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1 Computer Literacy Electronic Spreadsheets – Tutorial 1

Electronic Spreadsheets (Tutorial 1)

After this tutorial you will be able to:

 Define what an electronic spreadsheet is & understand its functions
 Understand the advantages of using an electronic spreadsheet
 Be familiar with User Interface of Microsoft Excel 2007
 Define different types of spreadsheet data
 Input different types of data into cells, i.e. textual & numeric data
 Adjust column width
 Insert/delete row(s)/column(s)
 “Merge & Center” the data across different cells
 Perform AutoFill feature
 Apply Accounting Number Format/Currency Format, such as $, £, & ¥
 Increase/Decrease decimal to numbers
 Create different kinds of formulas using arithmetic operators

What is an Electronic Spreadsheet?

An electronic spreadsheet is in the form of rectangular table consisting of columns and rows. The
intersection of a column and row is called a cell which can store a piece of text, number or a formula.
Nowadays, the most popular electronic spreadsheet software is Microsoft Excel.

Functions and Features of an Electronic Spreadsheet

1) Allow users to input and organize data, create charts and perform data analysis.
2) Users can carry out many mathematical operations and advanced data analysis using hundreds of
predefined functions.
3) Input data can be modified easily. Calculations & recalculations can be carried out automatically.
4) Usage: accounting reports, financial models, inventory reports, quotation and personal mail lists.

How do students go to
How do students go to school?
school? By Bicycle
600 By Bus
400 On Foot
200 By MTR
0 No. of Students
By Mini-bus

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F.1 Computer Literacy Electronic Spreadsheets – Tutorial 1
User Interface of Microsoft Excel 2007
Office button Quick Access toobar Title Bar

Tab
e

Name box Formula bar Group

Column header

Active Cell Column

Row Cell
Row Header

Active Worksheet
Status bar
Sheet tab

Different Component Function

of User Interface
Title Bar Showing the filename
Office button Providing commonly used functions, such as New, Open,
Save, Print, etc.
Quick Access toolbar By default, providing several functions, i.e. Save, Undo &
Redo
Tab Providing various tabs, i.e. Home, Insert, Page Layout,
Formulas, Data, Review, & View
Group Different groups offered by choosing different tabs
Name Box Showing the cell name / cell address / cell reference
Formula Bar Providing an area for inputting & editing cell contents
Column header Header of a column
Column A series of vertical cells
Row Header Header of a row
Row A series of horizontal cells
Cell Providing an area for storing text &/or number or a formula
Sheet Tab Showing different worksheets(including the active one &
non-active one)
Status Bar Showing the status of a program

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F.1 Computer Literacy Electronic Spreadsheets – Tutorial 1
Task 1: Create an Income & Expenditure Statement for Class Club
1) Open file Tutorial1_Excel2007_raw.xlsx.
2) Save your file as Tutorial1_Excel2007_mywork.xlsx

3) Insert two more rows before row 1. ( Select row 1 & row 2 by highlighting their row
headers. Move your mouse cursor over the selected row header area, then right click & choose
Insert.)

INSERTION/DELETION OF ROWS/COLUMNS
Insertion of Rows
Consider how many rows you want to insert before(above) the selected row(s) and highlight the row
header(s) of the row(s). Move your mouse cursor over the selected row header area, then right click
& choose Insert.

Insertion of Columns
Consider how many columns you want to insert before(i.e. at the left side of) the selected column(s)
and highlight the column header(s) of the column(s). Move your mouse cursor over the selected
column header area, then right click & choose Insert.

Deletion of Rows/Columns
Highlight the row(s)/column(s) you want to delete. Move your mouse cursor over the selected
row/column header area, then right click & choose Delete.

TYPES OF SPREADSHEET DATA

There are 2 types of data that can be inputted into an electronic spreadsheet:
1) Textual Data
They are some combinations of text characters and digits, e.g. HELLO123, 45K, Peter, 8Egg4, etc.
By default, they are left-aligned.
2) Numerical Data
They are combinations of digits and numeric symbols, e. g. 123, 1.23, -12, 12%, 2/4/09, etc. By
default, they are right-aligned.

If a number is input as text datum, an apostrophe should be added before it, i.e. ‘12345.
####### means insufficient column width for a cell containing numeric value. Widen the

column width can solve the problem. Do you know the ways to adjust column width?
a) Adjust column width by dragging right margin of column header horizontally
b) Type in an exact number for column width by right-clicking column header & choose Column
Width
c) AutoFit column width by double-clicking right margin of column header
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F.1 Computer Literacy Electronic Spreadsheets – Tutorial 1
4) In cell A1, input the text ‘2008/2009 1F Class Club Income & Expenditure Statement’ & enlarge the
font size to be 18.

Merge Adjacent Cells

5) Merge & center the data in cell A1 across J1. ( Select cells A1 to J1 first. Then on
the Home tab, in the Alignment group, click Merge and Center.)

Merge and Center

SPLIT A MERGED CELL

Click Merge & Center again to split.

Number Format
Increase Decimal

Accounting Number Format

Decrease Decimal

6) Apply currency format ($) in cells E4 to F30. ( Select cells E4 to F30 first. Then on Home tab,
in the Number group, click Accounting Number Format. By default, other than adding dollar sign,
comma style will be applied & with 2 decimal places.)

7) Set the content of cells E4 to F30 to be 1 decimal place. ( Select cells E4 to F30 first. Then
on Home tab, in the Number group, click Decrease Decimal once.)

8) Input a date 23/9/2008 in cell B4.

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F.1 Computer Literacy Electronic Spreadsheets – Tutorial 1
DATA ENTRY AND DATA FORMAT
 Microsoft Excel formats the input data to one of the predefined cell formats such as number,
text or percentage.
 Users can change the number format of the cell by clicking Number Format button in the
Number group on Home tab.
Cell Format Display

General 1.05

Currency HK$1.05

Date 1/1/1900

Time 1:12:00

Fraction 1 1/20

Scientific 1.05E+00

AUTOFILL

Select a cell or a cell range & then move your

mouse pointer over the bottom right hand corner.
A plus(+) sign, called fill-handle, appears.
The bottom right hand corner of
selected cell(s) is called fill-handle.

AutoFill with data with a single cell or a range of cells

 A quick way for copying & pasting same data to other cells.
 Cell with textual data: Select a single cell or a range of cells and then move over the fill-handle
and drag downwards/rightwards.

 Cell with numerical data: Move over the fill-handle of the single cell. ( Press the <Ctrl>
key & drag downwards/rightwards to STOP creating automatic number sequence.)

AutoFill with content of 2 numeric cells

AutoFill can be used to create number sequences automatically, e.g. 1,2,….; 5,10, …..; 10,9,……, etc.

9) AutoFill cells D6 to D8 with the content of cell D5. ( Select cell D5 & then drag the fill-handle
towards D8.)

10) AutoFill cells B5 to B7 with the content of cell B4. ( Select cell B4 & then press the <Ctrl> key
& drag the fill-handle towards B7 to STOP creating automatic number sequence.)
11) Type in numbers 1 & 2 in cells A4 & A5 respectively.

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F.1 Computer Literacy Electronic Spreadsheets – Tutorial 1

12) AutoFill the cell range from A6 to A30 with the content of cells A4 & A5. ( Select cell A4 &
A5 first & then drag the fill-handle towards cell A30.)

Select cells A4 & A5 & then double-click the fill-handle to do the same thing, provided
that the cells of adjacent column contain data completely.)
13) Save your file again.

AUTOFILL WITH DIFFERENT PREDEFINED PATTERNS

Autofill with content of single cell with different predefined patterns
AutoFill can also be used to create number sequences, time lists, day lists, week lists, month lists and
regular text patterns. Examples of different stored patterns are:
 Jan, ……
 January, ……
 Mon, ……
 Monday, ……
 1st, ……
 1st Quarter, ……
 Q1, ……

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SYNTAX OF FORMULA IN EXCEL

Start with an equal(=) sign & is followed by a series of constants and/or cell reference(s) or a
combination of both.
Examples of different kinds of formulas:
=20+1
=A1
=A1+B1
=A1–C1

ARITHMETIC OPERATORS
Arithmetic Meaning Formula used in Formula to be
Operators Mathematics input in Excel
+ Addition (+) 3+5 =3+5
– Subtraction (–) 5–2 =5–2
* (called asterisk) Multiplication (x) 8×3 =8*3
/ Division ( ÷ ) 16 =16/2
16÷2 or
2
^ (called caret) Raising a Number to a =2^3
23
power

14) In cell F8, create a formula for calculating the fee for buying stapler (with reference to cell C8, the
cost of a stapler is $9.5 and 2 staplers were bought.)
The formula to be entered into cell F8 should be: =9.5*2
15) In cell E4, create a formula for calculating the class club membership fee of whole class (with
reference to cell C4, class club membership fee per student is $20 & provided that cell J4 stores the
total number of students in the class):
The formula to be entered into cell E4 should be: =20 * J4
16) In cell F5, create a formula for calculating the Chinese history folder fee of whole class (with
reference to cell C5, each folder costs $2.5 & provided that cell J4 stores the total number of
students in the class)
The formula to be entered into cell F5 should be: =2.5 * J4

17) AutoFill cells F6 & F7 with the formula of cell F5. ( You will find 0 as the result in both cells.

Do you know why? HINT: Please check the formula in cells F6 & F7.)

In order to solve the problem temporarily, what will you do? (A smarter way will be learnt later.)

AutoFill/Type in the number 37 in cells J5 & J6. OR Type in formula =2.5*J4 in both cells F6 & F7
18) In cell G4, create a formula for calculating the balance after collecting class club membership fee of
whole class.
New Balance = Old Balance + class club membership fee
∴The formula of G4 should be: = 0 + E4

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F.1 Computer Literacy Electronic Spreadsheets – Tutorial 1
Calculation of the balance after every income/expenditure
19) In cell G5, create formula for calculating the balance after every income/expenditure.
New Balance = Old Balance + income
OR
New Balance = Old Balance – expenditure
∴The formula of G5 should be: = G4 – F5

20) AutoFill cells G6 to G30 with the content of cell G5. Save the file after finished.

After completion of the above task, you should be able to get the same result as the figure shown
below:

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