Introduction to Excel

🗂️ Workbook Basics
●​ When you open Excel, you can choose a blank workbook or a recent file.
●​ A single Excel file is called a workbook or spreadsheet.
●​ A workbook contains at least one sheet.
●​ Add more sheets by clicking the plus (+) icon.
●​ Rename a sheet by double-clicking the sheet name and pressing Enter.

📍 Cell Address
●​ A sheet consists of many cells.
●​ Each cell can contain numbers or text.
●​ To replace a value in a cell, just type over it.
●​ Each cell has an address, such as D4 (Column D, Row 4).
●​ The address of a cell is the intersection of a column and a row.
●​ The formula bar displays the content of the active cell.
●​ If the cell contains text, the formula bar shows the text.
●​ If the cell contains a formula, the formula bar shows the formula.

🧮 Formula Bar
●​ The name box on the left shows the active cell address.
●​ To jump to a specific cell, type the cell address in the name box and press Enter.
●​ Use the shortcut Ctrl + Home to jump back to the first cell (A1).

🖱️ Selecting Rows and Columns

●​ Select multiple rows or columns by clicking and dragging your mouse.
●​ Shortcut: Ctrl + Space selects an entire column.
●​ Hold Shift and use the arrow keys to select multiple columns.
●​ Right-clicking provides options to insert or delete columns.
●​ Shortcuts: Ctrl + Plus (+) to insert, Ctrl + Minus (-) to delete columns or rows.
●​ Excel has over 16,000 columns and over a million rows.
●​ Use Ctrl + Down Arrow to jump to the last row.
●​ Use Ctrl + Right Arrow to jump to the last column.
●​ Use Ctrl + Home to return to the first cell.

🎯 Cell Ranges
A range is a group of cells.

●​ Select a range by clicking and dragging from the first cell to the last.
●​ Alternatively, select the first cell, hold Shift, and use the arrow keys.
 ●​ Reference a range using the address of the top-left cell and the bottom-right cell,
separated by a colon.
●​ Example: D4:F7

↔️ Cell Handles
Handle Description

Selection Handle Used for selecting a cell or range of cells.

Move Handle Appears as four arrows, used to move the content of a cell to another location.

Fill Handle Appears as a cross symbol, used to fill the content of the cell to adjacent cells.

●​ Move a cell's content using the move handle (four arrows).

●​ Alternatively, use Ctrl + X (cut) and Ctrl + V (paste).
●​ Use the fill handle (cross symbol) to fill adjacent cells with the content of the selected
cell.
●​ Dragging the fill handle copies the content or formula down or across.

📏 Cell Size
●​ Cells have a default size, but you can change them.
●​ If text is too long, it overflows into the next cell visually, but the content is only in the
original cell.
●​ Expand a column by hovering over the column border and dragging, or by
double-clicking to fit the content.

✏️ Text Wrapping
●​ To wrap text vertically within a cell, use the Wrap Text option.
●​ If the wrapped text is not fully visible, double-click the row border to expand the row
height.
●​ To unwrap text, click the Wrap Text option again.

🖱️ Right-Click Options
●​ Right-clicking on a cell provides options to insert, delete, clear contents, add comments,
etc.
●​ Right-clicking on a column provides similar and additional column-specific options.
⚙️ Excel's Menu (Ribbon)
🏠 Home Tab
●​ The menu in Excel is called the ribbon.
●​ The ribbon consists of different tabs, each with its own options.
●​ The Home tab contains common formatting options, as well as options for inserting,
deleting, sorting, and filtering data.

📈 Insert Tab
●​ The Insert tab allows you to insert charts or pivot tables.

ℹ️ Feature Information
●​ Hovering over a feature provides more information about it, including shortcut keys.

👁️‍🗨️ Hide Gridlines

●​ To hide gridlines for creating reports or dashboards, go to the Page Layout tab, under
Gridlines, and uncheck the box.

⛭ Additional Options
●​ Some groupings have additional options, accessible via a tilted arrow.
●​ These options may be duplicates or additional settings organized differently.

⬇️ Collapsing the Ribbon

●​ To increase the grid space, you can collapse the ribbon using the arrow or the shortcut
Ctrl + F1.
●​ The ribbon reappears when you select a tab and disappears when you click away.
●​ To make the ribbon stick again, pin it or use the shortcut Ctrl + F1.

📂 File Tab (Backstage View)

●​ The File tab, also known as the backstage view, provides information about the file,
options to save as PDF, print, and check the Excel version.

⌨️ Data Input Shortcuts

●​ To return to the normal view, use the arrow or press Escape.

🗓️ Autofill
●​ Excel has built-in recognition for certain data types like months.
●​ Type Jan and drag the fill handle to autofill the subsequent months.

✍️ Edit Mode
●​ To enter edit mode in a cell, press F2.
●​ This places the cursor at the end of the text, allowing you to continue typing.

➡️ Fill Right
 ●​ Type a value in one cell, highlight the area to the right, and press Ctrl + R to fill the
values to the right.

➕ Data Input
●​ Highlight an area to input data easily.
●​ Press Tab to move to the next cell in the row.

📊 Formatting Data in Excel

●​ After reaching the end of a row, pressing Tab moves to the first cell of the next row.

Merging Cells
To center a title across a report, highlight the range of cells and then:

1.​ Go to Home.
2.​ Click Merge & Center.

This merges the selected cells into one and centers the content within the new, larger
cell.

Adjusting Cell Width

To automatically adjust the width of cells to fit the content:

1.​ Highlight the columns.

2.​ Double-click the boundary of any of the selected column headers.

If the automatically adjusted width is too tight, you can manually expand one of the
selected columns, and it will apply the same adjustment to the rest.

Adding Borders
To add borders to cells:

1.​ Select the cells.

2.​ Use the Border options in the Home tab to choose the border style.

Moving Cell Content

To move cell content without replacing existing data:

1.​ Select the cell you want to move.

2.​ Hover over the edge of the cell until the move handle appears.
3.​ Drag the cell while holding down the Shift key.
4.​ Release the mouse button when the line indicates the correct placement.

Alternatively, you can:

 1.​ Right-click and select Cut (or use Ctrl + X).
2.​ Right-click on the destination cell and choose Insert Cut Cells.

Using the Format Painter 🎨

The Format Painter tool allows you to copy formatting from one cell to another:

1.​ Select the cell with the formatting you want to copy.
2.​ Click the Format Painter icon in the Home tab.
3.​ Click on the cell you want to apply the formatting to.

To apply the formatting to multiple cells, double-click the Format Painter icon. Once
you're done, press Esc to turn it off.

➕ Summing Values
Using the Sum Function
To quickly sum values in a range of cells:

1.​ Go to the Home tab.

2.​ Click on Sum.

Excel will attempt to automatically select the range to sum. If the selection is correct,
press Enter.

Alt + Equals Shortcut

A faster way to sum values is by using the shortcut Alt + =.

1.​ Select the cell where you want the sum to appear.
2.​ Press Alt + =.
3.​ Press Enter to confirm the range.

To sum multiple columns or rows at once:

1.​ Select the entire range where you want the sums to appear (including the cells with the
values).
2.​ Press Alt + =.