Units SYLLABUS

Basics of Excel- Customizing common options- Absolute and relative cells-

Protecting and un-protecting worksheets and cells- Working with Functions - Writing
conditional expressions - logical functions - lookup and reference functions-
I
VlookUP with Exact Match, Approximate Match- Nested VlookUP with Exact
Match- VlookUP with Tables, Dynamic Ranges- Nested VlookUP with Exact
Match- Using VLookUP to consolidate Data from Multiple Sheets

Data Validations - Specifying a valid range of values - Specifying a list of valid

values- Specifying custom validations based on formula - Working with Templates
Designing the structure of a template- templates for standardization of worksheets -
II
Sorting and Filtering Data -Sorting tables- multiple-level sorting- custom sorting-
Filtering data for selected view - advanced filter options- Working with Reports
Creating subtotals- Multiple-level subtotal.

Creating Pivot tables Formatting and customizing Pivot tables- advanced options of
Pivot tables- Pivot charts- Consolidating data from multiple sheets and files using
III Pivot tables- external data sources- data consolidation feature to consolidate data-
Show Value As % of Row, % of Column, Running Total, Compare with Specific
Field- Viewing Subtotal under Pivot- Creating Slicers.

More Functions Date and time functions- Text functions- Database functions-
Power Functions - Formatting Using auto formatting option for worksheets- Using
IV
conditional formatting option for rows, columns and cells- WhatIf Analysis - Goal
Seek- Data Tables- Scenario Manager.

Charts - Formatting Charts- 3D Graphs- Bar and Line Chart together- Secondary
Axis in Graphs- Sharing Charts with PowerPoint / MS Word, Dynamically- New
V
Features Of Excel Sparklines, Inline Charts, data Charts- Overview of all the new
features.
 UNIT - 1
Introduction to MS Excel

 MS-EXCEL is a part of Microsoft Office suite software.

 It is an electronic spreadsheet with numerous rows and columns, used for
organizing data, graphically representing data(s), and performing different
calculations.
 It consists of 1048576 rows and 16384 columns, a row and column
together make a cell.
 Each cell has an address defined by column name and row number
example A1, D2, etc. This is also known as a cell reference.
What is MS Excel?
 Microsoft Excel is a software application designed for creating tables to
input and organize data.
 It provides a user-friendly way to analyze and work with data.
 The image below provides a visual representation of what an Excel
spreadsheet typically appears like
Excel Interface

What is a Cell ?
 A spreadsheet takes the shape of a table, consisting of rows and columns.
 A cell is created at the intersection point where rows and columns meet,
forming a rectangular box. Here’s an image illustrating what a cell looks
like:

There are three types of cell references in Excel:

1. Relative reference.
2. Absolute reference.
3. Mixed reference.

 Excel is used to store, analyze, and report on large amounts of data. It is often
used by accounting teams for financial analysis, but can be used by any
professional to manage long and unwieldy datasets.
 Examples of Excel applications include balance sheets, budgets, or editorial
calendars.

Basic Excel Functions

 The VLookup Function.
  The Concatenate Function.
 Text to Columns.
 Remove Duplicates.
 Pivot Tables.

Customize the ribbon in Office

What you can customize: You can personalize your ribbon to arrange tabs and
commands in the order you want them, hide or unhide your ribbon, and hide those
commands you use less often. Also, you can export or import a customized ribbon.

What you can't customize: You can't reduce the size of your ribbon, or the size of
the text or the icons on the ribbon. The only way to do this is to change your display
resolution, which would change the size of everything on your page.

When you customize your ribbon: Your customizations apply only to the Office
program you're working in at the time. For example, if you personalize your ribbon
in PowerPoint, those same changes won't be visible in Excel. If you want similar
customizations in your other Office apps, you'll have to open each of those apps to
make the same changes. Although you can't share customizations between apps, you
can export your customizations to share with others or use on other devices.

The tabs on your ribbon are Home, Insert, Design, etc. For example, the picture
below shows the tabs in Word.
You can add custom tabs or rename and change the order of the default tabs that are
built in to Office. Custom tabs in the Customize the Ribbon list have (Custom) after
the name, but the word (Custom) does not appear in the ribbon.
Open the "Customize the Ribbon" window
To work with your ribbon, you need to get to the Customize the Ribbon window.
Here's how you do that.
1. Open the app you want to customize your ribbon in, such
as PowerPoint or Excel.
2. Place your mouse in any empty space in the ribbon and then right-click.

3.Click Customize the Ribbon.

Change the order of default or custom tabs
You can change the order of Home, Insert, Draw, Design, and other tabs. You
cannot change the placement of the File tab.
1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the
Ribbon list, click the tab that you want to move.
2. Click the Move Up or Move Down arrow until you have the order
you want.
3.To see and save your changes, click OK.
Add a custom tab :When you click New Tab, you add a custom tab and custom
group. You can only add commands to custom groups.
 1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the
Ribbon list, click New Tab.
2. To see and save your changes, click OK.
Rename a default or custom tab
1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the
Ribbon list, click the tab that you want to rename.
2. Click Rename, and then type a new name.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.
Change the order of the commands in custom groups
1. In the Customize the Ribbon window under the Customize the
Ribbon list, click the command that you want to move.
2. Click the Move Up or Move Down arrow until you have the order you
want.
3. To see and save your changes, click OK.
Excel Absolute

 Absolute reference is when a reference has the dollar sign ($).

 It locks a reference in the formula.

 Add $ to the formula to use absolute references.

The dollar sign has three different states:

 Absolute for column and row. The reference is absolutely locked.

Example =$A$1
 Absolute for the column. The reference is locked to that column. The row
remains relative.
Example =$A1
 Absolute for the row. The reference is locked to that row. The column
remains relative.
Example =A$1
  Let's have a look at an example helping the Pokemon trainers to calculate
prices for Pokeballs

 Type or copy the following data:

Excel Relative

 Cells in Excel have unique references, which is its location.

 References are used in formulas to do calculations, and the fill function can
be used to continue formulas sidewards, downwards and upwards.

Excel has two types of references:

1. Relative references
2. Absolute references

Absolute reference is a choice we make. It is a command which tells Excel to lock

a reference.

 The dollar sign ($) is used to make references absolute.

 Example of relative reference: A1
 Example of absolute reference: $A$1

 References are relative by default, and are without dollar sign ($).

 The relative reference makes the cells reference free. It gives the fill function
freedom to continue the order without restrictions.
Let's have a look at a relative reference example, helping the Pokemon trainers to
count their Pokeballs (B2:B7) and Great balls (C2:C7).

Next, fill the range D2:D7:

The references being relative allows the fill function to continue the formula for
rows downwards.

Have a look at the formulas in D2:D7. Notice that it calculates the next row as you
fill.

Protect and unprotect a cell or worksheet in Microsoft Excel

 In Microsoft Excel, you can protect one or more cells, or protect an entire
worksheet, preventing other users from changing the data in the cells or
worksheet.
 After locking and protecting cells or worksheets, to edit them again, you need to
unprotect them.
 Select a link below to learn how to protect and unprotect a cell or worksheet in
Microsoft Excel.

How to protect a cell

To protect a cell in Microsoft Excel, follow the steps below.

1. Select all cells in the worksheet by clicking the Select All button,
found above the row numbers and to the left of the column headers.
 2. Press Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells window. You can also
use Ctrl+Shift+F combination to open the Format Cells window.

3. In the Format Cells window, click the Protection tab

4. Uncheck the box for the Locked option, then click OK.

5. In the worksheet, select the cell you want to lock and protect.

6. Open the Format Cells window by pressing Ctrl+1 combination again.

7. Click the Protection tab, check the box for the Locked option, then
click OK.

8. In the menu bar, click the Review tab.

9. In the Protect group, click the Protect Sheet option.

10.The Protect Sheet window opens. Enter a password for unlocking the protected
cells in the Password to unprotect sheet text field.

11.In the Allow all users of this worksheet to section, make sure only the box for
the Select unlocked cells option is checked, then click OK.

12. Enter the password again in the Confirm Password window and click OK.

How to unprotect a cell or worksheet

To unprotect a cell or worksheet in Microsoft Excel, follow the steps below.

1. In the menu bar, click the Review tab.

2. In the Protect group, click the Unprotect Sheet option.

3. In the Unprotect Sheet sheet window that pops up, enter the
password to unlock the worksheet, then click OK.
Working with Functions

 A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using specific

values in a particular order.

 One of the key benefits of functions is that they can save you time because
you do not have to write the formula yourself.

 Excel has hundreds of functions to assist with your calculations.

The parts of a function :The order in which you insert a function is important. Each
function has a specific order—called syntax—which must be followed in order for
the function to work correctly. The basic syntax to create a formula with a function
is to insert an equals sign (=), function name (SUM, for example, is the function
name for addition), and argument. Arguments contain the information you want the
formula to calculate, such as a range of cell references.
Working with arguments

Arguments must be enclosed in parentheses. Individual values or cell references

inside the parentheses are separated by either colons or commas.

 Colons create a reference to a range of cells.

For example, =AVERAGE(E19:E23) would calculate
the average of the cell range E19 through E23.
 Commas separate individual values, cell references, and cell
ranges in parentheses. If there is more than one argument, you
must separate each argument by a comma.
For example, =COUNT(C6:C14,C19:C23,C28) will count all
the cells in the three arguments that are included in
parentheses.
To create a basic function in Excel:
1.Select the cell where the answer will appear (F15, for example).
2.Type the equals sign (=), then enter the function name (SUM, for
example).

3.Enter the cells for the argument inside the parentheses.

4.Press Enter, and the result will appear.

The Function Library

A great place to explore functions is in the Function Library on the Formulas tab.
Here, you can search and select Excel functions based on categories such
as Financial, Logical, Text, and Date & Time.

To insert a function from the Function Library:

1.Select the cell where the answer will appear

2.Click the Formulas tab.
3.From the Function Library group, select the function category you
want. In this example, we'll choose Date & Time.
4.Select the desired function from the Date & Time drop-down menu. We'll
choose the NETWORKDAYS function to count the days between the order
date and receive date in our worksheet.
.
Conditional Functions

Conditional functions perform calculations on a cell or range of cells only if those

cells meet a certain condition. These functions test a given range and determine if
the condition is true or false before continuing. A condition can be any relational
comparison:

Examples:

 A3>14 Whether the contents of cell A3 are larger than the number 14
 D5<=2 Whether the contents of cell D5 are less than or equal to the number
2
 T47=”cheese” Whether the cell T47 contains the the word cheese

There are six types of conditional functions covered by this course. Each has a
specific use and syntax.

IF

=if(condition,value_if_true,value_if_false)

If the given condition is true, the cell will be set to the “value_if_true.” If the
condition is false, the cell will be set to the “value_if_false,” if “value_if_false” is
left blank, the cell will be set to “FALSE” by default.

Example:

=if(A2>3,32,”Number too small”)

Reads: If A2>3 is true, then set the cell to 32. Otherwise, set the cell to “Number
too small”

Nested IF Functions

An interesting addition to the “if” function is the ability to nest one “if” function
inside of another. A single “if” function, without the use of any other functions, can
only test for a single condition. A nested if statement can be more specific by testing
another condition.

Example:
Test the condition of whether the contents of cell A2 are between 1 and 3.

=if (A2>3,”Number too large”, if (A2<1,”Number too small”, “Just right!”))

The completed function will test whether the value of A2 is larger than 3. If it is, the
active cell will be set to “Number too large.” If A2 is less than 3, it will be tested to
see if the value of A2 is less than 1. If it is, the active cell is set to “Number too
small.” Otherwise, we know that the value of A2 must be between 1 and 3, so the
active cell is set to “Just right!”

COUNTIF

=countif(range,criteria)

The “countif” function will increment the active cell by one each time the criteria
is true for a cell in the given range.

Example:
You want to know how many universities have “red” as one of their school colors,
and have compiled a database of schools and their colors in Excel.

=countif (F1:F230, “=red”)

If a cell in F1:F230 satisfies “=red”, then increment the active cell by one.

SUMIF

=sumif(range,criteria,sum_range)
 The “sumif” function utilizes a range and a corresponding sum_range of the same
size. Each time the criteria is true, the active cell will be incremented by the value
in the corresponding cell in the sum_range. If “sum_range” is not specified, excel
will treat “range” as “sum_range” as well.

AND and OR

“AND” and “OR” statements should be nested inside conditional statements. If

they are not, the function will return either “TRUE” or “FALSE,” which is not
highly informative. If we replace that first part of an “if” statement with an AND
statement, we can easily use “if” statements based upon multiple conditions.
“AND” and “OR” statements can also be nested inside each other.

=AND(condition, condition)
=OR(condition, condition)
Function Description
AND function Returns TRUE if all of its arguments are TRUE
BYCOL Applies a LAMBDA to each column and returns an array of the results
function
BYROW Applies a LAMBDA to each row and returns an array of the results
function
FALSE Returns the logical value FALSE
function
IF function Specifies a logical test to perform
IFERROR Returns a value you specify if a formula evaluates to an error; otherwise, returns the
function result of the formula
IFNA function Returns the value you specify if the expression resolves to #N/A, otherwise returns the
result of the expression
IFS function Checks whether one or more conditions are met and returns a value that corresponds to
the first TRUE condition.
LAMBDA Create custom, reusable functions and call them by a friendly name
function
LET function Assigns names to calculation results
MAKEARRAY Returns a calculated array of a specified row and column size, by applying a LAMBDA
function
MAP function Returns an array formed by mapping each value in the array(s) to a new value by
applying a LAMBDA to create a new value
NOT function Reverses the logic of its argument
OR function Returns TRUE if any argument is TRUE
Logical functions

Lookup and reference functions

Function Description
ADDRESS Returns a reference as text to a single cell in a worksheet
function
AREAS function Returns the number of areas in a reference
CHOOSE function Chooses a value from a list of values
CHOOSECOLS Returns the specified columns from an array
function
CHOOSEROWS Returns the specified rows from an array
function
COLUMN Returns the column number of a reference
function
COLUMNS Returns the number of columns in a reference
function
DROP function Excludes a specified number of rows or columns from the start or end of an array

EXPAND function Expands or pads an array to specified row and column dimensions
FILTER function Filters a range of data based on criteria you define
FORMULATEXT Returns the formula at the given reference as text
function
Function Description
GETPIVOTDATA Returns data stored in a PivotTable report
function

HLOOKUP Looks in the top row of an array and returns the value of the indicated cell
function
HSTACK function Appends arrays horizontally and in sequence to return a larger array
HYPERLINK Creates a shortcut or jump that opens a document stored on a network server, an
function intranet, or the Internet
INDEX function Uses an index to choose a value from a reference or array
INDIRECT Returns a reference indicated by a text value
function
LOOKUP function Looks up values in a vector or array
MATCH function Looks up values in a reference or array
OFFSET function Returns a reference offset from a given reference
ROW function Returns the row number of a reference
ROWS function Returns the number of rows in a reference
RTD function Retrieves real-time data from a program that supports COM automation
SORT function Sorts the contents of a range or array
SORTBY function Sorts the contents of a range or array based on the values in a corresponding range o
array
VLOOKUP Looks in the first column of an array and moves across the row to return the value o
function cell

VLOOKUP Exact Match &Approximate Match

What is VLOOKUP?

Vertical lookup, often known as VLOOKUP, is one of the most popular functions
in Excel. It’s specifically designed to navigate through database sources and tables
to retrieve data.
The function performs vertical searches down a specific column by looking for a
value in the first column of a table and returning a value on the same row in a
specific column.
VLOOKUP syntax
Here’s the syntax of VLOOKUP:

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])

Lookup_value
The value to lookup in the leftmost column of a table.

Table_array
The range of cells that contains the data.

Col_index_num
The number of the column in the table, from which the matching value must be
returned. The first column is 1, the second column is 2, and so on.

[Range_lookup]
It’s optional — not necessary to enter. This is the parameter used to define exact
match or approximate match. Should you wish to specify, there are two options:

1. FALSE to search for an exact match

2. TRUE to find an approximate match.
TRUE is the default value if no specific instruction is given.

VLOOKUP example

A customer data analyst has been given the data set below and asked to look up the
city of three particular clients by using their client ID, under column
G.
To compose the formula in cell H2, let’s break it down in arguments:

Lookup_value
100002 is the first client to lookup, so the lookup_value is cell G2.
Table_array
The table from which the value is available is within A1:E11.

[Range_lookup]
In the meantime, let’s enter FALSE – exact match.
What is exact match in VLOOKUP and how to use it
In most scenarios, exact match is employed when using VLOOKUP, especially
when a unique value is the lookup value.
Given that the lookup value is available in the leftmost column of the table provided,
an exact match is employed in this VLOOKUP example.
This time VLOOKUP is to lookup value 20606 or E2 in the leftmost column of the
table array given — A:C.
What is approximate match in VLOOKUP and how to use it

Approximate match is the default range_lookup in the formula. When no instruction

is given, Excel assumes the lookup refers to an approximate match.
In most cases, it’s less frequently used compared to exact match, though it is useful
when the lookup value is not available within the table array.
For instance, the annual income of $39,000 is not available in the leftmost column of
the table. In this situation, TRUE is useful in requesting Excel to return an
approximate match. As $39,000 is not available, it will return a value smaller than
$39,000 ($30,000 in this example) — 8% of salary tax.
If we use FALSE (exact match in this situation), since there’s no value of $39,000
available in the leftmost column, Excel will return #N/A.

Nested VLOOKUP Formula Examples

While working in VLOOKUP function in Excel, we may need to look up for

values in multiple tables. This is possible by nesting VLOOKUP function.

Setting up Your Data

We will now look at the example to explain in details how this function works.
Above all, let’s start with examining the structure of the data that we will use.

The Table 1 consists of 2 columns:

 The first column is “Product” (B)

 The second one is “Salesman” (C).

The second table, Table 2, consists of 3 columns:

 Column E is “Salesman”,
 Column F is “Sales”
 While column G is “Product”.

Finally, Table 3 has 2 columns:

 Column I is “Product”
 Column J is “Sales”.

As a result, we want to get sales value in the third table (column J), depending on a
product (column I).

Syntax of the VLOOKUP formula

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, range_lookup)

The parameters of the VLOOKUP function are:

 Lookup_value– a value which we want to find in a lookup table

 Table_array– a table in which we want to look up
 Col_index_num– a column number in a lookup table from which we want to
pull the data
 Range_lookup– default value 0. This means that we want to find an exact
match for a lookup value.

How to Use Dynamic VLOOKUP in Excel

Here, we will demonstrate 3 easy ways to use dynamic VLOOKUP in Excel.

1. Excel Dynamic VLOOKUP with MATCH Function
The MATCH function finds an exact or appropriate match of data and returns the
position in a given range. The VLOOKUP function returns only a single matched
value.
2. VLOOKUP with Dynamic Column Reference in Excel
To get a column reference, we can use the COLUMN function. This function
saves a lot of time. It makes the column into a cell reference in an array

3. Using VLOOKUP with Excel COLUMNS Function

Sometimes we need the combination of the VLOOKUP function and the
COLUMNS function in the case of a large amount of data.
The COLUMNS function works differently from the COLUMN function where it
returns the number of columns in a dataset.
Data validation to cells
Select the cell(s) you want to create a rule for.

1. Select Data >Data Validation.

2. On the Settings tab, under Allow, select an option:

 Whole Number - to restrict the cell to accept only whole
numbers.
 Decimal - to restrict the cell to accept only decimal numbers.
 List - to pick data from the drop-down list.
 Date - to restrict the cell to accept only date.
 Time - to restrict the cell to accept only time.
 Text Length - to restrict the length of the text.
 Custom – for custom formula.
3. Under Data, select a condition.
4. Set the other required values based on what you chose
for Allow and Data.
5. Select the Input Message tab and customize a message users will see
when entering data.
6. Select the Show input message when cell is selected checkbox to
display the message when the user selects or hovers over the selected
cell(s).
7. Select the Error Alert tab to customize the error message and to choose
a Style.
8. Select OK.
9. Now, if the user tries to enter a value that is not valid, an Error
Alert appears with your customized message

Excel Data Validation: custom formulas and rule

Microsoft Excel has several built-in data validation rules for numbers, dates and
text, but they cover only the most basic scenariosSelect one or more cells to
validate.
 1. Open the Data Validation dialog box. For this, click the Data
Validation button on the Data tab, in the Data Tools group or press the
key sequence Alt > D > L (each key is to be pressed separately).
2. On the Settings tab of the Data Validation dialog window,
select Custom in the Allow box, and enter your data validation formula in
the Formula box.
3. Click OK.

Working with Templates

Creating and using templates A template is a model that you use to create other
documents. For example, you can create a template for business reports that has
your company’s logo on the first page. New documents created from this template
will all have your company’s logo on the first page. Templates can contain
anything that regular documents can contain, such as text, graphics, and formatting
styles.
• Create documents from a template.
• Create templates.
• Edit templates.
• Set a default template.
Creating documents from a template
To create a document from a template, follow these steps:
1) From the main menu, choose File > New > Templates and Documents. The
Templates and Documents window opens.
2) In the box on the left, click the Templates icon if it isn’t already selected. A list
of template folders appears in the center box.
3) Double-click the folder that contains the template that you want to use. A list of
all the templates contained in that folder appears in the center box.
4) Click the template that you want to use. You can preview the selected template
or view the template’s properties:
• To preview the template, click the Preview icon.
• To view the template’s properties, click the Properties icon.
5) Click Open. The Templates and Documents window closes and a new
document based on the selected template opens in Writer. You can then edit and
save the new document just as you would any other document.
Creating template folders
To create an OpenOffice.org template folder, follow these steps:
1) From the main menu, choose File > Templates > Organize. The Template
Management window opens.
2) In the box on the left, click any folder.
3) Click the Commands button. The context menu appears.
4) From the context menu, choose New. A new folder called Untitled appears.
5) Type a name for the new folder and then press the Enter key on your keyboard.
Writer saves the folder with the name that you entered.
6) To close the Template Management window, click Close.
Deleting template folders
To delete an OpenOffice.org template folder, follow these steps:
1) From the main menu, choose File > Templates > Organize. The Template
Management window opens.
2) In the box on the left, click the folder that you want to delete.
3) Click the Commands button. The context menu appears.
4) From the context menu, choose Delete. A dialog box appears and asks you to
confirm the delete.
5) Click Yes. The dialog box closes and the selected folder is deleted.
 Units II
Data Validations - Specifying a valid range of values - Specifying a list of valid values-
Specifying custom validations based on formula - Working with Templates Designing
the structure of a template- templates for standardization of worksheets - Sorting
and Filtering Data -Sorting tables- multiple-level sorting- custom sorting- Filtering
data for selected view - advanced filter options- Working with Reports Creating
subtotals- Multiple-level subtotal.

Data Validation
Data Validation in Excel is used to control the type of data entered into a cell,
helping to ensure data integrity. This includes specifying a range of valid values, using
predefined lists, or creating custom validation rules with formulas.
How to do Data Validation in Excel
The data validation function can be found in the DATA tab from the Excel
ribbon(as seen in the picture below).
Step 1: Click on the Data Tab in the Ribbon.
Step 2: Now select Data Validation.

After clicking on Data Validation, a menu appears.

Step 3: Select Data Validation and a dialogue box appear.

There are 3 tabs in the dialogue box.
1. Settings: This will help you to select the data type and the type of data that
you want to be filled in the desired row or column.
2. Input Message: This tab will help to let the user know about the constraints
you’ve decided on for the row/column. It will alert the user to input the right
set of values.
3. Error Alert: The error alert tab will help the user to know that they had
entered invalid data.
Settings Tab
• In the settings tab, you can find options to set validation criteria.
• The Setting Tab helps us to choose the validation rule as per your need from
the in-built options.
• We also have the option to select custom rules with the customized formula
for user inputs.
• There are all the options for Data Validation in the settings tab.

Input Message Tab (Optional)

• The Input Message Text tab has a Text box to enter a message displayed
as soon as the user selects the respective cell to enter the data.
• If you want to display a message that helps the user to understand what
type of data is allowed to enter in the data in the given cell.

Follow the below steps:

Step 1: Open the Input Message Tab.
Step 2: Make sure there should be a tick mark on the “When a cell is selected, show
input message”.
Step 3: Enter the Title and Text of your message in the fields.
Step 4: As soon as the user selects the Validated cell, It will show this message.
Error alert Tab (Optional)
• The error alert tab helps us to provide the option to control how the validation
is enforced.
• We can apply different criteria and then use any desired error style according
to the user input.
• We can also display a message to the user informing them about the type of
error and what values must be entered in the given cells.
There are three types of error styles in Excel
• Stop
• Warning
• Information
If you want to configure a custom error alert message then follow the steps below:
Step 1: Click on the Error Alert in the Data Validation
Step 2: Make sure there is a tick mark in the box “Show error alert after invalid data
in Entered”.
Step 3: You can Select the desired error style in the Style box.
Step 4: Enter the title and text of the error message and click “ok”.
Specifying a Valid Range of Values
• In Excel, you can use Data Validation to specify that data entered into a cell
must fall within a defined range of values.
• This helps prevent users from entering incorrect or out-of-bounds data,
ensuring that the input meets specific criteria.
Select the cell(s) you want to create a rule for.
1. Select Data >Data Validation.

2. On the Settings tab, under Allow, select an option:

▪ Whole Number - to restrict the cell to accept only whole numbers.
▪ Decimal - to restrict the cell to accept only decimal numbers.
▪ List - to pick data from the drop-down list.
▪ Date - to restrict the cell to accept only date.
▪ Time - to restrict the cell to accept only time.
▪ Text Length - to restrict the length of the text.
▪ Custom – for custom formula.
3. Under Data, select a condition.
4. Set the other required values based on what you chose
for Allow and Data.
5. Select the Input Message tab and customize a message users will see
when entering data.
6. Select the Show input message when cell is selected checkbox to display
the message when the user selects or hovers over the selected cell(s).
7. Select the Error Alert tab to customize the error message and to choose
a Style.
8. Select OK.
9. Now, if the user tries to enter a value that is not valid, an Error
Alert appears with your customized message.

Specifying a list of valid values

Excel Data Validation List:
Data Validation also provides a feature of adding a drop-down list to a cell or
group of cells.
Follow the below steps to add a drop-down list:
Step 1: Select a cell in which you want to add the drop-down list.
Step 2: On the setting tab, Enter List in the Allow box.
Step 3: Type the Items of your Excel Validation list in the Source Box, Separated by
commas For example To limit the user input into two choices type Yes, NO.
Step 4: Now select the In-cell dropdown box in order for the drop-down arrow to
appear next to the cell.
Step 5: Press “OK”

Example of Data Validation

Let’s take the example of filling out a form. The form requires your name which has
a limitation of 3-7 characters, it requires your date of birth, and has a list of cities for
the exam center. Not considering all the other requirements as of now.
The form looks like this.

To apply data validation with a word limit of 3-7 characters for the Name cell.
Step 1: Select the empty cell in front of the Name.
Step 2: From the DATA tab in the ribbon, select Data Validation.
Step 3: A Dialogue box will appear.
Step 4: In the dialogue box from the setting tab, in the dropdown, select Text
Length (as shown in the image below).
Step 5: We want our user to enter the name between 3-7 characters, So in
the Minimum column we’ll write 3 and in the Maximum column we’ll write 7 and
then click OK.

The Name row will now accept only text between 3-7 characters.
To use Data Validation as Date of Birth
Step 6: Select the cell in front of Data of Birth in Excel.
Step 7: Repeat steps 2 and 3.
Step 8: In this step, instead of selecting text length, you need to select Date (as shown
in the image below).

If you want the user must be born between 1st January 2000 to 1st January
2021. Enter the Start date as 1st January 2000 and the End date as 1st January 2021.

Step 9: Click OK.

Now, the Date of Birth row will accept dates between 1st January 2000 to 1st January
2021.
Excel Data Validation List (Dropdown)
Step 10: Select the empty cell in front of the Exam Centre.
Step 11: Repeat steps 2 and 3.
Step 12: Select List (as shown in the image below).

You want to add “Kanpur”, “Agra”, “Aligarh”, “Lucknow”, “Varanasi” to the list.
Step 13: Add the names in the source column separated by a comma(,).

Step 14: Click OK.

The Exam center cell will look like this.

You’ve successfully created a form with 3 requirements using Data Validation.

Specifying custom validations based on formula
What is Custom Data Validation?
Custom validation allows you to use formulas to specify exactly what type of data is
allowed in a cell or range. If the formula returns TRUE, the input is valid; if it returns
FALSE, the input is rejected.
You can use:
• Logical functions (AND, OR, NOT)
• Comparison operators (=, >, <, >=, <=, <>)
• Text functions (LEN, SEARCH, ISNUMBER, etc.)
• Date and time functions (TODAY(), NOW(), etc.)

How to Set Up Custom Validation Based on a Formula

Steps to Apply Custom Validation:
1. Select the Cell or Range: Highlight the cell or range where you want to
apply the validation.
2. Open Data Validation Dialog:
o Go to the Data tab in the ribbon.
o Click Data Validation in the Data Tools group.
3. Choose "Custom" Validation:
o In the Data Validation dialog box, under the Settings tab, choose
Custom in the Allow field.
4. Enter the Formula:
o In the Formula field, enter the validation formula that returns TRUE
for valid data and FALSE for invalid data.
5. Optional: Add an Input Message (to show guidance when the cell is
selected) or an Error Alert (to display a message when invalid data is
entered).

Examples of Custom Validation Rules Using Formulas

1. Validate that a Number is Between Two Values
You can ensure that the number entered is within a specific range.
• Formula: =AND(A1>=10, A1<=100)
o This formula will allow values between 10 and 100.
o If a value is outside this range, it will be rejected.
2. Validate that a Date is in the Future
You can use the TODAY() function to ensure that a date entered is in the future.
• Formula: =A1>TODAY()

o This formula will only allow dates that are after today's date.
3. Validate Text Length (Limit Characters)
You can limit the number of characters entered into a cell.
• Formula:
=LEN(A1)<=5
o This will restrict the entry to a maximum of 5 characters.
4. Validate that a Cell Contains Only Numbers
You can use ISNUMBER to check that the entered value is a number.
• Formula:
=ISNUMBER(A1)
o This formula will allow only numeric values.
5. Validate Text Starts with a Specific Prefix
You can ensure that the text entered starts with a specific character or string.
• Formula:
=LEFT(A1, 3)="ABC"
o This will only allow text that begins with "ABC".
6. Validate Email Address Format
You can use a formula to check whether the input contains "@" and "." to mimic basic
email validation.
• Formula:
=AND(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("@",A1)), ISNUMBER(SEARCH(".",A1)))
o This formula checks that the email address contains both "@" and
".".
7. Validate that a Value is Not a Duplicate
You can prevent duplicate entries in a range using COUNTIF.
• Formula:
=COUNTIF($A$1:$A$10, A1)=1
o This will ensure that the value entered is unique within the range
A1:A10.
8. Validate that the Value is a Positive Number
You can restrict input to only positive numbers.
• Formula:
=A1>0
o This ensures the entered value is greater than zero.
9. Validate that a Value is a Valid Time
You can ensure that the value entered is within a valid time range (e.g., 9:00 AM to
5:00 PM).
• Formula:
=AND(A1>=TIME(9,0,0), A1<=TIME(17,0,0))
o This ensures the value is between 9:00 AM and 5:00 PM.
10. Validate Data Based on Another Cell
You can create validation rules based on the value of another cell. For example,
ensuring a value is only entered if a certain condition is met in another cell.
• Formula (e.g., allow data entry in B1 only if A1 contains "Yes"):
=IF(A1="Yes", TRUE, FALSE)
o This will allow data in cell B1 only if A1 contains the word "Yes".
Working with Templates in Excel: Designing the Structure of a Template
Excel templates are pre-designed workbooks that help streamline the
creation of new documents by providing a predefined structure and formatting. Using
templates allows for greater efficiency, consistency, and standardization in reporting,
analysis, or any other tasks you frequently perform.
In this section, we’ll explore how to design the structure of a template in Excel,
including the steps involved, the key elements to consider, and tips for creating
templates that are easy to use and maintain.

What is an Excel Template?

An Excel Template is a file that contains a predefined structure, format,
and content but can be used to create new workbooks without modifying the original
template.
Templates can include formatting, formulas, data validation rules, charts,
and even macros.
Why Use Templates?
• Standardization: Templates ensure consistency across multiple
documents, especially useful for financial reports, invoices, and project
tracking.
• Efficiency: They save time by reusing a predefined structure for similar
tasks or reports.
• Error Reduction: Templates can include validation rules and predefined
formulas, reducing human error.
• Customization: Templates can be customized to meet the specific needs
of users or teams, providing flexibility.

Step by Step Implementation of Templates

Step 1: Build-In Excel Template. In order to use the excel template, we need to
access it. For this, we need Open Excel > New. There it shows different in-built
categories of excel sheets either we can choose it from there or we can search the
templates using the search box.
Step 2: Online Template. In order to check online templates, we just need to search
for the required template in the search box. For example, if we want templates
regarding Calendar, we need to search Calendar in the search box.

Step 3: Insert Excel Templates. In this step, we will insert one of the excel templates.
For this, we need to choose our template (Here, we are choosing one of the calendar
templates). Once we click on our desired template excel will pop up a window. It is
having one of the options Create we need to click on it.

Once we click on Create option, excel will automatically download the template and
make it ready to use.

As we can see in the above picture, excel has already created the Calendar for us.
We just need to focus on data and datasets to use the calendar.
Designing the Structure of a Template
When designing an Excel template, it’s essential to focus on several key aspects that
will make the template useful and easy to apply.
1. Plan the Layout and Structure
The first step in designing a template is to plan the layout of the worksheet. Here
are a few things to consider:
• Header and Footer:
o Define the Header to include important information such as the
report title, date, and any other relevant details.
o Use the Footer for page numbers, document version, or other
necessary information.
Example: A financial report template might have the title "Quarterly Financial
Report" in the header and the date and page numbers in the footer.
• Tables and Data Ranges:
o Organize your data in tables for better structure and readability.
Use Excel's Table feature (Insert → Table) to make data more
dynamic.
o Include appropriate headings for each column (e.g., Date, Item,
Amount, Description, etc.).
Example: A sales report template might include tables for sales data, expenses, and
summary data.
• Formulas and Calculations:
o Plan where to place formulas and calculations to automate
computations. Use SUM, AVERAGE, VLOOKUP, and other
functions to simplify data entry.
o Ensure that the template is structured so users can enter data in
specific places while the calculations occur in others.
Example: For an expense tracker, include a formula in the "Total" column to
calculate the sum of the expenses.
2. Add Predefined Styles and Formatting
Templates should be designed with clear formatting to make the document visually
appealing and easy to read. Some of the key formatting elements to include are:
• Font Style and Size:
o Use consistent font styles (e.g., Arial or Calibri) and sizes for
headings, data, and titles.
• Cell Borders:
o Use borders to demarcate sections and make the template easier
to navigate.
o Color borders or background cells to highlight important sections,
such as headers or totals.
• Number Formats:
o Apply proper number formatting to cells that require currency,
percentages, or dates. For example, ensure that monetary values
are formatted as currency (e.g., $1,234.56).
Example: A budget template might use a currency format for budgeted and actual
amounts.
• Conditional Formatting:
o Use conditional formatting to visually highlight important data.
For example, you might color cells red if the value is negative or
above a certain threshold.
Example: In a sales performance template, you might use conditional formatting to
highlight sales numbers that fall below a target.
3. Data Validation and Drop-down Lists
To ensure users input data correctly, you can use Data Validation to restrict the
type of data that can be entered in certain cells. Some common uses of data
validation include:
• Drop-down Lists:
o Use Data Validation with List to create drop-down menus. This
ensures that users can only select from predefined options.
Example: A project management template might include a drop-down list for
selecting project status (e.g., "Not Started", "In Progress", "Completed").
• Number Ranges:
o Use data validation to ensure that numeric values fall within a
specific range.
Example: For an expense report, you might use validation to ensure that expenses
are entered as positive numbers.
• Date Ranges:
o Use data validation to ensure that only valid dates (within a
certain range or future dates) are entered.
Example: A schedule template can use validation to ensure that dates entered are
within the current year.
4. Lock and Protect Cells
To prevent users from accidentally modifying certain cells (e.g., formulas, headers,
or structure), you can lock and protect them.
• Locking Cells:
o By default, all cells in an Excel worksheet are locked. To protect
important data or formulas, you can unlock the cells where users
should enter data and lock the rest.
o To unlock cells, select the cells, right-click, choose Format Cells, go
to the Protection tab, and uncheck Locked.
• Protecting the Worksheet:
o Once the cells are locked, protect the entire worksheet (Review →
Protect Sheet). You can set a password to prevent others from
unlocking the sheet without permission.
Example: A financial template may have formulas locked to prevent users from
accidentally changing them while allowing them to input values in other cells.
5. Save the Template
Once you’ve designed the template structure, you can save it as an Excel Template
(.xltx) file. This allows users to create new workbooks based on the template
without modifying the original file.
• Steps to Save as a Template:
1. Go to File → Save As.
2. In the "Save as type" drop-down menu, choose Excel Template
(*.xltx).
3. Name the template and choose the location to save it.
Example: Save your monthly sales report template as Monthly Sales Report.xltx.

Templates for Standardization of Worksheets in Excel

• Using templates in Excel is an effective way to standardize worksheets across
different users, departments, or tasks.
• By creating consistent and reusable templates, you ensure that your data is
structured uniformly, improving both accuracy and efficiency.
• Templates provide a predefined layout, formatting, and functionality that
guide users to input the right type of data and prevent errors.

Why Use Templates for Standardization?

1. Consistency: Templates ensure that every worksheet follows the same
structure, making it easier for users to input and analyze data across
multiple workbooks.
2. Error Prevention: By setting data validation rules, formulas, and
predefined styles, templates reduce the chances of errors.
3. Efficiency: Templates save time by eliminating the need to manually
create the same structure repeatedly. Users can simply open a template,
enter the required data, and save it as a new file.
4. Data Integrity: By enforcing rules such as data validation and protecting
key areas of the worksheet, templates help maintain data integrity.
5. Collaboration: When multiple people work on similar tasks, templates
ensure everyone follows the same process, leading to smoother
collaboration.

Key Components for Standardizing Worksheets

When creating a template for standardization, several elements should be included
to ensure that the worksheet is consistent and easy to use:
1. Predefined Headers and Structure
The header of the template should contain standardized fields that clearly define
the content of the worksheet. Common elements to include are:
• Title/Description: Clear title at the top of the sheet (e.g., "Quarterly
Sales Report").
• Date: A field for the reporting period or date range (e.g., "From Date"
and "To Date").
 • User Information: User or department-specific fields, such as "Prepared
By" or "Department".
• Version Control: A version field to track changes or updates (e.g.,
"Version 1.0").
Example:
• Header:
o "Financial Report"
o "For the period: January 1, 2024 – March 31, 2024"
o "Prepared by: [Enter Name]"
o "Version: [Auto-filled]"

2. Data Validation Rules

Standardized templates should include data validation rules to ensure consistency
in user input. Common data validation rules include:
• Drop-down Lists: For predefined options (e.g., status, region, product
type).
• Number Ranges: To ensure that numerical data falls within a valid range.
• Date Ranges: To ensure that users enter dates within a specific time
frame (e.g., current year).
• Unique Entries: To prevent duplicate entries (e.g., employee IDs, invoice
numbers).
Example:
• A sales report template might have a drop-down list to select the region
(e.g., "North", "South", "East", "West").
• Invoice templates might use data validation to restrict the total amount
to a positive number.

3. Predefined Formulas and Calculations

Templates should include formulas that automatically calculate key metrics. This
can reduce errors and ensure consistency across all worksheets. Common formulas
might include:
• SUM: For totaling values (e.g., total sales, total expenses).
• AVERAGE: For calculating averages (e.g., average sales per month).
• IF Statements: For conditional calculations (e.g., calculating discounts or
bonuses based on criteria).
• VLOOKUP or INDEX-MATCH: For looking up data from other sheets or
tables (e.g., employee details, product prices).
Example:
• Sales Report: The "Total Sales" column could be calculated with =Units
Sold * Unit Price.
• Expense Report: The "Total Expenses" could be calculated using
=SUM(B2:B10).
4. Consistent Formatting
Standardized templates should apply consistent formatting across the entire
worksheet to make the document look professional and easy to read. Key
formatting components include:
• Fonts: Choose a consistent font style and size for headers, data, and
totals.
• Colors: Use color coding for different types of data (e.g., green for profit,
red for expenses).
• Borders: Use borders to separate sections (e.g., separate tables or key
data fields).
• Cell Alignment: Align numbers, text, and dates consistently across cells.
Example:
• Use bold and larger fonts for header cells like "Total Sales" or "Month".
• Apply conditional formatting to highlight negative values in red (e.g.,
when expenses exceed budget).

5. Instructions and Cell Comments

While templates provide structure, they should also offer guidance for users to
understand how to use them properly. This can be done through:
• Cell Comments/Notes: Add explanatory text in key cells (e.g., "Enter the
start date for the quarter").
• Input Messages: Use Data Validation Input Messages to display helpful
instructions when users select a cell.
• Examples: Provide an example in the template (e.g., "e.g., $500 for
January").
Example:
• In the "Sales" column of a sales report, you might add a comment that
says, "Enter the number of units sold for the month."

6. Locking and Protecting the Worksheet

To prevent accidental changes to critical formulas or structures, you can lock cells
and protect the worksheet:
• Lock Key Cells: Lock cells that contain formulas or data validation rules
to prevent users from altering them.
• Protect the Sheet: Apply sheet protection (Review → Protect Sheet) to
prevent users from making changes to locked cells.
• Allow Editing in Specific Areas: Use the "Allow Users to Edit Ranges"
option to specify which parts of the sheet are editable.
Example:
• Financial Template: Lock all cells containing formulas that calculate
totals and subtotals, leaving only data input fields unlocked.
Examples of Templates for Standardization
1. Budget Template
A budget template standardizes how users input and track expenses, income, and
other financial metrics. Here's what it might include:
• Headers:
o "Budget for Fiscal Year 2024"
o "Prepared By: [User Name]"
o "Version: [Auto-filled]"
• Data Validation:
o Drop-down lists for "Category" (e.g., "Rent", "Utilities", "Salaries").
o Numeric validation for "Amount" (ensuring it’s a positive number).
• Formulas:
o Sum all expenses in the "Total Expenses" column: =SUM(B2:B10).
o Compare budgeted vs. actual: =IF(Actual > Budget, "Over Budget",
"Under Budget").
• Formatting:
o Use color coding to highlight over-budget categories.
o Bold the "Total Budget" and "Total Expenses" rows.
2. Invoice Template
An invoice template helps standardize invoicing across an organization or between
freelancers and clients. Here's an example of a standardized invoice template:
• Headers:
o "Invoice # [Auto-generated]"
o "Issue Date: [Auto-filled with TODAY()]"
o "Due Date: [User-entered]"
o "Client Name: [Enter Name]"
• Data Validation:
o Drop-down list for "Item" (e.g., "Consulting", "Development",
"Design").
o Currency formatting for "Amount".
• Formulas:
o Calculate the "Total" for each line item: =Quantity * Unit Price.
o Calculate the "Subtotal" using =SUM(D2:D10), and apply a
discount if applicable.
• Formatting:
o Ensure that the "Total Amount Due" is in a large, bold font.
o Use borders to clearly separate the header, itemized list, and
totals sections.
3. Sales Report Template
A sales report template helps standardize the process of tracking and reporting
sales performance. Here’s what it might include:
• Headers:
o "Sales Report"
o "Period: [User-entered]"
o "Salesperson: [Enter Name]"
 • Data Validation:
o Drop-down list for "Product" (e.g., "Product A", "Product B").
o Date validation for "Sale Date" to ensure it's within the reporting
period.
• Formulas:
o Automatically calculate the "Total Sales" using: =Units Sold * Unit
Price.
o Sum total sales: =SUM(D2:D10).
• Formatting:
o Use conditional formatting to highlight sales that exceed a certain
target (e.g., use green if sales exceed $10,000).
o Bold the "Total Sales" for emphasis.

Sorting and Filtering Data in Excel

• Sorting and filtering data are two of the most essential tools in Excel for
organizing and analyzing data efficiently.
• They allow users to quickly view, summarize, and manipulate large datasets.

1. Sorting Data in Excel

• Sorting allows you to rearrange data in a specific order based on the values in
one or more columns.
• Sorting helps to analyze patterns, identify trends, or simply organize data in a
more meaningful way.
Types of Sorting
1. Ascending Order (A-Z or smallest to largest):
o For text: Alphabetical (A to Z).
o For numbers: From smallest to largest.
o For dates: From the earliest date to the most recent.
2. Descending Order (Z-A or largest to smallest):
o For text: Reverse alphabetical (Z to A).
o For numbers: From largest to smallest.
o For dates: From the most recent date to the earliest.
Sorting tables
How to Sort Data
o Step 1: Select any cell within the column you want to sort.
o Step 2: Go to the Data tab on the Ribbon.
o Step 3: In the Sort & Filter group, click on either:
 Or, select Data > Sort. .
▪ Sort A to Z (ascending)
▪ Sort Z to A (descending)
Sort by a Specific Column
• Sort by a single column:
1. In the Sort dialog, under "Column," choose the column you want to
sort by.
2. Under "Sort On," you can choose to sort by Cell Values, Cell Color,
Font Color, or Cell Icon.
3. Under "Order," select A to Z (ascending) or Z to A (descending),
depending on how you want the data ordered.

2. Sort by Multiple Columns (Multi-level Sorting): To sort by more than one

column, you need to use Excel’s multi-level sorting feature.
o Step 1: Select any cell within the dataset.
o Step 2: Go to the Data tab and click on Sort in the Sort & Filter
group.
o Step 3: In the Sort dialog box, choose the first column to sort by
from the "Sort by" dropdown.
o Step 4: Click Add Level to add another sorting criterion.
o Step 5: Repeat the process for additional columns. You can sort first
by "Date", then by "Sales", for example.
o Step 6: Click OK to apply the sort.
Example of Multi-level Sorting:
If you have a sales dataset with Region, Salesperson, and Total Sales, you can:
• First, sort by Region (A-Z), then by Sales Rep (A-Z), and finally by Sales
(largest to smallest).
Multi-Level Sorting Using Dialog Box
When you sort data using the sort dialog box, you get an option to add multiple
levels to it.
Here are the steps to do multi-level sorting using the dialog box:
1. Select the entire data set that you want to sort.
2. Click the Data tab.
3. Click on the Sort Icon (the one shown below). This will open the Sort dialog

box.
4. In the Sort Dialogue box, make the following selections
• Sort by (Column): Region (this is the first level of sorting)
• Sort On: Values
• Order: A to Z
• If your data has headers, ensure that ‘My data has headers’ option
is checked.

5. Click on Add Level (this will add another level of sorting options).

6. In the second level of sorting, make the following selections:

• Then by (Column): Sales
• Sort On: Values
Order: Largest to Smallest

7. Click OK
The above steps would give you the result as shown below. This sorts the data
first by Region and then by Sales column. Note that since it sorts the Region
column first when the Sales column is sorted, the Region column remains
unchanged.

In this example, I have sorted the data for two columns. You
can have more than two-column sorting as well. All you need to do is add these
sorting levels and specify the details.
Note: While this method is longer and takes a few more steps (as compared with
the multi-sorting method covered next), I recommend using this as it is less
confusing.
Multi-Level Sorting Using Sort Icons
Not many people know this way of doing a multiple level data sorting in Excel.
This technique works the same way with a minor difference – you sort the
second level first and then move to the first level sorting column.
Here are the steps to do it:
1. Select the column that you want to be sorted last (in this case, select the
Sales data first – C1:C13).
2. Click on the Data tab.
 3. In the Sort and Filter group, click on the Z to A sorting icon. This will sort
the sales data from largest to smallest.

4. The above step would make a Sort Warning dialog box pop-up. Make sure
‘Expand the selection’ is selected. This makes sure the entire dataset is
sorted, and not just data in the Sales column.

5. Click Sort.
6. Select the Region column.
In the Data tab, click on the A to Z sort icon.

7. In the Sort Warning dialog box pop-up, make sure ‘Expand the selection’
is selected.
8. Click Sort.

Custom Sorting
Custom sorting allows you to sort data based on specific criteria, such as custom
lists (like days of the week, months, or other predefined categories).
1. How to Create a Custom Sort Order:
o Step 1: Select any cell in your data.
o Step 2: Click on the Data tab and select Sort.
o Step 3: In the Sort dialog box, choose the column you want to sort
by.
o Step 4: Click on the Order dropdown, then select Custom List.
 o
o Step 5: Choose a custom list (e.g., for sorting months as "January,
February, March..." instead of alphabetically).
o Step 6: Click OK.
Example of Custom Sorting: If you want to sort months in chronological order,
but they appear alphabetically (e.g., "April", "August", "December"), you can
create a custom list to sort the months in their correct order.

Step-by-Step Guide to Sorting Months Chronologically Using a Custom List

1. Select Your Data
o Click on the column that contains the month names (e.g., "January,"
"February," "March," etc.).
2. Open the Sort Dialog
o Go to the Data tab in the Ribbon.
o Click the Sort button (located in the Sort & Filter group).
3. Open the Custom List Options
o In the Sort dialog box, under "Column," select the column that
contains your month names.
o Under "Sort On," choose Cell Values (this should be the default).
o Under "Order," select Custom List... (this will open a new dialog
where you can create or select a custom list).
4. Create a Custom List for Months
o In the Custom Lists dialog box, you’ll see a list of predefined custom
lists. To create a new one, click the NEW LIST option.
o Type the months in order (from January to December) in the List
entries box, one month per line. It should look like this:
January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
October
November
December
 o After typing the months in order, click Add to save your custom list.
5. Apply the Custom Sort
o Now that your custom list is available, go back to the Sort dialog
box and choose Custom List from the Order dropdown.
o Select your custom list (the one you just created), and click OK.
6. Sort the Data
o Once your custom list is selected, click OK in the Sort dialog box to
apply the chronological sort to your months.
Result:
• Your month names will now be sorted correctly, from "January" to
"December," instead of alphabetically.
Why Use a Custom List?
• Excel allows you to define a custom order for sorting data that is not
alphabetical, such as months, days of the week, or other sequences that
follow a specific order.
• Once you define the custom list, you can reuse it in other spreadsheets or
worksheets, which makes the sorting process much quicker.

Filtering Data in Excel

Filtering allows you to display only the rows that meet certain criteria,
which makes it easier to focus on specific subsets of data. Filtering can be
applied to text, numbers, dates, and more.

How to Apply Filters

1. Basic Filter:
o Step 1: Select any cell in the data range (ideally the header row).
o Step 2: Go to the Data tab and click on Filter.
o Step 3: Small drop-down arrows will appear next to each column
header.
o Step 4: Click the drop-down arrow in the column you want to filter
by.
o Step 5: Select the filter criteria (e.g., checkboxes for specific items,
date ranges, etc.).
o Step 6: Click OK to apply the filter. Excel will hide rows that do not
meet the criteria.
Example:
• If you have a sales table and want to filter only the rows where Sales are
greater than $1,000, click the drop-down arrow next to the Sales column
and use the Number Filters to set a condition like "Greater Than" $1,000.

Advanced Filtering
Advanced Filtering allows you to filter data using more complex criteria. It also
gives you the ability to filter data in place or copy it to another location.
 1. How to Use Advanced Filter:
o Step 1: Select any cell within the data range.
o Step 2: Go to the Data tab and click Advanced in the Sort & Filter
group.
o Step 3: In the Advanced Filter dialog box, select whether to filter
the data in place or copy it to another location.
o Step 4: Define the List range (the data you want to filter) and the
Criteria range (where you specify the filter conditions).
o Step 5: Click OK to apply the filter.
2. Criteria Range:
o This is a separate range of cells where you define the criteria for
filtering. For example, if you want to filter sales data for Region =
"North" and Sales > $1,000, you could create a small table with
those criteria in a new section of the worksheet.

Using Filter Criteria for Specific Data Types

Excel allows filtering for different data types in specific ways:
1. Text Filters:
o You can filter text columns by conditions such as "Contains", "Does
Not Contain", "Begins With", or "Ends With".
o Example: To filter all sales records that contain the word "Product
A", you can use Text Filters → Contains → "Product A".
2. Number Filters:
o Use number filters to show data based on conditions like "Greater
Than", "Less Than", "Between", and "Equals".
o Example: To filter all sales figures greater than $500, use Number
Filters → Greater Than → 500.
3. Date Filters:
o Excel also lets you filter by date, including "Before", "After",
"Between", or specific time periods (e.g., this week, last month).
o Example: To filter all records from March 2024, you can use Date
Filters → Between → March 1, 2024, and March 31, 2024.

3. Sorting and Filtering Multiple Columns

You can apply sorting and filtering to multiple columns at the same time, giving
you powerful ways to narrow down and analyze your data.
Multiple-Level Sorting:
• You can sort by multiple columns (e.g., first by Region, then by
Salesperson, and finally by Sales).
o Step 1: Select any cell in the dataset.
o Step 2: Go to the Data tab → Sort.
o Step 3: Add additional levels using the Add Level button and define
each sort order (ascending or descending).
Filtering Multiple Columns:
• You can filter data on multiple columns simultaneously. Each column's
filter will only display values that meet the criteria for both columns.
o Step 1: Apply a filter on one column.
o Step 2: Apply filters to other columns as needed.
Example: In a Sales dataset, you might want to filter for records where:
• Region = "North".
• Salesperson = "John Doe".
• Sales > $1,000.

4. Clearing Filters
Sometimes, after applying filters, you might want to return to the original view
(with all the data visible again).
1. How to Clear Filters:
o Step 1: Go to the Data tab.
o Step 2: Click on Clear in the Sort & Filter group to remove all filters
from your dataset.

Working with Reports Creating subtotals

reating subtotals in Excel allows you to summarize data at different levels, which
is particularly useful for reports involving large datasets, like sales, inventory, or
financial data. You can easily calculate subtotals for different groups within your
data (e.g., total sales for each region or each product category).
Here’s how to work with subtotals in Excel:
1. Prepare Your Data
Before applying subtotals, ensure your data is organized in a tabular format with
headers in the first row. Your data should have distinct columns such as:
• Category/Region/Product (the fields you want to group by)
• Sales/Amount/Value (the field to calculate the subtotal)
For example:
Date Region Sales Amount
01/01/2024 North 200
02/01/2024 South 150
03/01/2024 North 300
04/01/2024 East 100
05/01/2024 South 250
2. Sort Your Data
For the subtotal feature to work, you need to sort your data by the field you
want to group by (e.g., by Region). Here's how:
1. Select any cell within the data range.
2. Go to the Data tab on the ribbon.
3. Click on the Sort button.
 4. In the Sort dialog, select the column you want to group by (e.g., Region)
and choose Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A.
3. Apply Subtotals
Once your data is sorted, you can apply the Subtotal function:
1. Select any cell within your data range.
2. Go to the Data tab and click on the Subtotal button in the "Outline" group.
3. The Subtotal dialog box will appear with the following options:
o At each change in: Select the column you want to group by (e.g.,
Region).
o Use function: Choose the calculation you want for the subtotal,
such as Sum, Average, Count, Max, Min, etc. (e.g., Sum for sales
amounts).
o Add subtotal to: Select the column where you want the subtotal to
be calculated (e.g., Sales Amount).
4. Click OK to apply the subtotal.
4. View the Subtotals
After applying the subtotal:
• Excel will insert a subtotal row at each change in the selected field (e.g.,
at the end of each Region).
• The subtotals will appear under the Sales Amount column (or whichever
column you selected for the subtotal).
• Excel will also group the data using Outline levels, allowing you to collapse
and expand the grouped data.
For example:
Date Region Sales Amount
01/01/2024 North 200
03/01/2024 North 300
Subtotal North 500
02/01/2024 South 150
05/01/2024 South 250
Subtotal South 400
04/01/2024 East 100
Subtotal East 100
5. Collapse and Expand Subtotals
Once you’ve added subtotals, Excel allows you to collapse or expand different
levels of the data:
• You’ll see small outline numbers (1, 2, 3) on the left side of the sheet.
o 1: Collapses the data to show only the grand total.
o 2: Shows subtotals and groups.
o 3: Expands the full data view.
6. Remove Subtotals
If you want to remove subtotals:
1. Go to the Data tab and click on Subtotal.
2. In the Subtotal dialog box, click Remove All.
This will remove all subtotals and return the data to its original form.
7. Handling Multiple Levels of Subtotals
You can create multiple-level subtotals if you want to group by more than one
field. For example, if you want subtotals first by Region and then by Product
within each region:
1. Sort your data first by Region, and then by Product.
2. Apply the subtotal for Region first.
3. After that, apply the subtotal for Product within each region.
Excel will automatically add the subtotals in the order you specify, creating
hierarchical groupings.
Example:
Date Region Product Sales Amount
01/01/2024 North A 200
03/01/2024 North B 300
Subtotal North 500
02/01/2024 South A 150
05/01/2024 South B 250
Subtotal South 400
04/01/2024 East A 100
Subtotal East 100
Tips:
• Nested Subtotals: When creating multiple-level subtotals (e.g., Region →
Product), make sure you sort the data in the correct order, and Excel will
handle the rest.
• Avoid Overwriting Existing Subtotals: When adding multiple subtotals,
be careful not to overwrite previous subtotals. Excel will warn you before
doing so.
• Use Keyboard Shortcuts: You can use Alt + Shift + - (minus) to collapse
and Alt + Shift + + (plus) to expand grouped data.
Final Thoughts:
The Subtotal feature in Excel is a powerful tool for analyzing data by grouping
and summarizing it at different levels. It's especially useful for reports, financial
summaries, and sales data analysis. Using this feature efficiently can save you
time when working with large datasets, providing you with clear, summarized
views of your data.
Multiple-level subtotal.
Creating multiple-level subtotals in Excel allows you to summarize data at
different levels of grouping, which is useful for detailed analysis, especially when
working with large datasets. Here’s how you can create multiple-level subtotals
in Excel:
Steps for Creating Multiple-Level Subtotals in Excel
1. Prepare Your Data:
o Make sure your data is organized in tabular format with headers in
the first row (e.g., Date, Category, Product, Sales).
o Ensure the data is sorted by the column you want to subtotal first
(e.g., by Category or Region).
2. Sort Your Data:
o To sort your data, select any cell within your data range.
o Go to the Data tab on the ribbon and click Sort.
o Sort your data by the column for the first subtotal level (e.g.,
"Category").
3. Use the Subtotal Feature:
o Select any cell in your data range.
o Go to the Data tab and click on the Subtotal button in the "Outline"
group.
o The Subtotal dialog box will appear.
4. Configure Subtotal Dialog Box:
o At each change in: Select the column you want to subtotal by (e.g.,
Category, Region).
o Use function: Choose a function for the subtotal (e.g., Sum,
Average, Count).
o Add subtotal to: Select the column(s) where you want the subtotals
to appear (e.g., Sales).
o Click OK. Excel will insert subtotals at each change in the grouped
column and collapse the data.
5. Add a Second-Level Subtotal:
o To create additional levels of subtotals (e.g., subtotaling by Product
within each Category), first sort the data by the second column you
want to subtotal by.
o Repeat the process: Go to Data > Subtotal, but this time select the
second column (e.g., Product) for "At each change in."
o Excel will insert another level of subtotals within the existing ones.
6. Expand/Collapse Subtotals:
o You can expand or collapse the levels of subtotals using the Outline
group on the Data tab.
o Use the buttons on the left of the sheet to hide or show data
grouped at different levels (e.g., a 1 for the top-level subtotal, a 2
for the second-level, and so on).
 7. Removing Subtotals:
o If you want to remove all subtotals, go to Data > Subtotal and click
Remove All. This will clear the subtotals and restore the original
data.
Example Scenario
Assume you have sales data with columns for Region, Product, and Sales. You
want to subtotal the sales first by Region and then by Product within each
region:
1. Sort the Data by Region, then Product.
2. Apply the first subtotal by Region and sum the Sales.
3. Apply the second subtotal by Product within each region and sum the
Sales again.
This will give you two levels of subtotals: one for each Region and another for
each Product within that region.
Tips:
• Nested Subtotals: You can have multiple levels of grouping, but the key is
sorting the data correctly at each step before applying the subtotal.
• Use Custom Views: If you want to save different views of your data with
expanded or collapsed subtotals, you can use Custom Views (under the
View tab).
• Avoid Manual Subtotals: Manually calculating subtotals can be error-
prone. Using Excel’s Subtotal feature ensures accuracy and is much faster.
This feature is very useful for financial reporting, sales data analysis, and any
report where you need to organize and summarize data at multiple levels.

One-Mark Questions
1. What is the purpose of Data Validation in Excel?
2. How do you specify a valid range of values in Data Validation?
3. What is a template in Excel?
4. How can you apply a custom validation based on a formula?
5. What is the difference between Sorting and Filtering data in Excel?
6. What is the purpose of the "Subtotal" function in reports?
7. What is a multiple-level sort in Excel?
Seven-Mark Questions
1. Explain the steps for applying Data Validation with a list of valid values.
2. Describe how to design the structure of a template in Excel.
3. What is custom sorting, and how do you use it in Excel?
4. Explain how to filter data for a selected view in Excel.
Fifteen-Mark Questions
1. Explain how to create multiple-level subtotals in Excel. Provide a step-by-step guide.
2. Discuss how to use advanced filter options in Excel for complex data filtering. Provide
examples.
3. Explain the process of designing and using templates for standardization in Excel.
 UNIT -3
Pivot Tables

 Pivot tables are one of Excel's most powerful features. A pivot table allows
you to extract the significance from a large, detailed data set.
 Our data set consists of 213 records and 6 fields. Order ID, Product, Category,
Amount, Date and Country.

Insert a Pivot Table

To insert a pivot table, execute the following steps.
1. Click any single cell inside the data set.
2. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click PivotTable.

The following dialog box appears. Excel automatically selects the data for you. The
default location for a new pivot table is New Worksheet.
3. Click OK.
Drag fields
The PivotTable Fields pane appears. To get the total amount exported of each
product, drag the following fields to the different areas.
1. Product field to the Rows area.

1
2. Amount field to the Values area.
3. Country field to the Filters area.
Sort
To get Banana at the top of the list, sort the pivot table.
1. Click any cell inside the Sum of Amount column.
2. Right click and click on Sort, Sort Largest to Smallest.
Two-dimensional Pivot Table
If you drag a field to the Rows area and Columns area, you can create a two-
dimensional pivot table. First, insert a pivot table. Next, to get the total amount
exported to each country, of each product, drag the following fields to the different
areas.
1. Country field to the Rows area.
2. Product field to the Columns area.
3. Amount field to the Values area.
4. Category field to the Filters area.

Pivot Table Formatting

After creating a PivotTable, you may want to enhance the look of it using styles.
By default, the column headings, grand total row, and any filters have a light
shading applied to the cells based on the workbook’s theme colors. However, if
you don’t like these, there are a variety of other styles to choose from.

Work with Style Options

You can select PivotTable style options that allow you to adjust the format for part
of a PivotTable. For example, you can apply special formatting to row headers or
make the columns banded.

1. Click any cell in the PivotTable.

2. Click the Design tab.

2
3.Select an option from the PivotTable Style Options group.
 Row/Column Headers: Displays special formatting for the first row
or column of the PivotTable.
 Banded Rows/Columns: Applies a different format to alternate rows
or columns.
What is PivotTable in advanced Excel?

A pivot table is a statistics tool that summarizes and reorganizes selected

columns and rows of data in a spreadsheet or database table to obtain a
desired report. The tool does not actually change the spreadsheet or database
itself, it simply “pivots” or turns the data to view it from different
perspectives.

1.Adjust Fields List Settings

The PivotTable Fields List is the drag-and-drop interface on the right side of
Excel that allows you to populate the logic that drives the Pivot Table.

This panel can be customized in a variety of ways. By clicking the Tools (gear)
icon you can rearrange the positions of the field list and the corresponding drop
zones.

3
Each of these arrangement options has its strengths and weaknesses. Experiment
with the options to see which fits your needs best.

A Search field is available for ease of locating fields.

2.Create Multiple Reports with One Click

One of the features new users to Pivot Tables soon learn is the ability to filter the
Pivot Table by a “global” field. In other words, filter the entire table by a single,
overall criterion such as “Customer Name” or by “Department”.

1. Select the unfiltered Pivot Table

2. Copy the Pivot Table
3. Create a new worksheet
4. Paste the Pivot Table
5. Set the global filter to the desired field item
6. Return to the original, unfiltered Pivot Table
7. Repeat steps 1 thru 6

Now imagine performing those steps 200 times. You would quickly tire of the
process.
3,Double-Click to View Details

1. Return to the original data

2. Filter the “Company Name” field by “Lucas Basics”
3. Filter the “Region” by “Europe”
4. Select the results
5. Click Copy
6. Create a new worksheet
7. Paste the copied results into the new worksheet

4.Add Data Bars to Pivot Tables

Data Bars are created by the Conditional Formatting tool and are a great way to
create in-cell bar charts.

4
5.Calculate the Difference Between Columns

Suppose you have a Pivot Table that displays sales for products across two months.

If you wanted to calculate the increase or decrease in sales from June to July, you
can perform the following steps:

1. Add the “Sales USD” field a second time to the Values zone.
2. Right-click on one of the values in the second instance of sales and
select Show Values As -> “Difference From…”.
3. In the “Show Values As…” dialog box, set the “Base Field” to Months and
the “Base Item” to Previous.

Create a PivotChart

1. Select a cell in your table.

2. Select Insert and choose PivotChart.
3. Select where you want the PivotChart to appear.
4. Select OK.
5. Select the fields to display in the menu.

Create a chart from a PivotTable

1. Select a cell in your table.

2. Select Insert and choose PivotChart.
3. Select a chart.
4. Select OK.

How to Consolidate Multiple Excel Worksheets into One PivotTable

5
It’s convenient to use the data as a table. To convert this data to a table,
 Select the dataset and then go to Insert >> Table.
 After that, a dialog box will show up. Make sure you select My table
has headers and click OK.

Finally, your data is converted to a table. We will be using our data

as tables in the following sections.

6
External Data Connection in Advanced Excel

 External Data Connections are SQL Server database, another workbook of

Excel, or any other database that can easily get connected in Excel.
 External data will help to add extra features or information to the data
model in excel.
 There is a refresh button in Excel that will represent the connection with its
recent data whether the new data has been inserted or deleted.
Follow the further steps to add external data connection using advanced excel.
Step 1: Select the Data tab from the ribbon.
Step 2: Select Connections from the Connections section.
Step 3: Add new connections by selecting Add in Workbook Connections.
Step 4: Select the external connection which we want to insert from Existing
Connections.
Step 5: If we want to add more external connections then select Browse for
More in the Existing Connections tab.
Step 6: Go back and select the required connection from Workbook
Connections.
Step 7: The connection Properties tab will appear where we can choose four
types of refresh under Refresh Control.
Step 8: You can also refresh under the data tab then in the connections
group select Refresh All.
What is data consolidation in Excel?

 Data consolidation in Excel is the process of bringing similar data from

multiple sources to one place, which can provide a unified view for better
analytics.

7
  The ‘Consolidate’ feature in Excel can be useful when you want to
summarize the same data from multiple sources. Consolidating data in Excel
allows combining data from multiple rows and ranges using functions such
as sum, average, count, min, and max.
 Data consolidation functionality also works well with data from other
worksheets and workbooks.
Data Consolidation Feature in Excel?
1. Data consolidation is a feature in Microsoft Excel that allows you to
collect data from different worksheets to one single sheet in the same
workbook.
2. This feature also allows the user to perform operations like sum, average,
max, min, product, etc on the data to be consolidated.
3. Consolidate meaning in English is to combine a number of things into a
single more effective thing.
4. It is a technique that summarizes the data from different worksheets and
combines it into one single worksheet.
5. Data consolidation is a useful tool for businesses that helps them to
combine data from different worksheets to one after applying operations.

Show VALUE AS %of Row Total With Excel Pivot Tables

Excel Pivot Tables have a lot of useful calculations under the SHOW VALUES
AS option and one that can help you a lot is the Excel Pivot Table Percentage of
Row Total.

This option will immediately calculate the percentages for you from a table filled
with numbers such as sales data, expenses, attendance, or anything that can be
quantified.

How To Show Excel Pivot Table Percentage of Row Total?

STEP 1: Select any cell in the Data Table

STEP 2: Go to Insert > PivotTable.

STEP 3: In the Create PivotTable dialog box, select table range and New
Worksheet and then Click OK.

8
STEP 4: In the ROWS section put in the Sales Person field, in
the COLUMNS put in the Financial Year field and in the VALUES area you need
to put in the Sales field twice.

STEP 5: Select the Show Values As tab and from the drop down choose % of
Row Total.

STEP 6: Select the Show Values As tab and from the drop down choose % of
Row Total.

STEP 7: Notice that the Percent of Row Totaldata is in a decimal format that is
hard to read:

STEP 8: Click the Number Format button.

STEP 9: Inside the Format Cells dialog box, make your formatting changes within
here and press OK twice.

Running total in an Excel Table

Tables are one of the best features of Excel. While it is possible to use the standard
cell referencing with a Table, they have their own referencing style called
structured references. We have to think a little differently to create a running total
in an Excel Table using structured references.

The example

All the scenarios in this post use the same Table. The goal is to:

 Create a running total in the Running Total column

 Ensure values calculate correctly when rows are added or deleted

9
Normal cell references

We could use normal cell references in either the A1 or R1C1 style. For this, there
are two common options (1) Cell above + value (2) Expanding range with mixed
references.

Method #1: Cell above + value

Method #2: Expanding range with mixed references

Method #3: SUM with header row

Method #4: INDEX function

Method #5: INDEX with SUMIFS

The methods using standard references cannot guarantee the correct values when
adding or deleting rows, so these should be discounted.

Both structured referencing methods can be used with COUNT, COUNTIFS, MIN,
MINIFS, MAX, MAXIFS, AVERAGE, and AVERAGEIFS.

The SUM + header row method works, but conceptually, I have an issue with
referencing the header row in this way. Don’t get me wrong; if it were the only
option, I would definitely use it.

The SUM + INDEX method is my preferred choice. It’s flexible and provides
everything we need.

10
How to Compare Two Columns in Excel

When you have data in two different columns, tables, or spreadsheets, you may
often need to compare them to see what data is missing or present in both.
Comparisons can happen in many different ways. You need to decide the method
to compare depending on what you want from it.
You can compare two columns in Excel by:

 Highlighting the unique or duplicate values in each column using functions.

 Display unique or duplicate using conditional formatting or formulas.
 Row-by-row comparison.
 Using LOOKUP formulas.

Subtotal Row and Column Fields

1. Click the target row or column field within the report and on the PivotTable
Tools | Analyze tab, in the Active Field group, click the Field
Settings button.
2.On the Subtotals & Filters tab of the invoked Field Settings dialog, select
one of the following options and click OK to apply changes.

 Automatic - to calculate the subtotals using the default summary function.

 Custom - to use one or multiple custom functions for subtotal calculation.
Note that if the target row or column field contains calculated items, the
custom function(s) cannot be used.
 None - to remove subtotals.
3.To specify the subtotal display settings, on the PivotTable Tools | Design tab,
in the Layout group, click the Subtotals button.

Show or Hide Grand Totals

1. To show or hide the grand totals for a pivot table, on the PivotTable
Tools | Design tab, in the Layout group, click Grand Totals. In the invoked
drop-down menu, select one of the available options. You can hide/show the
grand totals for the entire report or for the rows or columns only.

11
 2. To specify the default settings for displaying grand totals, use
the PivotTable Options dialog. To invoke it, on the PivotTable
Tools | Analyze tab, in the PivotTable group, click the PivotTable
Options button.

3. Switch to the Totals & Filters tab. To show or hide the grand totals for
rows, columns or the entire PivotTable report, select or clear the
corresponding check box(es) in the Grand Totals section.

Slicers In Excel

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Slicers in Excel are software filters used along with excel tables or pivot tables
over a large amount of data. Not just filtering out the data, but slicers also help you
with an easy understanding of the information being extracted and displayed on the
screen.

How to Use Slicers in Excel?

The following two steps can be followed to include slicers in Excel tables or Excel
pivot tables.

 Step 1: Convert the data into a tabular format or a pivot table format.

 Step 2: Select any cell of the Excel table or pivot table and insert slicers.

Step 1

Convert the data into a tabular format or a pivot table format.

By default, Excel treats your data in the form of a database, and adding slicers
would not be possible sometimes. So in your defense, you could directly start
either by converting the data into a pivot table or simply an Excel table.

Select any cell from Excel to create a pivot table.

 Navigate to the insert menu on the toolbar and select pivot table.

 In the pivot table sheet, navigate to the insert option, select the option to
insert slicers.

13
Step 2

Select any cell of the Excel table or pivot table and insert slicers.
Now insert the slicers. Inserting slicers is completely the same as inserting slicers
in a pivot table.

 Select any cell in the table

 Navigate to the insert option on the toolbar

Benefits of Using Slicers in Excel

Using slicers in Excel has proven to have multiple advantages and make life easier
during real-time data analysis. A few important benefits are discussed below.

1. The Slicer formulas, along with formulas, are easy to be copied or moved
to different tables.

2. Using Slicers, it is possible to get the required information with ease

within a fraction of time, eliminating the brute-force method of manually
filtering out the data.

3. Slicers in Excel help in maintaining data security and integrity as the user
is only interested in filtering out the necessary information but not mess
with the actual data.

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15
 UNIT -4
MORE FUNCTIONS

 IF Function. The Excel IF function is the most essential function in Excel for logical
tests. ...
 MIN & MAX Function. The Excel MIN function returns the smallest numeric value in a
range of values. ...
 TRIM Function. ...
 CONCATENATE Function. ...
 COUNT Function. ...
 COUNTA Function. ...
 COUNTIF Function. ...
 SUMIF Function.

SUM Function
The Excel SUM function returns the sum of all inserted values. For the input, you can combine
any sort of numerical values, e.g. numbers, cell references, ranges or arrays.

Syntax: SUM (number1, [number2], [number3], …)

AVERAGE Function
The Excel AVERAGE function returns the average of all inserted values. For the input, you can
combine any sort of numerical values, e.g. numbers, cell references, ranges or arrays.

Syntax: AVERAGE (number1, [number2], [number3], …)

IF Function
The Excel IF function is the most essential function in Excel for logical tests. You can define the
value that is returned by this function if the result of the logical test is TRUE and the value that is
returned if the result is FALSE.

If you want to test more than one condition, you can simply nest multiple IF functions.

Syntax: IF (logical_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])

MIN & MAX Function

The Excel MIN function returns the smallest numeric value in a range of values.
Accordingly, the Excel MAX function returns the biggest numeric value in a range
of values. Both function only consider numeric values. Empty cells, logical or text
values will be ignored.

Syntax: MIN (number1, [number2], …) | MAX (number1, [number2], …)

TRIM Function
The Excel TRIM function removes the leading and trailing spaces from a given text.
Additionally, it removes unnecessary spaces between words.

Syntax: TRIM (text)

CONCATENATE Function
The Excel CONCATENATE function joins two or more text items together.

Syntax: CONCATENATE (text1, [text2], …)

COUNT Function
The Excel COUNT function counts the number of cells containing numbers.

Syntax: COUNT (value1, [value2], …)

SUMIF Function
The Excel SUMIF function returns the sum of all cells meeting a specific criteria. It supports all
sorts of logical operators and wildcards (*,?) for partial matching. If the range for the criteria
check and the sum range are not the same, the sum range can be provided as a third optional
parameter.

Syntax: SUMIF (range, criteria, [sum_range])

Date and time functions

Function

Description

DATE function
Returns the serial number of a particular date

DATEDIF function

Calculates the number of days, months, or years between two dates. This function is useful in
formulas where you need to calculate an age.

DATEVALUE function

Converts a date in the form of text to a serial number

DAY function

Converts a serial number to a day of the month

DAYS function

Returns the number of days between two dates

DAYS360 function

Calculates the number of days between two dates based on a 360-day year

EDATE function

Returns the serial number of the date that is the indicated number of months before or after the
start date

EOMONTH function

Returns the serial number of the last day of the month before or after a specified number of
months

HOUR function

Converts a serial number to an hour

ISOWEEKNUM function

Returns the number of the ISO week number of the year for a given date

MINUTE function

Converts a serial number to a minute

MONTH function

Converts a serial number to a month

NETWORKDAYS function

Returns the number of whole workdays between two dates

NETWORKDAYS.INTL function

Returns the number of whole workdays between two dates using parameters to indicate which
and how many days are weekend days

NOW function

Returns the serial number of the current date and time

SECOND function

Converts a serial number to a second

TIME function

Returns the serial number of a particular time

TIMEVALUE function

Converts a time in the form of text to a serial number

TODAY function

Returns the serial number of today's date

WEEKDAY function

Converts a serial number to a day of the week

WEEKNUM function

Converts a serial number to a number representing where the week falls numerically with a year

WORKDAY function

Returns the serial number of the date before or after a specified number of workdays
 TEXT function

In its simplest form, the TEXT function says:

 =TEXT(Value you want to format, "Format code
you want to apply")
Here are some popular examples, which you can copy
directly into Excel to experiment with on your own. Notice
the format codes within quotation marks.
Formula Description
=TEXT(1234.567,"$#,##0.00") Currency with a thousands separator and 2 decimals, like
$1,234.57. Note that Excel rounds the value to 2 decimal
places.
=TEXT(TODAY(),"MM/DD/YY") Today’s date in MM/DD/YY format, like 03/14/12
=TEXT(TODAY(),"DDDD") Today’s day of the week, like Monday
=TEXT(NOW(),"H:MM AM/PM") Current time, like 1:29 PM
=TEXT(0.285,"0.0%") Percentage, like 28.5%
=TEXT(4.34 ,"# ?/?") Fraction, like 4 1/3
=TRIM(TEXT(0.34,"# ?/?")) Fraction, like 1/3. Note this uses the TRIM function to remove
the leading space with a decimal value.
=TEXT(12200000,"0.00E+00") Scientific notation, like 1.22E+07
=TEXT(1234567898,"[<=9999999]###- Special (Phone number), like (123) 456-7898
####;(###) ###-####")
=TEXT(1234,"0000000") Add leading zeros (0), like 0001234
=TEXT(123456,"##0° 00' 00''") Custom - Latitude/Longitude

DATABASE FUNCTION
 DAVERAGE: It will return the average of the selected database, which

satisfies the user criteria.

 DCOUNT: It will count the cells containing some number in the selected

database and satisfy the user criteria.

 DCOUNTA: It will count the non-blank cells in the selected database

which satisfy the user criteria.

 DGET will return a single value from the selected database, satisfying the

user criteria.

 DMAX: It will return the maximum value of the selected database, which

satisfies the user criteria.

 DMIN: It will return the minimum value of the selected database, which

satisfies the user criteria.

 DPRODUCT: It will return the multiplication output of the selected

database, which satisfies the user criteria.

 DSTDEV: It will return the estimated standard deviation of the

population based on the entire population in the selected database, which

satisfies the user criteria.

 DSTDEVP: It will return the standard deviation of the entire population

based on the selected database, satisfying the user criteria.

  DSUM: It will return the summation of the value from the selected

database, which satisfies the user criteria.

 DVAR: It will return the estimated population variance based on the

entire population in the selected database, which satisfies the user criteria.

 DVARP: It will return the Estimates variance of the entire population in

the selected database, which satisfies the user criteria.

Inserting the POWER formula in Excel

Step 1: Select the cell where you wish to derive the result
Step 2: Type “=POWER” -> select the formula prompt -> select the cell which
contains the number you want to use as the base -> insert a “,” (comma) -> select
the cell which contains the number you want to use as the exponent -> press
the “Enter” key
For example: In the below image, 3 needs to be raised to the power 4.
Hence, “=POWER(A3,B3)” is used, where cell A3 contains the base value 3 and
cell B3 contains the exponent value 4. This will display the result to be 91.

AutoFormat in Excel
7 Easy Steps to Unhide the AutoFormat Option
Follow the below steps to unhide the cool option to start using it.

1. Click on the “File” tab.

2. Next, click on “Options.”

3.Now, click on “Quick Access Toolbar.”

4.Select the “Command Not in the Ribbon” option from the drop-down
list.
 5.Now, search for the “AutoFormat” option.

6.Then, click on “Add” and “Ok”.

7.Now, it appears in the “Quick Access Toolbar.”

What If Analysis

What-If Analysis is the process of changing the values in cells to see

how those changes will affect the outcome of formulas on the
worksheet. Three kinds of What-If Analysis tools come with Excel:
Scenarios, Goal Seek, and Data Tables. Scenarios and Data tables take
sets of input values and determine possible results.

What is Goal Seek in Excel?

Goal Seek is Excel's built-in What-If Analysis tool that shows how one value in a
formula impacts another. More precisely, it determines what value you should
enter in an input cell to get the desired result in a formula cell.

The best thing about Excel Goal Seek is that it performs all calculations behind the
scenes, and you are only asked to specify these three parameters:
  Formula cell
 Target/desired value
 The cell to change in order to achieve the target

The Goal Seek tool is especially useful for doing sensitivity analysis in financial
modeling and is widely used by management majors and business owner. But there
are many other uses that may prove helpful to you.

For instance, Goal Seek can tell you how much sales you have to make in a certain
period to reach $100,000 annual net profit (example 1). Or, what score you must
achieve for your last exam to receive an overall passing score of 70% .

On the whole, whenever you want a formula to return a specific result but are not
sure what input value within the formula to adjust to get that result, stop guessing
and use the Excel Goal Seek function!

What is a Data Table in Excel

Excel data tables shine brightest when dealing with intricate formulas that rely on
multiple variables. With the ability to manipulate diverse inputs and witness the
ripple effect on formula outcomes, data tables provide an invaluable avenue for
comparative analysis and insightful decision-making.

Currently, two variations of data tables grace Excel’s repertoire: the one-variable
data table and the two-variable data table. While the two-variable data table is
restricted to a maximum of two distinct input cells, its potential for exploration
remains boundless, allowing you to traverse a wide spectrum of variable values
and delve deep into the heart of data-driven discovery.

Step 1: Top Right Cell Contains Formulas

Step 2: Select the Table With All Inputs and Select Data Table
Step 3: Follow the Above Step for Row

What is a Scenario Manager in Excel?

 Scenario manager in Excel is a part of three what-if-analysis tools in
Excel, which are built-in in Excel. In simple terms, you can see the impact
of changing input values without changing the actual data. Like a Data
 Table in excel, you now input values that must change to achieve a
specific goal.
 Scenario manager in Excel allows you to change or substitute input values
for multiple cells (maximum up to 32). Therefore, you can view the
results of different input values or different scenarios at the same time.

Scenario Manager in Excel – Example #1

A simple example could be your monthly family budget. You will spend on
food, travel, entertainment, clothes, etc., and see how these affect your overall
budget.

Step 1: Create a below table that shows your list of expenses and income
sources.

Step 2: From the top of Excel, click the Data menu > On the “Data” menu,
locate the “Data Tools” panel > Click on the “What-If-Analysis” item and select
the “Scenario Manager” in Excel from the menu.
Step 3: When you click on the Scenario Manager below, the dialog box will
open.

Step 4: You need to create a new scenario. So, click on the Add button. Then,
you will get the below dialog box.

Conditional Formatting for Entire Rows

To apply conditional formatting to entire rows, based on the value of a specific cell
or column:

Steps:

1. Select the Range:

o Select the range of rows where you want the conditional formatting to
apply. For example, if you want to format rows 2 to 10, select A2:Z10
(assuming you want the entire row to be formatted for columns A to
Z).
2. Open Conditional Formatting:
o Go to the Home tab on the Ribbon.
o In the Styles group, click Conditional Formatting.
 3. Choose New Rule:
o Click on New Rule from the dropdown menu.
4. Select a Rule Type:
o Choose Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
5. Enter the Formula:
o In the formula field, enter the condition that you want to base your
formatting on. For example, if you want to format rows where the
value in column A is greater than 100, use this formula:

bash
Copy code
=$A2>100

This formula ensures that the conditional formatting will apply to the
entire row if the value in column A for that row is greater than 100.

6. Set Formatting:
o Click the Format button to choose the formatting options (such as
font color, background color, borders, etc.).
7. Click OK to apply the rule.

Now, the entire row will be formatted based on the condition you specified for
column A (or whichever column you reference).

2. Conditional Formatting for Entire Columns

To apply conditional formatting to an entire column, follow similar steps:

Steps:

1. Select the Range:

o Select the range of columns (for example, B1:B10) where you want
the conditional formatting to apply.
2. Open Conditional Formatting:
o Go to the Home tab and click on Conditional Formatting.
3. Choose New Rule:
o Click on New Rule.
4. Select a Rule Type:
o Choose Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
5. Enter the Formula:
 o For applying a condition to an entire column based on a value in a
specific column, you could use something like:

bash
Copy code
=$B1>100

This formula will apply conditional formatting to all cells in column B

where the value is greater than 100.

6. Set Formatting:
o Click the Format button to set the formatting style (like changing the
color of the text or background).
7. Click OK to apply the rule.

3. Conditional Formatting for Entire Rows Based on Another Column's Value

If you want to format entire rows based on a value in a specific column, follow
these steps:

Steps:

1. Select the Range:

o Select the range of rows where you want to apply the formatting (e.g.,
A2:Z10 for rows 2 through 10, spanning across all columns).
2. Open Conditional Formatting:
o Go to the Home tab, click Conditional Formatting, then New Rule.
3. Choose Formula Rule:
o Choose Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
4. Enter the Formula:
o If you want to format a row based on the value in, say, column C, use
a formula like:

bash
Copy code
=$C2>50

This will format the entire row when the value in column C (for that
row) is greater than 50.
 5. Set the Formatting:
o Click Format and select the formatting options.
6. Click OK to apply the rule.

Notes:

 The $ sign before the column reference (e.g., $A2) makes the reference
absolute for the column but relative for the row, meaning the conditional
formatting will apply to the entire row based on the value in the specific
column for each row.
 You can use different conditional formatting types, such as "Highlight Cells
Rules" (for conditions like greater than, less than, etc.) or "Top/Bottom
Rules" (for applying formats to the top/bottom 10 values).

1. Grid Layout: Start with a grid representing an Excel worksheet (rows and
columns).
2. Row Conditional Formatting:
o Show a row with a highlight or color applied (e.g., row 2) based on a
condition in column A (e.g., = $A2 > 100).
o Draw an arrow pointing to column A indicating that this column's
value determines the formatting for the whole row.
3. Column Conditional Formatting:
o Show a column with a highlight (e.g., column B) based on a condition
in cell B1 (e.g., = $B1 > 50).
o Draw an arrow pointing to cell B1 indicating that the value in this cell
determines the formatting for the whole column.
 UNIT - 5

Type of charts in Excel:

It is sometimes difficult to interpret the Excel data due to complexity and size of
data. So, charts are a way to represent the data graphically and interpret the data
easily. Charts are the visual representation of data.

Excel provides charts to take advantage of graphical representation. The data

represented through charts is more understandable than the data stored in an Excel
table. This makes the process of analyzing data fast. Excel users can fast analyze the
data.

Graphical representation of data using charts makes complex data analysis easier to
understand. Excel has a variety of charts, each with its own different functionality
and representation style.

Charts offered by Excel

Excel offers many charts to represent the data in different manners, such as - Pie
charts, Bar charts, Line charts, Stock charts, Surface charts, Radar charts, and many
more. You can use them according to your data and analysis. All these charts

There is a list of basic and advanced level of charts used for different purposes to
interpret the data.

1. Column Chart
2. Line Chart
3. Bar Chart
4. Area chart
5. Pie chart or Doughnut chart
6. Surface chart

These are the most used charts of Excel that an Excel user usually requires.

Microsoft Excel introduce one more new chart called Treemap chart for 2016 and
newer version. It has come with some advanced features and representation styles.

We will illustrate each chart and its functionality with an example in this chapter.
Learn carefully and use them accordingly.
Column Charts

A column chart is basically a vertical chart that is used to represent the data in
vertical bars. It works efficiently with different types of data, but it is usually used
for comparing the information.

For example, a company wants to see each month sell graphically and also wants
to compare them. Column charts are best for it that help to analyze and compare each
month's data with each other.

Line Chart

Line charts are most useful for showing trends. Using this chart, you can easily
analyze the ups and downs in your data over time. In this chart, data points are
connected with lines.

For example, a company wants to analyze the sell of products for the last five years
graphically. Additionally, it also wants to analyze the ups and downs of each year
product sell.

Bar chart
Bar charts are horizontal bars that work like column charts. Unlike column charts,
Bar charts are horizontally plotted. Or you can say that bar charts and column charts
are just opposite to each other.

For example, a company uses the bar chart to analyze the data through vertical bars
to represent the data graphically. You can see as well as compare the values to each
other, respective to data.

Area chart
Area charts are just like line charts. Unlike the line charts, gaps are filled with color
in area charts. Area charts are easy to analyze the growth in business as its shows
ups and downs through line.Similar to the line charts, data points in area charts are
connected with lines.

Pie chart

A pie chart is a rounded shape graph that is divided into slices of pie. Using this
chart, you can easily analyze data that is divided into slices. It makes the data easy
to compare the proportion.
Pie charts make it easy to analyze which values make up the percentage of whole.
Pie chart is also known as Doughnut chart. Excel offers 2D and 3D pie charts.

Surface chart

Surface chart is actually a 3D chart that helps to represent the data into a 3D
landscape. These charts are best to use with a large dataset. This chart allows to
displaying a variety of data at the same time.A large dataset is not easy to represent
using other charts. Surface chart solve this problem that allows displaying large
datasets using this 3D chart.Choose your charts wisely

Excel offers too many charts as well as their 2D and 3D type. You can use any of
them but choose them wisely according to your data. Different scenario requires
different charts. Though, it can display all and correct information.

We have a list of some points for each type of chart that helps you to choose the
chart wisely. Read them carefully -

Chart Type When to choose this chart

Use the column chart when

you want to compare the
1. Column Chart multiple values across a few
categories. The values are
shown through vertical bars.

Choose this chart when you

want to show the treads (ups
2. Line Chart
and downs) over a period of
time, like for months or years.

Like the column chart, use

this chart to compare the
3. Bar Chart
values across a few
categories.
In this chart, values are
 displayed in the horizontal
bar.

Area chart has the same

pattern as the line chart. This
4. Area chart chart is best to use for
indicating a change among
different sets.

Pie chart is best to use when

you want to quantify the
5. Pie or Doughnut chart
values and show them as
percentage.

Surface chart is different than

other charts. Use it when you
6. Surface chart need to analyze the optimum
combination between two sets
of data.

How to insert a chart?

Excel enables easy to use user interface using which you can easily insert a required
chart for your data. You need to follow few simple steps, Excel > Insert tab > Chart
section > choose a chart.

We will illustrate these steps from start to end for creating the chart for Excel data.
Following are the steps to insert a chart in Excel.

Step 1: We have the following dataset (Animal population rate for six years from
2015-2020) for which you want to create a chart in Excel.
Step 2: Select the data, including column header and row label for which you want
to create a chart. This data will be the source data for your chart.

Step 3: Navigate to the Insert tab in the Excel header, where you will see a charts
section that contains a list of all these charts.

Step 4: Choose a chart from here according to your data. We have chosen a 3D
Column chart containing vertical bars for your data.
Step 5: The selected chart is inserted into your Excel worksheet. Initially, the chart
looks like this for the data selected in step 2.

Currently, this chart does not have a valid title, clear values for analysis, and more.
You can set up all these things in your chart by modifying it.

Step 6: Double-tap on the Chart Title to make it editable and then provide a new
valid title that suites to it.
Here, Blue color vertical bar is representing to Dolphin, Orange vertical bar
to Penguin, and Grey vertical bar to White Bear population count.

Step 7: You can also define each vertical bar for its year so that the user can easily
analyze the values. Click on the Chart Filters icon here.

Step 8: Click on the Select data present at the bottom of the list to replace the years
2015 for each vertical bar.

Step 9: Here, select the number 1 to replace it with year 2015 and click
the Edit button.
Step 10: Enter the year and click OK.

Step 11: The year 2015 will immediately reflect on the chart, and all other become
blank. Now, to put all other years for each vertical bar, click one more time here.

Step 12: Add more years from 2016 to 2020 inside curly braces separated by a
comma and click OK.

secondary axis in a graph in Excel.

Step-by-Step Guide:

1. Create Your Graph:

o Start by creating a graph in Excel. Select the data you want to plot and
insert a chart (e.g., Column, Line, etc.).
2. Select the Data Series for Secondary Axis:
o Click on the chart to select it.
 o Then click on the data series (line or column) that you want to plot on
the secondary axis. You might need to click once to select the chart
and then again on the specific series.
3. Add the Secondary Axis:
o Right-click on the selected data series.
o From the context menu, choose "Format Data Series".
o In the Format Data Series pane that opens, under the Series Options
section, select "Secondary Axis".
4. Adjust the Secondary Axis (Optional):
o If you want to customize the secondary axis (such as changing the
scale or formatting), right-click on the secondary axis (usually appears
on the right side of the chart) and select "Format Axis".
o Here, you can adjust the axis bounds, units, and other formatting
options.
5. Customize the Chart (Optional):
o You can further adjust the chart's appearance (e.g., colors, labels,
legends) by selecting various elements and using the formatting
options in the toolbar or the "Format" pane.

Share or insert Excel charts into PowerPoint or Microsoft Word, follow these
steps:

Method 1: Copy and Paste the Chart

1. Create Your Chart in Excel:

o First, create the chart in Excel.
2. Copy the Chart:
o Click on the chart to select it.
o Right-click on the chart and select Copy, or press Ctrl + C on your
keyboard.
3. Paste the Chart into PowerPoint or Word:
o Open your PowerPoint or Word document.
o Go to the slide (PowerPoint) or location (Word) where you want the
chart.
o Right-click and choose Paste, or press Ctrl + V to paste the chart.
4. Choose the Paste Option:
o After pasting, a small icon called Paste Options may appear. Click on
it for different paste options:
 Keep Source Formatting: Keeps the chart's original style and
formatting.
  Use Destination Theme: Adapts the chart to the style of your
document.
 Link to Excel: The chart remains linked to the original Excel
file. If the data in Excel changes, the chart will update
automatically.
 Embed: The chart is embedded within the document, so you
can edit it later by double-clicking on the chart within
PowerPoint or Word.

Method 2: Insert Chart as a Linked Object

This method keeps the chart linked to the original Excel file, so it updates
automatically when the data in Excel changes.

1. Copy the Chart from Excel:

o As before, select the chart and press Ctrl + C.
2. Paste in PowerPoint or Word:
o In your PowerPoint or Word document, go to the location where you
want the chart and right-click to open the Paste Special option.
o Select Paste Special and choose Paste Link and then select
Microsoft Excel Chart Object or Microsoft Excel Worksheet
Object.
o This creates a link to the Excel file, so when the Excel file changes,
the chart in PowerPoint or Word updates as well.

Method 3: Insert Excel Chart as an Image

If you don’t want the chart to be editable or linked to the Excel file:

1. Copy the Chart from Excel:

o Select the chart and right-click to copy it.
2. Paste as an Image:
o In PowerPoint or Word, go to the location where you want to insert
the chart.
o Right-click and select Paste Special, and then choose Picture or
Bitmap.
o This will paste the chart as a static image that cannot be edited
directly.
Method 4: Insert an Excel Object

If you want to insert the entire Excel chart or workbook into PowerPoint/Word:

1. In Excel, Copy the Chart:

o Select the chart and press Ctrl + C.
2. Insert Excel Object in PowerPoint/Word:
o Go to your PowerPoint slide or Word document.
o On the Insert tab, click Object.
o In the dialog box, select Create from File, then Browse to your Excel
file and select it.
o You can choose to link to the file or embed it.
o This inserts the entire Excel workbook, and you can double-click on
the object to open it in Excel.

By following these methods, you can effectively share and insert charts into
PowerPoint and Word, with options for maintaining links, embedding, or pasting as
images.

Microsoft Excel regularly introduces new features and enhancements, especially

with the release of updates through Office 365 (now Microsoft 365) and the
standalone versions of Excel. Below are some of the most recent or notable features
introduced in recent updates:

1. Dynamic Arrays

 What It Is: Dynamic arrays allow a formula to return multiple values to

neighboring cells automatically, without the need to copy formulas across
multiple rows or columns.
 Key Functions:
o SEQUENCE: Generates a sequence of numbers.
o SORT: Sorts data in ascending or descending order.
o FILTER: Filters a range based on given conditions.
o UNIQUE: Extracts unique values from a range or array.
o RANDARRAY: Creates an array of random numbers.
 Impact: These functions simplify complex tasks, like sorting or filtering
data, without needing to drag formulas.
2. XLOOKUP

 What It Is: A modern replacement for older lookup functions like

VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and LOOKUP. XLOOKUP is more versatile and
easier to use.
 Key Features:
o Allows you to search in any direction (vertical or horizontal).
o Supports exact and approximate matches.
o Can return multiple values, simplifying complex formulas.

3. TEXTJOIN and CONCAT

 TEXTJOIN: Joins text from multiple ranges or values, with a delimiter that
you can specify. For example, combining first and last names with a space or
comma.
 CONCAT: A more flexible version of the CONCATENATE function.
Unlike TEXTJOIN, it doesn’t require a delimiter but can still combine text
strings from multiple cells.

4. Power Query Enhancements

 What It Is: Power Query is a data connection tool that allows you to extract,
transform, and load data from various sources.
 New Features:
o Data Transformation Improvements: More intuitive and robust
options for transforming data.
o Improved Performance: Quicker refresh rates for large data sets.
o Combine Files: Easily combine data from multiple files in a folder or
from different sheets.

5. Co-authoring in Excel

 What It Is: Real-time collaboration in Excel, allowing multiple people to

edit the same workbook simultaneously.
 Impact: This feature is a significant improvement for teams working on
shared documents, as everyone can make changes and see them
immediately.
6. Power Pivot Enhancements

 What It Is: Power Pivot is an advanced data modeling feature that allows
users to create sophisticated data models, define relationships, and create
measures using DAX (Data Analysis Expressions).
 Recent Features:
o Improved Performance: Faster data model processing and loading.
o New DAX Functions: New and more powerful functions for data
analysis.

7. Excel for the Web Enhancements

 What It Is: The online version of Excel has been getting more feature parity
with the desktop version.
 Recent Features:
o Real-Time Collaboration: Multiple users can now work together
with no lag.
o Mobile Optimization: A better mobile experience for editing and
viewing on smartphones and tablets.
o Data Insights: Use of AI-powered insights and suggestions for your
data (available in some Microsoft 365 plans).

8. Ideas (Data Insights)

 What It Is: The "Ideas" feature provides AI-driven insights into your data,
including trends, patterns, and suggestions for analysis.
 Impact: This tool automatically suggests charts, pivot tables, and patterns to
help you analyze your data more effectively and quickly.

9. Custom Data Types

 What It Is: Excel now supports custom data types like stocks, geography,
and others. You can also create custom data types from your data, linking
them to external data sources.
 Impact: Allows richer data management and integration with external data,
enhancing data models.

10. Smart Fill

 What It Is: Excel’s Smart Fill uses AI to automatically fill out data based
on patterns it detects in your entries.
  Example: If you input part of an address or name in a column, Excel can
automatically suggest the rest based on detected patterns.
 Impact: Speeds up data entry and minimizes errors.

11. Lambda Functions

 What It Is: A powerful new function that allows you to create reusable,
custom functions in Excel.
 Impact: With LAMBDA, you can define your own functions with
parameters and return values, similar to how built-in Excel functions work.
This can help reduce the complexity of formulas in your sheets.

12. Sheet Views

 What It Is: This feature allows users to create custom views of a worksheet
(i.e., filters, column widths) without affecting others' views when co-
authoring.
 Impact: Enables multiple users to work on a sheet with different views
without interfering with each other’s work.

13. Enhanced Collaboration Features

 What It Is: Excel now supports features like comments that allow threaded
discussions (similar to comments in Google Docs). It also has the
@mention feature for tagging collaborators.
 Impact: Makes working in teams smoother, with better communication
inside the document.

14. Insert Icons, 3D Models, and SVGs

 What It Is: You can now insert icons, 3D models, and SVG images into
Excel.
 Impact: This adds more visual appeal to your spreadsheets, making them
more dynamic and engaging.

15. Improved File Sharing and Permissions

 What It Is: More control over who can edit or view your workbook when
sharing, especially in the cloud (OneDrive, SharePoint).
 Impact: You can now set permissions for specific users and even restrict
what others can do (e.g., view-only, editing rights).
16. Automatic Formatting with Data Types

 What It Is: Excel now automatically formats certain types of data (like
dates or numbers) as you enter them, reducing the need for manual
formatting.
 Impact: This makes working with large datasets easier and more intuitive.

Key Benefits of These New Features:

 Improved productivity: Many of these features streamline your work,

allowing you to analyze data, collaborate, and automate tasks more
efficiently.
 Data analysis: New functions like XLOOKUP, TEXTJOIN, and dynamic
arrays provide powerful tools to analyze and manage data.
 Collaboration: Co-authoring, real-time comments, and shared access make
it easier to work with others on the same document.
 Ease of use: With tools like Ideas, Smart Fill, and Excel for the Web, Excel
has become more accessible to users at all skill levels.

These features, especially when combined with Microsoft 365's cloud-based

collaboration tools, significantly enhance the Excel experience for both individuals
and teams.

Sparkline, Inline, and Data Charts: Key Concepts for College Students

In Excel, sparklines, inline charts, and data charts are powerful tools that help
visualize data, making it easier to analyze and present trends, patterns, and insights.
Below are the key concepts and how to use these features effectively.

1. Sparklines

What Are Sparklines?

 Sparklines are tiny charts that fit within a single cell, providing a compact
and immediate visual representation of data trends.
 They are used to show trends over time or the variation in a data set, without
taking up much space on a worksheet.
Types of Sparklines:

 Line Sparkline: Displays a simple line chart that connects data points.
 Column Sparkline: Displays vertical bars that show data variations.
 Win/Loss Sparkline: Highlights positive (win) and negative (loss) values
with bars, useful for showing up/down trends.

How to Create Sparklines:

1. Select Data: Highlight the cells containing the data you want to use.
2. Insert Sparklines:
o Go to the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
o In the Sparklines group, choose the type of sparkline (Line, Column,
or Win/Loss).
3. Choose Location: Select where you want the sparklines to appear, typically
in a new column next to your data.
4. Customize Sparklines:
o Once inserted, you can format them by changing colors or adding
markers to highlight specific points (e.g., high/low, negative points).
o Use the Sparkline Tools tab to customize.

Use Cases:

 Trend Analysis: Visualizing stock prices, sales trends, or any time-series

data.
 Data Comparison: Comparing trends across multiple items (e.g., sales
performance of different products)

3. Inline Charts

What Are Inline Charts?

 Inline charts are charts inserted directly into a cell or an embedded area
within the text of a worksheet.
 They are similar to sparklines but can show more detailed data and require a
bit more space.

How to Insert Inline Charts:

 Inline charts are often manually created by adjusting the size of a standard
chart (e.g., Column or Line chart) and positioning it within the data grid.
  Unlike sparklines, inline charts usually provide more options and allow for
axis labels, titles, and legends.

Use Cases:

 Reports: For students or professionals looking to show charts next to

descriptive text or data.
 Detailed Visuals: When you need a more detailed view of the data than
sparklines can provide, but still want to keep the visual compact.

3. Data Charts

What Are Data Charts?

 Data charts are the traditional charts that you can create in Excel (e.g., Bar,
Line, Pie, Column, etc.) to represent data visually.
 They offer full customization and interactivity, with features like axes,
legends, data labels, and trendlines.

Types of Data Charts:

 Column/Bar Charts: Great for comparing data across categories (e.g., sales
by region).
 Line Charts: Ideal for showing trends over time (e.g., stock prices over a
month).
 Pie Charts: Useful for showing proportions and percentages of a whole
(e.g., market share).
 Area Charts: Like line charts but with areas filled to emphasize the
magnitude of change.
 Scatter Plots: Display relationships between two sets of values (e.g.,
correlation between study hours and grades).

How to Create Data Charts:

1. Select Data: Highlight the range of data that you want to visualize.
2. Insert Chart:
o Go to the Insert tab.
o Select the chart type you need (e.g., Column, Line, Pie).
3. Customize the Chart:
 oChart Tools: Use the Chart Design and Format tabs to customize
the chart’s appearance, colors, labels, and titles.
o Chart Elements: Add elements like axes, data labels, and legends.
4. Adjust Chart Size: Resize the chart to fit your needs by dragging its edges.

Use Cases:

 Presentations: Charts help make data more engaging and understandable for
your audience.
 Reports: Charts provide a quick way to summarize complex data and
highlight key trends.
 Data Analysis: Helps in exploring and analyzing large data sets, revealing
patterns or outliers.

Key Differences Between Sparklines, Inline Charts, and Data Charts:

Feature Sparklines Inline Charts Data Charts

Larger than sparklines Full-sized charts
Small and compact,
Size but embedded within a that are separate
fit into a single cell
cell or report from data

Show trends or Visualize data

Provide a more detailed
Purpose patterns over time in relationships or
chart within data cells
a compact form comparisons

Moderate (more High (full range of

Limited (focuses on
Customization customization than customization
simplicity)
sparklines) options)

Embedding charts
Trend analysis and In-depth analysis
Use Case within reports or data
quick comparisons and presentations
views

Tips for Using Charts Effectively:

  Choose the Right Chart Type: Select the chart type based on the data and
what you're trying to convey (e.g., use a bar chart for comparisons, a line
chart for trends).
 Use Labels and Titles: Always add clear titles, axis labels, and data labels
to make the chart understandable.
 Keep It Simple: Don't overwhelm the viewer with too much information.
Focus on key insights.
 Use Sparklines for Quick Visuals: When space is limited and you need to
show trends, sparklines are a great option.
 Avoid Overcrowding: Make sure your chart isn’t too cluttered. Use legends
and labels to provide context but avoid unnecessary elements

Conclusion

 Sparklines are perfect for providing a quick visual trend in a small space.
 Inline charts provide a middle ground between sparklines and traditional
charts, allowing more detailed visuals within cells or reports.
 Data charts are the traditional full-sized charts that provide the most
flexibility and detail, ideal for in-depth analysis and presentations.

Understanding these tools and when to use them can greatly improve the
effectiveness of your data presentation and analysis.