to do this:

Before we start, here is what a sheet of the source data looks like:

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Source data example

Method 1

 First click in the cell in the destination worksheet you want the data to appear
 Insert =
 then click on the information in the source worksheet you want to carry 42
across
 hit enter
The formula bar will show were the information has been linked to, the sheet name
and the cell number:

Data linking in Excel

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Method 2
  Start on the source information sheet and copy the information you wish to
link
 Right click on the cell in the destination sheet adn go to „Paste special‟
 Click on the „Data link‟ icon. Interestingly, if you are used to opening up the
paste special box, the data link option doesn‟t appear in it.

If you use this method the cell is entered as an absolute cell reference

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45