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FLAME TREE
PUBLISHING

MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
WHAT IS EXCEL? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12
New to Excel? Need to brush up on your spreadsheet skills? This is the place to start. This
chapter includes a comprehensive list of spreadsheet jargon, examples of how Excel can be
used, and a history of how Excel and spreadsheets have developed. There is an illustrated
guide to whats on the Excel screen and no-nonsense instructions on the best ways of getting
started, including opening files, saving work, finding files, moving around a spreadsheet and
moving between worksheets.

CONTENTS

BASIC DATA MANIPULATION . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54

Excel has many data-entry features and
all are explained in this chapter. Find out
how to correctly enter and amend data,
as well all the shortcuts available to help
save time. This chapter outlines quick
techniques for selecting and copying
cells, pasting methods, and fast ways of
editing data, including deleting, altering
sizes and formatting. Learn how to
change cell colours with Conditional
Formatting and follow some
comprehensive step-by-step guides to
see how else this feature can be used.

LARGE SPREADSHEETS

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94
Spreadsheets containing large amounts of data
can often be difficult to understand, so this
chapter explains some of the tools available in
Excel that can help decipher thousands of rows
of information. Excel can dissect calculations
and explain how they have been constructed.
Useful tools including freezing panes,
multiple views, Outline, Filter, Subtotal, Sort
and PivotTables are all explained in detail,
and there are step-by-step guides to walk
you through some of the main features.

MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

CONTENTS

CREATING CALCULATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134

Calculations are one of the main
features of Excel and form the core
purpose of the program. This chapter is
part practical and part reference, with
clear instructions on how to create
calculations and the rules that
accompany them, followed by
information on using functions such as
SUM, IF and Vlookup. Easy-to-follow
guides show how particular features
work, and at the end of the chapter is a
list of quick-reference definitions.

MISTAKES AND ERRORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 208

This chapter will help you anticipate the problems
sometimes experienced with Excel, and explains how to
resolve them if they do occur. It offers straightforward
instructions on how Excel can help to reduce errors and
how to use the tools available to improve the accuracy of
data, as well the facilities to check it. Data Validation,
Conditional Formatting and Formula Auditing are all covered
in depth, and the chapter concludes with a troubleshooting
checklist and some afraid-to-ask questions.

EXTRA PRACTICE

FORECASTS, REPORTS
AND PRESENTATIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 176
Excel data often needs to be presented in an
efficient and accessible way. This chapter
covers the tools in Excel that can be used to
help forecast or summarize results, illustrate
sales figures and format data for
presentations. It will show you how to get to
grips with forecasting, using a cash-flow
forecast as an example. This section also
explains how to consolidate large quantities
of data, customize charts, and illustrate and
print out your report or presentation.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 244

One of the best ways of becoming an

expert in Excel is to create different
spreadsheets and practise using different
features. This chapter contains several
step-by-step guides on using specific
features in Excel. These exercises range
from calculating a loan to downloading a
bank statement. You can enter your own
data, or you can download an Excel file
that features sample data and examples.

FURTHER READING AND WEBSITES . . . . . . . . . . . . . 252

INDEX . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 254

MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

INTRODUCTION
Since Microsoft Excel first appeared in 1985, this computerized
spreadsheet has gradually become a market leader. Over the years it has
evolved to incorporate an increasing number of features that can be
confusing to beginners and more experienced users alike. So, whether
youve never set eyes on a spreadsheet before or have used one regularly
for many years, this book provides a practical education in the use of
Excel, and resolves many of the frustrating points that often become
assumed knowledge with an established computer program.

EXCEL HAS EVOLVED

Excel can be used for a wide range of purposes.
Traditionally, its main function was for accounting
and storing financial data. However, over the years
the program has become more sophisticated, and
many people have realized the benefit of using it for
creating presentations and reports, with colourful
charts and summarized totals for sales results. Data
input can be made easy and error-free, saving hours
of typing time and correcting mistakes. There are also
plenty of uses for Excel at home, including downloading bank statements, listing valuables for
a home insurance policy and completing a self-assessment tax return.

INTRODUCTION

calculator or use another computer

program. This book provides practical
advice so that you dont feel the need to
go elsewhere. Excel is not one of those
programs that can be opened for the first
time and 10 minutes later you have a
sales analysis report, complete with
forecasted figures, charts and a summary
table for the last 10 years. You need to
know how to create this type of analysis
a subject covered in this book. To avoid
moments of frustration and confusion, it is also essential to understand the terminology used
by Excels creators, so to help you out we have defined most of the jargon you will come
across when using Excel and spreadsheets in general.

VERSION CONFUSION
Since its launch in 1985, Excel has been updated more than a dozen times and in 2007,
Microsoft made some extensive alterations to the look of the program. This book covers
versions of Excel ranging from 4.0a (released in 1992) to the 2010 version for the PC. Whether
youre attempting to transfer from Excel 2000 to 2010, or remaining faithful to the Excel 5.0
that you bought back in 1993, this book states which information applies to which version of
Excel, but caters for every version released since 1992.

SEVEN CHAPTERS
NEED TO KNOW

The contents of this book are split into seven chapters, beginning with some simple explanations
about how Excel can be used and what all the jargon means. The second chapter covers quick

While the ideas for applying Excel keep on growing, understanding how to use it and ensuring
the accuracy of the end result can be problematic. Consequently, it is often quicker to grab a

techniques for inputting data, copying, formatting and deleting. Chapter 3 launches into large
spreadsheets, explaining how to use Excels features to analyse long lists of data. Chapter 4 covers

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

one of Excels traditional uses calculations. Chapter 5 is task-specific for those wanting to use
Excel to forecast sales figures or expenditure, produce reports or create presentations. Chapter 6
tackles problems users can face with Excel, outlining typical errors and explaining how to resolve
them and reduce the risk of them occurring. The final chapter is task-specific, offering step-by-step
guides to creating an expenses list, downloading a bank statement and calculating a loan.

SMALL CHUNKS
Each chapter is divided into manageable chunks of information about Excel and its
features. You do not need to read these from start to finish. Rather, the sections are taskoriented so they can be read and put into practice on their own according to your needs.
For example,if you are just trying to find the best way of documenting and managing your
household expenses, you can go right to that section and follow the instructions there.
Within each chapter, a range of Hot Tips also provide useful hints linked to the subjects
under discussion.

STEP BY STEP
Throughout the book there are step-by-step guides covering everything from calculating a loan
or investment to downloading a bank statement, creating a cash-flow forecast to listing
household expenses. Specific Excel features such as PivotTables, Subtotals, Conditional
Formatting, Vlookups, Charts, Data Validation and AutoFilter are all covered in the practical
guides in the relevant chapters.

DOWNLOAD AND PRACTISE

If you want to practise with Excel using the same data shown in this book, go to the
publishers website at http://www.flametreepublishing.com/samples and download the file
Excel_Exercises.xls. This file contains nine worksheets with fictitious data relating to the
subjects covered in the book (references are made to these files where appropriate).

INTRODUCTION

HELP!
If youre stuck on a particular topic, please email Flame Tree Publishing at
[email protected]. While we cannot operate a 24-hour helpline for all your
Excel needs, we will answer your query via email.

UNDERSTAND MORE, ACHIEVE MORE

The contents of this book have been researched through 15 years of delivering Excel training
courses, using versions as early as 5.0 and as up-to-date as 2010. The author, Rob Hawkins, has
taught hundreds of people to use Excel at a variety of levels, ranging from absolute beginners
to expert programmers, data analysts and engineers. He has also completed consultancy
contracts where Excel has been used within the steel industry and retail market.
The use of Excel, and indeed many computer programs, is very different to what it was 15 years
ago, when people were still familiarizing themselves with often quite simple functions. Despite
todays more widespread proficiency with computers and higher skill levels in programs such as
Excel, there will always be gaps in a users knowledge. Many people still struggle with the rules of
calculations, effectively copying data, understanding functions such as a Vlookup or IF and how
a PivotTable can be used.
All these issues and more
are covered clearly and
concisely in this book. The
correct use of Excel can
shave hours off a working
week and improve the
efficiency of your
household administration.
Using this book will show
you how easy Excel really
can be.

11

WHAT IS EXCEL?

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

EXCEL JARGON
Excel can seem more confusing than it really is if you dont know the
meaning of some of the technical terms used within the program, so this
section provides a quick reference guide to Excels jargon.

WHAT IS EXCEL?

Ever-Increasing Numbers
Excels rows extended to 8,192 and 16,384 in the early 1990s, then hit 65,536 with Excel 97.
Excel 2007 and 2010 have broken into the millions; 2010 has a staggering 1,048,576 rows!
This might appear excessive, but in fact this number of rows can easily be filled by importing a
list of sales results, for example, or names and addresses for a city or region.

Hot Tip

SPREADSHEET
A spreadsheet is quite literally a method of spreading information across a sheet.
Consequently, a computer spreadsheet resembles a piece of paper with a grid format printed
on it. The grid format makes it easy to enter information in a logical manner down or across
the spreadsheet and provides a simple way of locating that information.

How do you remember which are rows and

which are columns? Well, when youre in a
rowing boat, you row across the water the
same as rows in Excel are across the page.

Spreadies
Programs such as Excel are referred to as spreadsheet programs, and the files they use are
known as spreadsheets. Many people also call a single page or sheet in a file a spreadsheet,
although these are properly known as worksheets. Those who use spreadsheets a lot
sometimes refer to them as spreadies.

ROWS
The lines or cells across a spreadsheet are known as rows.
Each row is identified by a row number, which is displayed
down the left side of the screen. The number of rows in
each worksheet varies according to the version of Excel you
Above: Excel 2007 and 2010 have over
are using, but they are all based on a mathematical formula
one million rows per Excel worksheet.
that starts at 1 and doubles the value each time. This is
characteristic of many computer values, including memory and hard-disk space. If you start at 1
and keep doubling the figures, you will arrive at familiar values such as 256, 512, 1,024 and 2,048.

COLUMNS
The cells down a spreadsheet are called columns and are
Above: There are 16,384 columns in an Excel
identified by a series of alphabetically ordered letters
2007 or 2010 worksheet.
across the top of the worksheet. They run from A to Z,
then move on to AA, AB, AC to AZ, followed by BA, BB, BC, and so on. Prior to the release of
Excel 2007, the majority of versions of Excel had 256 columns, which finished at IV. Excel
2007 and 2010 both have 16,384 columns, finishing at XFD.

CELLS
A particular point in the grid of a spreadsheet is referred to as a cell. The location is identified
by a cell reference, such as B20 or A10. For example, A10 refers to column A and row number
10. Excel has adopted this style of cell referencing as a default setting (a standard setting),
although other methods have been used and are still available, such as column and row
numbers (e.g. R5C6 locates the cell in the fifth row and sixth column).

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

WHAT IS EXCEL?

WORKBOOK
A workbook is simply the name for an Excel file that contains one or more spreadsheet pages
(or worksheets). The terms file and workbook are interchangeable in Excel.

WORKSHEET

Hot Tip
Assuming your computer doesnt
grind to a halt, Excel 2007 and
2010 can store 255 worksheets in a
single workbook.

A single page of an Excel spreadsheet

is known as a worksheet. Each
worksheet is displayed as a series of
tabs near the bottom left of the active
page. They are like the pages of a book.

USES FOR EXCEL

Excel has evolved from being a calculations-based program used mainly by
accountants and statisticians, to offering a wide variety of functions that
almost everyone will find useful. These include downloading and storing
bank statements, listing household valuables and creating claims forms.
Below are some examples of how Excel can be used.

BANK AND CREDIT CARD STATEMENTS

Most of the major banks, building societies and financial institutions provide online banking
with the facility to download bank statements. These statements are often saved in a file

RIBBON
Excel 2007 and 2010 both use toolbar ribbons
instead of the traditional drop-down menus and
toolbar buttons. There is still a menu bar, with
familiar tabs such as Insert and View, but when
you click on one of these tabs, a row
of toolbar buttons appears below in a
feature known as a ribbon.

Above: Worksheets are the pages of an Excel

workbook and are displayed near the bottom left
corner of the screen.

Hot Tip
Excel 2007/2010s ribbon
can be minimized and
maximized by holding down
the Ctrl key on the keyboard
and pressing F1.

Above: Excel 2007 and 2010 use a ribbon to display toolbar

buttons and menu options; a series of ribbon tabs can be seen
across the top of the screen.

Above: Excel can be used to store downloaded bank statements and help keep track of payments in and out.

17

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

WHAT IS EXCEL?

format that can be opened in Excel (comma separated values or CSV, text or TXT, or an
Excel file). Once opened, the bank statement is usually presented as a four- or five-column
list, with headings for the date of each transaction, details or a description of the
transaction, its value (sometimes payments
out are displayed as negative values) and the
closing balance.

Hot Tip

More information on downloading

bank statements is covered in
Chapter 3 (see page 105).

Create Your Own

If you find that your online bank statement is

not available in any of these formats, it may
still be possible to copy and paste it into an
Excel document from the version viewed on screen. Excel can sort and filter the data, and the
information can also be added to older statements to provide one continuous document for a
particular account.

MILEAGE CLAIM FORMS

Excel is very useful for time-saving calculations, which makes filling in forms such as expenses
or mileage claims a lot faster and error-free. The vast assortment of formatting tools
(including colours, borders, shading) means you can also make a claim form look professional
and use it as an official document at work, avoiding the need to buy or custom print
expensive stationery.

Above: If youre self-employed, Excel can be very useful for keeping track of your accounts and helping you complete
your self-assessment tax return.

KNOW YOUR VALUABLES

Most household, business and personal insurance policies require an estimated value for
belongings and valuables. Many people find that when they add all this up, it is far more than
they had thought it would be. Excel can not only help you add up the cost of your possessions,
it can also help you keep track of their value and display a running total as more items are
added to the list. This is covered in greater depth in Chapter 3.

SELF-ASSESSMENT
If youre one of the many millions of people who have to complete a tax return every year,
then Excel can save on time and also help with planning. Most tax returns can be completed
online, but it is important to make sure that the figures are entered correctly and that the final

TRACK YOUR WARRANTIES

calculation is correct. Inputting your figures in Excel before including them in your tax return
will make sure youve got it right and that you dont end up paying too much tax!

remember whether or not we bought the extended warranty on our television? If a device
stops working when it is still under warranty, where are the details of where you bought it and

How many of us know when the manufacturers guarantee on our oven runs out, or can

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

WHAT IS EXCEL?

car insurance, for example, can be listed in Excel and compared at a glance to see which ones
include a courtesy car, no-claims bonus protection and how much the voluntary excess costs.
Excel lets you decide what headings you want for the list and offers plenty of space to spread
the list across a worksheet.

THINGS TO DO
Excel isnt just for storing financial information. It can be used for something as simple as a list
of jobs to do at home (fix the dripping tap, paint the spare room, take the car for an MOT test
etc.). There are some useful features in Excel to help you colour-code jobs according to their
level of urgency and then sort them in order of their colours. Chapter 3 goes into more detail
on this subject, and includes a step-by-step guide to creating your own to-do list in Excel.

who to call? List all this

information in Excel and not only
will it be instantly accessible when
you need it, but you can also
decide whether or not to renew a
warranty when the time comes.

Hot Tip
Including details on when items were
purchased will also help you compare new-forold insurance policies and those that pay the
second-hand value.

PRICE COMPARISONS
Whether you are planning a holiday or shopping around for an insurance policy, Excel can
come in useful for comparing quotes and figuring out what you get for your money. Quotes for

Above: Excel is useful for making a to-do list of jobs and colour-coding them according to their level of urgency.

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

A HISTORY OF EXCEL
AND SPREADSHEETS

WHAT IS EXCEL?

The Rise of Excel

Although Excel first appeared in the 1980s, spreadsheets themselves have

been in use since the 1960s. This section provides a brief history of
spreadsheets and how they have evolved since their early days. It also
gives a checklist of the different versions of Excel.

In the early 1990s, Lotus 123 was in many peoples opinion the best spreadsheet program
available and was the market leader. However, in the mid-1980s, Microsoft had launched a
rival spreadsheet called Excel for the Apple Macintosh computer; it became available for the
PC and Windows in 1987 (Excel version 2.0). Despite Lotus 123 owning VisiCalc and having
the necessary supporting software (for example, Lotus Notes was an all-in-one package like
Microsoft Office), Excel was the only spreadsheet that could be run through Microsoft
Windows until 1992. Lotus 123 remained popular throughout the 1990s, but today it has
been overtaken in the market by Excel.

EARLY SPREADSHEETS

VERSIONS OF EXCEL

The first computer-based spreadsheets were not created for personal computing, but to run on
large corporate mainframe computers for accounting purposes. Professor Richard Mattessich
was the man behind the development of a mainframe-based spreadsheet, which first emerged
in 1961, and this was
eventually used by the likes of
Bell Canada, AT&T and
General Motors. During the
late 1970s, a spreadsheet
program called VisiCalc (visible
calculator) was developed.
This gained popularity in the
1980s, until Lotus 123
emerged and became a
leading brand, with many
features that are still available
today. The spreadsheet
program Quattro Pro also
appeared in the 1980s.

The table below outlines the development of Excel, along with some of the features of each version.
Year

Excel version

Comments

1985

1.0

Available only for Apple Mac

1987

2.0

Available for PC with MS-DOS operating system

1987

3.0

Available for PC with Windows operating system

1989

2.2

Available only for Apple Mac

1990

3.0

Available only for Apple Mac

1992

4.0 and 4.0a

Launched in January 1992 and available for PC, with

Windows 3.11. 4.0a available in November 1992

1993

5.0

Available for PC with Windows 3.11 featuring several

improvements over version 4.0a

1995

7.0/95

Available for PC with Windows 95 or NT; new features

included better integration with other Microsoft programs

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

WHAT IS EXCEL?

1997

8.0/97

Available for PC with Windows 95 and packaged under

Office 97. New features included an Office Assistant help feature.

2000

2000

Packaged under Office 2000

2002

2002

Available as part of Office 2002. New features included a Task

Pane and better analysis tools

2003

2003

Available as part of Office 2003

2007

2007

A completely revised version of Excel with a new look and lots of

new features. An end to menu bars and toolbars.

2010

2010

Similar to Excel 2007, but with some new features and improvements

Which Version
Do I Have?

Above: To find out which version of Excel you have, click on the Help menu.

Not sure which version of Excel

you have? If you can see a
Help menu near the top middle
of the screen, then click on it
and choose About Microsoft
Excel. A box will appear
displaying the version of Excel
at the top. If you cannot see a
Help menu, you have Excel
2007 or 2010, so click on the
question mark at the top right
corner of the screen to
activate Help. A separate box
will appear, displaying the
version of Excel you are using.

Hot Tip

EXCEL ON THE
MACINTOSH

Although the Apple Macintosh computer has

its own operating system, Microsoft has
developed Excel to work in much the same
way as it does on a Windows platform. Excel
for Windows and Excel for the Mac share a
common interface and functionality, making it easier for companies to support both platforms,
and file compatibility between the two operating systems is very high, enabling users to share
files between PCs and Macs. This book has been written for all versions of Excel for the PC, but
most of the information can be applied to the Apple Mac. See also pages 3334 for more on
the differences between PCs and Macs.
In 1982, Microsoft launched a
spreadsheet called Multiplan, aimed
at competing with VisiCalc.

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

WHAT IS EXCEL?

ON THE SCREEN

27

3
4

The main screen in Excel can seem bewildering if you dont know what
youre looking for and dont recognize any of the symbols on it. The
following pages provide detailed explanations of the various aspects
of the Excel screen, ranging from the older editions to the latest 2007
and 2010 versions.

8
9

10

11

12

EXCEL PRE-2007 ON THE PC

13

Title bar: The title bar appears at the top of all Microsoft applications. It displays the name
of the application and the current workbook on the left-hand side, and contains control
buttons to make changes to the window on the right-hand side.

Minimize button: The minimize button on the title bar will reduce the Excel window and
display it as a button on the Windows taskbar. The minimize button on the menu bar will
minimize the current workbook.

14

16
17

Maximize/Restore button: The maximize button (which looks like a single box) on the
title bar will enlarge the Excel window to the full size of the screen. The maximize button
on the menu bar will maximize the workbook window inside Excel. If this button looks like
two boxes (restore) then clicking on it will reduce the size of Excel.

15

19

18

Close button: The close button on the title bar will close Excel. The close button on the
menu bar will close the current workbook.

Excel toolbar: This provides a full range of separate toolbars, each containing a number
of buttons. These buttons offer shortcuts to commonly used features.

Menu bar: The menu bar provides a range of options for creating and maintaining your
workbook. By clicking on a menu name (File, Edit, etc.), a drop-down menu will appear.

Name box: The name box displays the cell address or name of the currently selected cell.
The drop-down box provides a list of all the named cells within the worksheet.

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

Formula bar: The formula bar shows the contents of the selected cell. If it cannot be
seen, click on the View menu and make sure theres a tick mark against Formula bar.

Select-all button: When you click on the select-all button, all the cells in the worksheet
are selected.

10 Column headings: There are 256 columns in a worksheet, labelled A through to IV.
The column heading displays the labels from A to Z, then AA to AZ, BA to BZ, and so on
through to IV. Clicking on a column heading selects the whole of that column.
11 Horizontal split box: This split box can be used to divide the window horizontally so
that you can view two areas of the worksheet at the same time. Drag the split box along
the scroll bar to where you want the window split.
12 Active cell indicator: You can see which cell is active because it has a dark border
around it. This is known as the active cell indicator, and it has a small black square in the
bottom right-hand corner.

WHAT IS EXCEL?

17 Vertical split box This split box can be used to divide the window vertically so that you
can view two areas of the worksheet at the same time. Drag the split box down the scroll
bar to where you want the window split.
18 Horizontal scroll bar: The horizontal scroll bar allows you to scroll left and right through
the columns of the worksheet.
19 Status bar The left side of the status bar displays the current command or operation and
the right side displays the status of the Num Lock, Caps Lock and Scroll Lock keys. If you do
not want the status bar displayed, click on the View menu and uncheck the Status Bar option.

EXCEL 2007 AND 2010 ON THE PC

The screen for Excel 2007 and 2010 looks very different to that of earlier versions. However,
there are several similarities including scroll bars, minimize and maximize buttons, the formula
bar and status bar. New features include the replacement of the menu bar and toolbar buttons
with a selection of ribbons.

13 Row headings: There are 65,536 rows within each worksheet. The row headings are
displayed down the left side of the screen.

Title bar: The title bar appears at the top of all Microsoft applications. It displays the
name of the application and the current workbook.

14 Vertical scroll bar: The vertical scroll bar allows you to scroll up and down through the
rows of the worksheet.

Quick access toolbar: This toolbar is usually displayed at the top left corner of the
screen, but it can be moved further down below the ribbon. The quick access toolbar
displays some of the commonly used buttons, such as Open, Save, Undo and Print. Buttons
can be added and removed by clicking on its drop-down arrow.

Minimize button: The minimize button on the title bar will reduce the Excel window and
display it as a button on the Windows taskbar. The minimize button on the menu bar will
minimize the current workbook.

15 Tab scroll buttons: The tab scroll buttons are used to scroll the sheet tabs when
some of them cannot be seen. Right-click on any of these buttons to see a full list
of them.
16 Sheet tabs: The sheet tabs display the names of the worksheets that make up the current
workbook. To make a sheet active, click on the sheet tab.

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

WHAT IS EXCEL?

Ribbon: A ribbon contains a series of buttons, just like a traditional toolbar. Each set of
ribbon buttons is associated with its ribbon tab. The ribbon can be minimized and
maximized by right-clicking on it and selecting Minimize Ribbon (if there is a tick mark
against this option it will maximize).

Name box: The name box displays the cell address the name of the currently selected
cell. The drop-down box provides a list of all the named cells within the worksheet.

Formula bar: The formula bar displays the contents of the selected cell.

24

10
8

11

13

14

15

10 Select-all button: When you click on the select-all button, the entire worksheet is selected.

17

18

20

11 Column headings: The column headings display the column labels from A to Z, then AA to
AZ, BA to BZ, and so on. Excel 2007 and 2010 both have 16,384 columns, which end at XFD.

19

16

12

21

23

22

Maximize/Restore button: If this button looks like a single box, then clicking on it will
enlarge the Excel page to the full size of the screen (maximize). If there are two boxes
(restore), then clicking on it will reduce the Excel window so other programs and the
desktop can be seen.
Close button: The close button on the title bar will close Excel. The close button below it
will close the current workbook.
Ribbon tabs: The tabs near the top of the screen labelled File, Home, Insert, Page Layout,
Formulas, Data, Review and View are used to open different ribbons below. These ribbons
contain toolbar buttons associated with each ribbon tab.

12 Horizontal split box: This split box can be used to divide the window horizontally so
two areas of the worksheet can be viewed at the same time. Drag the split box along the
scroll bar to where you want to split the window.
13 Active cell indicator: A dark border identifies the selected cell. This is known as the active cell
indicator, and it can be moved to select other cells by using the mouse or arrow keys on the keyboard.
14 Row headings: The row headings display the row numbers in a spreadsheet and are listed
down the left side of the screen. Excel 2007 and 2010 have 1,048,576 rows.
15 Vertical scroll bar: The vertical scroll bar allows you to scroll up and down through the
rows of the worksheet.
16 Tab scroll buttons: The tab scroll buttons are used to scroll the sheet tabs if some of
them are not visible. Right click on any of these buttons for a list of worksheets.

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17 Sheet tabs: The sheet tabs display the names of the worksheets that make up the open
workbook. By default, each new workbook contains three sheets. A workbook can contain
an unlimited number of sheets, however. To make a sheet active, click on the sheet tab.
18 Insert worksheet: Click on this button to the right of the sheet tabs to add a new
worksheet to the Excel workbook instantly.
19 Horizontal scroll bar: The horizontal scroll bar allows you to scroll left and right through
the columns of the worksheet.
20 Resize the horizontal scroll bar: The small up-turned rectangle to the left of the
horizontal scroll bar allows this scroll bar to be resized. Position the mouse pointer over it
and when it changes to a cross with two arrows, drag the mouse left or right to resize the
scroll bar.

EXCEL ON THE SCREEN ON MACS

As we have said, most of the information in this book can easily be applied to Apple Macintosh
computers too. As you can see from the following two screen shots, they are very similar the
numbered descriptions on pages 2632 correspond to the annotation here just as well, with
only a few minor differences for example, youll notice the name of the application (Excel) is
on the menu bar, not the title bar.
7

21 Status bar: The left side of the status bar displays the current command or operation, as
well as advice on how to use a selected feature in Excel.

10

11

12

13
14

22 Zoom control: Drag the slider to zoom in and out of the spreadsheet. Click on the
percentage value to open a Zoom dialogue box and change the settings.
23 Layouts: Click on the small buttons to change between
views Normal, Page Layout and Page Break Preview. These
views are especially useful when printing spreadsheets.
24 Vertical split box: This split box can be used to split or
divide the window vertically so that you can view two
areas of the worksheet at the same time. Drag the split
box down the scroll bar to the point at which you want
the window split.

Hot Tip
When using the zoom
control, you can click
on the plus (+) and
minus () symbols as
well as dragging the
slider to zoom in
and out.

16

15
Above: Pre-2007 on Mac.

19

18

17

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WHAT IS EXCEL?

4
6

GETTING STARTED IN EXCEL

24

10
8

13

Now that you are familiar with what you can see on screen when you open
Excel, its time to get to grips with some basic functions. There are many
shortcuts and quick techniques for opening, closing and saving Excel files,
and for making sure files are not lost.

11

14

15

OPENING AND CLOSING EXCEL

There are several ways of opening Excel and there are no right or wrong methods. However,
its worth trying them all to see which one is the fastest and easiest for you.

17 18

20

19

16
12

23

Opening Excel

Start menu: Click on the Start

menu at the bottom left corner of
the screen and you may find Excel
listed in the menu that pops up.
Otherwise, select Programs or All
Programs and look for it on the submenu that appears. If its not there,
look for Microsoft Office, select
that and click on Excel in the next
sub-menu.

Taskbar: If Excel is displayed as a

small green icon (symbol) near the
bottom left of the screen, then

21

Above: Excel 2011 on Mac (equivalent of post-2007 on PC).

A NOTE ON KEYBOARD DIFFERENCES

Any keyboard-related instructions in this book are based on using a keyboard connected to a
PC, but depending on the type of keyboard you are using, you may find some differences.
Similarly, if you are using an Apple Mac, there are a few different keys. For example, most
importantly, the Ctrl key on the PC is the Command (Apple) key on the Apple Mac (not the
one labelled 'Ctrl' confusingly!). The Page Up/Down keys on the PC are usually labelled by an
up/down arrow with two short horizontal lines on the Apple Mac. Right clicking is also different
on an Apple Mac to the PC hold down the Ctrl key and click instead. Some of the function
(F) keys may also not work as described especially in Mac OS X version 10.3 and later where
there can be a conflict with the default key assignments for the Expos feature.

click on it once with the mouse to

open the program.

Above: Excel can be opened via the Windows Start button

at the bottom left of the screen; you may have to open
one or two sub-menus to find it.

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File menu using the keyboard: Hold down

the Alt key on the keyboard (near the bottom
left), then press F. The File menu or ribbon
menu will appear. Release all the keys on the
keyboard, then press X for eXit. Excel will close,
but may prompt you to save changes to any
unsaved files.

Close button: At the far top right corner of

the screen there is an x-shaped button. Click
on this to close Excel. Once again, you will be
prompted to save any unsaved changes before
the program closes. The x-shaped button
below the one in the far top right corner will
close an Excel file rather than the program.

Keyboard shortcut: Hold down the Alt key

on the keyboard (near the bottom left corner)
and press the F4 key (above the numbers 4
and 5) once. Excel will close, but will ask you to
save the changes for any files that have not
been saved.

Right-click on the taskbar: When Excel is

open, it appears on the taskbar along the
bottom of the screen. It can be closed from
here by right-clicking on this and choosing
Close from the menu that appears. If any Excel
files have not been saved, you will be asked
whether you want to save them.

Above: Some keyboards have an Excel symbol displayed on one of the function keys a quick way of opening the program.

Open an Excel file: Instead of opening Excel, you can open an Excel file to
automatically open the program. Excel files are usually found via My Computer or My
Documents.
Keyboard shortcut: Some
keyboards have an Excel
symbol on one of the Function
keys (e.g. F3, above), which
opens Excel. You may have to
hold down another key to
activate these keyboard features.

Hot Tip
If you are about to close down your
computer and have several programs open,
then as long as youve saved any open files,
just click on the Start button and choose
Turn Off Computer or Shutdown.

Closing Excel

File menu: Click on the File menu or ribbon tab in Excel and select Exit (near the bottom
of the menu that appears). If any Excel files have not been saved, you will be prompted
to save them before the program closes.

Hot Tip
Not sure if Excel is open or
not? Look along the taskbar at
the bottom of the screen to
see if its displayed. If so, click
on it to display the program
on screen.

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OPENING NEW AND OLD FILES

WHAT IS EXCEL?

File ribbon (2010): Click on the File ribbon tab near the top left of the screen and choose
New from the drop-down menu on the left side of the screen. A variety of options will
appear. Look for Blank Workbook near the top left and select it to open a new workbook.

File menu (pre-2002): Click on the File menu and choose New. A dialogue box will
appear with a variety of options for opening a new workbook or an assortment of
templates. Select Workbook and click on OK to open a new file in Excel.

File menu (2002 and 2003): Click on the File menu and choose New. On the righthand side of the screen is a bar called the task pane, including options for opening a new
workbook. Select Blank Workbook to open an empty file in Excel.

Excel workbooks or files can be opened and created in a variety of ways using the keyboard,
menus or toolbar buttons or even a different program.

Creating a New Excel File

Keyboard: Hold down the Ctrl

key (near the bottom left corner
of the keyboard), then press the
letter N and release all the
keyboard keys. A new Excel
workbook (file) will appear on
the screen.

Opening a Recently Used File

Toolbar button (pre-2007): In

Excel 2003 and earlier versions,
search on the Standard toolbar
in the top left of the screen for a
toolbar button that looks like a
white piece of paper. Click on
this once to open a new Excel
workbook.
Office button (2007): Click on
the multicoloured Office button
in the top left corner of the
screen and choose New from the
menu that appears. A New
Workbook dialogue box will
appear. Select Blank Workbook
and click on the Create button.

File menu (pre-2007): Click on the File menu and look at the lower half of the menu.
The last few Excel files that were opened will be listed. If the file you want is on the list,
click on it to open.

Above: In Excel 2007 and 2010, there are a number of options

on the File ribbon tab for creating a new Excel workbook.

Above: In Excel 2000 or earlier versions, click on the File menu

and choose New; the dialogue box shown here will appear.

Above: Click on the File menu in

Excel 2003 and earlier versions for a
list of previously opened Excel files.

Above: Click on the Office button in Excel 2007 or the File ribbon tab in
Excel 2010 and select Recent for a list of Excel files that have been opened.

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Office button (2007): Click on the multicoloured Office button in the top left corner of
the screen and a list of recently opened Excel files will be displayed, along with a number
of menu options.
File ribbon (2010): Click
on the File ribbon tab near
the top left corner of the
screen. Select Recent from
the drop-down menu. The
files that were last used in
Excel will be displayed in the
main part of the screen.

Hot Tip
Recently used files can be found in Windows
Vista, XP and earlier versions by clicking on the
Start menu at the bottom left corner of the
screen and then selecting Documents.

Right click (2007 and 2010): With Excel open, right-click on its icon in the taskbar
along the bottom of the screen. A menu will appear with a section called Recent,
showing the recently used Excel files.

Keyboard shortcut: Hold down the Ctrl key and press the letter O on the keyboard (not
the zero), then release all the keys.

File menu (pre-2007): Click on the File menu and choose Open.
The dialogue box will appear on the screen, allowing you to search
for an Excel file and open it.

Office button (2007): Click on the multicoloured Office button in

the top left corner of the screen and choose Open to activate the
dialogue box.

File ribbon (2010): Click on the File ribbon tab in the top left of
the screen and choose Open. The dialogue box will appear.

Toolbar button (pre-2007): Find the yellow

icon shaped like a folder being opened on the
Standard toolbar in the top left of the screen.
Hover the mouse over the icon and the word
Open should appear. Click on the button and
the dialogue box will appear, enabling you to
locate an Excel file and open it.

Quick Access toolbar (2007 and 2010):

If a yellow toolbar button is displayed near
the top right corner of the screen, click on it
to open the dialogue box. If there is no
toolbar button, click on the drop-down
triangle to the right of these buttons on the
Quick Access toolbar and choose Open from
the menu that appears.

Opening an
Old Excel File
You can use the Open dialogue
box to locate an Excel file and
open it. The appearance of this
box varies depending on the
version of Excel you are using,
but the methods of opening
folders and selecting an Excel file
are the same.
Left: The Open dialogue box differs between
the various versions of Excel, but is similar in
how it can be used to search for and open files.

41

Above: In pre2007 versions of

Excel, click on the
toolbar button that
looks like a yellow
folded piece of card
to open an old file.

Above: If the Open toolbar button isnt displayed on the

quick access toolbar in Excel 2007 and 2010, it can be
added via the drop-down menu.

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My Documents and
Documents Library
If you are familiar with file viewers such as
Windows Explorer, My Computer, My
Documents and Documents Library, then
you can open any Excel file from there
without having to open the program itself.
Opening an Excel file automatically opens
the program.

What Did I Call It?

Forgotten what you called a file? All is not
lost. The Open dialogue box also offers a
number of search methods for both finding
text in an Excel file and identifying its
author. In pre-2007 versions, the search
Above: Excel files can be opened using file viewers such
as My Documents and Documents Library.
options are displayed near the bottom right
corner of the Open dialogue box. There is
also an Advanced button, which opens another dialogue box and allows you to search for
specific words and values within your Excel files.

Above: Lost Excel files can be found using the Open dialogue box and its advanced search facilities.

SAVING FILES
Finding Files in
Excel 2007 and 2010
Excel 2007 and 2010 have a simpler but
equally effective method of finding
information within a file, using the search
panel in the top right corner of the Open
dialogue box. Just type in a keyword and
Excel will search for it within the file
names and contents of your documents.

Hot Tip
There is a search facility in Windows to
help find lost Excel files. Click on the
Start menu and select Search (for
Windows 7, type in the search box on
the Start menu).

Saving and resaving Excel files is quick and easy with keyboard shortcuts and toolbar buttons.
It is good practice to save your Excel files regularly, but if a computer problem occurs, Excel
has some recovery methods to ensure all is not lost.

First Save in Excel

If you are working in a new Excel file that hasnt been previously saved, then you will need to
name and save it. The quickest way to do this is to hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard
and press the letter S. A Save As dialogue box will appear, allowing you to enter a name for
your Excel file and choose a location in which to store it.

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Above: Excel files can be quickly renamed in File

viewers such as My Documents by using the F2 key
on the keyboard.
Above: When a new Excel file is saved for the first time, the Save As dialogue box appears, allowing you to name the
file and choose a location to store it in.

Resaving Excel Files

When working on a file and changing its contents, it is worthwhile resaving it every few
minutes to avoid losing data should a computer problem occur. There are two quick ways to
resave an Excel file:

Keyboard shortcut: Hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and press the letter S. You
wont see much happening (a brown floppy disk symbol may briefly appear near the
bottom of the screen), but the file will have been saved.
Toolbar button: Click on the Save toolbar button near the top left of the screen. This is
the icon that looks like a floppy disk. The word Save will appear if you hover over it.

Open the file you want to rename

Press F12 on the keyboard
Enter a new file name in the Save
As dialogue box
Choose a different storage
location if required
Click Save

Saving Down
If you want to transfer an Excel file to
another computer on which an earlier version
of the program is installed, youll need to save
the file down to make sure it can be opened
in the new location. To do this:

Changing File Names

You may want to change the name of an Excel file, or save a copy of it with a different name.
Heres how to do this without overwriting the old file:

Right: Excel can save files for use with earlier

versions of the program.

Hot Tip
File names can be quickly changed in
My Documents, Windows Explorer
and Documents Library. Just select a
file, press F2 on the keyboard and
type in a new name.

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CLOSING EXCEL
FILES WITHOUT
CLOSING EXCEL

Click on the File

menu or File
ribbon tab
Choose Save As
(or press F12 on
the keyboard)
Click on the dropdown triangle to
the right of the
Save As Type or
File Type box
From the file
types listed,
choose the
version you need
Rename the file if
required
Click Save

When closing down a file, you

may not always want to quit out
of the Excel program altogether.
There are two ways to close files
without closing Excel.

FILE EXTENSIONS
All file names have an extension to help
identify the program in which it was
created. This usually consists of three or
four letters at the end of the file name and
is separated from the file name with a full
stop (e.g. Bank.xls). Pre-2007 versions of
Excel have a .xls extension at the end of the
file name, whereas files created in Excel
2007 and 2010 have a .xlsx extension.

Hot Tip
The reason there are different
file extensions for the different
versions is because some of the
features available in later versions
of Excel are not applicable to
earlier versions.

File menu/tab: Click on

the File menu, Office button
or ribbon tab and select
Close.

X-button: If there are two

x-shaped buttons at the top
right corner of the Excel
screen, click on the lower
button to close the file (the
upper button closes Excel).
If there is only one xshaped button, click on this
to close the file.

Hot Tip
If you have several files open in
Excel (pre-2007) and want to close
them all without closing Excel, hold
down the Shift key on the keyboard,
then click on the File menu and
choose Close All.

Above: Multiple files can be closed in pre-2007 versions of

Excel by holding down the Shift key to open the file menu.

CRASH RECOVERY
If Excel develops a problem, a warning box will usually appear before the program closes. After
closing down, Excel may automatically reopen although in earlier versions you may need to
re-open it manually. The files you were working on will reappear as recovered files. You will
then have the opportunity to resave them without losing any changes.

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Modifying Auto Recovery (20002003)

Excel recovers files by regularly saving them automatically. The frequency with which the
auto-save function works can be modified if required, as long as you are using a version of
Excel from 2000 onwards. In Excel 20002003, click on the Tools menu and choose Options.
From the dialogue box that appears, select the Save tab and look for the words Save
AutoRecover info every: You can adjust the number next to this to indicate the frequency (in
minutes) with which the files are saved.

WHAT IS EXCEL?

MOVING AROUND EXCEL

Moving to specific cells to read information or enter data can result in lots
of time wasted flicking the scroll wheel of the mouse or clicking on the
scroll bar buttons. Fortunately, there are several other ways of quickly
accessing a particular cell.

Modifying Auto Recovery (2007 and 2010)

In Excel 2007, click on the Office button in the top left corner of the screen and choose Excel
Options. In Excel 2010, click on the File ribbon tab and choose Options. In both cases a
dialogue box will appear. Choose Save from the list on the left and look for the AutoRecover
information, where the value in minutes can be changed.

MOVING TO CELLS USING THE KEYBOARD

Understanding the keyboard shortcuts for moving around a spreadsheet can save a great deal
of time. Below are some of the quickest ways of moving to particular cells.

Arrow Keys
The arrow keys on the keyboard are ideal for jumping
from one cell to another. They are usually situated to
the left of the number pad on the far right of the
keyboard. On keyboards without a number pad (often
on laptops), the arrow keys are usually near the bottom
right corner.

Ctrl + Arrow Keys

Above: You can change the frequency at which files are automatically saved.

Make sure a cell is selected inside a

spreadsheet with a list of data below it.
Hold down the Ctrl key on the
keyboard (near the bottom left corner
of the keyboard) and press the down
arrow. The cell selector will jump down
the screen to the next entry in that
column followed by an empty cell.

Hot Tip
Press the End key once, then an
arrow key to jump back to the first row or
column, or down or across to the end of a
section of data. The End key is indicated
with a diagonal downwards arrow.

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Keep on Jumping

MOUSE SCROLLING

Hold the Ctrl key and press the down arrow again to jump further down the list until you get to
the very bottom of the spreadsheet. You can use the up, left and right arrow keys to move up
and across a list in your spreadsheet in the same way.

If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can use this to scroll up and
down your spreadsheet vertically (although it may not work for
horizontal scrolling if you only have a vertical scroll wheel, clicking
the scroll wheel will activate horizontal and vertical scrolling).
However, there is another use for most scroll wheels. Try clicking
with it as though you are clicking the buttons on the mouse. If the
mouse pointer on screen changes to a dot with four triangles, you can
then scroll by simply moving the mouse in the direction you want to
go. The further you move away from the centre of the screen, the
faster it scrolls.

Get Me Back!
If you need to get back to cell A1 in the top left corner of a spreadsheet, hold down the Ctrl
key on the keyboard and press the Home key (marked with an upward-facing diagonal arrow).
The cell selector will jump to cell A1. Similarly, press the Home key on its own to return to
column A of the row in which the cell selector is positioned.

Above: Press the

mouses scroll wheel
and the mouse
pointer will change,
allowing faster and
easier scrolling
around a spreadsheet.

Find the End

The bottom right-hand corner of data entered into a spreadsheet can be selected by holding
down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and pressing the End key. The cell selector may jump to an
empty cell if data had previously been
entered there but subsequently
deleted. However, this is useful for
quickly moving down and across to
the bottom of a spreadsheet.

Stop Scrolling
When you have reached the cell you require using
the mouses scroll wheel, return the pointer to the
middle of the screen and click the scroll wheel again
to switch off the mouse scroll function.

Hot Tip
Press Escape on the keyboard
to stop automatically scrolling
after clicking the mouses
scroll wheel.

SCROLL BARS
Go to a Cell

Above: The Go To dialogue box can be quickly opened by

pressing the F5 key on the keyboard.

If you want to go to a specific cell and

you know its reference, then press F5
on the keyboard. A Go To dialogue
box will appear where a cell reference
(e.g. H56) can be entered before
clicking on OK. If you frequently use
the Go To dialogue box, a list of cell
references will appear, from which you
can select the cell you want.

Excel spreadsheets each have two scroll bars one for scrolling up and down, which is
displayed down the right-hand side of the screen, and one for scrolling across, near the bottom
right of the screen. Traditionally you can scroll up and down or across a spreadsheet by clicking
on the triangles or arrows at the ends of the scroll bars, but there are much easier and faster
ways of moving around a spreadsheet using the scroll bars.

Jumping a Page at a Time

If you need to scroll down or across a spreadsheet a page at a time, then position the mouse
pointer inside the scroll bar, but not on the scroll-bar marker (the square or rectangle inside the scroll
bar). Click on the left button and you will move up, down or across the screen a page at a time.

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you release the left button you will see two vertical scroll bars, allowing you to scroll separately
through different parts of the same worksheet. To switch off this split, hover the mouse over the
split line. When the mouse pointer changes, drag the split line back up to the top of the screen.

Left: Dragging the scroll-bar marker provides fast

scrolling, and an indicator of where you are scrolling to
will appear on screen.

Dragging the Scroll-Bar Marker

Position the mouse pointer over the scroll-bar
marker and hold down the left button. Move
along the scroll bar to drag the marker and
move up, down or across the spreadsheet.
As you do this, a small message will appear
displaying the row number or column letter
you are scrolling to.

Above: The horizontal

scroll bar can be widened
using the control to its left.

Resizing the Horizontal Scroll Bar

The width of the horizontal scroll bar can be altered by
positioning the mouse to the left of the scroll left triangle/ arrow.
When the mouse pointer changes to a double-headed arrow with
two lines through the middle, hold the left button down and drag
this mouse pointer to alter the width of the horizontal scroll bar.
Move left to make it wider and right to make it narrower.

Horizontal Split
Position the mouse pointer to the right of the triangle/arrow pointing right on the horizontal
scroll bar. When the pointer changes to the double-headed arrow with two vertical lines
running through it, hold the left button down and drag the mouse pointer left to split the
screen. Release the left button and you will see two horizontal scroll bars, which provide
scrolling for two separate views of the same worksheet. To switch off this split, hover the
mouse over the split line and when the mouse pointer changes, drag the split line to the far
right of the screen.

MOVING BETWEEN
WORKSHEETS

Above: An Excel worksheet can

be split horizontally and
vertically to provide separate
views of the same sheet.

SPLITTING SCREENS

If you have a lot of data in a spreadsheet, it can

be helpful to spread it across a few worksheets
(pages). Moving between these can be time
consuming, so here are a couple of shortcuts.

Right-click: If you have lots of sheet tabs,

Above: Right-clicking on the sheet tab scroll
you may have to click on the scroll buttons
buttons displays a checklist of sheets.
near the bottom left corner of the screen to
find them. However, there is a quicker way. Right-click on these scroll buttons and a list
of all the sheet tabs will appear. Select one from the list and it will be opened instantly.

Ctrl+Page Up/Down: Hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard, then press the Page Up

If you need to view data that appears at the top and bottom of a worksheet at the same time,
you can split the screen to show more than one view.

Vertical Split
Position the mouse pointer above the triangle/arrow pointing upwards at the top of the vertical
scroll bar. When the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow with two horizontal lines running
through it, hold down the left button and drag the mouse pointer down the screen to split it. When

and Page Down keys on the keyboard (usually found next to the Home and End keys) to
move up and down the sheet tabs.

53

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BASIC RULES OF DATA ENTRY

Entering data into an Excel spreadsheet may seem straightforward, but
there are some rules to adhere to, not to mention common mistakes to be
aware of. One of the most important elements of basic entry is making
sure that Excel knows when you have completed inputting data into a cell.

BASIC DATA MANIPULATION

Tick and Cross

When you begin to type words or numbers
into a cell, a tick and a cross appear above the
column headings (the letters across the top
of the spreadsheet) in an area called the
formula bar. In Excel 2003 and earlier versions,
Above: When entering data into a cell, a cross
the tick mark is coloured green and the cross
and a tick mark appear in the formula bar above
is coloured red (they are not coloured in Excel
the column headings.
2007 and 2010). These symbols only appear
when you are entering data or editing the contents of a cell, and they indicate that some
features in Excel are disabled.
The tick and the cross can be used to either
confirm that an action has been completed or
when you return to a cell to edit its contents
in the following ways:

PRESS ENTER
When typing data into a cell, try to get into the habit of pressing Enter/Return on the keyboard
when you have finished entering the information rather than just moving on to the next cell.
Simply selecting another cell with the mouse or keyboard can lead to mistakes, especially if
you are writing or editing a calculation.

Click on the tick: When entering data

or editing the contents of a cell, you can
click on the tick in the formula bar to
confirm completion. This is an alternative
method to pressing the Enter/Return key
on the keyboard.

Cross it off: If you are editing a cell

and decide you want to revert to its
original contents, click on the cross mark
in the formula bar. This is similar to
using the Undo button and will undo
your last editing action.

Hot Tip
Press Escape on the keyboard
to cancel editing a cell or entering
data into it.

Above: When creating calculations, dont click in

another cell to complete it, because the calculation will
change always press Enter or click on the tick mark.

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DATA ENTRY SHORTCUTS

Entering data can become a mind- (and finger-) numbing task, especially if
you have long lists of figures to input, but Excel offers a number of
shortcuts and quick techniques to help speed up the process.

BASIC DATA MANIPULATION

a capital letter for AutoComplete

to work. Excel will automatically
follow the previous formatting
of a word.

Hot Tip
If you dont want to use an AutoComplete
entry, either continue typing to overwrite
it or press delete on the keyboard.

ALT+DOWN
AUTOCOMPLETE
Excel automatically helps with entering data in a list format. It looks at the cells above the
active cell and assumes that entries will be repeated. So, if you are inputting a list of household
expenses, in which the words supermarket and petrol are repeated, you wont have to type
them out in full every time. Excel will predict what youre typing based on the first letter, and
you can select from the list of options it provides by pressing Enter.

Understanding AutoComplete

Entries starting with the same letter: If two or more entries in a list start with the
same letter (e.g. gas bill and groceries), then Excel will wait for more letters to be
entered before activating AutoComplete. For example, when typing the letters gr Excel
will display the word groceries.
Continuous list: Excel only
checks a continuous list of entries
above a selected cell, so if there
are any blank cells in a list, it will
not check the entries above it.

Above: When entering data in a list, hold down the Alt key on
the keyboard and press the down arrow on the keyboard to
reveal a list of entries based on the contents of the cells above
the selected cell.

Hot Tip

Capital letters: If a word in a list

begins with a capital letter, you
do not need to start typing with

AutoComplete is useful for speeding

up input of list entries, but Excel offers
another helpful feature that is ideal for
long lists. To use this, select a cell at
the bottom of a list, then hold down
the Alt key on the keyboard and press
the down arrow. A list of entries will
appear, based on the contents of the
cells above the one selected. Use the
mouse to scroll up and down the list if
it is too long to display all the entries
in one window, and select an entry by
left-clicking on it.

Above: Excel offers suggestions when entering data in a list,

based on the entries above the selected cell.

Press Ctrl and the letter D on the

keyboard to enter the contents of
the cell above into a selected cell.
The cell above must contain data for
this to work.

Uses for Alt+Down

Using the Alt and down arrow keys on
the keyboard to activate a list is not as
quick as using AutoComplete, but it is a
useful way of checking for mistakes in a
list. It also ensures continuity and reduces
the risk of errors in entering the same
type of listing with different spellings.

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AUTOFILL
When a block of cells needs to contain the same data, or a sequence of data (such as the names
of days or months), you do not need to enter this information separately. The AutoFill feature in
Excel does this for you. This can be quickly used when the mouse pointer is positioned in the
bottom right corner of a selected cell, where the pointer changes to a black cross.

changes to a black cross, hold down

the left button on the mouse and
move up, down or across the
spreadsheet to start copying. Release
the left button to stop copying.

AutoFill Months or Days

AutoFill Number Sequences

To enter the months of the year (or days of the week) into a spreadsheet using AutoFill:

If you require a specific sequence of

numbers or dates, Excel needs to know what that sequence
is. So, for a sequence of numbers such as 100, 200, 300, the
first two numbers have to be entered in two adjacent cells.
Next, these two cells have to be selected together (make
sure the mouse pointer is a white cross and then swipe
across them with the left button held down). Finally, position
the mouse pointer at the bottom right corner of the selected
cells and make sure it changes to a black cross before
starting to AutoFill.

Enter the first month in a cell and press

Enter on the keyboard
Select the cell and hover the mouse over
the bottom right corner of that cell
When the mouse pointer changes to a
black cross, hold the left button down
on the mouse and move up, down or
across the screen to create a sequence
of months
Release the left button on the mouse
to enter the sequence

Above: Creating a sequence of months

involves entering only one month and using
Excels AutoFill feature. This can save hours of
data entry.

Copying with AutoFill

Calculations, titles and numbers can
all be quickly copied up, down or
across a spreadsheet using AutoFill.
Just select the cell you want to
copy and hover the mouse pointer
in the bottom right corner of the
cell. When the mouse pointer

Hot Tip
AutoFill is useful for creating a sequence of
names with numbers. For example, if you need
a list of weeks starting at Week 1, Week 2,
Week 3, just enter Week 1 in a cell and use
AutoFill to complete the sequence.

Hot Tip
If the cells to be copied into using AutoFill
are in a table of data, try double clicking
instead of dragging the AutoFill cross. Excel
will automatically AutoFill the cells.

AutoFill
Smart Tags

Above: Creating a sequence of

numbers or dates using AutoFill
requires data to be entered into
two adjacent cells to show Excel
the pattern of the sequence.

After using Excels

AutoFill feature to copy data or create a sequence,
a small Smart Tag will appear at the bottom of the
range of cells. Click on the Smart Tag to open a menu
offering more AutoFill options, including Copy Cells,
Fill Formatting and Fill Series. Smart Tags were
introduced in Excel 2002 and can be found in all
versions since then.
Above: After using the AutoFill feature in Excel 2002 or later
versions, a Smart Tag appears to offer further copy options.

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AUTOCORRECT

Above: Common spelling mistakes in Excel are

automatically corrected after typing a word and
pressing the space bar or the Enter/Return key.

Excel helps with spelling mistakes, repeated words

and incorrect capital letters through its AutoCorrect
feature. For example, if you type the word Reveiw,
Excel will automatically correct this to Review when
you press the Enter/Return key. It will also correct
the spelling after pressing the space bar if you wish
to type more than word into a cell.

Avoiding AutoCorrect

If a word is automatically corrected by Excel, but you want it to remain as you had typed it,
the quickest solution is to double click inside the cell in question to begin editing it, then
correct the spelling and press Return/Enter. Excel will then bypass the automatic correction.

CAPITAL LETTER MISTAKES

Excels AutoCorrect can automatically amend words where the CAPS lock has been left on or
the Shift key has been pressed down for too long, resulting in the first two letters of a word
being written in capitals.

Above: Accidentally leave the CAPS lock

switched on and typed words may look like
this, but Excel will automatically swap round
the upper and lower case.

Forgotten to Switch off CAPS Lock? If

the CAPS lock is accidentally left switched on and all
the letters typed are in capitals, Excel will automatically
correct this. For example, if a word should be typed
with an initial capital, such as Birmingham, leaving the
CAPS lock on will result in bIRMINGHAM (holding
down the Shift key to type a capital when the CAPS
lock is on reverts to a lower-case letter). Excel will
automatically swap round the upper- and lower-case
letters and switch off the CAPS lock.

BASIC DATA MANIPULATION

CUSTOMIZING
AUTOCORRECT

Hot Tip

A number of settings within Excels

In Excel 2002 and 2003, when a spelling
AutoCorrect can be customized and
mistake or misuse of capital letters is
switched on or off. All these settings are
AutoCorrected, click on its Smart Tag for a list
displayed in an AutoCorrect dialogue box,
of options for reversing the correction or
switching off the function completely.
which can be opened in pre-2007 versions
of Excel by clicking on the Tools menu and
choosing AutoCorrect. In Excel 2007, click
on the multicoloured Office button at the top left of the screen, and in Excel 2010, click on the
File menu ribbon tab. In both cases a menu appears, from which you can select Options or
Excel Options. From the dialogue box, choose Proofing from the list on the left and click on the
AutoCorrect Options button in the main part of the dialogue box.

Capital Corrections
and Exceptions
The AutoCorrect dialogue box
has a tick box list of capital
letter-related corrections that
can be switched on or off.
Adjusting these can help
avoid the problems of typing
with the CAPS lock
accidentally switched on, or
typing two capital letters at
the start of a word.
Left: The AutoCorrect dialogue box
has a tick list of capital letter
corrections, which are useful for
reducing the risk of typing errors.

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AutoCorrect Exceptions
Sometimes words or
abbreviations do actually require
two capital letters at the
beginning (e.g. IDs), or perhaps
you want a word to begin with a
lower case followed by uppercase letters. These can be added
to an Exceptions list. In the
AutoCorrect dialogue box, click
on the Exceptions button and
another dialogue box will appear
where such entries can be added.

Above: Words and abbreviations that need two capital letters at the
beginning can be added to an Exceptions list in AutoCorrect.

SPELLING
CORRECTIONS

A list of words that will be automatically corrected can be found, alphabetically organized, in
the lower half of the AutoCorrect dialogue box. This lists common spelling and typographical
errors. The top half of this list
comprises AutoCorrect entries
for inserting copyright and
trademark symbols, etc.

Hot Tip

Removing
AutoCorrect Spelling
Corrections
If you want to remove an
AutoCorrect spelling
correction, select it from the

When holding down the Shift key on the keyboard

to type a capital letter, its all too easy to type the
second letter in capitals if you do not release the
Shift key fast enough. Excel will automatically
correct this mistake, leaving only one capital letter
at the beginning of the word.

list in the AutoCorrect dialogue box,

then click on the Delete button. If
you accidentally delete the wrong
one, click on the Add button
immediately and it will be re-entered.

Adding Your Own

AutoCorrections
You can customize the AutoCorrect
list by adding your own frequently
mistyped words. In the AutoCorrect
dialogue box, enter the incorrect
version of a word in the left box,
beneath Replace. Enter the correct
spelling in the right box, beneath
With. Click on the Add button and
your entry will be listed.

Above: Excel has a list of typical spelling mistakes and corrections,

but you can add your own common mistakes to this list.

Hot Tip
The copyright, registered
and trademark symbols
(, , ) are automatically
created by typing in their
respective letters in
brackets. So, is created
by typing (c).
Above: You can add your own frequent misspellings to Excels
AutoCorrect function.

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COPYING, PASTING, MOVING,

DELETING AND EDITING

BASIC DATA MANIPULATION

Copying and rearranging existing data can save hours of repetitive typing.
Excel offers a variety of options for copying and moving data, along with a
number of time-saving shortcuts.

Select one cell in the top

left corner of the list
Hold down the Ctrl
and Shift keys
Press the down
arrow once

Hot Tip
If you want to select across rather than down a
list, use the same instructions as above but use
the right arrow instead of the down arrow.

The cell selector will jump to the bottom of the list or to the point where the first empty space
exists (repeat this process if you need to move further down). All the cells from the top corner
of the list to this first empty cell will be selected.

SELECTING CELLS
One of the most awkward and frustrating aspects of cutting and copying cells is selecting them
quickly and easily. You might find that you select too many cells, lose the selected cells or even
move them to the wrong location. Below are some of the most common methods of selecting
and moving cells within a worksheet.

Swipe with the Mouse

The most popular method of selecting a block of cells is to swipe
over them while holding down the left button of the mouse.
However, this can go wrong if the mouse pointer is not showing as
a large white cross to start with, so always make sure the pointer is
set correctly before you start.
Above: When swiping over
and selecting cells using the
mouse with the left button
held down, always make sure
the mouse pointer is a large
white cross before starting.

Shift and Arrow Keys

While the arrow keys on the keyboard allow the cell selector to
move around the grid of a spreadsheet, you can press the Shift key
to select the cells to which the cell selector moves instead.

Ctrl, Shift and Space Bar

An entire list or table of data can be instantly
selected by going to one cell inside the list,
then holding down the Ctrl and Shift keys and
pressing the space bar once. Note, however,
that if there are blank rows or columns of cells
in a table or list, Excel may not select the entire
range of data.

Hot Tip
Tidy up your data before selecting it
by deleting unwanted rows or columns.

Above: The Shift and click method is one of the

quickest ways of selecting a large group of cells.

Shift and Click

Ctrl, Shift and Arrow Keys
Using the Ctrl, Shift and arrow keys is ideal for selecting a large list of data.

The Shift and click method is one of the easiest and safest ways of highlighting a range of
cells. It works by selecting opposite corners of this range, so if a table or list has to be selected,

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first click on the cell in the top left corner, for example, then scroll down to the opposite
bottom right corner. Position the mouse pointer over that cell, hold down the Shift key and
left-click once with the mouse. Note that this only works if you hold down the Shift key before
clicking with the mouse.

Ctrl and Click

Similar to the Shift and click technique is to hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and leftclick inside different cells. As long as the Ctrl key remains pressed, all the cells you click on will
be selected. You can even swipe over a range of cells by holding down the left button and
moving across them.

Paste: Once a cell, range of cells

or another piece of data has
been cut or copied, select the
destination cell (or the first cell in
a range), hold down the Ctrl key
on the keyboard and press V.

Hot Tip
A cell or range of cells can be moved by
selecting them, then pressing Shift and
Delete on the keyboard. Move to a
destination cell and press Enter/Return to
move them.

Right-Click Shortcuts

Cut, copy and paste are some of the traditional computer terms that allow information to be
removed, duplicated and moved. Over the years, various shortcuts for using them have evolved.

After selecting a cell or range of cells

to be cut or copied, right-click inside
them and choose Cut or Copy from
the menu that appears. Right-click in
the cell where the cut or copied data
is going to, then choose Paste from
the menu that appears.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Edit Menu (pre-2007)

Cut: Hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and press X. A moving dotted line will
appear around the selected cell or cells. Select another cell and press Return/Enter to
instantly cut and paste the cell(s) to the new destination.

Copy: Hold down the Ctrl

key and press C on the
keyboard. Excel will add a
moving dotted line around
the selected cell or cells.
Select another cell and press
Return/Enter to paste the
cell(s) to the new
destination instantly.

The Edit menu in pre-2007 versions

Above: One of the quickest methods of cutting, copying and
pasting is to right click with the mouse and choose the respective
of Excel lists the options to Cut, Copy
options from the menu.
and Paste. Once a cell or range of cells
has been selected, click on this menu to cut or copy, then select a destination cell before
returning to the menu and choosing to reinsert the data.

CUT, COPY AND PASTE TECHNIQUES

Hot Tip
When a cell, or range of cells, is cut or copied in
Excel, moving dotted lines appear around the
cell(s). These can be removed by pressing
Escape on the keyboard. This also cancels the
cut/copy instruction.

Toolbar Buttons

Hot Tip
After cutting or copying a cell or range
of cells in Excel, the fastest way to paste
them is to select a destination cell and
press Enter/Return on the keyboard.

The Cut, Copy and Paste toolbar buttons

have become an instantly recognizable
set of symbols in Excel and most other
computer programs. In pre-2007 versions
of Excel they are displayed on the
Standard toolbar. In Excel 2007 and 2010

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they are displayed in the top left

corner of the screen when the Home
ribbon tab is selected.

PASTE SMART
TAGS (EXCEL
20022010)

BASIC DATA MANIPULATION

Hot Tip
If you want to copy the contents of a cell
to the cell below it, just select the empty
cell below, hold down the Ctrl key on the
keyboard and press D to copy and paste the
contents from above.

Hot Tip
To paste everything from the Clipboard
into Excel, click on the Paste All button at
the top of the Clipboard.

Using the Clipboard (2007 and 2010)

When a cell, a range of cells or other

data is pasted into Excel, the pasted cell or cells have a Smart Tag in the bottom right corner.
This Smart Tag provides a drop-down menu (just click on it to open the menu), with a variety
of options to help with pasting. It can also help with issues such as narrow column widths or
incorrect formatting.

MULTIPLE
COPYING WITH
THE CLIPBOARD

Above: After pasting in Excel versions 20022010 a Smart Tag

appears containing a number of efficient pasting options.

listed in the Clipboard with the most

recent at the top. To paste an item
from the Clipboard into Excel, select
the appropriate cell, then click on the
item listed in the Clipboard.

When Excel 2002 was released, it

included a Clipboard that could be
used across the entire Office 2002
suite of programs (including Outlook,
Word and PowerPoint). This allowed
up to 24 items to be copied and listed
on the Clipboard, then pasted in turn
into different programs.

Using the Clipboard (2002 and 2003)

The Clipboard is displayed down the right side of the screen and can be opened by clicking on
the Edit menu and choosing Office Clipboard. When a cell or range of cells is copied, they are

The Clipboard is displayed down the left side of the

screen and can be opened by selecting the Home
ribbon tab and clicking on Clipboard near the top
left of the screen. When a cell or range of cells is
copied, they are listed in the Clipboard with the
most recent at the top. To paste an item from the
Clipboard into Excel, select the appropriate cell,
then click on the item listed in the Clipboard.

Removing Items from the Clipboard

To clear items from the Clipboard, hover the mouse
pointer over
one of the
copied items
listed. A box will
Above: The Clipboard in Excel versions 2007
appear around
and 2010 is displayed down the left side of the
To remove all the
it with a dropscreen and activated via the Clipboard option
items
listed in the
on the Home ribbon.
down triangle to
Clipboard, click on
the right. Click
the Clear All button
on this triangle and a short menu will appear with the
near the top of it.
option to delete the entry. Click on Delete to remove the
item from the Clipboard.

Hot Tip

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PASTE SPECIAL
Paste Special is one of the more
traditional features of Excel. It can be
useful for copying data from another
program and choosing how to paste it
into a spreadsheet. A Paste Special
dialogue box is used to instruct Excel on
how the data should be pasted.
Depending on the version of Excel, this
dialogue box can be opened (once data
has been cut or copied) by right-clicking
inside a cell and choosing Paste Special,
or by clicking on the Edit menu in early
versions of Excel and choosing Paste
Special. The following list outlines some
of the options in this dialogue box.

Above: The Paste Special dialogue box is a traditional way of

customizing how data is pasted into Excel before being added
to the spreadsheet.

Values: This is useful for copying cells containing calculations and formulae that may not
render correctly if being pasted from a different spreadsheet. By pasting values, only the
results of the calculations at the time of copying are pasted.

Formats: This pastes only the formatting of the copied cell(s), leaving the contents unchanged.
It can be useful for copy-pasting the presentation of cells without changing any values.

Column Widths: This option only pastes the width of the columns from the copied
cell(s). This can help if column widths need to be a standard size.

Skip Blanks: This can be used when

updating weekly or monthly results
where, if there is a blank cell in the copied
data, it will not create a blank cell in the
pasted data. Instead, the original value
will remain. Note that this only works
when pasting over existing data.

Hot Tip
The Multiply option is also
handy for calculating percentages
of figures.

Transpose: If data is displayed the wrong way round (down the screen instead of across
it, for example), then Transpose is a lifeline. As long as there is enough space in the
spreadsheet, Excel will switch the cells
listed down the spreadsheet to display
them across it, or vice versa.

Paste Link: In this function, the original

copied cells are linked to the pasted cells,
so when their values change, the pasted
cells also change. This is very useful for
summarizing results on one page and
making sure they are always up to date.

DELETING DATA

Above: If a range of cells is displayed down the screen

but you want them to run across it, use Paste Specials
Transpose feature to rearrange them.

There are several ways of deleting cells, and

the method you choose should be guided by what it is that needs deleting.

Deleting Cell Contents

Add/Subtract/Multiply/Divide: These options will calculate the copied cells with the

The quickest way of deleting the contents of a cell or range of cells is to select the cell(s) and

pasted cells (values are needed in both). It is a useful function for updating figures by
adding new ones to existing data.

press Delete on the keyboard. This will only delete the data in the cells, though it will not
remove any formatting.

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Deleting Rows and Columns

You can quickly delete an entire row or column from a spreadsheet by right-clicking on the row
number or column letter and choosing Delete from the menu that appears.

EDITING DATA
If you need to edit or amend the contents of a cell or several cells, use one of the following
shortcuts.
Above: Clear Formats allows the appearance of a cell or range of cells to be deleted without deleting the data in them.

Deleting Cell Formatting

(pre-2007)

Hot Tip
Dont use the space bar to delete cells.
This overwrites the cell with a space
and removes the contents, but it leaves
unwanted spaces within the cell.

The colours, borders and other formatting

used in a cell or range of cells can be
removed without deleting the contents.
Once the cell or cells are selected, click on
the Edit menu and choose Clear. From the
sub-menu that appears, select Formats.

Deleting Cell Formatting

(2007 and 2010)
To remove cell formatting in later
versions of Excel, select the
relevant cell or cells, make sure
the Home ribbon tab is selected
and look at the top right corner
of the screen for a Clear option.
Click on the drop-down triangle
for this and a menu will appear.
Select Clear Formats.

Above: Right-clicking on a row number or column letter will allow you

to delete the whole section.

Press F2: Select the cell to edit, then press F2 on the keyboard. A flashing cursor will
appear inside the selected cell and its contents can be edited using the arrow keys, delete
and backspace.

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Double-click: Position the

mouse pointer inside the cell
that needs to be edited, then
double-click with the left mouse
button. A flashing cursor will
appear where the mouse pointer
was positioned.

BASIC DATA MANIPULATION

Hot Tip
When editing the contents of a cell, press
the Home key on the keyboard to jump to
the start of it and the End key to jump to
the end of the line.

Formula bar: Select the cell to be edited. Its contents will be displayed in the formula
bar, above the column letter headings. Move the mouse pointer into the formula bar and
over the contents of the cell. The mouse pointer will change to an I-beam. Click once
with the left button to begin editing the cell.

Fast Editing with

Find and Replace
If you want to replace every instance
of a particular word in a spreadsheet,
you can save hours of typing by
using the Find and Replace feature.

Hold down the Ctrl key and

press the letter F
In the dialogue box, click
on the Replace tab
Type the word you want to
replace in the Find What
section

Above: Excels Find and Replace is a quick way of changing a word

or series of words within multiple cells.

CHANGING ROWS
AND COLUMNS
The width and height of columns and rows in a spreadsheet can be
altered to accommodate text that doesnt fit within them. Additional
rows and columns can be inserted or removed to add more data or
remove unwanted sections.

CHANGING COLUMN WIDTH

If the width of a column is too wide or not wide enough there are a couple of easy ways to adjust
it. Both techniques involve positioning the mouse pointer between the column letters and to the right
of the column that needs to be widened or narrowed. The mouse pointer will change to a black cross
with double horizontal arrows. Once the mouse pointer is this shape, do one of the following:

Double-click: If you double-click with the left

button on the mouse, the width of the column will
automatically resize to the widest data in that
column. If there is no data in the column, it will
remain the same size.

Click and drag: Hold down the left button and

move it to the left to reduce the width of the
column, or to the right to widen it.

Above: To adjust the column width, start

by positioning the mouse pointer
between two column heading letters.

Type the word you want to replace it with in the Replace With box

CHANGING ROW HEIGHT

Click on Find Next to identify the words and then Replace to change them
If youre confident it works, just click on Replace All

Changing the height of a row uses the same basic techniques as altering the width of a
column. Position the mouse pointer between two row numbers, and when it appears as a black

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cross with double-headed vertical arrows, hold the left

button down and drag the mouse pointer down the
screen to increase the height of the row, or double-click
to resize it automatically.

SELECTING MULTIPLE
ROWS OR COLUMNS
Above: Selecting multiple rows or
columns allows several of them to be
resized at the same time.

Multiple rows can be resized at the same time, and so can

multiple columns. However, you cannot resize both
multiple rows and columns at the same time.

To select a block of rows or columns, swipe over the

numbers or letters with the left mouse button held down. If the rows or columns you want to
select are not grouped together (for example, if you want to select columns A, G and L), use the
mouse to highlight the first column letter, hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and select the
remaining column letters. The same process can be used with rows.

INSERTING ROWS
AND COLUMNS
There are two quick methods for adding extra rows and
columns within existing data in a spreadsheet.

Right Click
To insert a row, position the mouse pointer on the row number
below where you want the new row to be added. To insert a
column, position the mouse pointer over a column letter to the
right of where an extra column needs to be inserted. In both
cases, right click with the mouse and choose Insert from the
menu that appears. An extra row or column will be added.

Above: An extra row can be

quickly inserted by right-clicking
on a row number and choosing
Insert from the menu.

Ctrl and +
Select a row where an extra row needs to inserted above it, or select a column where an extra
column needs to be inserted to the left of it (click on a row number or column letter to select that
row or column). Hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard, then press the + key. An extra row or
column will be inserted. If this does not work, try holding down the Ctrl and Shift keys together, then
press the + key on the keyboard.

RESIZING MULTIPLE ROWS OR COLUMNS

Once a number of rows or columns have been selected, position the mouse pointer to the right
of one of the selected column
letters or below one of the
selected row numbers. When the
mouse pointer changes to a black
cross with two arrows, doubleSelect several rows or columns together by first
click to automatically resize all the
selecting one with the mouse, then hold down
columns, or hold the left mouse
the Shift key on the keyboard and use the
button down and drag the mouse
arrow keys to select more rows or columns.
pointer to resize them all.

DELETING ROWS
AND COLUMNS

Hot Tip

Above: Rows and columns can be quickly removed

by right-clicking on their numbers or letters and
choosing Delete.

Removing rows and columns is similar to

inserting them. After right-clicking on a row
number or column letter, choose Delete from
the menu that appears. Alternatively, select a
row or column, hold down the Ctrl key on the
keyboard and press the (minus) key to
remove that row or column.

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FORMATTING DATA
Presentation is important, especially when you need to ensure information
such as up-to-the-minute sales results are highlighted and easily visible.
Excel contains a number of formatting tools to emphasize information
within your spreadsheets.

FORMATTING
TOOLBAR BUTTONS
The toolbar in Excel can be used for all sorts of
formatting, including changing the font and size, adding
bold and altering cell, border and text colour. The
toolbar buttons will probably be familiar from other
computer programs; however, they do differ between
earlier and more recent versions of Excel itself.

Hot Tip
Change a cells contents to
bold by selecting the cell,
then holding down the Ctrl
key on the keyboard and
pressing the letter B.
Repeat this to switch
off bold.

Hot tip
The font list is
alphabetically sorted
and the size list is
numerically sorted.

Formatting Toolbar
(2007 and 2010)

Above: The formatting toolbar buttons are found on the Home ribbon tab in

Excel 2007 and 2010.

In Excel 2007 and 2010,
the most useful formatting
toolbar buttons can be found on the Home ribbon tab. Click on this near the top left corner
of the screen and the formatting buttons will also be displayed there.

Changing the
Font, Size and
Colour of Text

Formatting Toolbar (pre-2007)

The formatting toolbar buttons (font, size, colour, bold) are all displayed on the Formatting
toolbar. If no buttons are visible, right click on any toolbar button and a checklist of toolbars
will appear. Tick
the box against
Formatting to make the
buttons visible.

Left: The formatting toolbar

buttons in Excel
2003 and earlier versions
are displayed on the
Formatting toolbar.

Above: The list of different fonts in Excel is displayed in alphabetical order with
a sample of each one.

The font, size and colour

of data displayed in a
spreadsheet can be quickly
changed by selecting it
(swipe over the cells with
the left button held down
on the mouse), then
selecting the font, size and
colour you want from the
drop-down list in the
toolbar menu.

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Increasing and Decreasing

Font Size (2007 and 2010)

Above: The size of font used in a selected cell can be

increased or reduced using the toolbar buttons on the Home
ribbon tab.

The size of the font in a selected cell or

group of cells can be increased or
decreased using a couple of toolbar
buttons from the Formatting toolbar on
the Home ribbon tab. Both buttons have
a capital letter A on them along with a
triangle pointing up or down. The button
with the larger letter A increases the font
size; the button with the smaller letter A
decreases the font size.

Setting Data to Currency

To set data to currency in the
Format Cells dialogue box:

Fast Formatting (2007 and 2010)

When editing the contents of a cell, double-click on a word to select it and a small toolbar will
appear next to the selected text. The toolbar will look slightly translucent but will change to
full strength when the mouse pointer is positioned inside it. The buttons on this toolbar can be
used to change the font, size, colour and other aspects of the selected text. A larger toolbar
appears, along with a shortcut menu, when you right-click inside a cell.

FORMAT CELLS DIALOGUE BOX

The traditional method of changing the look of a cell or group

of cells is to use the Format Cells dialogue box. This box can
be opened by right-clicking inside a selected cell or group of
cells and choosing Format Cells. The dialogue box contains a
series of tabs to allow data to be set, for example, as currency,
displayed vertically, wrapped inside a cell and re-coloured. The
Format Cells function has many uses, the most useful of
which are covered below.

Hot Tip
Quickly open the
Format Cells dialogue
box in Excel 2007 and
2010 by holding down
the Ctrl and Shift keys
on the keyboard, then
pressing the letter F.

Click on the Number tab

Find and select Currency
Choose the number of
decimal places (e.g. 2 for
amounts such as 1.50
and 150.00)
Select the currency symbol
Choose a format for
negative values (red and/
or with a minus symbol)
Click OK

Setting a Percentage

Above: Data can be displayed with a currency symbol by selecting

it in the Format Cells dialogue box.

When a calculation is created, such as

percentage mark-up, the result is not always displayed as a percentage, so it has to be changed.
Excel may have a % toolbar button to do this, but if it doesnt, take the following steps:

Open the Format Cells

dialogue box
Click on the Number tab
Select the Percentage option
from the list on the left
Choose the number of decimal
places (e.g. 2 for percentages
to read 2.00%)
Click OK

Hot Tip
The pound sign () is usually
displayed as standard, but there
is a drop-down list where euros,
dollars and other currencies can
be selected.

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Correcting a Date
Excel will usually display a date
correctly when you enter it into a cell.
However, if you find the date is being
incorrectly rendered, open the Format
Cells dialogue box and click on the
Number tab. Select Date from the list
on the left, then choose a suitable date
Type from the list on the right. Click on
OK to close the dialogue box.

Hot Tip
Excel sometimes becomes tangled
up with percentages and displays
them as 1 (a rounded-up whole
number). If this happens, make sure
the formatting of the cell is changed
to percentage.

Go to the Orientation
section in the top
right corner
Adjust the Degrees
value or drag the
orientation pointer
to change the angle
Click OK to see the
results in the spreadsheet

Wrapping Text
Date Problems
If a date is entered into a cell, Excel will automatically format that cell to display it as a date.
However, if a number is later entered into the cell, it may be converted into a date because
Excel uses a number system for date calculations. To fix this problem:

Select the cell in question

Open the Format Cells dialogue box
Click on the Number tab
Select Number from the list on the left
Choose the number of decimal places
Click OK

Above: The angle of text displayed in a cell can be changed via the
Format Cells dialogue box and the Alignment tab.

If the text inside a cell stretches

too far across the width of its column, but you dont want to widen the column, you can wrap
the text so it displays across two or more lines within the cell. You may want to change the
width of the column or height of the row. To instruct Excel to wrap the text:

Select the cell in question

Open the Format Cells
dialogue box
Click on the Alignment tab
Add a tick mark against
Wrap Text
Click OK to see the results

Angled Text
Text inside a cell can be displayed at an angle to help squeeze it in and reduce the width of a
table or list. To set the text at an angle:

Adding Fill

Select the cells in which you want this format to be applied

Excel has some fantastic cellcolouring options, which can

transform the look of a

Open the Format Cells dialogue box

Click on the Alignment tab

spreadsheet. To colour cells, select the ones you want to apply this formatting to, then open
the Format Cells dialogue box and click on the Fill tab. A standard set of colours will be

Above: The colour of cells can be given the professional touch using
Fill Effects from the Format Cells dialogue box.

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displayed, but click on the Fill Effects

button below them. A Fill Effects dialogue
box will appear with options to add two
colours to a cell and a choice of shading.
After making a choice, click OK in both
dialogue boxes to see the results.

BASIC DATA MANIPULATION

Hot Tip
To be extra sure that the formatting will
be applied to your chosen range of cells,
select them all instead of just one within
the list or table.

FAST FORMATTING WITH AUTOFORMAT

Its easy to spend hours changing the look of a table or list by adding new colours, resizing the
text and changing the font type. However, Excel has a useful feature called AutoFormat, which
can do all this instantly for a table or list.

AutoFormat (pre-2007)
Select one cell inside the list or table of data, then click on the Format menu and choose
AutoFormat. A dialogue box will appear with a selection of pre-formatted tables. Select a table
format from the list on the
left and a sample will be
displayed to the right. Click
on OK to apply the
formatting to the data in
the spreadsheet.

Table AutoFormat
(2007 and 2010)

Above: The AutoFormat dialogue box in Excel 2003 and earlier versions provides
a list of different styles and colours that can be applied to a table of data.

ribbon and a toolbar labelled Format as Table (on the right of the ribbon). Click on its dropdown triangle for a choice of table styles. Choose one and a small box will appear confirming
the cells that will be formatted. Make sure the range of cells is correct, then click on OK. A
series of drop-down triangles may be added to the table, along with a column or row number.

More Table AutoFormat (2007 and 2010)

After automatically formatting a table or list in Excel 2007 or 2010, a new ribbon called Table
Tools Design will appear near the top middle of the screen. From here, a variety of
modifications can be made. Within the table, a series of drop-down triangles can be triggered,
providing additional menus that allow you
to sort and filter data, for example.

COPYING
FORMATTING

Hot Tip

If you cant see the Table Tools Design ribbon

in Excel 2007 or 2010 after formatting, make
sure that one cell is selected inside the table.

The colours, fonts and

sizes used within a cell
can be automatically
applied to other
cells so you dont have
to format each one
individually. There are a
few methods of
copying formatting.

Select one cell in a table or

all the cells that need to be
formatted, then make sure

Copy-Paste Smart
Tag (20022010)

the Home ribbon tab is

visible. Find the Styles

formatting needs to be
used elsewhere, then

Copy a cell where the

Above: AutoFormat in Excel 2007 and 2010 provides an assortment of table colours, plus
additional features such as sort and filter options.

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select the destination cell and choose Paste.

The contents and the formatting of the cell
will be copied and a Smart Tag will appear
at the bottom right corner of the cell. Click
on the Smart Tag and choose the
Formatting option. The original contents of
the cell will be displayed, but the formatting
will have been copied across.

Copy Paste Special

Once you have copied a cell, you can apply
the formatting to additional cells, too.
Above: Excel 2002 and later versions feature a Smart Tag
Select the destination cells and either click
that appears after copy-pasting a cell, allowing the
on the Edit menu and choose Paste Special,
formatting to be copied without copying the contents.
or right-click inside the selected cell(s) and
choose Paste Special. From the dialogue box that appears, select Formats and click OK. Only
the formatting will be copied across into the destination cell(s).

Hot Tip

Copying Formats
with Format Painter

Select a cell containing the formatting

that needs to be copied. Click once on
the Format Painter button and a series
of flashing lines will appear around the
selected cell. The mouse pointer will also
have a Format Painter brush attached to
it. Select the cell or group of cells to copy the formatting into. If you need to duplicate this
several times, double click on the Format Painter button to switch it on permanently. Press
Escape on the keyboard to switch it off, or click on the Format Painter toolbar button again.
Cant see the Standard toolbar in Excel
2003 or an earlier version? Right-click on
any toolbar button and make sure theres
a tick mark against Standard.

REMOVING FORMATTING

Format Painter

One of the quickest methods of removing the formatting from a cell is to select it and use the
Clear Formats option. In Excel 2003 and earlier versions this is available by clicking on the Edit
menu, selecting Clear and
choosing Formats from the
sub-menu that appears.

The Format Painter toolbar button

can be used for copying the
format of a cell without copying
the contents. In Excel 2007 and
2010, Format Painter can be
found on the Clipboard ribbon in
the top left corner of the screen,
on the Home ribbon tab. In earlier
versions of Excel, it is on the
Standard toolbar, next to the Cut,
Copy and Paste buttons.

In Excel 2007 and 2010,

make sure the Home ribbon
tab is selected, then look
near the top right corner of
the screen for the Editing
ribbon and the word Clear
with a drop-down triangle.
Click on this and choose
Clear Formats from the
menu that appears.

Above: The Format Painter button allows the formatting to be copied

from one cell to multiple cells.

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will make sure that any value

that is greater than zero (a
payment in) will be coloured and
easy to see.

CHANGING DATA COLOUR

Data displayed in an Excel
spreadsheet can change colour,
depending on its value, by using a
feature called Conditional
Formatting. This can be useful for
highlighting payments in on a bank
statement or overdrawn closing
balances. A list of unpaid invoices
could highlight the invoice date
when the difference between it and
the current date becomes greater
than 30 days.

STEP-BY-STEP: USING CONDITIONAL

FORMATTING IN EXCEL 19972003
The following step-by-step guide shows how to set up a downloaded bank statement to
display payments in (credits) with an easy-to-see colour and to highlight overdrawn closing
balances in red.
1

Select the column where the value of each transaction is listed. In this example, there are
minus values for payments out and positive values for payments in. To select an entire
column, position the mouse pointer over the column heading letter and click once with
the left button. The entire column will be selected.
Click on the Format menu and choose Conditional Formatting. A dialogue box will appear.
Click on the second drop-down list from the left and choose the words Greater Than. This

After choosing the Greater Than

option, click inside the box to
the right of this and type in the
number 0. The condition has
now been set that any cell
greater than zero will be
formatted. We now have to set
up the formatting.
Click on the Format button
inside the Conditional
Formatting dialogue box. A
second dialogue box will appear,
from which the colour of the
font can be changed, a cell
border can be added and the
cell can be filled with a colour.
Choose some formatting
options, then click on OK.
The formatting that has been
chosen will be displayed in the
Conditional Formatting dialogue
box. Check the settings to make
sure the criteria is set to any

Above: Select a column of values to apply Conditional

Formatting to and see them change colour.

Above: The Conditional Formatting dialogue box has a choice of

formatting criteria; values can be greater than, less than, equal to
and more.

Above: Setting up the formatting to be applied with Conditional

Formatting is quite restrictive the colour of the font can be
changed, but not the size or type of font, for example.

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value that is greater than zero. If this is correct, click OK to see if any of the selected cells
have changed (if there are any payments in).
6

to the number 0. Next, click on

the drop-down list for the right
box and choose a colouring to
apply to any values that are
more than zero (payments in).

The heading for the selected column will probably be coloured because Excel has
calculated that it is greater than zero. To remove this formatting, select the cell in question,
then click on the Edit menu, choose Clear and select Formats from the sub-menu.
5

Conditional Formatting can be useful for spotting overdrawn balances on bank statements.
Select the closing balance column and reopen the Conditional Formatting dialogue box. Set
the criteria to less than zero and set up some formatting, such as colouring the type red.

STEP-BY-STEP: USING CONDITIONAL

FORMATTING IN EXCEL 2007 AND 2010

The following step-by-step guide shows how to set up a downloaded bank statement to display
payments in (credits) with an easy-to-see colour and highlight overdrawn closing balances in red.
1

Select the column where the value of each transaction is listed. In this example, there are
minus values for payments out and positive values for payments in. To select an entire
column, position the mouse pointer over the column heading letter and click once with
the left button. The entire column will be selected.

Make sure the Home ribbon tab is selected, then look at the Styles ribbon near the top of
the screen. One of the buttons on this ribbon should be Conditional Formatting. Click on it
to activate a drop-down menu.

In the drop-down menu, select Highlight Cells Rules and choose Greater Than from the
sub-menu. A small box will now appear on the screen.
With the Greater Than box displayed on screen, change the value in the first box (left side)

After selecting this colour, the

formatting will be instantly
applied on screen. Click on OK to
close the Greater Than box and
return to the spreadsheet.
The heading for the selected
column will probably be
coloured because Excel has
calculated it is greater than zero.
To remove this formatting,
select the cell, then click on the
Clear button at the top right of
the screen and choose Clear
Formats from the menu that
appears.
Conditional Formatting can also
be applied to the closing balance
column to colour cells that are
less than zero, indicating an
overdrawn balance. To do this,
repeat steps 16, but use the
Less Than option in step 3.

Above: Conditional Formatting is activated in Excel 2007

and 2010 on the Styles ribbon, which is found on the Home
ribbon tab.

Above: Conditional Formatting can help highlight payments

into a bank account.

Above: Conditional Formatting can be used on a bank

statements closing balance column to highlight values less than
zero and thus show when the account was overdrawn.

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MAKING SENSE OF
LARGE SPREADSHEETS
It can take some time to understand a large spreadsheet and to locate all
the necessary data and calculations. However, there are a few techniques
in Excel that can help save a lot of time and frustration.

LARGE SPREADSHEETS

Quick Zoom
When working on a spreadsheet, hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and rotate the scroll
wheel on the mouse. The view of the spreadsheet will quickly zoom in or out, depending on
which way the scroll wheel is moved. If the Ctrl key is not held down on the keyboard, the
scroll wheel moves up and down the spreadsheet.

Splitting Up
If you need to view data that appears in two different parts of the same worksheet, you can
split the sheet into two or four views. For details on how to do this, see the section Moving
Around Excel on page 52.

ADJUSTING THE VIEW

Excel has some quick methods of zooming in and out of spreadsheets, and dividing up the view
of one or several spreadsheets all of which save time on searching and scrolling through data.

Freezing Panes
Listed or tabled data can often be difficult to
understand and read, especially after scrolling
down or across the screen, when the headings
may have moved out of view. Excel offers a
solution to this in Freeze Panes.
This allows the headings at the
top or left side to stay on the
screen when scrolling down or
across a worksheet.

Hot Tip
Frozen Panes can be spotted in a
spreadsheet by a thicker line
between the cells.

Freeze Panes
(pre-2007)
To freeze panes in versions of
Excel earlier than 2003, select a
cell in a spreadsheet where the
row above it and the column to
the left of it need to remain on
screen (frozen). Next, click on the

Above: Panes can be frozen in Excel 2003 and earlier versions by

clicking on the Window menu.

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Window menu and choose Freeze Panes.

Scroll down and across the screen to check
the correct rows and columns have been
frozen. To unfreeze the panes, return
to the Window menu and choose the
Unfreeze option.

LARGE SPREADSHEETS

Hot Tip
If you only need to freeze the first
two rows but not the columns, select
cell A3.

Freeze a Column or Row

(2007 and 2010)

Above: The first row or column in a worksheet can

remain visible on screen when frozen, no matter
how far down or across the screen you scroll.

If you only want to freeze the top row or first

column in a worksheet, select the View ribbon tab
and click on the Freeze Panes button in the
Window ribbon. A drop-down menu will appear.
Select either Freeze Top Row or Freeze First
Column. Scroll down or across (depending on

which option you chose) to make sure the first column

or row remains on the screen.

Freeze Multiple Rows and Columns

(2007 and 2010)
Select a cell in the spreadsheet where the row above it
and the column to the left of it need to remain on
screen. Click on the View ribbon tab, then select Freeze
Panes from the Window ribbon. From the drop-down
menu that appears, select the first option Freeze Panes.

Hot Tip
After freezing panes, hold
down the Ctrl key on the
keyboard and press the
Home key to return to the
cell directly below the
frozen row(s) and/or to the
right of the frozen
column(s).

Switch Off Frozen Panes (2007 and 2010)

Frozen panes in Excel 2007 and 2010 can be switched off by returning to the View ribbon tab,
clicking on Freeze Panes and selecting Unfreeze Panes from the drop-down menu.

VIEWING MORE THAN ONE SPREADSHEET

You can view more than one
screen at a time in Excel
whether its two or more
different views of the same
worksheet or two or more
different workbooks (files) on
the screen.

Make a New Window

If only one spreadsheet is open
but you need to look at two
Above: Switch off frozen panes by returning to the menu option or ribbon button used to switch them on.

different areas of it on
screen, you can create a new

Above: Two or more views of the same worksheet can be set up in Excel by
arranging windows.

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OUTLINING TOTALS

window in which to view the second area. In Excel 2003 and earlier versions, click on the
Window menu and choose New Window (nothing will happen yet), then return to this menu
and select Arrange.

Excels Outline tools compress a worksheet down to its

subtotals and totals so you can view only essential
summary data if you need to. This feature is easy to both
add to and remove from a spreadsheet without losing
any of the data within it. As long as there is a list of
values in a spreadsheet (across or down the screen) with
at least one total, the Outline function will work.

In Excel 2007 and 2010, click on the View ribbon tab and select the New Window button, then
click on the Arrange All button. In all cases, a small box will appear on screen. Choose how you
want to organize your views of the spreadsheet, then click on OK.

Working with More Than One Spreadsheet

Two or more spreadsheets can be displayed on screen, which makes it easier to check data
and to copy information between files. The steps required to set this up are the same as
arranging two views of the same worksheet
you just need to make sure two or more
Excel files are open before following the
instructions above.

HIDING ROWS
AND COLUMNS
Rows and columns can be hidden to help
compress the view of a spreadsheet and see
Above: Hidden rows or columns can be revealed by
only essential data. Right-click on the column
selecting the rows or columns either side, then rightclicking and choosing Unhide.
letter or row number and, from the
menu that appears, choose Hide. The
column or row will disappear from
the screen. The hidden column or
row can be unhidden by selecting the
Several rows or columns can be hidden at
two columns or rows each side of it,
the same time by selecting them, then right
then right clicking inside the selected
clicking on one and choosing Hide.
rows/columns and choosing Unhide.

Hot Tip

Above: Click on the Outline number

buttons to compress lists of numbers
and only display their totals.

Adding Outline (pre-2007

Make sure the worksheet you
are using contains at least one
list of numbers with a total
calculation (SUM) and then
follow these steps:

Select one cell inside

the area of data
Click on the Data menu
Choose Group and
Outline

Select Auto Outline in

the sub-menu

If any totals have been

outlined, number buttons

Above: Excels Outline tools can be found in the Data menu in Excel
2003 and earlier versions.

Hot Tip
The lowest Outline number button in the top
left corner of a spreadsheet displays grand
totals. The highest number button displays all
the data.

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will be displayed in the

top left of the grid
Click on these number
buttons to compress and
expand the lists and see
the total figures

Adding Outline
(2007 and 2010)

Above: Select the Data ribbon tab, click on the Group button and
select Auto Outline to activate the Outline features in Excel 2007
and 2010.

Make sure the worksheet you are

using contains at least one list of
numbers with a total calculation
(SUM) and then follow these steps:

Select one cell inside the area of data

Click on the Data ribbon tab near the top of the screen
Select the Group button (top right of the screen)
Choose Auto Outline from the drop-down menu
If any totals have been outlined, number buttons will appear near the

top left corner of the grid

Click on these buttons to compress and expand the lists and see the
total figures

Removing an Outline

Hot Tip
After switching on Excels Outline, click
on the + and buttons down the left
side of the screen and/or above the
column headings.

To remove an outline in Excel 2007 and 2010,

click on the Ungroup button (next to the
Group button) in the Data ribbon tab and
select Clear Outline. In earlier versions of
Excel, click on the Data menu, choose Group
and Outline and select Clear Outline.

UNDERSTANDING CALCULATIONS
It can take a while to understand calculations in Excel, especially if someone else has created
them. The program offers a number of useful features that can help with this.

Double-Click Check
If youre struggling to figure out how a calculation works, it
helps to view the cells to which the calculation relates. To do
this, double-click inside the cell containing the calculation and
a flashing cursor will appear. Any cells that have been used in
the calculation will be highlighted with a coloured border. This
is useful for quickly checking totals for lists of numbers. To
finish editing the calculation, press Enter/Return on the
keyboard (do not select another cell as it may change the
calculation).

Tracing Calculations
There are two useful toolbar buttons in Excel that can reveal
Above: Double-click inside a cell
the cells used in a calculation or show whether a cell is used
containing a calculation and Excel
will highlight the cells used to make
elsewhere in a calculation (particularly handy if youre about
up that calculation.
to delete the cell). These buttons are called Trace Precedents
and Trace
Dependents. In Excel 2007 and 2010, they
are displayed on the Formulas ribbon tab
within the Formula Auditing section. In
earlier versions of Excel, click on the Tools
menu, select Auditing or Formula Auditing
and then Show Auditing Toolbar.

Left: The Formula Auditing Toolbar can be opened via

the Tools menu in Excel 2003 and earlier versions.

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Is This Cell Used in a Calculation?

It is not always clear whether a cell containing a
number has any use, so select it and click on the
Trace Dependents button. If the cells value is
used in any calculations, an arrow will lead to
those calculations.

Hot Tip
Sometimes a cell is used in more
than one calculation. To see all
the linked calculations for a
particular cell, continue clicking
on Trace Dependents.

LONG LISTS
Excel can store thousands of rows of data, displayed in a long list with
headings across the top. It can also help with sorting and filtering this
information and creating calculations.

IMPORTING LISTED DATA

Finding Cells Used
in a Calculation
If a calculation is confusing and difficult
to understand, select its cell and click on
the Trace Precedents button. All the cells
connected with this cells calculation will
be highlighted with a coloured border, and
an arrowed line will lead from each cell.
Above: Trace Precedents is useful for finding the cells that
affect a calculation.

Importing Bank Statements

Many banks and building societies offer online banking with the facility to download bank
statements. These downloaded statements are sometimes saved as Excel files, but can also be
saved as TXT or CSV (comma separated values), which Excel can also open.

Importing TXT or CSV

Excel 2007 and 2010 provide a number of
ribbon buttons on the Get External Data section
of the Data ribbon tab. However, the traditional
method of opening TXT and CSV files is still
available, and this method is applicable to earlier
versions of Excel.

Removing Lines
and Arrows
When using Trace Precedents
and Trace Dependents, the
screen can quickly become a
tangled mess of lines and arrows.
To clear the screen, click on the
Remove Arrows button. This will
not affect the data in the
spreadsheet.

Excel can import a variety of data from different programs, ranging from a text file in Word to
a report from an Access database. In some cases, an Import Wizard will appear on screen and
try to refine the imported data. Sometimes the data will be directly opened in Excel.

Above: If the screen becomes overloaded with lines and arrows from
tracing precedents and dependents, click on the Remove Arrows button.

Click on the File menu (the Office

button in Excel 2007)

Choose Open to display the Open

dialogue box

Above: Text files can be opened in Excel via the

Open dialogue box.

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Look for a drop-down list

of file types
Change this to Text Files
Select the file to open
Click on the Open button

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Hot Tip
Files can be quickly opened by
holding down the Ctrl key on the
keyboard and pressing the letter O.

Text Import Wizard

Above: Text files such as downloaded bank

statements can be opened in Excel, but
sometimes a Text Import Wizard will appear to
help determine the structure of the data
before opening it.

In some cases a Text Import Wizard will appear when

you are opening a text file in Excel. This is a series of
three dialogue boxes that establish the settings for
the text file and decide how the data is separated
(spaces, tabs, commas). For further details on this,
see the step-by-step guide below on using the Text
Import Wizard.

Copying Non-Excel
Data into Excel
Data can usually be selected in
another program and copied into
Excel. To do this, select the data to
be copied and right-click inside the
selection. Choose Copy from the
menu that appears, then open Excel
and right-click inside the cell where
the data is to be displayed. Choose
Paste from the new menu.

CONVERTING TEXT TO COLUMNS

If data copied into Excel is squashed into one cell when it should be spread across several,
select the cell in question and use Text to Columns. This can be found in Excel 2007 and
2010 by selecting the Data ribbon tab and clicking on the Text to Columns button near
the top middle of the screen. In earlier
versions of Excel, click on the Data menu and
choose Text to Columns. In all cases, a series
of three dialogue boxes will appear to establish
how the data is separated and what type it is
(dates, for example).

STEP-BY-STEP:
IMPORTING TEXT FILES
The following step-by-step guide shows how to
use the Text Import Wizard to open a text file
in Excel and establish how the data is
structured. This is useful for downloading bank
statements and similar data that has been
saved as a text file.
1

Above: Sometimes, text copied into Excel is squashed into one

cell, but needs to be separated out use the Text to Columns
feature for this.

Click on the File menu in Excel and choose

Open or hold down the Ctrl key on the
keyboard and press the letter O. The Open
dialogue box will appear on screen. Look
for a drop-down box displaying the file
type or type of files to open. Click on its
drop-down triangle and change the file
type to Text Files.

Above: The Text Import Wizard starts by providing

options for leaving out data at the top of the text
file and how the data should be separated.

Above: The Text Import Wizard can be told

whether text file data is separated by commas, tabs
or spaces.

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Locate the text file to open via the Open

dialogue box, select it and click on the Open
button. If Excel cannot fully understand the
data contained in the text file, the Text
Import Wizard will appear. There are three
steps to this wizard.

MANIPULATING LONG LISTS

Long lists of data often need to be trimmed or refined to extract the
important data. This section discusses the tools available in Excel that
allow you to filter, sort and summarize information.

The opening dialogue box for the Text

Import Wizard helps to determine how the
data in the text should be separated (e.g. by
Above: The final stage of the Text Import Wizard
provides further choices for data types, so columns
commas) or whether each column is a
can be set to dates, text or general for numbers.
specific size/width. A sample view of the
data is shown in the dialogue box, so the settings can be changed and the results seen
instantly. This dialogue box also allows you to choose the row number in which the data
should be imported, so unwanted headers can be omitted.
4

Click on the Next button to proceed to step 2 of the Text Import Wizard. If the Delimited
option was chosen in the last step, you can choose what type of separator is used between
each piece of data (comma, semicolon, tab). If Fixed Width was chosen instead, you can
click inside the sample view of the text file to set where the data should be separated.

The final step of the Text Import Wizard (click on Next if Step 2 of 3 is displayed at the top of
the dialogue box) is to choose the data type for each column in the list. Select a column of
data from the sample view in the dialogue box, then look at the various format options
(General, Text, Date). The layout of the date can also be specified (DMY for date, month, year).

If the sample view of the text files data looks wrong in the Text Import Wizard dialogue
box, click on the Back button to return to earlier steps and make any further changes.
Otherwise click on Finish. Excel may ask for a location in the spreadsheet to display the
text file data or it may open a new workbook, depending on the version of Excel.

FILTERING A LIST
A long table or list of data in Excel can be thinned
down using filtering. This does not remove the
data, but hides it or extracts specific categories of
data based on a search. This is also useful for
ranking information to find the best and worst
results. Filtering can even be used on a downloaded
bank statement to highlight particular transactions
(direct debits for a pension, or wages payments, for
example) or amounts under/over a specific value.

Instant AutoFilter
Excels Filter or AutoFilter is one of its most useful
features. It displays a series of drop-down menus for
each heading in a list, allowing information to be
filtered. To switch on the Filter in Excel 2007 and
2010, make sure one cell is selected inside the list,
click on the Data ribbon tab and select the Filter
ribbon button near the top middle of the screen. In
earlier versions of Excel, select one cell inside the list,
then click on the Data menu, choose Filter and select
AutoFilter from the sub-menu.

Above: Filter in Excel 2007 and 2010 is

activated via the Data ribbon tab.

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Using AutoFilter to Find Information

Hot Tip

When AutoFilter is activated, it adds a drop-down

menu to each heading in a list. Click on one of
AutoFilter works best if each
these menus and an alphabetical or numerically
column
in a list has a heading.
sorted list of entries from that column will appear.
Select one from the list (remove the tick marks in
Excel 2007 and 2010) to display only the rows of data in which this information exists.

GREATER AND
LESS THAN
FILTERING

Above: AutoFilter provides drop-down menus for each

column/heading of a list to help filter specific information.

Hot Tip
When using AutoFilter, if you want all the
rows of data displayed (i.e. no filtering), click
on the Clear button in Excel 2007/2010, or
click on the Data menu, choose Filter and
select Show All in earlier versions.

Lists with dates or numbers often

have many rows of data, so
AutoFilter can be used to filter
specific dates or number ranges. It
can also be used to search for values
or dates greater than or less than a
specific date or amount. This is useful
when trying to find unpaid invoices
issued before a specific date, for
example, or high-value transactions
in a bank statement.

Greater and Less Than

Filtering (pre-2007)
With AutoFilter switched on, click on
the drop-down filter to view a
column listing dates or numerical
values. Select Custom and a dialogue

box will appear. Choose a type of filter method (greater than, less than or equal to), then type
a value in the box to the right. Click on OK to close this dialogue box and return to the main
screen to see the filtered results. To
switch off this filter, return to the
drop-down list and choose Select All
from the tick-box list.

Greater and Less Than

Filtering (2007 and 2010)
With AutoFilter switched on, click on
the drop-down filter to view a
column listing dates or numerical
Above: Values greater than and less than a specific amount can
values. Select Number Filters and a
be filtered a useful tool for seeing when a bank account was
sub-menu
will appear. Choose one of
overdrawn.
the search options, such as Greater
Than or Between. A dialogue box will appear, allowing specific values to be entered. Click on
OK to see the results of the filter. To switch off this filter, return to the drop-down list and
choose Select All from the tick-box list.

BEST AND
WORST FIGURES
Filtering the best and worst results in a
particular column of a list can help to see
when a bank account was overdrawn, where
sales figures are low and when expenditure is
Above: The best and worst values in a list can be
filtered using AutoFilter.
high. This feature is known as the Top 10. To
use it, click on the drop-down filter for a
column containing numbers and select Top 10 (in Excel 2007/2010, select Number Filters
followed by Top 10 from the sub-menu). From the dialogue box that appears, choose a Top or

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Hot Tip
Remove a Top 10 filter by clicking on the Clear
button on the Data ribbon in Excel 2007/2010
or, in earlier versions of Excel, click on the Data
menu, choose Filter and select Show All.

LARGE SPREADSHEETS

Bottom filter (best or worst

results), followed by the number
of results, then click on OK.

WORD
FILTERING

Listed data does not always

contain the same entries, which can complicate the filtering process. Take a downloaded bank
statement as an example. Trying to see all the cash withdrawals is difficult because each
transaction description will be different, containing information such as the name of the bank
or the time a transaction took place. However, you can use Excels AutoFilter to find common
words displayed in transaction descriptions, such as CASH.

Filter a Word
(pre-2007)

Above: AutoFilter can be used to filter on a specific word in each cell

of a particular column.

Click on the drop-down filter

to reveal a column containing
text. Choose Custom. From
the dialogue box that appears,
change the filter type to
Contains (near the bottom of
the list). Type a word to filter
on in the box to the right, then
click on OK to see if the filter
has worked. To remove this
filter, click on the drop-down
filter for the relevant column
and select (All) at the top of
the list.

Filter a Word (2007 and 2010)

Click on the drop-down filter to reveal a column containing text. Select Text Filters and choose
Contains from the sub-menu. A small dialogue box will appear. Type a word to filter inside the
box on the right. Click on OK to return to the main screen and check the filter has worked. This
filter can be removed by clicking on the Clear button in the middle of the ribbon.

SWITCH OFF AUTOFILTER

AutoFilter is switched off by repeating the same procedure required to switch it on. In Excel
2007 and 2010, click on the Filter button in the middle of the Sort & Filter ribbon on the Data
tab. In earlier versions of Excel, click on the Data menu, select Filter and choose AutoFilter.

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SORTING A LIST
Listed data can be sorted alphabetically or numerically in Excel to help
you view information in terms of the highest or lowest figures, for
example, or the most recent dates.

When using AutoFilter in Excel 2003

and later versions, there are sort
options on the drop-down filters for
each heading in a list.

Problems with Sorting

The methods for performing a basic sort function in

Excel depend on which version you are using. The
following section explains these methods and
identifies some of the errors that can occur.

Excel will not always identify the cells contained inside a list, so
column headings may be missed out or data will not be sorted.
If this happens, try selecting the data before opening the Sort
dialogue box. Quick methods for selecting cells were covered in
the previous chapter. If Excel does not recognize the column
headings and consequently sorts them, double check to ensure
there is a tick against Header Row in the Sort dialogue box.

Select one cell inside the table or list of data that

needs to be sorted. Click on the Data menu, choose
Sort and a Sort dialogue box will open. Click on the
drop-down triangle at the top of the dialogue box to
reveal a list of column headings. Choose one to sort,
then select ascending or descending next to it. Click
on OK to return to the spreadsheet and see if the
data has been sorted correctly.

Sorting (2007 and 2010)

Select one cell inside the table or list of data that
needs to be sorted. Click on the Data ribbon tab and
look for the Sort button in the top middle of the
Above: The Sort dialogue box in Excel 2007
and 2010 displays the headings found in a list
and offers a number of ways of sorting the data.

Hot Tip

screen (just below the View ribbon tab). Click on this

button and a Sort dialogue box will appear

115

containing three criteria boxes with dropdown lists. The first list selects the column
heading to sort on, the next one specifies
whether the data will be sorted on values or
other criteria and the final list decides the sort
order. After choosing these options, click on
OK to see if the data has been sorted.

BASIC SORTING

Sorting (pre-2007)

Above: In earlier versions of Excel, the Sort

function can be accessed via the Data menu.

LARGE SPREADSHEETS

FAST SORTING
Excel has two Sort toolbar buttons on the Data ribbon tab in
Excel 2007/2010 and on the Standard toolbar in earlier
versions. They have the letters AZ or ZA
displayed on them with an arrow pointing
up or down (meaning sort ascending or
sort descending). For fast sorting, select a
cell inside the column to be sorted, then
Undo is a lifesaver when something goes wrong
click on one of these buttons. If only a
because it reverses the mistake made. Undo can
single column is sorted and not the rest of
be quickly activated by holding down the Ctrl
the list, click on the Undo button and use
key on the keyboard and pressing the letter Z.
the Sort dialogue box instead.

Hot Tip

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MULTIPLE SORTING

Excel can sort on more than one heading. For example, a list of sales results could be sorted in
date order, but within each date the sales values can be ordered numerically. In Excel 2007 and
2010, click on the Add Level button in the
Sort dialogue box and an extra row of sort
criteria will be displayed. In earlier versions of
Excel, the Sort dialogue box automatically
offers up to three sorting levels.

Above: Click on the Add Level button in the Sort dialogue

box for Excel 2007/2010 to sort on more than one
column heading.

SORT BY COLOUR
(2007 AND 2010)

Hot Tip

Excel can sort data that doesnt have

any headings across the top. Just
remove the tick from the header row
option in the Sort dialogue box.

Lists of data can often be easier to understand if cells are colour coded. For example, unpaid
invoices could be coloured in either red, orange or green to signify those that need attention. If
cells are coloured (fill colour), Excel 2007 and 2010 can sort them according to their colours.
When using the Sort dialogue box, change the Sort On (middle list) to Cell Colour, then specify
which colour to sort on in the next drop-down list. Click on the Add Level button to enter further
sort criteria for other colours. For further information on this, see the step-by-step guide below.

STEP-BY-STEP: SORTING COLOURED

CELLS IN EXCEL 2007 AND 2010
The following step-by-step guide shows how to create a to-do list, add fill colours to the cells
and sort them according to the colouring. This method of sorting is only available in Excel
2007 and 2010.

Open Excel and start up a new blank

workbook. Enter a heading in cell A1, such as
Jobs to do. Enter the heading Location in
cell B1 (here you will input house, garden, car,
garage, for example) and finally enter a third
heading in cell C1 for Date entered, so you
can see how long that job has been pending.
If necessary, a fourth column could be useful
for comments, so add a suitable heading in
cell D1.
Widen columns A and B by positioning the
mouse pointer between these column letters.
When the pointer changes to a black cross
with horizontal arrows, hold down the left
button and drag to the right to widen column
A. Release the left button to stop widening it.
Repeat the same process for column B by
positioning the mouse pointer between
column letters B and C (the same can be
done for column C).
Enter a few sample jobs, along with a location
and the date each job was listed. Excels
AutoComplete will help when typing a
location that has already been entered. For
instance, if the word House has already been
entered, you only have to type the letter H
and the word House will appear (press
Enter/Return to confirm).

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Above: Widen the columns by positioning the mouse pointer

between the column letters and dragging it to the right.

Above: Excel will try to AutoComplete entries in a list based

on entries above the selected cell.

Above: Excels Fill Colour offers a palette of colours, which are

useful for colour-coding a list prior to sorting it.

Above: The Sort dialogue box allows multiple sort criteria to be

added, so the colour-coded cells can be sorted in a particular order.

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Save the Excel file with a meaningful name (e.g. JobsToDo). Click on the Home ribbon tab
and look for the Font ribbon near the top left of the screen. Inside this section is a small
Fill Colour toolbar button, which looks like a bucket with a colour underneath it. Click on
the tiny drop-down triangle next to it and a palette of colours will appear.

A colour-coding scheme of red (needs immediate attention), orange (quite important) and
green (can wait) can be applied to the job descriptions in column A. Select one cell at a
time, click on the Fill Colour drop-down triangle and choose the appropriate colour.

After applying the various fill colours to the cells in column A, this list can be sorted
according to the colours. Make sure one cell is selected in the list, then click on the Data
ribbon tab and select the Sort button near the top middle of the screen. The Sort dialogue
box will appear on the screen.

Using the Sort dialogue box, click on the drop-down list for Sort by Section (far left) and
choose column As heading (e.g. Jobs to do). Click on the next drop-down list for Sort On
and select Cell Colour. Next, choose a colour that has been used from the list on the left.
This colour will be top of the sorted list, as long as the option next to it states On Top.
After setting up one colour to be sorted, the order of the other colours can be established.
Click on the Add Level button in the Sort dialogue box. A second sort criterion will appear.
Change the settings using the drop-down lists to sort another colour. Continue adding more
levels until all the colours are sorted, then click on OK to check that the list is sorted correctly.

Hot Tip
Click on the Delete Level button
in the Sort dialogue box to
remove any sort criteria.

Hot Tip
Switch on Excels Filter and Sort by
Colour is listed on any drop-down filters
where the cells are colour coded.

TALLYING DATA
Listed data can be grouped together and summarized to show you totals
and other calculations. A list of expenses, for example, can be summarized
according to types of expenses and totals per month. Excel has a number of
features for summarizing listed data, including Subtotals and Pivot Tables.

SUBTOTALS
Once you have a list in Excel you can manipulate it
in various ways to reveal different information.
One of the most useful functions when working
with basic lists is Subtotals. The sections below
explain how to use Excel to reveal subtotals from
lists or tables in different formats.

Sort It First

Above: A list needs to be sorted before it can be

Excels Subtotals requires a list of data to be sorted

subtotalled to ensure that data is correctly grouped.
so that particular types of information in one
column are grouped correctly. This makes it easier to apply subtotals to the list. In a list of
expenses, the expense type column could be sorted so that all different categories of expenses
(mortgage, utility bills, food, petrol) are grouped and can thus be subtotalled. For information
on how to sort data lists in this way, see page 114.

Choose the Numbers

Once a list of data has been sorted so that all the items in a particular column are grouped,
make sure you have at least one column containing numbers that can be subtotalled. In a list of
expenses, this might be the amount of each expense. In a list of sales, where there are columns
for net amounts, VAT and gross amounts, it could be one, two or all three of these columns.

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Switch on Subtotals

Above: In Excel 2007 and 2010, Subtotals

is activated via the Data ribbon tab and the
Subtotals ribbon button.

Select one cell inside the listed data or, to be safe,

select all the data to be included in the subtotal,
including the column headings. In Excel 2007 and
2010, click on the Data ribbon tab and select the
Subtotal ribbon button near the top right of the screen.
In earlier versions of Excel, click on the Data menu and
choose Subtotals. In both cases, a Subtotals dialogue
box will appear.

under Use function, choose a calculation to

apply (e.g. Sum or Average). In the next section
(Add subtotal to), make sure there is at least one
tick mark against a column heading that contains
numbers. Remove any tick marks against columns
that dont have numbers (Excel sometimes adds
them by accident). Click on OK to see if the
Subtotals have been correctly applied.

Hot Tip
You can add more than one tick
mark to the Add subtotal to list
when applying Subtotals.

Using Subtotals

Hot Tip
Select all the data inside a list by clicking in
one cell inside the list, then holding down the
Ctrl and Shift keys together and pressing the
space bar.

Above: In Excel 2003 and earlier versions,

Subtotals is activated via the Data menu.

Above: After applying Subtotals to a list, click on the +

and symbols down the left side of the screen to
expand and contract groups of data.

Non-Numerical Subtotals
Subtotals can be applied to lists that dont contain any numbers. The data can be grouped and
counted. After sorting the information into relevant groups, open the Subtotals dialogue box
and, under the Use function, choose Count. This is useful when managing a to-do list, where
subtotals can show how many jobs there are for the house, garden, garage and car.

Subtotals Dialogue Box

The Subtotals dialogue box is the
same in all versions of Excel. It
contains three main sections.
Starting at the top, choose the
column heading that has been
sorted and grouped. In the section

Once Subtotals have been applied to a list of

data, you should see a series of numbered
buttons near the top left corner of the
spreadsheet. Click on these buttons to expand
and collapse the listed data. The highest
numbered button will display all the data and
the lowest number will display a grand total.
You can also click on the plus and minus
symbols down the left side of the screen to
expand and collapse sections of data.

Subtotals within Subtotals

Above: Excels Subtotals can calculate groups of data as long as the
information is sorted correctly.

A list can have more than one level of subtotals. For example, a list of household expenses can
have subtotals for the expenditure per month, but within this grouping there could be subtotals

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Hot Tip
The data in a list is not
affected by applying or
removing Subtotals.

for how much has been spent on

food, petrol and utility bills. Setting
this up requires the listed data to be
sorted on two levels (by month and then by the type of expense). For detailed information on
this, see the Step-by-Step guide on page 128.

Above: You can create Subtotals within Subtotals, but the data
has to be correctly sorted first.

beginner. They should only be used for listed data but that list can be as simple as a
downloaded bank statement or a list of expenses, or as complex as downloaded sales data
containing product codes and retail outlets.

What Is a PivotTable?
A PivotTable uses a list of data to group and tally its information and create a table of results.
It can summarize thousands of lines of information in a list into one simple table that adds up
similar categories of information. Years of utility bills, mortgage payments and pension
contributions can be totalled in a PivotTable.

Check and Select PivotTable Data

Removing Subtotals

It is important to ensure youre using the correct type of data when creating a PivotTable,
otherwise it will not work correctly. Listed data is ideal, with headings across the top of the
spreadsheet and the information listed down the screen, with few or no blank cells and no
blank rows. It is good practice to select all the data before creating a PivotTable.

Subtotals can be quickly removed, no matter how many have been set up. Make sure one cell
is selected inside the list of data, then reopen the Subtotals dialogue box and click on the
button labelled Remove All.

Creating a PivotTable
(2007 and 2010)
Follow these steps to create a PivotTable
in the most recent versions of Excel.

PIVOTTABLES
While Excels Subtotals are useful for grouping
and tallying data within a list, PivotTables are
more powerful and can summarize data in a
separate area of a spreadsheet without risking
anything happening to the original data.

Understanding PivotTables

PivotTables are one of the best features of

Excel, but can appear bewildering to the

Click on the Insert ribbon tab

Select the PivotTable ribbon button
near the top left corner of the screen
A Create PivotTable dialogue box will
appear check the range of cells
displayed is correct
Decide on the location for the
PivotTable (a new worksheet will
appear in the workbook being used)

Above: Start creating a PivotTable in Excel 2007 and

2010 by clicking on the Insert ribbon tab and
selecting the drop-down triangle in the top left
corner of the screen.

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Click on OK
A blank PivotTable will appear on
the left side of the screen, with a
number of options displayed on
the right

Above: Select the column headings (fields) on the right side of

the screen in Excel 2007 and 2010 to add them to a PivotTable.

LARGE SPREADSHEETS

Hot Tip
Column headings containing
amounts (numbers) are best placed
in the Values part of a PivotTable.

Value Field Settings from the

menu that appears and a dialogue
box will be displayed. Choose a
different type of calculation from
the list inside this dialogue box
and click on OK.

Hot Tip
Not sure whether a value inside a PivotTable is
correct? Double-click on it and all the data that
has been used to calculate that value will be
displayed in a new worksheet.

Building a PivotTable
(2007 and 2010)

Creating a PivotTable
(pre-2007)

After creating an empty PivotTable, add

tick marks to the list of column
headings on the right side of the screen
(under PivotTable Field List). Data will
then be added to the PivotTable, but it
may be in the wrong location. Look at
the bottom right corner of the screen.
The column headings will be displayed
under Row Labels, Column Labels or
Values. Drag and drop the column
headings between these sections to
change the layout of the PivotTable.

Click on the Data menu and select PivotTable Report (some Excel versions have a longer
name). A PivotTable Wizard dialogue box will appear on screen, consisting of four steps. The
first step decides the location of the data to be included in the PivotTable. If the data is in the
Excel worksheet on screen, make sure the option labelled Microsoft Excel list or database is
selected, then click on Next. The cell range for the data also needs to be specified Excel
often does this automatically, but check that the cell range is correct before clicking on Next.

Excel pre-2007
PivotTable
Differences

Changing the PivotTable

Calculation (2007 and 2010)

Above: The type of calculation used in a PivotTable can

be changed to display the average values, highest (Max)
or lowest (Min).

The type of calculation used in a

PivotTable is usually a Sum function for
numbers or a Count for non-numerical
data. This can be changed by rightclicking in a cell showing a calculation
(a value) inside the PivotTable. Choose

Above: Earlier versions of Excel (pre-2007) use a PivotTable Wizard that

helps construct a PivotTable before it appears on screen.

The third dialogue box in the

PivotTable Wizard differs
depending on which version
of Excel you are using. Early
versions of Excel display a
layout of the PivotTable,
whereas later versions require
you to click on the Layout
button. In all cases, the
structure of the PivotTable
can be created by dragging

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and dropping the field/column headings

into the areas of the PivotTable. Drag and
drop a column heading containing
numbers into the Data section. The Row
and Column sections of the PivotTable
should use column headings where the
data can be grouped (e.g. month or
expense type).

LARGE SPREADSHEETS

Hot Tip
If the toolbar and other PivotTable
options have disappeared, you only need
to select one cell inside the PivotTable
to display them on screen.

Adding a PivotTable to a New or Existing Worksheet

A PivotTable can be displayed in a new or existing worksheet. While Excel 2007/2010
provides this option at the beginning of the set-up process, earlier versions of Excel display
this option at the end of the PivotTable Wizard. After making the choice, click on Finish and
the PivotTable will appear on screen.

WORKING WITH
PIVOTTABLES
Once you have set up an empty
PivotTable and established the criteria for
the data it includes, you will need to
know how to modify the data, amend
calculations and refresh the information.

Modifying a PivotTable
(pre-2007)
A PivotTable toolbar will appear when a
PivotTable is created and at least one cell
Above: PivotTables can be modified by right-clicking
inside them and using an assortment of options on the
shortcut menu.

clicking on a cell inside the PivotTable. For

example, you can return to the PivotTable
Wizard by right-clicking inside the table and
choosing Wizard.

inside it is selected. There are also

numerous options available by right-

Changing the PivotTable

Calculation (pre-2007)
The type of calculation used in a PivotTable
is usually a Sum function for numbers or a
Count for non-numerical data. This can be
Above: To change the type of calculation, choose Value
changed by right-clicking in a cell showing a
Field or Field Settings a dialogue box similar to the one
calculation (a value) inside the PivotTable.
shown here will appear.
Choose Value Field or Field Settings
depending on the version of Excel you are using from the menu that appears and a dialogue
box will be displayed. Choose a different type of calculation from the list and click on OK.

Refreshing
PivotTable Data
PivotTables are not automatically
updated, so if a cell in a list is
changed the PivotTable will need to
be updated. This can be executed
quickly using the Refresh function.
The fastest method of refreshing a
PivotTable is to right-click inside it
and choose Refresh from the menu
Above: PivotTables dont automatically update themselves, so click
that appears. However, in Excel
on the Refresh button.
2007/2010, there is a Refresh
button on the Options ribbon tab, and in earlier versions of Excel there is a Refresh toolbar
button, which looks like a red exclamation mark.

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STEP-BY-STEP: SUBTOTALLING EXPENSES LISTS

LARGE SPREADSHEETS

A list of expenses, money paid in, or any list in which there are dates, values and categories
relating to each value, can all be summarized in Excel using Subtotals. The following step-bystep guide shows how to apply two levels of Subtotals.
1 If you dont have a list to use, enter four headings in cells A1,
B1, C1 and D1 for the words Month, Expense, Amount and
Details. Type some sample data down the screen (see the
illustrations for suggestions) and make sure the dates in column
A are the same for each month, such as Jan 11 or Mar 11.

Above: Enter the data as a list,

with headings across the top; this
format makes it easier for Excel to
apply Subtotals.

Above: In Excel 2003 and earlier

versions, there are up to three
levels of sorting available, enabling
levels of Subtotals to be applied.

4 The months in column A should be listed in date order, but the

expense types in column B should only be sorted within each
month (scroll down to check). We can now apply the Subtotals,
so select one cell in the list, then click on the Data menu or
ribbon and select Subtotal from the menu or toolbar button
(Excel 2007/2010). A Subtotal dialogue box will appear.

Above: In the Sort dialogue box for Excel 2007 and 2010,
click on the Add Level button to sort on more than one level.

A second Subtotal can now be added, so make sure one

cell is selected inside the list, then reopen the Subtotals
dialogue box. Remove the tick mark from the option labelled
Replace Current Subtotals. Now change the criteria to
read Expense for the first option, Sum for the function and
keep a tick mark against Amount. Click on OK to close the
dialogue box.

After closing the Subtotals dialogue box, there should be four

buttons in the top left corner of the spreadsheet. Click on the
second button to see totals for each month and a grand total.
The third button displays the totals for each
expense per month, plus a monthly total. The
first button displays only a grand total and the
fourth displays all the data.

Click on the plus and minus (+ and ) symbols

down the left side of the screen to expand and
collapse the list and the see the subtotals. To
switch off the Subtotals, return to the dialogue
box and click on Remove All.

2 The list of data needs to be sorted according to Month

and then according to Expense. This will allow two levels
of Subtotals to be entered. Select one cell inside the list,
then click on the Data menu or ribbon and choose Sort.
A dialogue box will appear.
3 Set the criteria in the Sort dialogue box to sort by Month
(Ascending or Oldest to Newest), then by Expense
(Ascending or A to Z) in Excel 2007/2010 click on the
Add Level button to add another sort criteria. Click on OK
to close the dialogue box and check whether the list has
been correctly sorted.

Make sure Month is displayed in the first option

in the Sort dialogue box. Under Use function,
choose Sum (this will add up values). Add a tick
mark to Amount in the list below, but remove
any other tick marks. Click on OK to close the
dialogue box. Subtotals will now have been
applied to each month with totals displayed in
the Amount column.

129

Above: The Subtotal dialogue box

enables calculations to be made on
specific columns, which can be based
on groups of data in another column.

Above: After applying Subtotals, click on the numbered

buttons in the top left corner of the screen to change the
view of the list and expand/collapse data.

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STEP-BY-STEP: MAKING A PIVOTTABLE

FROM EXPENSES (2007 AND 2010)

A Create PivotTable dialogue box will appear.

Make sure the cell references for Table/Range
are correct (dont worry about the $ signs)
and that New Worksheet is selected, then
click on OK.

A new blank PivotTable will appear inside a

new worksheet of the existing workbook/file
(look at the sheet tabs to check). Add tick
marks against Month, Expense and Amount,
which are listed near the top right corner of
the screen.

It takes practice to understand PivotTables, so the following step-by-step guide takes a simple
list of expenses and demonstrates how to transform it into a summary in the form of a
PivotTable. With a little practice, complex lists with thousands of rows of data can be quickly
summarized into one small PivotTable.
1 If you dont have a list to use, enter four
headings in cells A1, B1, C1 and D1 with the
words Month, Expense, Amount and Details.
Type some sample data down the screen (see
the illustrations for suggestions) and make
sure the dates in column A use the same format
for each month, such as Jan 11 or Mar 11.

Above: Check that the Table/Range cell references

cover the list in the Create PivotTable dialogue box;
if they are wrong, click inside the white box and
select the correct cells.

2 Select the entire list by choosing one cell,

then holding down the Ctrl and Shift keys on
the keyboard and pressing the space bar.
Next, click on the Insert ribbon tab, then
select the PivotTable ribbon button in the top
left corner of the screen.

Above: After adding the column headings to the

PivotTable, the structure of it probably wont be
suitable, but this can be modified.

Above: Click on the AutoFilter drop-down triangles

to open a filter list and select or eliminate data
from the PivotTable.

With the PivotTable correctly constructed,

try clicking on the AutoFilter triangles next to Row Labels and Column Labels (inside
the PivotTable). A menu will drop down, allowing specific months or expense categories
to be filtered.

PivotTables can be removed from a spreadsheet by either selecting the respective cells
and pressing Delete on the keyboard, or by right-clicking on the PivotTables sheet tab and
choosing Delete (all the data in that sheet will be lost).

Hot Tip
PivotTable data is not automatically
updated, so right click inside the
PivotTable and choose Refresh.

The PivotTable will be instantly constructed

after clicking on each field in the last step.
However, the structure can probably be
improved, so look at the bottom right corner
of the screen. Drag and drop the Month
heading under Row Labels over to the
Column Labels box.

Above: Drag and drop the column/field headings

between the boxes in the bottom right corner of
the screen to change the layout of the PivotTable.

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LARGE SPREADSHEETS

STEP-BY-STEP: MAKING A PIVOTTABLE

FROM EXPENSES (PRE-2007)
The following step-by-step guide takes a simple list of expenses and shows you how to
transform it into a summary in the form of a PivotTable. The instructions and illustrations apply
to the versions of Excel from 5.0 to 2003, although screen pictures and some menu options
may differ slightly in places.
1 If you dont have a list to use, enter four
headings in cells A1, B1, C1 and D1 for the
words Month, Expense, Amount and
Details. Type some sample data down the
screen (see the illustrations for
suggestions) and make sure the dates in
column A use the same format for each
month, such as Jan 11 or Mar 11.

Above: Creating a PivotTable in Excel 2003 and

earlier versions involves the use of a series of
dialogue boxes; start by specifying the location of
the data to be used in the PivotTable.

Above: Its essential to ensure Excel has the correct

cell references for the list used to make a PivotTable.

2 Select the entire list by choosing one cell,

then holding down the Ctrl and Shift keys
on the keyboard and pressing the space bar.
Next, click on the Data menu and choose
PivotTable Report (the words vary
according to the Excel version you are
using). A PivotTable Wizard dialogue box
will appear.
3 Make sure the option for using a Microsoft
Excel list or database is selected, then
click on Next. In the second dialogue box,
check the cell references for the list are
correct (dont worry about the $ signs), then

click on Next. In the third box, click on the

Layout button (Excel 20002003).
4

The structure of the PivotTable can now

be decided. Drag and drop the Month from
the right side over to the COLUMN section.
Take the Expense box to the ROW section
and the Amount box into the DATA area
(this will be changed to Sum of Amount).
Click on OK to return to the previous
dialogue box.

Make sure New Worksheet is selected, then

click on Finish to close the dialogue box and
see the PivotTable displayed on a new
worksheet within the existing workbook/file.

The PivotTable can be further modified

using the PivotTable toolbar or by rightclicking inside the PivotTable. Data can be
filtered by clicking on the drop-down
triangles next to Month and Expense to
choose or omit particular information.

PivotTables can be removed from a

spreadsheet by either selecting the
respective cells and pressing Delete on the
keyboard, or by right-clicking on the
PivotTables sheet tab and choosing Delete
(all the data in that sheet will be lost).

Above: Click on the Layout button to create the

structure of the PivotTable.

Above: Drag and drop column/field headings into

the PivotTable to construct it.

Above: PivotTables can be manipulated without

damaging the original data list; click on the dropdown triangles to filter categories of data.

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MAKING YOUR
OWN CALCULATIONS
Calculations can be written into a cell in Excel, but there are some important
rules to be aware of and some potential problems that can arise. This section
takes you through the basics youll need to know in order to use Excels
calculation features, as well as highlighting the pitfalls to watch out for.

CREATING CALCULATIONS

Use the = Sign

One of the most important things to
remember when inputting calculations
into Excel is they must always begin
with an equals (=) sign. This tells Excel
that a calculation is being added,
rather than text. For example, if you
enter A1+B1 into a cell without the =
sign at the beginning, then the text
A1+B1 will be displayed rather than
the intended calculation.

Above: When writing a calculation, any cells included will be

highlighted with a coloured border.

Select the Cells

When inputting a calculation,
use the mouse to select the
cells you want to include.
This will make sure that the
correct cells are chosen and
eliminate the risk of errors. In
most versions of Excel, the
cell and its reference in the
calculation will be colourcoded when you are
inputting the information.

BASIC RULES
There are a couple of fundamental rules you should get to grips with before starting on Excel
calculations. After a bit of practice, however, they should become second nature.

MATHEMATICAL SYMBOLS
Excel uses the standard set of computer-based mathematical symbols for calculations, which
are not the same as the non-computer mathematical symbols. While the + and - symbols are
used for addition and subtraction, the multiplication symbol is an asterisk (*), not an x. The

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division symbol is the forward

slash (/). All these mathematical
symbols can be found on the
number pad on a standard
keyboard. If you are using a
laptop, the symbols can be
found as follows:

CREATING CALCULATIONS

Hot Tip
On some laptops, the symbols normally found
on the number pad are displayed in a different
colour on other keys. The symbol can usually be
activated by holding down a Fn or Mode key.

Hot Tip
When copying a calculation down a table or
list using AutoFill, double click the left button
on the mouse when the pointer is a small
black cross. AutoFill will instantly copy the
calculation into the cells below.

division or multiplication symbol is

calculated before anything with an
addition or subtraction. If there are
no brackets, then divisions and
multiplications are calculated
before additions and subtractions.

How BODMAS Works

+ To the left of the Backspace key and includes the = symbol (hold down the
Shift key to use it, otherwise an = symbol will appear)
- To the left of the = and + key
/ Near the bottom right of the keyboard and includes the ? symbol
* Hold down the Shift key and press the number 8 (along the top of the keyboard)

BODMAS RULES
BODMAS is a mathematical rule concerning the order of a calculation in relation to the
mathematical symbols used. The abbreviation stands for:

Brackets
Of
Division
Multiplication
Addition
Subtraction

BODMAS is a priority rule for

calculations. Anything in brackets
is calculated first, and within
those brackets anything with a

The easiest way to understand this

rule is to look at an example. Take a typical order when buying something on the internet. The
net price is usually listed, followed by a charge for postage and packing, then a calculation for
VAT. Imagine the net price is 100 and the postage is 10. If a calculation to work out the
amount of VAT is written as
=100+10*17.5%, then the rule of
BODMAS means multiplication comes
first, so 10 will be multiplied by 17.5%.
However, we need to add 100 and 10
together before multiplying by 17.5%, so
the calculation needs to be written as
=(100+10)*17.5%.

CALCULATE
AND COPY

Above: The calculation in C2 is wrong because the rule of BODMAS

means 10 is multiplied by 17.5% first, whereas the calculation needs to
add 100 and 10 first adding brackets resolves this, as shown in C3.

Above: Calculations can be copied down or across a table or

Calculations created in a table or list can
list using AutoFill, as long as the structure of the calculation
be copied using Excels AutoFill. If the
remains the same.
structure of the calculation is the same
across or down a table or list, then copying one calculation using AutoFill will change the cell
references for each copied calculation. This can save hours of typing and reduces the risk of
mistakes when re-writing a calculation.

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DOLLAR SIGNS
Some calculations are created
with dollar signs next to the
cell references. These are
known as absolute cell
references and mean that
part or all of the cell reference
will not change if it is copied
or Autofilled elsewhere. It can
Above: Adding dollar signs to the cell reference for D1 means that when the
be useful when a number of
calculation is copied down the table, the reference to D1 wont change,
calculations are created using
while the reference to B2 will change (to B3, B4 etc).
one particular cell, such as a
single VAT value. If VAT
changes, then there will only be one cell to change. This is helpful in sales spreadsheets, but is
also handy for forecasting where mark-up values can be used and changed.

CREATING CALCULATIONS

ADDING, AVERAGING
AND COUNTING
Straightforward calculations including adding up lists of numbers, finding
an average or revealing the highest and lowest values can be quickly
created or displayed in Excel. This section explains everything you need
to know about basic calculations.

QUICK
CALCULATIONS
ON THE
STATUS BAR

When to Use Dollar Signs

If a list of product prices needs an adjacent column with a calculation for VAT, then a single
cell can display the VAT amount. In the example pictured, cell D1 contains the VAT value.
When the first VAT calculation is written in cell C2, it should read =B2*D1, but if this
calculation is copied down the
table, then the VAT calculation for
the Mouse in C3 would read
=B3*D2, which is wrong (D2 is
empty). By changing the first
Dollar signs can be quickly added when
calculation to read =B2*$D$1, when
writing a calculation. After selecting the cell
copied down the table the cell
in which to include dollar signs, press F4 on
the keyboard. Note that this only works
reference for $D$1 wont change,
when writing a calculation.
but the cell reference for B2 will
change to B3, B4, and so on.

Hot Tip

Above: Select a range of cells in Excel 97 or later versions and a

calculation of those cells will be displayed on the status bar.

Hot Tip
If the status bar isnt displayed at the bottom
of the screen in Excel 2003 or earlier versions,
click on the View menu and make sure there is
a tick mark against Status bar.

The status bar is displayed at the

bottom of the screen and can be used
to show a number of calculations
based on a selection of cells (in
versions of Excel later than 1997).
First, select a range of cells containing
numbers. Next, look along the
bottom right edge of the screen.
A calculation such as SUM will
be displayed with a value next to
it based on the selected cells
(several calculations are
displayed in Excel 2007/2010).
Right-click here to change the
type of calculation shown.

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CREATING CALCULATIONS

AUTOSUM
Excels AutoSum toolbar button, which has a Greek Sigma symbol displayed on it (), was
originally used to add up lists of numbers based on a selection of cells, or on Excel assuming
the cells to add up were above or to the left
of the selected cell. In Excel 2002 this was
changed so that the AutoSum toolbar button
had a drop-down menu with additional
calculations, including Average, Max (highest
values) and Min (lowest values).

Using AutoSum to Add

Lists of Numbers
Select an empty cell at the bottom of a list of
numbers or to the right of a row of numbers.
Click on the AutoSum toolbar button (in Excel
2007 and 2010 this is on the Home ribbon tab) and Excel will automatically create an =SUM
calculation with the cell range above or to the right of the selected cell. Press Enter/Return on
the keyboard to complete the AutoSum calculation.
Above: Excels AutoSum can automatically
add up a list of cells.

AutoSum an Entire Table

If you want to add totals at the
bottom and/or right of a table of

numbers, you can do so in AutoSum with one click. First, select the table of numbers and an
empty row of cells below it and/or an empty column of cells to the right of it. Click once on
the AutoSum button and the SUM totals will be added to the empty cells selected.

Other Calculations with AutoSum (20022010)

The AutoSum toolbar or ribbon button has a drop-down menu in Excel 2002 and later versions.
This menu lists other calculations (functions), most of which can be created in the same way as an
addition calculation. Some of the useful calculations on the AutoSum drop-down menu include:

Average: This calculates the mean average value based on a selection of cells.
Count or Count Numbers: This counts the number of cells containing numbers.
Max: This displays the highest number in a range of cells.
Min: This displays the lowest number in a range of cells.

Using Other Calculations

An average can be calculated by selecting a list of
cells containing numbers and an empty cell at the
bottom. Click on the drop-down triangle on the
AutoSum button and choose Average from the
menu that appears. The calculation will be created
in the empty cell at the bottom of the list.

Displaying a Calculation Elsewhere

Hot Tip
If the cell references are
incorrect, all you need to do is
select the correct ones to
overwrite the calculation.

Above: Select the values inside a table of data, as well as the

empty cells below and to the right of these, then click on the
AutoSum button to instantly add SUM totals.

Above: The AutoSum toolbar or ribbon button has

a drop-down menu of other calculations in Excel
2002 and later versions.

If a calculation such as Sum, Average or Count

does not need to be displayed at the bottom or
side of a list of numbers, you can still use the AutoSum button or its drop-down menu. Select the
cell in which the calculation should be displayed, then click on the AutoSum button or its dropdown triangle and choose a calculation. The calculation will be displayed with an incorrect cell
range. Choose the correct cells using the mouse and the range will be displayed in the calculation.
Press Enter/Return on the keyboard to finish the calculation.

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CREATING CALCULATIONS

BASIC FUNCTIONS
Excel has a number of in-built, ready-to-use calculations called functions.
These save time in typing out calculations by hand and have a wide range of
uses, including statistical analysis, finding data in a list and error checking.

Hot Tip
Theres no need to start a
function with an = symbol. Just
click on the fx button.

appear with a list of functions. The functions are

grouped by category, displayed on the left or via
a drop-down list. A definition of each appears in
the dialogue box when you select it.

Hot Tip

Filling in Function Boxes

ADDING A FUNCTION
TO A CELL
A function is entered and displayed inside a
cell just like any other calculation. One of the
quickest methods of adding a function to a
cell was covered in the last section using
the AutoSum button. Other functions can be
quickly added by selecting the cell in which
Above: In Excel 2000 and earlier, Functions can be
entered into a cell by clicking on the Paste Function
toolbar button, which has the letters fx displayed on it.

the function should be displayed, then clicking

on the fx toolbar button in Excel 2000 or
earlier versions, or clicking on the fx button in
the formula bar (above the column letters) in
later versions.

Choosing a Function
After clicking on the fx button on the formula
Above: The Function dialogue box separates all the
functions into different categories to make them easier
to find.

bar or toolbar (depending on which version of

Excel you are using), a dialogue box will

145

After choosing a particular function from

the list, click on OK and the dialogue box will
display one or more white boxes in which
to enter the details of the function. Cell
references or ranges can be typed into these
boxes, or the cells selected and the ranges will
be automatically entered. Excel guides you
through the creation of the function, displaying
instant error messages if the criterion is
incorrect. If the criterion is correctly entered,
the result of the function will be displayed
inside the dialogue box.

WRITING A FUNCTION

In Excel 2002 and later versions there is a

search box inside the Insert Function
dialogue box, so you can enter the name
of a function and look for it.

Above: Excel guides you through the process of

entering function criteria, and displays results or error
messages where appropriate.

It is possible to write a function, and many people prefer

this method to using the function dialogue box. Excel 2007
and 2010 provide on-screen guidance when writing a
function, showing the criteria that need to be entered. Just
like any other calculation, functions must start with an =
symbol. Writing a function can result in more mistakes than
using the dialogue box, however. Some functions, for

Hot Tip
An old function can be edited
by selecting its cell and clicking
on the fx button.

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CREATING CALCULATIONS

example, use commas and brackets; these are

automatically entered when using the dialogue
box, but not when a function is written. If these
are omitted, the function will not work.

Most Recently Used category. If not, change the category to Logical and find it in the
alphabetically sorted list of functions. Select the IF function from the list and click on OK.
4

The IF function offers three white boxes in which to enter criteria. The first box (Logical
Test) is like a question. In this case, the question concerns whether the grand total is above
2,000. Click inside the white box for the Logical Test, then select the cell for the
respective grand total and type >2000.

Click inside the middle white box, labelled Value if True. Type the text Spent too much.
This message will be displayed if the grand total is more than 2,000. Next, click in the third
white box, labelled Value if False. This box can display a message if the grand total is less
than 2,000, so type Underspent in here.

The function dialogue box will instantly display a result for the IF function that has been
created, so you can see if a mistake has been identified. If the result displayed in the
dialogue box looks correct, click on the OK button to close the box.

Copy the IF function across the screen using AutoFill. To do this, select the cell containing
the IF function, hover the mouse pointer over the bottom right corner of the cell until it
changes to a small black cross, then hold the left button down and move to the right
across the other cells in which the function should be applied (the cell references will be
automatically changed).

STEP-BY-STEP: CHECK
SPENDING WITH IF
Above: The IF function can sometimes be found within the
Most Recently Used category of the function dialogue box
otherwise, look in the Logical category.

The IF function is useful for comparing or

checking figures and displaying warning
messages or calculations. The following step-bystep guide shows how to create a simple
monthly budget and display an error message if
spending exceeds a certain amount.
1

Above: An IF function consists of three parts: a question, such

as Is the grand total greater than 2000?, followed by an
answer if right and an answer if wrong.

3
Above: A function can be copied down or across to other cells in
a table or list and the cell references will be automatically changed.

Either download the sample file, or create a

table of expenses, with months across the
top and expense types down the left side of
the screen. Add AutoSum () totals along the
bottom of the table and to the right.
Select an empty cell below the first grand
total for the first month of the table. This
can be used to display an error message if
the grand total is above a specific amount
(i.e., if too much has been spent).
Click on the fx button on the formula bar or
the toolbar. A function dialogue box will
appear. IF might be listed underneath the

Hot Tip

Hot Tip

A blank message can be displayed

for a Value if True/False by entering
double speech marks with a space
between, like this:

When entering text into the Value if

True/False boxes for an IF function,
Excel automatically inserts double
speech marks around the words.

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CREATING CALCULATIONS

STEP-BY-STEP:
FIND OVERDUE DATES
WITH IF AND NOW()

Above: Create a list of jobs to do, making sure each one has a
date; this can be used to find jobs that are overdue by 60 days,
for example.

Excel can be used to list or highlight date-related

information, such as overdue invoices or
incompleted jobs. The following step-by-step
guide uses a list of jobs and calculates the
number of days that have passed since the job
was entered. If the number of days exceeds a
certain amount, a warning message appears.
1

Using a new Excel workbook, enter a simple

list of jobs to do, as shown in the
illustrations. Make sure a date is entered for
each job, indicating when the job first arose.

Scroll across the screen and select cell G1.

Were going to enter a function here to
display the current date. Type the words
=Now(). Press Return and the current date will
be displayed, but its format may be wrong.

Above: Enter the current date in a cell by typing =Now() the

format of the date might be wrong, so open the Format Cells
dialogue box to change it.

Right click inside the cell, choose Format Cells

and a dialogue box will appear. Select the
Number tab in the dialogue box, choose Date
from the list on the left and select a suitable
date type from the list on the right. Click on
OK to close the dialogue box.
Above: The IF function can sometimes be found within the
Most Recently Used category of the function dialogue box
otherwise, look in the Logical category.

Add a new heading to the list called Overdue

(in the illustrations, this heading is entered

into cell E1). Select the cell below it (E2 in

our example). This is where the first IF
function will be entered to determine
whether the job on that row is more than 60
days overdue. The IF function will calculate
the difference between the current date and
the date the job arose, and display a
message accordingly.

Above: The IF function calculates the difference

between the current date and the date of the job, if its
more than 60 days, a warning message will be displayed.

Click on the fx toolbar or formula bar button

and a function dialogue box will appear. Look
for the IF function in the Most Recently Used
category or the Logical category. Select the IF
function from the list and click on OK. The
three parts to the IF function will be displayed.

Above: A function can be copied down or across

Click inside the first white box for the Logical
to other cells in a table or list.
Test of the IF function. We are going to ask
whether the difference between the current date and the date of the job is more than
60 days. Type the criterion $G$1-C2>60. Cell C2 contains the date of the first job
(change it if not).

Enter the text you want to be displayed if the IF question is true (e.g. if it is overdue by
more than 60 days) and if its false (enter double speech marks with a blank space
between to display no comment). Click on OK when finished.

Copy the IF function down the job list using AutoFill. To do this, select the cell containing
the IF function, hover the mouse pointer over the bottom right corner of the cell until it
changes to a small black cross, then hold down the left button and move down to copy
the function (the cell references will be automatically changed).

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where the second IF function needs to be entered. Look at the top left corner of the screen,
above column A. There will be a drop-down triangle to the left of the cross, a tick on the
formula bar and a function displayed next to it. If the IF function is displayed here, click on it
to start a second IF. Otherwise, click on the drop-down triangle and choose it from the list.

A function can be used within a function. For

example, an IF function can check whether a cell
exceeds a particular value, and if it does, a second IF
function can check whether the amount it exceeds is
greater than 1,000 (i.e., critical). This is also useful for
outstanding invoices any due date that is beyond
90 days can be found with one IF function, but the
second IF function can check the value of the
invoice and display a message to write it off if it is
below a specific value.

Using Two or More Functions

Nesting IF Functions
When two or more IF functions are used in the same calculation it is known as nesting IF
functions. A second IF function has to be added to the Value if True or Value if False boxes
when the first IF function is being created. Adding a second IF function can be tricky, but the
following sections explain how to do it.

Nesting IF Functions (pre-97)

In very early versions of Excel, there is a
small fx button next to the Value if True
and Value if False boxes. Click on one of
these to add a second IF function.

Nesting IF Functions
(972010)

Above: Functions within functions can be added in Excel 97

and later versions by clicking on the drop-down list shown
here (only displayed when the Function dialogue box is open).

Different functions can be added within a

function in the same way as nesting IF
functions. In Excel 97 to 2010, use the
drop-down list near the top left corner of
the screen to add another function. In
earlier versions of Excel, click on the fx
button next to the part of the function
where it needs to be added.

Hot Tip
It often helps to draw a flow diagram
for multiple IF functions, so you can see
where the path of Value if True/False
conditions leads to.

EDITING OLD
FUNCTIONS
An old function can easily be edited by
selecting the cell in which it is displayed
and clicking on the fx button on the
toolbar or formula bar. The functions
dialogue box will open, displaying the
function or one of the functions
contained in the selected cell.

Above: Two or more functions together can look

confusing, but open the Functions dialogue box and click
along the calculation in the formula bar to move to
different sections of it.

When creating the first IF function using

the function dialogue box, complete as

MOVING BETWEEN FUNCTIONS IN A CELL

much of it as possible, then click inside

the white box for the Value if True/False

When creating or editing a cell containing two or more functions, it can be difficult to ensure
the result is correct. Excel can help, thanks to the function dialogue box and the formula bar.

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With the dialogue box open on screen, displaying the criteria for one of the functions, look at
the formula bar above the column headings. The entire calculation for the cell will be displayed.
Move to any of the functions in this calculation by clicking on the relevant section on the
formula bar. The functions dialogue box will change accordingly.

USEFUL FUNCTIONS FOR LOANS

AND INVESTMENTS
Excel has some useful functions that can help
with financial planning, including borrowing
and investing money.

Calculate a Loan using PMT

Above: The PMT function can be used to

calculate the repayments for a loan based
on a fixed interest rate.

Above: The FV function can be used to calculate the

final figure for a regular investment.

The PMT function can be used to calculate how

much monthly repayments will be on a loan.
Just enter the amount to borrow, the number of
repayments and the interest rate, and Excels
PMT function will do the hard work. The
illustration here shows how the PMT function
can be created in the functions dialogue box.
Note that the amount borrowed in cell B1 is
-10,000 and the interest rate is divided by 12
to allow it to be calculated on a monthly basis
(assuming the repayments are monthly). The
calculation for Total repaid in cell B5 is =B4*B2.

fixed interest rate. This is useful for seeing

how much an annual investment of 1,000
per year over five years will be worth at the
end of the term, for example. The FV function
is similar to the PMT function for loans. The
result is a negative value, but can easily be
reversed by displaying the sum invested as a
negative value instead.

Hot Tip
The FV function can be used to
calculate the final figure of both
lump-sum investments and regular
investments.

Lump-Sum Investments with FV

Finding the final value of a lump-sum
investment can also be calculated in Excel
using the FV function. The criterion is a
little different to using the FV function for
a regular annual or monthly investment,
Above: The end value of a lump-sum investment
though. A zero value has to be entered in
can be calculated using the FV function.
the PMT box when creating this function
and the FV box contains the lump-sum amount. The result is a negative value, but can be
reversed in the same way as above by changing the sum invested to a negative amount.

TIDYING UP TEXT WITH FUNCTIONS

Information in Excel is often displayed in a table or list format in columns or rows of uniform
structure. There is very little room for writing sentences to summarize or interpret the data, so
information can sometimes be difficult to understand. However, Excels text functions can tidy
up the text in cells and combine it to help summarize or explain information.

See Regular Investments

Grow with FV

Combine Cells with &

The FV (future value) function calculates the

final figure on regular investments based on a

The contents of several cells can be combined and displayed in one cell using the & symbol
(hold down the Shift key on the keyboard and press the number 7). This is useful for

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Hot Tip
Excel has a function called
Concatenate, which is the same as
using & symbols to combine cells.

summarizing data from a table and

performing calculations with meaningful text
Above: Cell contents can be combined to create
meaningful sentences from data; each cell reference or
alongside. Choose an empty cell to display
piece of text is separated with an & symbol.
the combined text and start with an = sign.
Select a cell to include its contents and type the text in double speech marks. Separate each
cell reference or piece of text with an & symbol.

Left and Right Trimming

Sometimes the text in a cell is too long, especially with downloaded bank statements or other
downloaded data. The two functions called Left and Right can help. Left, for example, displays
a specific number of characters in a cell, starting
at the left-hand side. Right does the opposite. So,
a column of long descriptions can be trimmed by
replacing it with a separate column with only 10
characters, for example. The first column can
then be hidden.

VLOOKUP FUNCTION
The Vlookup function is one of the most popular but confusing functions
in Excel. It is useful for finding unique information in a long list, such as a
product code, employee ID number or specific date. However, there are
some important rules to adhere to when creating a Vlookup to ensure it
works correctly.

UNDERSTANDING VLOOKUPS
Vlookup stands for Vertical Lookup. This function is a search method that can retrieve and
display information from a list. By entering a word, code or date in a cell, a Vlookup can use
this information and find it in a list,
then retrieve and display any data
from adjacent columns in the list.

Vlookup Examples

Other Useful Text-Tidying Functions

The last section of this chapter includes a list of
functions and their definitions. Look at the list of
text functions for more suggestions. Text
Above: The Left function can be used to display
only a specific number of characters from a cell,
starting at the left-hand side.

functions including Upper, Trim and Clean are all

useful for tidying up text in a spreadsheet.

Product code updates:

Downloaded sales data can
be summarized and tidied
using several Vlookup
functions. These can be
used to find the latest results
for a set of product codes
or names.

Above: In this Vlookup example, a town/city can be entered in cell F1

and the Vlookup in cell F2 will find the mileage from the list on the left.

Employee details: Specific

information from a long list of employees details can be retrieved by entering an
employees unique ID number and using Vlookup to find it.

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Discounts: A Vlookup doesnt always have to find a specific value. If a range of discounts
are available, depending on how much is spent (e.g. 10% for over 100 and 15% for over
300), then a Vlookup can find the nearest match and provide a discount value.

Vlookup Rules

List down: A Vlookup searches

down a list for a piece of unique
information, so make sure the data to
be searched is displayed as a list.

Hot Tip
If a list runs across the screen instead
of down it, use the Hlookup (Horizontal
Lookup) function instead of the
Vlookup (Vertical Lookup).

Avoid blanks: Make sure the list

of data is all together, with no
blank rows.

First column: The first column in the list will be searched down using Vlookup, so this
column needs to contain the relevant data.

Unique or nearest match: Vlookup can only be asked to search for a unique entry in a
list. Otherwise, it will find the first or nearest match and display the result. In some cases,
a nearest match is useful (e.g. different discounts for total price based on a lookup value).

The following checklist will ensure you create a Vlookup function that works correctly
and reliably.

Vlookup Parts
There four sections of criteria to complete when creating a Vlookup using the function
dialogue box.

Lookup value: This is

the data that will be
used to search down a
list and find the exact
match or nearest match
in the first column.

Right: The Vlookup consists

of four criteria, which can be
difficult to understand at first.

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Table array: This is a range of cells (list), down which Vlookup will search to find an
exact or nearest match based on the Lookup value. Vlookup will search down the first
column, starting at the top.

Column index number: Once Vlookup has found a match in the list for the Lookup
value (nearest match or exact), then the column index number specifies how many
columns to the right the Vlookup must move before retrieving the information in a cell.
The first column in the list is number 1.

Range lookup: This determines whether the Vlookup should find an exact match (e.g. a
product code or name) or a nearest match (e.g. price ranges with discount percentages).
Enter the word False to find an exact match, or leave blank to find the nearest match.
This is one aspect of a Vlookup where mistakes are often made.

CREATING CALCULATIONS

or toolbar (depending on the version

of Excel). Vlookup may be listed in the
dialogue box that appears, but if it
isnt, change the Category to Lookup &
Reference and scroll down the
function list to find Vlookup (its
sorted alphabetically). Once selected,
click on OK.
4

STEP-BY-STEP: CREATING A VLOOKUP

The following step-by-step guide shows how to create a list of towns or cities with a
corresponding list of distances to these places from home. To save time on scrolling up and
down the list to search for a particular town or city, a destination can be entered in a separate
cell and a Vlookup used to find that place in the list and display the mileage.
1

Enter a list of town and city names in column A, a corresponding list of countries in
column B and the approximate distance from home to these places in column C. This
table/list will be used by a Vlookup to find a particular town or city.

Enter the headings shown in the illustration for cells E1 and E2, then enter a town or city
name from the table or list in cell F1. The data in cell F1 will be used by Vlookup to locate
the relevant information in the list/table.

Select cell F2, where the Vlookup will be located. Click on the fx button on the formula bar

Click inside the first white box, labelled

Lookup value, and select cell F1. Click
inside the second white box (Table
array) and select the cells containing
the names of the cities/towns,
countries and miles. Click inside the
third white box (Col index num) and
type the number 3 (for the third
column in the table). Finally, click in
the last white box and type the word
False (this will ensure an exact match
is found).
After entering data in all four boxes, a
result will be displayed in the dialogue
box. If its wrong, check the details
entered and make sure the town/city
entered in F1 is spelt correctly. Click
on OK to close the dialogue box. Test
the Vlookup by changing the town/city
name in cell F1.

Above: In this example, the search data will be displayed

in cell F1 and the Vlookup will be created in cell F2.

Above: The Vlookup function is listed under the Lookup

& Reference category within the function dialogue box.

Above: Entering the word false in the Range lookup section

of a Vlookup ensures only an exact match is found in a table/list.

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FUNCTIONS DEFINED
There are thousands of different functions in Excel. The following pages
define the most useful and explain their functions. They are divided into
types of function for ease of reference.

DATABASE FUNCTIONS
The database functions, known collectively as the DFunctions, are used to analyze data that
forms part of a list or database. To use these functions, data needs to be entered so that Excel
recognizes it as a list or database.
DCOUNT(database,field,criteria)
Counts the number of cells containing numbers
in a column based on the conditions specified.
DCOUNTA(database,field,criteria)
Counts all the cells in a column that are not
blank based on the conditions specified.

DMAX(database,field,criteria)
Returns the largest (maximum) number in a
column based on the conditions specified.
DMIN(database,field,criteria)
Returns the smallest (minimum) number in
a column based on the conditions specified.
DSUM(database,field,criteria)
Adds (sums) the numbers in a column
based on the conditions specified.

DATE AND TIME

FUNCTIONS
Date and time functions can extract date and time
values from cells in a worksheet, displaying full or
part information. They also provide tools for
analyzing and calculating date and time values.
DATE(year,month,day)
Displays the serial number of a given date.

Above: The database functions in Excel can be found

within the Database category of the functions dialogue box.

DAVERAGE(database,field,criteria)
Calculates the average of the values in a
column based on the conditions specified.

DGET(database,field,criteria)
Extracts a single value from a column
based on the conditions specified.

Above: The DAverage function in this example can

calculate the average mileage for a country, based on the
country displayed in cell E6.

DATEVALUE(date_text)
Converts a date represented by text to a
serial number.

Hot Tip
Database functions are used to
extract or calculate data in a list, so
make sure the data is correctly
presented first.

DAY(serial_number)
Displays the day of the month as an integer
ranging from 1 to 31.
DAYS360(start_date,end_date,method)
Designed for accountants working on a 360-day
year (12 30-day months), this function provides
the number of days between two given dates.
EDATE(start_date,months)
Returns the serial number for the date that is
a specified number of months before or after
a given date (start date).
EOMONTH(start_date,months)
Returns the serial number for the last day of
the month that is a specified number of
months before or after the start date.
HOUR(serial_number)
Displays the hour as an integer (ranging from
0 [12 a.m.] to 23 [11 p.m.]), based on the
given serial number.

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FINANCIAL FUNCTIONS

MINUTE(serial_number)
Displays the minute as an integer (ranging
from 0 to 59) based on the given serial
number.
MONTH(serial_number)
Returns the month as an integer (ranging
from 1 [January] to 12 [December]), based
on the given serial number.

Financial functions perform popular business

calculations, often those related to borrowing
or saving money. Most of these functions can
be found in the Financial category in the
function dialogue box.
Above: The NetworkDays function is useful for
calculating the number working days spent on a project
because it ignores weekends.

SECOND(serial_number)
Returns the second as an integer (ranging
from 0 to 59), based on a given serial
number.

Above: The Month function displays the month as a

number based on a date from another cell.

TIME(hour,minute,second)
Returns the serial number of a particular
time as a decimal fraction ranging from 0
to 0.99999999.

NETWORKDAYS
(start_date,end_date,holidays)
Displays the number of whole working
days between the given start and end
date (excludes weekends and any dates
identified as holidays).

TIMEVALUE(time_text)
Converts a time represented as text into
a serial number.

NOW( )
Displays the serial number of the current date
and time (based on the computers clock).

WEEKDAY(serial_number,return_type)
Returns the day of the week as an integer
(ranging from 1 [Sunday] to 7 [Saturday]).

TODAY( )
Returns the serial number of the current date.

Above: The Workday function is useful for calculating the

length of time project work will take, based on a working
week; using a start date and estimated number of days, it
calculates an end date and ignores weekends.

WORKDAY(start_date,days,holidays)
Returns the serial number of a date that is a
given number of working days before or after
the start date (excludes weekends and any
dates identified as holidays).

ACCRINT(issue,first_interest,settlement
,rate,par,frequency,basis)
Returns the accrued interest based on a
security paying periodic interest.
ACCRINTM(issue,maturity,rate,par,basis)
Returns the accrued interest for a security
paying interest at maturity.

YEAR(serial_number)
Displays the year as an integer (ranging from
1900 to 9999), based on a given serial number.

DB(cost,salvage,life,period,month)
Returns the depreciation of an asset for a
specified period (uses the fixed-declining
balance method).

YEARFRAC(start_date,end_date,basis)
Calculates the fraction of the year based on the
number of whole days between two given dates.

DDB(cost,salvage,life,period,factor)
Returns the depreciation of an asset for a
specified period using the double-declining

Hot Tip
When searching down the alphabetically sorted function list in the function
dialogue box, jump to a function by pressing the first letter of it on the keyboard.

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balance method or some other method

you specify.
EFFECT(nominal_rate,npery)
Returns the effective annual interest rate,
given the nominal annual interest rate and the
number of compounding periods per year.
FV(rate,nper,pmt,pv,type)
Returns the future value of an investment
based on periodic, constant payments
and a constant interest rate. Can also be
used to calculate the future value of a
lump-sum investment.

CREATING CALCULATIONS

IPMT(rate,per,nper,pv,fv,type)
Returns the interest payment for a given period
for an investment based on periodic, constant
payments and a constant interest rate.
IRR(values,guess)
Returns the internal rate of return for a
series of cash flows represented by the
numbers in values.
NOMINAL(effect_rate,npery)
Returns the nominal annual interest rate,
given the effective rate and the number
of compounding periods per year.
NPER(rate,pmt,pv,fv,type)
Returns the number of periods for an
investment based on periodic, constant
payments and a constant interest rate.

Above: The FV function can be used to calculate

the final value of a lump sum investment.

FVSCHEDULE(principal,schedule)
Calculates the future value of an investment
with a variable or adjustable rate.

NPV(rate,value1,value2,...)
Calculates the net present value of an
investment by using a discount rate and a
series of future payments (negative values)
and income (positive values).

INTRATE(settlement,maturity,
investment,redemption,basis)
Returns the interest rate for a fully
invested security.

PMT(rate,nper,pv,fv,type)
Calculates the payment for a loan based
on constant payments and a constant
interest rate.

VDB(cost,salvage,life,start_period,
end_period,factor, no_switch)
The variable declining balance function
calculates the depreciation of an asset
for any given period.

Above: The PMT function can be used to calculate the

repayments for a loan based on a fixed interest rate.

PPMT(rate,per,nper,pv,fv,type)
Returns the payment on the principal for
a given period for an investment based
on periodic, constant payments and a
constant interest rate.
PV(rate,nper,pmt,fv,type)
Returns the present value of an investment.
RATE(nper,pmt,pv,fv,type,guess)
Returns the interest rate per period of
an annuity.
SLN(cost,salvage,life)
Returns the straight-line depreciation
of an asset for one period.
SYD(cost,salvage,life,per)
Returns the sum-of-years digits depreciation
of an asset for a specified period.

Above: The financial functions in Excel have their own

category within the function dialogue box.

Hot Tip
Some financial functions
display a negative result,
but this can be changed to
a positive by adding a minus
symbol in front of one of the
cell references when creating
the function.

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INFORMATION
FUNCTIONS
Information functions provide status
information about a selected cell. The
majority of information functions are referred
to collectively as the IS functions. They can
be used to check the type of value and return
TRUE or FALSE depending on the outcome.
CELL(info_type,reference)
Provides details of formatting, location or
contents of the selected cell or worksheet.

CREATING CALCULATIONS

INFO(type_text)
Provides information on the current operating
environment. For example, =INFO(Release)
displays the version of Excel in use.
ISBLANK(value), ISERR(value), ISERROR
(value), ISLOGICAL(value), ISNA(value),
ISNONTEXT(value), ISNUMBER(value),
ISREF(value), ISTEXT(value)
Each of these nine functions, referred to
collectively as the IS functions, checks the
type of value and returns TRUE or FALSE
depending on the outcome.
ISEVEN(number)
Returns TRUE for an even number and
FALSE for an odd number.

Above: The Cell function can be used to retrieve data about a

cell or the workbook itself the function =Cell(filename), for
example, displays the location where the Excel file is saved.

COUNTBLANK(range)
Counts empty cells in a given range of cells.
Useful for finding missing information in
downloaded data.
ERROR.TYPE(error_val)
Returns a number representing an Excel
error value.

ISODD(number)
Returns TRUE for an odd number and
FALSE for an even number.
N(value)
Converts a value to a number. Useful for
downloaded data where cells containing
numbers dont seem to work when used
in a calculation.
NA( )
Returns the error #N/A, (no value is available).

TYPE(value)
Indicates type of value (i.e., number, text).
Useful for checking downloaded data.

IF(logical_test,value_if_true,value
_if_false)
One of the most popular logical functions.
Returns one value if a condition you specify
evaluates to TRUE and another value if it
evaluates to FALSE. Use IF to conduct
conditional tests on values and formulas.

Above: The Type function is useful for checking

downloaded data to make sure its in the correct format; the
example here reveals that cell B11 is a number, whereas the
other cells are text (the Type function uses number codes).

LOGICAL FUNCTIONS
The logic or conditional functions are used
to test whether a specified condition is true
or false. This is Excels way of asking a
question about the contents or value of a
cell. These functions are often combined
with other functions.

Above: One of the most popular logical functions is IF;

this has many uses, including error checking and finding
unpaid and overdue invoices.

NOT(logical)
Reverses the value of its argument. Use NOT
when you want to make sure a value is not
equal to one particular value.

AND(logical1,logical2, ...)
Returns TRUE if all its arguments are TRUE;
returns FALSE if one or more arguments is FALSE.

OR(logical1,logical2,...)
Returns TRUE if any argument is TRUE;
returns FALSE if all arguments are FALSE.

FALSE( )
Returns the logical value FALSE.

TRUE( )
Returns the logical value TRUE.

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LOOKUP AND
REFERENCE
FUNCTIONS
The Lookup and Reference functions
provide the facility to locate a specific
value from a list or find a reference for a
specific cell.
ADDRESS(row_num,column_num,abs
_num,a1,sheet_text)
Generates a cell address as text, using the
given row and column numbers.
AREAS(reference)
Returns the number of areas (a range of
contiguous cells or a single cell) in a
reference.

CREATING CALCULATIONS

HLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array
,row_index_num,range_lookup)
Searches for a value in the top row of a table
and returns a value in the same column from
a row you specify in the table or array.
HYPERLINK(link_location,friendly
_name)
Creates a shortcut or jump that opens a
document stored on a network server, an
intranet or the internet.
INDEX(array,row_num,column_num)
or (reference,row_num,column_num,
area_num)
Returns the value of a specified cell or array
of cells within an array or reference. Useful
for picking data from a single list.

CHOOSE(index_num,value1,value2,)
Selects one of up to 29 values based
on the given index number.

LOOKUP(vector) and LOOKUP(array)

The vector form of LOOKUP looks in a onerow or one-column range for a value and
returns a value from the same position in a
second one-row or one-column range. The
array form of LOOKUP looks in the first row
or column of an array for the specified value
and returns a value from the same position in
the last row or column of the array.
MATCH(lookup_value,lookup_array,
match_type)
Locates the relative position of an item in an array
that matches a specified value in a specified order.
OFFSET(reference,rows,cols,height,width)
Returns a reference to a range that is a
specified number of rows and columns from
a given cell or range of cells.

COLUMN(reference)
Returns the column number of the given
reference.
COLUMNS(array)
Returns the number of columns in an
array or reference.

INDIRECT(ref_text,a1)
Displays the reference specified by a text string.
Used to change the reference to a cell within a
formula without changing the actual formula.

Above: The Rows function can be used in a downloaded

bank statement to find the number of transactions made
over a particular period, because it counts the number of
rows in a range of cells.

TRANSPOSE(LINEST(Yvalues,Xvalues))
and TRANSPOSE(array)
Transposes a vertical range of cells to a
horizontal range, or vice versa.
VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,col
_index_num,range_lookup)
Searches for a value in the leftmost column
of a table, and returns a value in the same
row from a column you specify in the table.

ROW(reference)
Displays the row number for a given reference.
Above: In this example, the Month function in column B
extracts a month number from column A; the Index
function is then used in column C to find the month
number in the list on the right (in yellow) and
consequently display the name of the month.

ROWS(array)
Calculates the number of rows in a given
reference or array.

Above: Vlookup is one of the most popular functions. Its

useful for extracting data from a long list and is covered
more in depth in this chapter.

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MATHS FUNCTIONS
The range of maths functions provides the
facility to perform both simple and complex
mathematical calculations.
COUNTIF(range,criteria)
Counts the number of cells in a given
range based on a specified criteria.

Above: The Round functions, including Roundup and

Rounddown, are used to tidy up numbers and reduce the
risk of incorrect values.

PI( )
Returns the number 3.14159265358979,
accurate to 15 digits.

ROUND(number,num_digits)
Rounds a number to a specified number of
digits; ROUND(2.75,1) equals 2.8.

PRODUCT(number1,number2, ...)
Multiplies all the given numbers and
returns the product.

ROUNDDOWN(number,num_digits)
Rounds a number down, toward zero;
ROUNDDOWN(6.2,0) equals 6.

RAND( )
Returns a random number greater than or
equal to 0 and less than 1. A new random
number is returned every time the worksheet
is calculated.
RANDBETWEEN(bottom,top)
Returns a random number between the
specified numbers. A new random number
is returned every time the worksheet is
calculated. Useful for quickly creating
sample data to test.

ROUNDUP(number,num_digits)
Rounds a number up, away from zero;
ROUNDUP (6.2,0) equals 7.
SIGN(number)
Determines the sign of a number (1 for a
positive number, 0 if the number is 0 and
-1 if the number is negative).
SQRT(number)
Returns the square root of a positive number;
SQRT(16) equals 4.

SUM(number1,number2, ...)
Adds all the numbers in a range of cells;
SUM(3,2,6) equals 11.

Some of the functions are designed for

specialist use, but many prove useful in
everyday worksheets.

SUMIF(range,criteria,sum_range)
Adds the cells that meet a specified criteria.

AVEDEV(number1,number2,...)
Returns the average of the absolute
deviations of data points from their mean.
AVERAGE(number1,number2,...)
Returns the average (arithmetic mean) of the
given numbers.

Above: The SumIf function can add up specific

transactions in a bank statement, such as salary payments,
as long as the transaction description remains the same.

SUMPRODUCT(array1,array2,array3,...)
Multiplies corresponding components
in the given arrays, and returns the sum
of those products.

STATISTICAL
FUNCTIONS

BETADIST(x,alpha,beta,A,B)
Returns the cumulative beta probability
density function, commonly used to study
variation in a percentage across samples,
such as the fraction of the day people
spend driving.
CONFIDENCE(alpha,standard_dev,size)
Determines, with a particular level of
confidence, a range on either side of a sample
mean. For example, if you drive to work each
day, the earliest and latest you will arrive.

Excel provides numerous statistical functions,

from the most commonly used SUM and

CORREL(array1,array2)
Uses the correlation coefficient to determine
the relationship between two properties for

AVERAGE functions through to the

cumulative beta probability density function.

example, the relationship between the

temperature and ice-cream sales.

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CREATING CALCULATIONS

COUNT(value1,value2,...)
Counts all the values that are numbers. If the
value is a cell address, Excel will check
whether the cell contains a number and, if so,
include it in the count.
COUNTA(value1,value2,...)
Counts the number of cells in a range that
are not empty.
FORECAST(x,known_ys,known_xs)
Calculates or predicts a future value by using
existing values; used to predict future sales,
inventory requirements or consumer trends.
MAX(number1,number2,...)
Returns the largest (maximum) number
in the range.
MAXA(value1,value2,...)
Returns the largest value in a list of
arguments. Text and logical values such as
TRUE and FALSE are compared as well as
numbers.
MEDIAN(number1,number2,...)
Returns the median the number in the
middle of a set of given numbers; half the
numbers have values that are greater than
the median, and half have values that are less.

MODE(number1,number2,...)
Returns the most frequently occurring, or
repetitive, value in a range of data.

Above: Statistical functions, including Max, Min,

Average, Median and Mode, can all be used to
analyse a list of results.

MIN(number1,number2, ...)
Returns the smallest (minimum) number
in the range.
MINA(value1,value2,...)
Returns the smallest value in the list of
arguments. Text and logical values such
as TRUE and FALSE are compared, as well
as numbers.

RANK(number,ref,order)
Returns the rank (size relative to other
values) of a number in a list of numbers.
If the list is sorted, the rank of a number
is its position in the list.

TEXT FUNCTIONS
Text functions allow cells to be combined,
trimmed and calculated to help eliminate
unwanted data and make a spreadsheet
easier to understand.
CHAR(number)
Displays the character that represents the
given number.
CLEAN(text)
Removes all the non-printable characters
from the specified text. Used to remove
characters that will not print when importing
data from another application.

Above: The Rank function can analyse a list of results and

display a value that shows the position of each value
amongst all the other results.

together to form a single text string

inside one cell.

CONCATENATE (text1,text2,...)
Joins several cells and pieces of text

Above: The Concatenate function can be used to

combine data in cells with additional text to help
summarize and make sense of results.

EXACT(text1,text2)
Compares two text strings and returns
TRUE if they are exactly the same and
FALSE if they differ. EXACT is casesensitive but ignores formatting
differences. Useful for importing the latest
sales results into a spreadsheet with
existing results.
FIND(find_text,within_text,start_num)
Finds specific text from within other text.
The starting position of the text found is
displayed as a number representing
the position from the leftmost character
of the text string. For example,
=FIND(smith,john smith) will return 6.

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CREATING CALCULATIONS

SEARCH(find_text,within_text,start_num)
Locates a character or text string within another
text string returning the number of the
character at which a specific character or text
string is first found, reading from left to right.

This function is similar to SEARCH, but

FIND is case-sensitive and does not allow
wildcard characters.
FIXED(number,decimals,no_commas)
Rounds a number to a specified number of
decimal places, formats the number in
decimal format using a period and
commas, and returns the result as text.
LEFT(text,num_chars)
Returns the first (or leftmost) character or
characters in a cell.
LEN(text)
Returns the number of characters in a cell.
LOWER(text)
Converts all upper-case letters in a cell to
lower-case.

Above: In Excel 2007 and 2010, most of the formulas

can be found by clicking on the Formulas ribbon tab and
using the buttons along the top of the screen.

MID(text,start_num,num_chars)
Returns a given number of characters from a
cell, starting at the position specified.
PROPER(text)
Capitalizes the first letter in a cell and any
other letters that follow any character other
than a letter. Converts all other letters to
lower-case letters.
REPLACE(old_text,start_num,num
_chars,new_text)
Replaces part of a text string with a different
text string.

SUBSTITUTE(text,old_text,new_
text,instance_num)
Substitutes new text for old text in a cell.
TEXT(value,format_text)
Converts a value to text using a specific
number format.
TRIM(text)
Removes all spaces from text except
for single spaces between words. Used
to trim spaces from text received from
another application that may have
irregular spacing.

REPT(text,number_times)
Repeats text a given number of times.

Above: Text functions, including Upper, Lower and

Proper, can be used to change the case of text (e.g. all
capitals or all lower case).

RIGHT(text,num_chars)
Returns the last (or rightmost) character or
characters in a cell.

Above: Downloaded data can often include too many

spaces between text in a cell, so the Trim function can
remove these and help reduce the width of the columns.

UPPER(text)
Converts text to uppercase.
VALUE(text)
Converts a text that represents a number
to a number.

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FORECASTING
Excel provides some useful tools to help predict future sales, expenditure
results and similar figures. The following section shows how to assess
forecasts for cash flows, profit and loss, and investments.

MULTIPLE FORECASTS
WITH SCENARIO MANAGER
Scenario Manager can display different values in a spreadsheet. If these values are used in a
calculation, a variety of forecasts can be produced. This has many uses from speculating on
an investment with different interest rates to examining a cash-flow forecast with different
levels of expenses and income.

FORECASTS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

Hot Tip
Scenario Manager is useful
for changing values used
in calculations.

Finding Scenario Manager (pre-2007)

Click on the Tools menu and choose Scenarios.
The Scenario Manager dialogue box will appear
on screen. If it is not displayed on the Tools menu,
click on the double arrows at the bottom of the
menu to expand it.

Finding Scenario Manager

(2007 and 2010)
Click on the Data ribbon tab and select the
What-If Analysis button near the top right of the
screen. A short menu will drop down. Select
Scenario Manager from this list and a Scenario
Manager dialogue box will appear on screen.

Adding Scenarios to One Cell

With the Scenario Manager dialogue box
open, decide on which cell to change
(make sure its not a calculation, as it will be
deleted). Click on the Add button and an
Add Scenario dialogue box will appear.
Enter a name for this scenario (e.g. Low_figures),
then click inside the Changing cells box and
select the cell to change. Click on OK and a
Scenario Values dialogue box will appear.
Enter a value for the selected cell to change,
then click on Add to continue creating more
scenarios. Repeat this instruction as many
times as necessary.

Above: Scenario Manager in Excel 2007 and 2010

can be found by clicking on the Data ribbon tab
and selecting the What-If Analysis button.

Above: Enter a name for the scenario and choose a

cell to change make sure this is not a cell containing
a calculation because it will be overwritten.

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FORECASTS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

Adding Scenarios to More than One Cell

When selecting cells to change (inside the Add Scenario dialogue box), hold down the Ctrl key
on the keyboard and click inside all the cells
to be changed. They will in turn be added to
the Changing cells box. Click on OK and a list
of all the cells to change will appear,
whereby different values can be entered.
Above: Multiple cells can be changed using the Scenario
Values function.

Producing a
Scenario Summary
A summary of all the scenarios
and subsequent results can be
displayed as a table or
PivotTable in the following way:

Showing Scenarios

After entering two or more Scenarios, return

to the Scenario Manger dialogue box, where all of the scenarios will be listed. Select one from
the list, then click on the Show button. The cell values on screen will change, along with any
related calculations.

Editing Scenarios

Click on the Summary

button in the Scenario
Manager dialogue box
Choose between a
Above: Scenarios can be summarized to display all the different forecast
values and results.
Scenario Summary or
a Scenario PivotTable
Make sure the cell reference in the Result cells box is the cell containing the
calculation that changes when the different scenarios are applied
Click on OK
A summary or PivotTable will be displayed on a new worksheet

If a scenario is wrong for example, if the cell values change to the wrong amounts or do not
change at all then it can be amended in the following way:

ASKING EXCEL TO FIND THE ANSWER

Make sure the Scenario Manager dialogue box is displayed

Select the scenario to amend and click on the Edit button
The Add Scenario dialogue box will appear, in which the cells to change
can be altered
Click on OK to open the Scenario
Values dialogue box, where the cell
values can be amended
Click on OK to complete editing
the scenario
Test the scenario by selecting it
from the list and clicking on the
Show button

Hot Tip

Scenarios can be removed from the

list in the Scenario Manager
dialogue box by selecting one and
clicking on the Delete button.

Excels Goal Seek can be used to find out the value required to produce a specific result. For
example, if you want to invest some money for 10 years with a fixed interest rate of five per
cent, you may want to know how much to invest to
ensure the final amount is worth 15,000. Goal Seek
can calculate this.

Using Goal Seek

Select a cell containing a calculation. In Excel 2007
and 2010, click on the Data ribbon tab, select the
What-If Analysis button and choose Goal Seek from

Hot Tip

Goal Seek has to use a

calculation and can only
change one cell.

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Above: Goal Seek can be used to see how the

result of a calculation can be created by changing
one of the cells that affects it.

FORECASTS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

the menu that drops down. In earlier versions of

Excel, click on the Tools menu and choose Goal
Seek. From the dialogue box that appears, make
sure the Set cell box displays the cell reference
containing a calculation. Enter a value in the
middle box (the result you want). Click inside the
bottom box and select a cell. This can be
changed and in turn will alter the calculation (e.g.
the amount to be invested). Click on OK and
Goal Seek will display an answer.

Hot Tip
Use a drop-down list to
change a number that affects
a calculation.

Excel, click on the Data menu and choose Validation.

From the dialogue box that appears, make sure the
Settings tab is selected. Choose List from the dropdown beneath Allow. Click inside the Source box,
then select the cells containing the list of numbers.
Click on OK to close the dialogue box.

Using a Drop-Down List

Once you have created a drop-down list, a drop-down triangle should be displayed to the right
of the cell the list was created for. Click on it and a list will appear. Select an item from the list
and the cells contents will change. If this cell is used in a calculation, then the result of the
calculation will change.

ADDING DROP-DOWN VARIABLES

Drop-down lists with different numbers can be added to a spreadsheet to help with
forecasting. An investment spreadsheet can have drop-down lists for different investment
amounts, terms (years) and interest rates. This feature is also useful for forecasting cash flows
with drop-down lists for a range of expense amounts, income and other variables.

STEP-BY-STEP:
MAKING A CASH-FLOW FORECAST
The following step-by-step guide shows how to create a cash-flow forecast for household
income and expenditure.

Creating the Values

When creating drop-down values, the list of
variables to be used in a particular cell must
be displayed inside the spreadsheet. For
example, if a varying number of years needs
to be used in an investment forecast, create
a list of numbers in the spreadsheet.

Creating a Drop-Down List

Open Excel and, with a new file on screen, save it (hold down the Ctrl key and press S)
as Cashflow. Double-click on the sheet tab that opens at the bottom of the screen and
rename it to the year for the cash flow (e.g. 2011).

Select cell B1 and enter the starting month for the cash flow. Reselect the cell, position
the mouse pointer over the bottom right corner of the cell, and when it changes to a
small black cross, hold the left button down. Move across the screen to create a sequence
of months.

Enter the word Income in cell A2, then list some sources of income and enter the words
Total Income at the bottom of this list (see illustration on page 184). Enter some income

Above: Data Validation can be used to create drop-down

variables for forecasting.

With a list of numbers displayed elsewhere

in the spreadsheet, select the cell to which the drop-down list will apply. In Excel 2007 and
2010, click on the Data ribbon tab and select the Data Validation button. In earlier versions of

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amounts underneath the months

across the screen. Apply some fill
colours to the cells where
appropriate.
4

Select all the income cells and the

empty row for Total Income. Click
on the AutoSum toolbar button (),
which is in the Home ribbon tab in
Excel 2007/2010 and the Standard
toolbar in earlier versions. The
totals will be automatically applied
to the Total Income row.
Enter a heading for Expenses in
column A, below the income
section, then list a number of
typical expenses (mortgage, utility
bills, petrol, food). Enter some values
for these expenses underneath the
months. Create a Total Expenses
row and use AutoSum to add up
each months expenses.
Scroll down to the area below
the expenses. Enter the words
Surplus/Deficit in an empty cell
in column A, then the words
Opening Balance below, and
finally Closing Balance.

FORECASTS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

Above: Use Autofill to create a sequence of months.

Enter an amount for the opening

balance for the first month. Select
the cell for the Closing Balance in
column B. Create a calculation that
adds the Surplus/Deficit and the
Opening Balance. Copy it across
using AutoFill (the figures
will be incorrect at this time).

Select the Opening Balance for

the next month in column C. This
is last months Closing Balance, so
press = and select last months
Closing Balance. Press Enter, then
copy the calculation across the
screen using AutoFill.

Above: Select all of the income value cells, plus the row where
the total income figures will be displayed, then click on the
AutoSum button to insert income totals automatically.

Above: Select cell B2 and freeze the panes to keep the

headings on screen when scrolling; in Excel pre-2007, click on
the Window menu to Freeze Panes.

Select the first Surplus/Deficit cell

for the first month (in column B).
This cell will contain a calculation
that works out the difference
between the months total income
and total expenses. Press = on the
keyboard to start a calculation, then
select the Total Income cell in
column B, press (minus symbol) on
the keyboard and select the Total
Expenses cell in column B. Press
Enter/Return. Use AutoFill to copy
the calculation across the screen.

Above: The Surplus/Deficit calculation subtracts Total Expenses

from Total Income.

Above: After the first month, the Opening Balance is the

previous months Closing Balance.

Hot Tip
Select cell B2 and freeze the panes to
ensure the months and Income/Expenses
remain on screen when scrolling.

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PRODUCING REPORTS

FORECASTS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

Reports need to summarize data and present it in a format that is clear

and easy to understand. Excel has a variety of features that help produce
professional-looking reports that offer accessible information.

REPORTING ON A
BANK STATEMENT
A downloaded bank statement can be difficult
to understand, especially if it consists of
hundreds perhaps thousands of transactions.
However, there are a number of tools in Excel to
help extract specific analytical information.

Total Interest on a Mortgage

If a downloaded bank statement lists mortgage
Above: The SumIf function can be used to calculate
payments in and negative values for interest
numbers in a range of cells which are above or below
a specified amount.
charges, then a SumIf function can add up all
the interest payments. In this case, the SumIf
works because it only adds up numbers less than zero. This is a simple function to set up,
requiring only the column containing amounts to be selected and the criterion <0 to be entered.

show spending patterns. The criteria for the DSum need to be displayed on screen and the
following step-by-step guide shows how to do this.

Enter a heading for Amount and

type <0 beneath it (all negative
values will be added). It is good
practice to keep all the Date and
Amount headings together as a
small table (see the illustration as a
guide). Select another empty cell to
display the DSum. Click on the fx
button on the toolbar or formula bar.

Above: Enter the criteria for the DSum in the spreadsheet,

making sure that the criteria headings match the list headings.

Above: DSum consists of three parts: a list, a column to add up,

and criteria.

With the function dialogue box open, change the category to Database and find DSUM in the
list. Select it and click on OK. A DSUM dialogue box will appear with three white boxes. Click
inside the white box for Database. Select the cells in the list, including the headings at the top.

Click inside the white box for Field. Select the cell containing the Amount heading in the list.
Finally, click in the Criteria white box and select the criteria cells (including the headings,
dates and values) that were created in steps 1 and 2. A Formula result will be displayed inside
the DSUM dialogue box. If its wrong, check the cell references, otherwise click on OK.

STEP-BY-STEP:
CALCULATE TOTAL MONTHLY SPENDING
The DSum function can be used to calculate all negative values (spending) between two dates
in a bank statement, so a summary figure or series of summary figures can be displayed to

Make sure the downloaded bank

statement is a list and has headings
across the top for Date and Amount.
Enter the Date heading twice in two
blank cells and enter a start date
underneath one of them with a >
symbol at the beginning. Enter an
end date beneath the other Date
heading with a < symbol at the
beginning of the date. This sets the
criteria for the date range.

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FORECASTS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

CONSOLIDATING DATA
Large volumes of data are often easier to understand if they
are separated into months or quarters and displayed on
separate worksheets. However, when it comes to bringing all
that data together and displaying grand totals, it can be timeconsuming. Fortunately, there is a useful tool in Excel called
Data Consolidation, which can total data across worksheets
and workbooks.

Hot Tip
Select a group of sheets where the tabs are all
together by clicking on the far left/right sheet tab,
holding down the Shift key on the keyboard and
clicking on the sheet tab at the opposite end.

Rename a worksheet
by double clicking on its
sheet tab.

typed into all of them. If only a few

of the sheets need grouping (not all
of them), hold down the Ctrl key on
the keyboard and click on the sheet
tabs that need grouping to select
them. To ungroup the sheets, rightclick on a sheet tab and select
Ungroup Sheets.

Above: The utility and other bills listed in the quarterly worksheets
can be totalled in the Year Totals sheet using Data Consolidation.

Creating a
Consolidation Worksheet

Data Structure
Data Consolidation works more effectively across several spreadsheets if the structure of the
data is the same. This ensures Excel can pick the same figures from each spreadsheet and add
up each one to produce summary totals. It helps, therefore, to create a number of worksheets
that all have the same structure. This can be done quickly by grouping sheets (selecting a group
of them), so that whatever is typed into one sheet is
also typed into the other grouped sheets. Hours of
typing and copying can be saved using this method.

Grouping Sheets
All the worksheets in an Excel workbook can be
grouped at once by right-clicking on a sheet tab and
Above: Grouping worksheets can save hours
of repetitive typing and copying.

Hot Tip

choosing Select All Sheets. All the sheet tabs will be

highlighted and whatever is typed into one will be

The illustration on this page for Data

Consolidation shows a workbook
containing quarterly worksheets with
utility and other bills. A separate Year
Totals sheet is created, which will
contain all the totals for the different
bills. Data Consolidation will take the
total values from each worksheet, add
them up and display a grand total in
the Year Totals sheet. Before
proceeding, its worthwhile copying
the headings for the bills over to the
Year Totals sheet.

Above: Data Consolidation allows cells from other worksheets to

be added into a grand total calculation.

Hot Tip
Insert extra worksheets in Excel 2007 and
2010 by clicking on the button to the right
of the sheet tabs. In earlier versions of
Excel, click on the Insert menu and choose
Worksheet.

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Activating Data Consolidation

Select the cell inside the worksheet in which you want the consolidated totals will be displayed
(the Year Totals sheet in our example). Click on the Data menu or ribbon tab and select the
Consolidate button or menu option, depending on the version of Excel.

Completing the Data Consolidation Dialogue Box

Make sure the Sum function is displayed in the top box of the
Consolidate dialogue box
Click inside the white box for Reference
Click on the first sheet tab containing the values to consolidate
Select the relevant cells (the totals in our example)
Click on the Add button
in the Consolidate
dialogue box
Repeat this process for
Row and column labels/headings can be
the other worksheets
included in a Data Consolidation. Look for the
Click on OK to see the
tick boxes in the Consolidate dialogue box.
grand totals displayed

Hot Tip

PRESENTING EXCEL DATA

Excel is often used in presentations or the data from it is utilized in
other programs. For this reason, the information needs to be
professionally presented. As always, Excel can help you create
impressive presentations.

CREATING CHARTS
Data presented in a chart format is often
easier to understand and trends are easier
to spot. Excel has an extensive range of
chart tools, but all these options mean that
a chart can take a long time to create. The
following section reveals the shortcuts and
quick techniques to making an effective
and professional-looking chart.

Create Links to Source Data Data

Above: Add a tick mark to the option labelled Create links to

source data, and the consolidated totals will be kept up to date.

Consolidation is useful for summarizing large

amounts of data and producing a grand total.
The totals will not be updated unless the
option labelled Create links to source data is
ticked. If this option is ticked, the totals will
be updated. Also, all the figures used to
calculate the totals will be displayed click on
the Outline buttons down the left side of the
screen or the number buttons near the top
left corner to see the values.

Press F11 or Alt+F1

Hot Tip
Chart data should ideally be
displayed in a table format
with headings or labels across
the top or down the left side
(or both). This makes it easier
for Excel to understand the
structure of the data and
produce a chart from it.

One of the quickest methods for creating a

chart is to select the cells that need to be
included in the chart (including any
headings or labels) and press F11 on the
keyboard. A chart will be instantly created
and displayed in a separate worksheet. In
Excel 2007/2010, pressing Alt and F1 will
display a chart next to the selected cells (in
earlier versions it displays a chart in a
separate sheet).

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Changing the Chart Type

The type of chart can be quickly
changed by right-clicking inside a
space in the Chart and choosing
Change Chart Type or Chart Type
(depending on the version of Excel).
From the dialogue box that appears,
there will be a number of different
types of charts listed and within
each type, there will be a choice of
styles including 3D and 2D.
Above: Click on the Set as default chart button to change the
type of chart used whenever a new chart is created.

Creating a Default Chart

The standard chart that appears

when you press F11 is not particularly exciting, but it can be changed. When the dialogue box
outlined in the last section is on screen, there is a button labelled Set as default chart. After
choosing a particular chart, click on this button to change the settings this chart type will be
used as the default style when you create charts in the future.

Move a Chart
A chart created on a separate sheet can
be displayed next to the data it
Above: Pre-2007 versions of Excel use a straightforward
represents. Right-click around the
Format Data Series dialogue box to enable the colour of
perimeter of the chart, inside a space.
any part of a chart to be modified.
From the shortcut menu that appears,
select Location or Move Chart (right-click elsewhere if these options are not displayed).
A small dialogue box will appear with the option to place the chart in an existing worksheet.
A chart displayed next
to its data can be moved
using the drag-and-drop
method. Hover the
mouse in a space around
the perimeter of the
chart, then hold down
the left button and
move the mouse to move
the chart.

MANIPULATING
CHARTS
Once you have your chart set up, there
are several ways of manipulating the
data contained within it.

Changing Chart Colours

The colour of just about anything in a
chart can be changed. Right-click on the
part of the chart to change and choose

Format Data Series (or a similar option

beginning with the word Format) from
the shortcut menu that appears. A
dialogue box will appear on screen. Click
on the tabs along the top (pre-2007
Excel) or options down the left side
(Excel 2007/2010) to look for different
colours and patterns.

Above: The colour of any object can be changed in a chart by

right clicking on that object and choosing Format Data Series
to open the dialogue box shown here.

Above: A chart displayed next to its data can be moved using the drag and drop method: hover the mouse in a space
around the perimeter of the chart, then hold the left button down and move the mouse to move the chart.

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Add More Data

If an extra row or column of data needs
to be added into a chart, right-click
around the perimeter of the chart in a
space and choose Source Data or Select
Data. From the dialogue box that
appears, change the cell references for
the chart to include more data.

Hot Tip
Excel 2007/2010 displays a Chart
Tools ribbon after creating a chart.
This consists of three ribbon tabs across
the top of the screen with several buttons
for modifying the chart.

Copying a Chart
to Another Program

Hot Tip
Excel 2003 and earlier versions display a
Chart toolbar when a chart is created,
which offers a number of options for
modifying the chart. Theres also a Chart
menu at the top of the screen.

A chart created in Excel can be

copied into a presentation program
such as Microsoft PowerPoint or
into a report within Microsoft Word.
The easiest way to do this is to click
once inside the chart to select it, then
hold the Ctrl key down on the
keyboard and press C to copy it. In
Excel 2003 and earlier versions, a
series of dotted lines will appear
around the chart. Open the program
and file to copy the chart into.
Right-click where you want the
chart to be positioned and choose
Paste from the shortcut menu.
The chart should appear.
Above: A chart can be copied from Excel into a
presentation program such as Microsoft
PowerPoint or a report in Word.

ILLUSTRATING EXCEL
Excel can not only help you create professional-looking charts for
presentations data can also be enhanced with diagrams to highlight
important sections, as well as photographs and illustrations to produce a
professional finish.

DRAWING TOOLS
Excel and other Microsoft Office programs
use a set of drawing tools, which are useful
in Excel for highlighting cells and making
notes on the worksheet.

Using Drawing Tools (pre-2007)

A Drawing toolbar is usually displayed along
the bottom of the screen. If this is not
Above: The drawing tools in Excel include arrows and text
visible, right-click on any toolbar button and
boxes to help highlight cells and make notes on them.
choose Drawing from the menu that
appears. Click on the arrow, line, box or oval buttons to draw these shapes (move into the
spreadsheet, hold down the left button and move the mouse). A wider range of drawing shapes
can be found on the AutoShapes button.

Using Drawing Tools

(2007 and 2010)
Click on the Insert ribbon tab and look at
the Illustrations section of the ribbon near
the top left corner of the screen. Click on
the Shapes button and a large palette of

Hot Tip
Arrows, lines and other objects can be
moved by selecting them, then using
the arrow keys on the keyboard.

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groups of shapes will appear, ranging from

arrows and lines to boxes and stars. Select one
from the list, then move into the worksheet and
left-click to draw the shape.

Creating Text Boxes

Above: You can add text to most drawn objects by

right-clicking inside them.

Most large shapes drawn in Excel can have text

displayed inside them. After drawing the object,
right-click inside it and choose Edit Text or Add
Text. A flashing cursor will appear. Type the
text, then click elsewhere to finish.

Above: Process flow diagrams can be used to illustrate a step-bystep guide to using a spreadsheet.

illustrate data and explain how to

use the spreadsheet. For example, a
process flow chart could illustrate
how to input data into a spreadsheet
and update a PivotTable. In Excel
2003 and earlier versions, block
arrows and similar shapes are on the
AutoShapes button of the Drawing
toolbar. In Excel 2007/2010, click on
the Insert ribbon tab and choose the
Shapes button.

Resizing Drawn Objects

Grouping Shapes

A drawn object can be resized by selecting it, then hovering the mouse pointer over any of the
small squares or circles around it. When the mouse pointer changes to a double-headed arrow,
hold down the left button and move the mouse to resize the object.

A diagram consisting of several shapes can be difficult to move around the screen. However, if
all the shapes are grouped together they can be easily moved together. To group shapes:

Rotating a Drawn Object

In Excel 2000 and earlier versions, select an object and click on the Rotate button (this looks
like an arrow in the shape of a circle) on the Drawing toolbar. A series of green circles will
appear around the object. In later versions of Excel, one green circle will appear above the
object after selecting it. In all cases, position the mouse pointer over the green circle and when
it changes to an arrow in the shape of a circle,
hold down the left button and move the mouse to
rotate the object.

Hot Tip

Use Connectors to link between shapes.

These lines automatically connect or
snap to shapes, making it easier to draw
flow diagrams.

Select one of them

Hold down the Shift key on the
keyboard and select all the other
shapes
Right-click on one of them
Choose Group or Grouping
Select Group from the sub-menu
Try moving one of the shapes all
of them will move

Creating Process Flow Diagrams

To ungroup the shapes:

The range of block arrows and other symbols

within Excels drawing tools means diagrams such

as process flow charts can be created to help

Right-click on any shape

Choose Group/Grouping
Select Ungroup from the sub-menu

Above: Grouping shapes and lines enables them to

be moved together as one object.

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Left: WordArt in Excel 2003 and earlier versions is chosen and written
using two dialogue boxes before it is displayed in the worksheet.

WORDART
WordArt can help produce some professional-looking titles
for a spreadsheet and enhance the presentation of data.

Using WordArt (pre-2007)

WordArt in Excel 2003 and earlier versions is inserted by
clicking on the WordArt toolbar button on the Drawing
toolbar (it looks like a blue letter A on an angle). A WordArt
dialogue box will appear; choose a style of WordArt and
click on OK. Type the text for the WordArt and click on OK. The WordArt will appear on the
worksheet and can be moved, rotated and resized, just like a shape.

Using WordArt (2007 and 2010)

Above: WordArt in Excel 2007/2010 is created by clicking

on the Insert ribbon tab and selecting the WordArt
button.

Click on the Insert ribbon tab and select the

WordArt button near the top right of the
screen. A palette of WordArt styles will drop
down. Choose one and a sample WordArt
will appear on screen with the words Your
text here. Click inside these words, delete
them and type your own words. The
WordArt can be moved, rotated and resized,
just like a shape.

CLIPART AND PHOTOS

Clipart images and photographs can transform a spreadsheet into a professional presentation,
with company logos and colourful backgrounds.

Hot Tip

Library Clipart

Excel makes use of a Microsoft Office ClipArt

library, which contains an assortment of
Click on the Insert menu in Excel
illustrations. These can be accessed in Excel
2003 and earlier versions, choose
2003 and earlier versions by clicking on the
Picture and select WordArt from
Insert menu, choosing Picture and selecting
the sub-menu.
ClipArt from the sub-menu. Either a dialogue
box or a ClipArt task pane on the right side
(Excel 20022003) will appear. In Excel 2007/2010, click on the Insert ribbon tab and select
the ClipArt button. A ClipArt task pane will appear on the right side of the screen.

Searching for ClipArt

The ClipArt dialogue box or task pane can be
used to search for types of ClipArt (such as
money) by typing a keyword in the search box.
Excel will display any relevant ClipArt. To add
some ClipArt to a spreadsheet, select the image
then either double-click on it, click on Insert, or
drag and drop it on to the worksheet. The
ClipArt can then be resized and moved.
Above: Search for ClipArt by entering a keyword,
such as money, accounting, cash or people.

LOGOS, PHOTOS AND

COMMERCIAL IMAGES
Images that are not listed in the ClipArt library can be inserted. In Excel 2003 and earlier
versions, click on the Insert menu, choose Picture and Select From File. In Excel 2007/2010,
click on the Insert ribbon tab and select the button labelled Picture (near the top left corner of
the screen). In all cases, an Insert Picture dialogue box will appear, similar to the dialogue box
for opening an Excel file. Locate a picture, then click on the Insert button. The picture will be
added as an object to the worksheet and can then be resized and moved.

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Using a Logo or Photo for a Worksheet Background

Inserting ClipArt and other
images into a spreadsheet is
useful for livening it up with
additional illustrations, but if the
images are too large they will get
in the way of the data. Add an
illustration as a background,
however, and the picture acts as a
fill colour for the cells, so data can
be displayed over the top of it.

A background can be removed by

returning to the Format menu, clicking
on Sheet and selecting Delete
Background.

Hot Tip
Search the internet for free-to-use images,
which can be saved to your computer and used
in your Excel presentations.

Inserting a Background (2007 and 2010)

To insert a background in Excel
2007 and 2010, take the
following steps:

A background should ideally

consist of an image that is either
very light so dark text can be
displayed over it, or very dark so
that bright white or yellow text
can be displayed over it.

Inserting a Background (pre-2007)

To insert a background in versions of Excel before
2007, take the following steps:

Above: Backgrounds can sometimes make it

difficult to read the data inside the cells, so try
to use images that are faint with light colours.

Hot Tip

The background image will be added to

the worksheet on screen and will be tiled
(repeated several times). If the image is
too big or too light/dark, it will need to be
edited in a program such as Microsoft
Paint or a photo-editing package, then
inserted again.

Click on the Format menu and choose

Sheet

Select Background from the sub-menu.

A dialogue box will appear
Locate a suitable picture file, then click

on Open or Insert

Click on the Page

Layout ribbon tab and
select Background
A Sheet Background
dialogue box will
appear
Locate a suitable
picture file, then click
on Open

Above: Click on the Page Layout ribbon tab in Excel 2007/2010 and
select the Background button to add a background image to a worksheet.

The background image will be added to the worksheet

on screen and will be tiled (repeated several times). If
the image is too big or too light/dark, it will need to be
edited in a program such as Microsoft Paint or a photoediting package, then inserted again. A background can
be removed by returning to the Page Layout ribbon tab
and clicking on the Delete Background button.

Hot Tip

A background cannot be
printed, it is only displayed
on screen.

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PRINTING EXCEL DATA

Excel spreadsheets can be printed out, but problems can easily arise with
too many pages, blank pages and data that is either too big or too small to
fit on the printed page. This section reveals the quickest techniques for
printing as well as how to resolve typical problems.

Hot Tip
In Excel 2007/2010, hold down the
Ctrl key on the keyboard and press
F2 to open the Print Preview screen.

Check and Change Print Settings

PRINTING TRICKS
There are right and wrong ways to print data
in Excel, and these are usually only ever
discovered when the paper has been ejected
from the printer! There are, however, several
techniques to help ensure a printout from
Excel is correctly laid out.

Check with Print Preview Before

Above: The Print Preview screen shows how each page
will be printed before its sent to the printer.

Hot Tip
In Excel 2007/2010, the Quick Access
Toolbar (top left of the screen) can
display a Print Preview button. Click
on the drop-down arrow to display
this button.

embarking on printing some data in Excel,

always check how it will be printed and what
it will look like by opening Print Preview. In
Excel 2003 and earlier versions, theres a Print
Preview button on the Standard toolbar,
which looks like a white piece of paper with a
magnifying glass. In Excel 2007, click on the
Office button at the top left and choose Print,
followed by Print Preview. In Excel 2010, click
on the File ribbon tab and choose Print. In all
cases, a preview of how the Excel worksheet
will be printed is displayed on screen.

Several print settings can be changed to

Above: If youre familiar with the Page Setup dialogue box
ensure the data fits on to a single page.
for printing, it can be opened in Excel 2010 after clicking
Most of the useful options can be found in
on the File ribbon tab, selecting Print and choosing Page
Setup near the bottom of the screen.
Excel 2007 and earlier versions by clicking
on the Setup or Page Setup button in Print
Preview or by clicking on the File menu and choosing Page Setup (Excel 2003 and earlier
versions). In Excel 2010, the settings are displayed on screen alongside the print preview, but a
Page Setup dialogue box can be opened from here by clicking on this option near the bottom
left of the screen.

Landscape to Portrait
Select the Page tab in the Page Setup dialogue box (Excel 2007 and
earlier versions) to switch between portrait and landscape. In Excel
2010, Portrait or Landscape Orientation settings are on the left side
of the Print Preview screen, or the same Page Setup dialogue box
can be opened by clicking on the Page Setup option near the
bottom left of the screen.

Squeeze It In
The Print Preview screen usually reveals that a table of data will be
printed across three pages, when in fact it can be squeezed on to

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Hot Tip
Spreadsheet data can be printed in the
centre of the page by opening the Page
Setup dialogue box, selecting the Margins
tab and adding tick marks to the two boxes
for Horizontally and Vertically.

FORECASTS, REPORTS AND PRESENTATIONS

one or two. You can adjust the settings to see

if this is possible. From the Page Setup
dialogue box (or the Print screen in Excel
2010), select the Page tab, change the scaling
settings and click on OK to see if this helps.
Excel 2010 has a scaling setting at the bottom
left of the print screen, or the traditional Page
Setup dialogue box can be used.

Tweak the Margins

The margins (the spaces left at the bottom, top, left and right sides of the page) used by the printer
can usually be changed to help squeeze more data on to a page. From the Page Setup dialogue box,
click on the Margins tab and change the values in the boxes for Top, Left, Right and Bottom.

Check with Page Break View

Page Break Preview is a spreadsheet view showing how many cells will be printed on each
page. This view is activated in Excel 2003 and earlier versions by clicking on the View menu
and choosing Page Break Preview (return to
this menu and select Normal to switch off
Page Break Preview). In Excel 2007 and 2010,
there are small buttons for Normal, Page
Layout and Page Break Preview in the bottom
right corner of the screen.

Hot Tip
Hold down the Ctrl key on the
keyboard and press P to open the
Print dialogue box.

PRINTING
ENHANCEMENTS
There are a number of features in Excel that
can enhance the look of a printed spreadsheet
and make it look more professional.

Repeat Rows and Columns

When printed, a long list can be difficult to read
if the headings at the top are only displayed on
Above: Rows and columns can be repeated on every
printed page, which helps with long lists or wide tables
the first page. The solution is to repeat a row on
with headings or labels.
every printed page, and the same applies to a
wide table a column of labels can be repeated on every printed page. In Excel 2003 and earlier
versions, click on the File menu and choose Page Setup. In Excel 2007 and 2010, click on the Page
Layout ribbon tab and select the Print Titles button. In all cases, the Page Setup dialogue box will
appear with the Sheet tab displayed.

Selecting Rows and Columns to Repeat

With the Page Setup dialogue box on screen and the Sheet tab
selected, click inside the Rows to repeat at top box for a long
list, or click inside the Columns to repeat at left, for a wide
table. In both cases, select one cell representing the row or
column to repeat. The entire row or column will be included in
the Page Setup dialogue box. Click on Print Preview to see if
the row/column is repeated on every printed page.

Headers and Footers

Information can be printed at the top (header) and bottom
(footer) of each page. This is useful if you want to add page
Above: Page Break Preview provides a worksheet view of
how many cells will be printed on each page; drag the
dividing lines to change them.

numbers, file locations, an author and date. To apply headers

and footers:

Above: Headers and footers can be

displayed at the top and bottom of
each printed page.

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Open the Page Setup dialogue box

Select the Header/Footer tab
Choose different types of pre-set headers and footers from the drop-down
lists or click on the Custom buttons to write your own

If headers and footers need to be different on the first

page or different on odd and even pages (useful when
making a book), there are tick boxes for these options
(custom headers and
footers will need to
be created).

Hot Tip
A print area can be
removed by repeating the
steps to set the print area,
but choosing Clear Print
Area from the sub-menu.

PRINTING
PROBLEMS
If too many pages are printed out, you end up with lots of
blank pages. Sometimes the quality of the print is very poor;
this section will help you troubleshoot and find the solutions.

need to be changed to make sure it is included with the other columns. Information on how to
change these settings can be found on page 77.

Row and Column Headings are Printed

If row numbers and column heading letters are printed
when you dont want them to be, open the Page Setup
dialogue box and click on the Sheet tab. Look for a tick
box in the middle of the dialogue box labelled Row
and column headings. Remove the tick mark from this
option to switch off printing the numbers and letters.

No Gridlines
The gridlines can be switched on and off via the Page
Setup dialogue box and the Sheet tab. Look for a tick
box labelled Gridlines in the centre of the dialogue
box. Add a tick mark to this option to print gridlines, or
remove it to ensure gridlines are not printed.

Above: The cause of poor-quality printing

with no colour and missing gridlines can
sometimes be found in the Page Setup
dialogue box on the Sheet tab.

Poor-quality Print and No Colour

Above: Setting the print area makes
sure blank pages are not printed.

Blank Pages Printed

If one or more blank pages are printed it means the print

area for the worksheet is too large. The easiest way to fix
this is to set the print area. Select the cells that need to be printed then, in Excel 2003 and
earlier versions, click on the File menu, choose Print Area and select Set Print Area from the
sub-menu. In Excel 2007/2010, select the cells to be printed, click on the Page Layout ribbon
tab, choose the Print Area button and select Set Print Area from the drop-down menu. In all
cases, a dotted line will appear around the selected cells to indicate the print area.

Leftover Column Printed on a Separate Page

If a column on the far right of a table is printed on a separate page, the scaling and margins

A poor-quality print can sometimes be caused by a draft quality setting in Excel. Open the
Page Setup dialogue box and click on the Sheet tab. Look for a tick box in the middle of the
dialogue box labelled Draft quality. There is also another option above it labelled Black and
white. These options can sometimes be the cause of a poor-quality print (draft quality) and no
colours being printed other than black.

Rows or Columns Cant Be Set to Repeat

If you open the Page Setup dialogue box from the Print Preview screen, the settings for
repeating rows and columns (on the Sheet tab) cannot be entered. This is because the
rows/columns cannot be selected when in Print Preview. Close the dialogue box, return to the
normal spreadsheet view and reopen it to set the rows/columns to print on every page.

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WARNING AND
ERROR MESSAGES
Now youve got to grips with many of the
functions Excel offers and how to apply them, its
time to find out what to do when things go wrong.
Mistakes are easily made, but Excel displays a
range of warning and error messages, as well as
messages inside cells to help highlight mistakes.

CELL RESULTS ERRORS

If a calculation produces a result such as #N/A or #VALUE?, it means there is a problem with
the calculation or the cells to which it refers. Below are some of the common error messages
that appear in cells, along with guidance on how to fix the issues.

#NAME?
This means that cell reference in a calculation is not identified. Check that all cell references
are correctly entered in the calculation. If cell names are used, check that all the names can be
found by clicking on the Name Box drop-down list
near the top left corner of the screen. A list of cell
names will appear. Cross-check their spellings with
any that are used in the calculation.

MISTAKES AND ERRORS

Hot Tip
Result errors such as #N/A and #NUM!
can appear in the function dialogue box
when creating a function. This immediately
warns that there is a problem with part of
the function.

appear. This can also occur if a

calculation or function refers to a
cell containing text. Typing errors
may be the cause of such a problem
(100 is misread and entered as loo,
for example), but imported data can
also be misinterpreted, resulting in
amounts being displayed as text.

#N/A
This error message can appear in a
cell containing a Vlookup function.
If the data (lookup value) requested
cannot be found by the Vlookup,
the not available (#N/A) message is
displayed inside the cell. Check the
lookup value can be found in the
table of data used by the Vlookup.
Usually the lookup value has been
incorrectly entered.

Above: The #N/A error message is displayed in this Vlookup

because the lookup value in cell F1 has been spelt incorrectly and
thus cannot be found in the data table to the left.

#REF
If a column, row, worksheet or workbook is referred to in a calculation but has in fact been
deleted, the calculation will display the error message #REF. If a calculation refers to cells in
another workbook but that workbook has been deleted, renamed or moved, Excel may display
a message box offering to help find the workbook and set up a new link to it.

#VALUE?
Above: Multiply 100 by a cell containing the word Text or
a mistyped entry such as loo (should be 100), and a
#VALUE? error will be displayed.

If an amount displayed in a cell is not a number, date

#DIV/0

or time, then it cannot be used in a calculation or

function. Consequently, a #VALUE? error may

The #DIV/0 error message appears when a cell has been divided by zero or an empty cell.
This type of problem often arises with imported data in which empty cells and rows exist.

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Calculations for percentage mark-up in sales figures or percentage sold in stock figures result in
#DIV/0 wherever empty cells exist.

#NULL!

Above: The example here should read =SUM(C2:D5), but instead it

reads =SUM(C2 D5).

The #NULL! error is displayed in

functions such as SUM, where a cell
range has been incorrectly entered
and the cells do not intersect. This
is usually caused by inaccurately
selecting a range of cells to include
in a function. Check that the
correct range of cells has been
selected to resolve this problem.

#NUM!
This error is displayed when a calculation or function contains invalid numeric values.
To fix this, go back and check the values in each of the relevant calculations or functions.

Above: If a cell containing a number or date isnt wide enough, the

value will be displayed as a series of # symbols.

Knock-on Errors

Hot Tip
The ##### error message does not
appear if text is too wide for a column,
only when the cell content is figures.

One error can sometimes be the result

of another. If a function or calculation in
a cell refers to a cell containing an error
message, then this cell will also display
an error message. It may take some time
to trace the error back to its cause.

CELL WARNING
MESSAGES
As well as cell error messages,
Excel also has a series of warning
messages to alert you to potential
problems and help you find a way
of avoiding them. Below are some
of the most common warning
messages you will see when
working in Excel.

#####

Circular References

This error usually indicates that a

column is not wide enough to
display all the characters for a
number or date in a cell. This can
easily be resolved by widening the
column. However, be aware that
Excel also displays multiple #
symbols if a negative date or time
is calculated.

When a calculation includes a reference

to the cell containing the calculation
itself, it causes an error known as a
circular reference. This may consist of
several cells leading back to the
calculation cell. Fortunately, Excel
displays a warning box when it
identifies a circular reference and inserts
arrows on the screen pointing to the
cells that are causing the problem.

Above: The #N/A error displayed in cell E4 is caused by the #N/A

error displayed in cell F2 sometimes errors have to be traced back.

Above: A warning message appears whenever a calculation in a

cell refers back to itself; this is known as a circular reference.

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Above: A warning message appears whenever a calculation in a cell refers back to itself; this is known as a circular reference.

Select the cell in question

Click on the yellow exclamation mark
A drop-down menu will be displayed
From the drop-down menu, select
Update Formula to Include Cells
The Sum function will be amended to
include the missing cell

Hot Tip
An Error Indicator can be switched off
by selecting the cell in which it is
displayed, clicking on the yellow
exclamation mark and choosing Ignore
Error from the drop-down menu.

Error Indicators
Excel 2002 and later versions display a green triangle or error indicator in the top left corner of
a cell when a problem is identified. For more information on the problem, select the cell and an
exclamation mark inside a yellow diamond will
appear next to the cell. Hover the mouse pointer
over the exclamation mark and a short message will
appear, explaining the problem. The issue can
sometimes be fixed by clicking on the exclamation
mark and choosing one of the options from the
menu that drops down.

Above: Click on the yellow exclamation mark when an

error indicator appears and a drop-down menu will be
displayed with solutions to the problem.

WRONG WARNINGS
Excel can sometimes wrongly identify errors. As an
example, take a list of values with a date at the top
of the list. If the list is totalled using the Sum
function, Excel displays a warning message advising
that the date at the top of the list hasnt been
included in the calculation (it treats the date as a
number). Click on the exclamation mark and a
menu appears suggesting that the date is included
in the calculation. If you choose this option, the
calculation will be wrong, of course. Excel will then
display another error message, advising that the
adjacent calculations should be similarly amended.

Missing Numbers
One of the most useful cases in which
an error indicator appears is in Sum
functions for lists of numbers. If a cell
is accidentally omitted from the
calculation, Excel displays an error
indicator that allows you to amend
the function. If such an error occurs:

MODIFYING ERROR
INDICATORS
(EXCEL 20022010)
Above: In this example, the SUM calculation includes cells B11
to B27, but excludes B10 and B28, so Excel displays an error
indicator and a message outlining the problem.

215

Above/right:
The list of numbers
shown here has a
date at the top with
a Sum total at the
bottom; Excel sees
the date as a number
and suggests it
should be included in
the Sum total if it
is included, it then
suggests that the
adjacent calculations
should be similarly
amended.

The way Excel displays Error Indicators can be

modified, which is useful if you are preparing data for a presentation or report, or if you are
importing data that contains several problems.

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Switch off the Error Indicator

Change the Error Indicators Colour

The green Error Indicator triangle that

appears in the top left corner of a cell
when an error is identified can be
switched off. In Excel 20022003:

The colour of the Error Indicator triangle can be changed. Open the Options dialogue box (see
previous section for instructions) and return to where Error Checking can be switched on/off. The
colour of the Error Indicator will be displayed next to this option. Click on the drop-down triangle
to choose another colour (green is standard, but you may find red easier to see, for example).

CHANGING ERROR
INDICATOR RULES

Click on the Tools menu

Choose Options
From the dialogue box that
appears, select the Error
Checking tab
Remove the tick mark
against Enable background
error checking

In Excel 20072010:

The part of the Options or Excel Options

dialogue box where error checking can be
modified includes a series of tick boxes
under the Rules or Error Checking Rules,
which can help to display or hide Error
Indicators. Some of the useful options to
switch on or off are listed below.

Click on the Office

In Excel 20022003:

Above: Excels Error Indicator and other error identification

features can be modified in Excel 2002/2003 by clicking on
the Tools menu, choosing Options and selecting the Error
Checking tab from the dialogue box.

Above: The Error Indicator in Excel 20022010 can be switched on or off

and its colour changed.

button or File menu

Select Excel Options
or Options
From the dialogue box
that appears, select
Formulas from the list
on the left

Number stored as text:

Indicator rules; this feature was introduced in Excel 2002.
Imported data can sometimes be
incorrectly opened in Excel, where numbers are formatted as text. Such a problem can
lead to incorrect calculations, so an Error Indicator is useful here to highlight this.

Inconsistent formula in region: If a table of data includes Sum totals along the
bottom, for example, and one of these calculations is different from the rest, an error
indicator will be displayed.

Formula omits cells in region: A useful Error Indicator if a list of numbers is Sum
totalled, but one or more cells have been accidentally omitted.

Remove the tick mark

against Enable
background error
checking

Above: Several options are available for changing Error

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Unlocked cells containing formulas: This Error Indicator may not be useful unless
you plan to protect a worksheet. Instead, it can cause Error Indicators to appear in most
calculations, warning that the cells are not locked and therefore not protected.

DATA INPUT CHECKS

Formulas referring to empty cells: This option is usually switched off, but it may be
useful to activate when importing data with unwanted empty cells.

The contents of cells can be checked when the data is being typed, after it
has been imported or at a later date. It is essential to check your data to
reduce the chance of errors creeping in and ensure the accuracy of results
given in the spreadsheet.

In Excel 20072010:

Number formatted as text or preceded by an apostrophe: Imported data can

sometimes be incorrectly opened in Excel, where numbers are formatted as text. Such a
problem can lead to incorrect calculations, so an Error Indicator is useful to highlight this.
Formulas inconsistent with other formulas in the region: If a table of data
includes Sum totals along the bottom, for example, and one of these calculations is
different from the rest, an Error Indicator will be displayed.

Formula which omits cells in a region: A useful Error Indicator if a list of numbers is
Sum totalled, but one or more cells have been accidentally omitted.

Unlocked cells containing formulas: This Error Indicator may not be useful unless
you plan to protect a worksheet. Instead, it can cause Error Indicators to appear in most
calculations, warning that the cells are not locked and therefore not protected.

DATA VALIDATION
You can check data as you are typing it into a cell using the Data Validation feature, which
enables error messages to be displayed instantly and rules set to ensure the correct type of
data is entered.

Setting up Data Validation

Choose the cell or range of cells where data will be input
and where rules restricting what type of data can be
entered will prove helpful. In Excel 2003 and earlier
versions, click on the Data menu and choose Validation.
In Excel 2007 and 2010, click on the Data ribbon tab
and select the Data Validation ribbon button. In all cases,
a Data Validation dialogue box will appear on screen.

Setting the Data Validation Rule

Formulas referring to
empty cells: This option is
usually switched off, but it
may be useful to activate
when importing data with
unwanted empty cells.

Hot Tip
Error Indicators can often be difficult to
understand until you see them on screen.

Above: Data Validation can be set to ensure

only dates are entered in a cell; the dates can
also be restricted to ensure they are not too
old or too far in the future.

Select the Settings tab in the Data Validation

dialogue box, then click on the drop-down arrow next
to the white box with the option Any value. A list of Data Validation rules will appear. Rules
including Whole number, Decimal, Date, Time and Text length allow values greater than, less
than, equal to or between ranges to be entered. Choose a type of value, then select a
condition (greater than, less than) and specify a value or the values for the rule.

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Hot Tip
If a date entered into a cell must not be
backdated, create a Data Validation rule
allowing a date with a condition of greater
than or equal to. In the Start date box,
enter the function =Today().
Above: A Data Validation message can be set
to appear on screen so you know what type of
information should be input in the cell you
have selected.

Displaying a Message on Screen

Click on the Input Message tab in the Data
Validation dialogue box to set up an on-screen
message alert when one of the cells containing the
Data Validation rule is selected. Type a few words in
the small white box underneath the label Title. This
will appear at the top of the message box. In the
larger white box underneath Input Message, type a
longer and more informative explanation of what
type of data should be entered.

Above: An error message can be set to appear

on screen whenever the wrong type of data is
entered into a cell.

Hot Tip
Data Validation input messages can
be removed from the screen by
returning to the dialogue box and
removing the tick mark against the
option labelled Show input message
when cell is selected.

STEP-BY-STEP: USING
DATA VALIDATION
TO CREATE A DROPDOWN LIST
Creating a drop-down list was covered in Chapter
5, but instead of inputting data, a drop-down list
can be used where only values or text on the list
can be selected, thus avoiding data errors. The
following step-by-step guide shows how to set
up this Data Validation rule.
1

Create a list of the data you want to appear

on the drop-down list. Display it away from
the cells to be included in the drop-down list
to ensure it wont be deleted by accident.

Select the cells that will use the drop-down

list. In Excel 2007/2010, click on the Data
ribbon tab and select the Data Validation
button. In earlier versions of Excel, click on
the Data menu and choose Validation. In
the dialogue box, make sure the Settings
tab is selected.

Displaying an Error Message

Select the Error Alert tab in the Data Validation
dialogue box. Choose a style of error alert by
clicking on the drop-down triangle. The Stop style
prevents the wrong type of data from being entered,
whereas Warning and Information styles will display
an error, but allow it to be overruled. Type a title for
the error alert box and a message to be displayed.
Click on OK to close the Data Validation dialogue
box and test the rule.

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Choose List from the drop-down list beneath

Allow. Click inside the Source box, then
select the cells containing the list created in
step 1. Click on the Input Message tab and
the Error Alert tab to set up any messages,
then click on OK to close the dialogue box.

Above: Create a sample list of entries for the Data Validation

drop-down list.

Above: Select the cells to which the drop-down list will apply,
open the Data Validation dialogue box and set up the list.

Above: After setting up the Data Validation for a list, click

inside one of the cells and check whether a list appears.

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Test the Data Validation rule works

by selecting any of the cells from
step 2. A drop-down list should
appear (you may need to click on
the drop-down triangle attached to
the selected cell). Select an item
from the list and it will be entered
into the cell.

MISTAKES AND ERRORS

EXACT MATCHING

Hot Tip
Data Validation can be removed from a
cell or range of cells by selecting them,
returning to the Data Validation dialogue
box and clicking on the Clear All button.

IF CHECKS
The IF function can be used to check
the values or contents of cells to
search for errors. This can be useful
for checking inputted data while it is
being entered or afterwards, or for
checking through imported data.

Searching for Mistyped

High Values
Above: An IF function can be used to check inputted
values and display a message if any of them are greater
than a specific amount.

Hot Tip
The IF function can be combined
with other functions to help
identify errors.

If a value is entered with too many

digits, it can cause serious confusion
and, of course, inaccurate results. An IF
function can help reduce the risk of such an error
occurring. For example, a list of household
expenses could use an IF function to display an
error if a petrol expense exceeds 100 or a food
expense is greater than 200. The function would
not amend the mistyped data, but would display a
message on screen.

The Exact function checks two cells to see if they are similar and displays a TRUE or FALSE
statement. This is useful for comparing sales results, for example, where weekly or monthly
results are imported and compared in a table. The structure of the results is usually the same
every month, with the same listing of product codes in the same order, so the data can be
easily copied over and compared in a
summary table. However, if the order
of product codes is changed, then it
is not always so easy to spot the
changes. This is where the Exact
function can help.

Creating an Exact Function

The illustration shows sales results for
four product codes in January and
February. This data has been copied
Above: The Exact function is useful for comparing two imported lists of
into Excel and eventually the sales
data where product codes or other identifiers should be the same.
figures will be copied into a monthby-month table. On initial inspection, it looks like the product codes listed in column A are the
same as in column D. However, using the Exact function reveals that the product codes in row 5
are different. The Exact function is created by clicking on the fx toolbar or formula bar button. It
is located in the Text category of functions and can be set up as shown in the illustration.

HIDING ERRORS
Errors, blank cells and zero values can be hidden to help tidy up a report or a presentation.

Hiding Errors in PivotTables

Right-click inside a PivotTable and choose PivotTable Options or Options from the menu. A
PivotTable Options dialogue box will appear. In Excel 2007/2010, select the Layout & Format

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tab. In all cases, there are two options here that allow
values or text to be entered for errors or empty cells. Add
a tick mark to an option to be able to enter a number or
text in its corresponding box.

the title Format only cells with:), click on the

drop-down triangle next to Cell Value, and
choose Errors from the list.
4

Hiding Errors with Conditional Formatting

(2007 and 2010)

Above: Errors and empty cells in

PivotTables can be replaced with values or
meaningful text to help tidy up the data.

A function such as a Vlookup may display an error

message if it cannot retrieve the data it is asked to look
for. When this happens, Conditional Formatting can be
used to hide the error by changing the colour of the text
to match the cells fill colour. The step-by-step guide
below can use the Excel_Exercises.xls spreadsheet
available on the Flame Tree website. Once opened, select
the Vlookup worksheet.

STEP-BY-STEP: SETTING UP CONDITIONAL

FORMATTING TO HIDE ERRORS (2007 AND 2010)
1

Select the cell or cells containing functions that may display errors. Click on the Home
ribbon tab and select the Conditional Formatting button. From the menu that drops down,
select Manage Rules at the bottom of the list.
The Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialogue box will appear on screen. Click on
the option near the top left corner, labelled New Rule. A New Formatting Rule dialogue box
will open.
From the list at the top of the New Formatting Rule dialogue box, select the second one
down, labelled Format only cells that contain. In the lower half of the dialogue box (under

225

A new Conditional Formatting rule has been

established to format cells containing errors. All
thats left to do is choose the formatting, so
click on the Format button near the bottom of
the dialogue box. A Format Cells dialogue box
will appear. Choose a matching font and fill
colour to ensure errors cannot be seen. Click
on OK to return to the first dialogue box.
Click on OK to set up the Conditional
Formatting rule and return to the first dialogue
box, where this rule will now be listed. Click on
OK to close this dialogue box and return to the
spreadsheet. Test the Conditional Formatting
rule by forcing an error to be displayed. The
illustrations here show Conditional Formatting
applied to a Vlookup, so if a town/city is
entered in F1 that cannot be found, the

Above: Function errors can be hidden using

Conditional Formatting.

Above: Conditional Formatting in Excel 2007/2010 can be set

up to format cells containing errors by creating a new rule.

Vlookups error is hidden in cell F2.

Hot Tip
Conditional Formatting can be used to
hide any type of unwanted data by
making the font and fill colour of a cell
the same.

Above: Conditional Formatting has been applied to the

Vlookup in cell F2 to change the cell text to yellow if an error is
displayed the lookup value in cell F1 here has been misspelled.

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Left: Duplicate data can be deleted from lists in

Excel 2007/2010 based on one or more columns.

DELETING
DUPLICATES
Imported data can sometimes be
repeated, resulting in duplicate entries.
Excel 2007 and 2010 have a Remove
Duplicates feature, which can help to
delete the extra unwanted data.

UNIQUE RECORDS
Listed data can be trimmed by filtering
only unique records. This is useful for
refining imported data where duplicates
may exist, or locating data input errors
where the same records have been
accidentally entered twice. Unique
Record filtering can be found in
Advanced Filtering.

Hot Tip
After advanced filtering to
show unique records only, all the
data can be displayed by clicking
on the Data menu, selecting Filter
and choosing Show All.

Filtering for
Unique Records
Remove Duplicates
(2007 and 2010)

Hot Tip

Select the entire list containing duplicate

Save a copy of your Excel file before
entries. Click on the Data ribbon tab and
removing
duplicates, just in case you
select the Remove Duplicates button. A
want to return to the original data.
Remove Duplicates dialogue box will
appear on screen. A tick box in the top
right corner stipulates whether the list has headers at the top (headings). If the list has
headings, they will be displayed with tick boxes against them. Add tick marks to the columns
where duplicate entries should be deleted if found. Click on OK and a message box will appear
telling you how many duplicate entries were deleted.

Left: After removing

duplicates in Excel
2007/2010, a message
box will appear showing
how many duplicate
values have been found
and removed.

This method requires

data to be listed, ideally
with headings across the
top. Select all the data,
including the headings.
Click on the Data menu,
choose Filter and select
Advanced Filter. Make
sure the cell references
for the List range are
correct in the small
dialogue box that
appears. Add a tick mark
Above: Excels Advanced Filter allows unique records to be filtered, which hides
duplicated data.
to the option in the
bottom left corner,
labelled Unique records only. The list can be filtered in place without deleting any data, so
keep this option selected and click on OK. The row numbers will be displayed in blue, indicating
they have been filtered.

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ANALYSING ERRORS
Errors can be analysed and resolved in Excel with the use of several tools.
The most useful and commonly used of these error-analysis tools is the
Formula Auditing toolbar.

FORMULA
AUDITING
Formula Auditing tools can help to
trace the cells used in a calculation
and evaluate a calculation containing
an error. In Excel 2003 and earlier
versions, there is a Formula Auditing
toolbar, which is opened by clicking on
Above: Trace Precedents reveals which cells affect a calculation.
the Tools menu, selecting Auditing or
Formula Auditing and choosing Show
Auditing Toolbar from the sub-menu. In Excel 2007 and 2010, click on the Formulas ribbon tab
and the Formula Auditing buttons are displayed near the top right of the screen.

Trace Precedents
Trace Precedents is useful for seeing
which cells have been used to create a
calculation, and this feature works best
if a cell containing a calculation is
Left: This cash-flow forecast shows that cell
B23 (amount spent on clothes in January) affects
several calculations throughout the spreadsheet
and is also linked to another workbook.

Hot Tip
Click on Remove Arrows to remove any
lines and arrows from the spreadsheet
that were created by Trace Precedents
and/or Dependents.

selected. Click on Trace Precedents to

display lines and arrows from the cells
that affect the selected cell. Continue
clicking on Trace Precedents to trace
further back.

Trace Dependents

A cell containing a value might be used in

a calculation and this can be found by selecting it and clicking on Trace Dependents. Continue
clicking here to see the knock-on effect from one calculation to another. This is especially
useful in a cash-flow forecast.

Links to Other Worksheets

or Workbooks
When tracing precedents or dependents, if a cell is
connected to another cell contained in another
workbook or worksheet, a black dotted line with an
arrow will be displayed with a small box. Double
click on the arrows dotted line to open a Go To
box and see which workbook or worksheet the cell
is linked to. To open the worksheet or workbook,
select it in the Go To box and click on OK.

Trace an Error

Above: When tracing precedents or dependents,

a link to another worksheet or workbook is
displayed with a dotted arrow double-click on
the line to open a Go To box and open the
respective worksheet or workbook.

A cell containing an error can sometimes be quickly fixed using Trace Error. This has the same
effect as clicking on Trace Precedents, and will illustrate any cells that may be causing the error.
In Excel 2003 and earlier versions, Trace Error can be found on the Formula Auditing toolbar
and looks like an exclamation mark inside a yellow diamond. In Excel 2007 and 2010, click on
the Formulas ribbon tab, select the drop-down triangle next to the Error Checking button

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(within the Formula Auditing section of

the ribbon) and choose Trace Error from
the drop-down list.

EXCEL TROUBLESHOOTER

Error Checking
Errors in an entire worksheet can be
found by clicking on the Error Checking
toolbar button (a yellow diamond
containing a tick mark) in Excel 2003
and earlier versions, or by clicking on
Error Checking on the Formulas ribbon
Above: An entire worksheet can be checked for errors any
tab in Excel 2007/2010. A dialogue box
errors that are discovered are instantly analysed and solutions
will appear and if any errors are
offered.
identified, they will be displayed in turn
with an analysis of the problem and suggestions on how to resolve each one. Excel does not
find cells containing error values such as #N/A or #NAME? but does try to resolve cells with
#VALUE! errors.

Evaluate a Formula
Calculations (formulas) can be evaluated to
help analyse the cell references used and
locate the problem. Select the cell
containing the error and, in Excel
2007/2010, select Evaluate Formula from
the Formulas data ribbon. In earlier versions
of Excel, click on the Evaluate Formula
Above: An error in a calculation can be evaluated to help
button on the Formula Auditing toolbar
analyse every part of it and see where the problem lies.
(looks like a large magnifying glass with the
letters fx inside). An Evaluate Formula dialogue box will appear. Click on the Evaluate and Step
In buttons to analyse the calculation and find the problem.

Like any computer program, Excel is not perfect. It can generate several
problems that are simply traits of the software. Other problems are usually
down to user error. The following pages cover some of the typical troubles
people experience when using Excel.

CELL, COLUMN
AND ROW ERRORS
When a cells content is not displayed as it should be,
there is usually a good reason and a fairly simple solution.

Date Turns into a Number

Excel stores dates as sequential serial numbers so they
can be used in calculations to work out differences between dates, for example. 1 January
1900, for instance, is serial number 1. 1 January 2008 is
serial number 39,448 because it is 39,448 days after
1 January 1900. Sometimes a cell will have been
formatted as a number, so when a date is entered into
it, that date is converted to its serial number equivalent.
This problem can be fixed by right clicking inside the
cell and choosing Format Cells. From the dialogue box
that appears, select the Number tab, the Date option
on the left and choose a date format.

Number Turns into a Date

In this case, a cell has been formatted as a date, so
when a number is entered into it, that number is

Above: Cells containing date formatting will

convert a number into a date: here, cell A1 has
been formatted as a date, so when the
number 50,000 is input, the number is
converted to a date.

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converted into a date. For

example, 50,000 will become
21 November 2036. This can
be fixed by right-clicking
inside the cell and choosing
Format Cells. From the
dialogue box that appears,
select the Number tab,
choose the Number option
from the left and click on a
format on the right.

MISTAKES AND ERRORS

Hot Tip
In Excel 2007/2010, a cell can be quickly formatted
to a date, number or other type by clicking on the
Home ribbon tab and selecting from the drop-down
list of formats at the top of the screen.

Copied Calculations
Dont Work
If a copied calculation refers
to the same cell in each
calculation, the reference to

Above: Cells can be quickly formatted in Excel 2007/2010 using the

Number section of the Home ribbon tab.

Above: The calculation copied down in cell E2 will not

work unless the reference to B8 is fixed with $ signs.

that cell must be fixed with dollar signs (e.g.

$B$8). The illustration shows a calculation
for cost of work in column E, based on a
fixed daily rate of 100 (in B8), and a list of
days worked in column D. The first
calculation in E2 reads =D2*B8, but when
copied down, the next calculation reads
=E3*B9, which is wrong (theres nothing in
B9). Writing the first calculation as
=E2*$B$8 will fix this problem. Copy the
calculation down and the reference to B8
will not change.

Copied Data is
Incorrectly Formatted

Hot Tip

This problem often occurs when copying

When writing a calculation that needs to
data from another program or from a
include $ signs, after choosing or typing
website into Excel. The pasted data may
the cell reference, press F4 on the
be too narrow for the columns, or it may
keyboard and two $ signs will be added
be in the wrong font and size. In Excel
to it. Note that this only works when
writing a calculation.
2002 and later versions, click on the
Smart Tag at the bottom right corner of
the pasted cells. A menu will appear
offering options for changing the format of the cells. In earlier versions of Excel, undo the
pasting (Ctrl+Z on the keyboard), click on the Edit menu and choose Paste Special. Try one of
the options in this dialogue box
and click on OK. It may require
several attempts to find the best
format.

Moving Dotted Lines

around a Cell or Group
of Cells

Hot Tip
For more cell-related problems
and solutions, see Warnings
and Error Messages at the
beginning of this chapter.

Moving dotted lines around a cell

or range of cells signifies that
they have either been copied or
copied using Format Painter. If you dont intend to
make use of this copying, press Escape on the
keyboard to switch it off.

Blue Row Numbers with Missing Rows

If one or several row numbers are blue and some of
them are missing, they have been filtered using

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AutoFilter, Filter or Advanced Filtering. In Excel 2007/2010, click on the Data ribbon tab and
click on the Clear button on the Sort & Filter section (top middle of the screen). In earlier
versions of Excel, click on the Data menu, choose Filter and select Show All from the sub-menu.

Missing Rows or Columns (pre-2007)

If some rows and/or columns are missing and there are + and buttons at the side or across
the top of the worksheet, along with numbered buttons in the top left corner of the worksheet,
the active spreadsheet has either been Grouped (Outlined) or Subtotalled. First, click on the
Data menu, select Group and Outline and from
the sub-menu, choose Clear Outline (if
available). Otherwise, click on the Data menu,
choose Subtotals and then select Remove All
from the dialogue box that appears.

Missing Rows or Columns

(2007 and 2010)
If some rows and/or columns are missing and
there are + and buttons at the side or across
the top of the worksheet, along with
numbered buttons in the top left corner of the
Above: If Subtotals have been applied to a worksheet
worksheet, the active spreadsheet has either
a number of rows may be missing, but these can be
retrieved by opening the Subtotals dialogue box and
been Grouped (Outlined) or Subtotalled. In
selecting the Remove All button.
Excel 2007/2010, click on the Data ribbon tab
and select the drop-down triangle under the Ungroup button (top right corner of the screen).
If Clear Outline is available from the drop-down menu, choose it. Otherwise, click on the
Subtotals button and select the Remove All button from the dialogue box that appears.

Hidden Rows or Columns

If some rows or columns are missing and there are no + and boxes down the side or along
the top, or any blue row numbers, then the missing rows or columns are probably hidden.

Hot Tip
Missing rows or columns can also be
revealed by selecting the rows/columns
on either side of the missing ones, rightclicking and choosing Column Width or
Row Height. In the box that appears
enter number 15 and click on OK.

Right: Hidden rows or columns can be unhidden by

selecting the rows or columns on either side, right-clicking
and choosing Unhide.

These can be unhidden by selecting the rows or columns on either side of those that are
hidden (hold the left button down on the mouse and swipe over the column letters or row
numbers). Right-click inside the selected rows or columns and choose Unhide from the
shortcut menu that appears.

Compressed Rows or Columns

Sometimes the height of a row or width of a
column is accidentally reduced to the point
that it cannot be seen. If you have tried all
the solutions above for retrieving missing
rows and columns, then hover the mouse
pointer over the row numbers or column
Above: Sometimes the width of a column or height of a
letters where the row or column is missing.
row has been reduced so much that it disappears from
The mouse pointer will be a cross with two
the screen.
arrows, but if the line of its cross changes to
two lines, the missing row or column has been found. When this happens, hold the left button
down on the mouse and move down the screen to increase the missing rows height or to the
right to widen the missing column.

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SCREEN LAYOUT PROBLEMS

Toolbars in the Wrong Place

(pre-2007)

The Excel screen can become very frustrating if toolbars and menus disappear, or other
features cannot be found. Here are a few of the most common problems and their solutions.

Short Menus (20002003)

Above: The menus in Excel 20002003 only list the recently

used options, but you can expand the menu by positioning the
mouse pointer over the double arrows at the bottom.

In Excel 2000, 2002 and 2003, the

menus (File, Edit, View, etc.) are often
shorter than they should be because
they only list the recently used
options. If a particular option is
missing, move the mouse pointer
down to the bottom of the menu and
hover it over the downward-pointing
double arrows. The menu will be
extended to reveal all its options.

Missing Ribbon (2007 and 2010)

Excel 2007 and 2010 use ribbons with sets of buttons based on each ribbon tab (File, Home,
Formulas, etc.). If the ribbon buttons are missing but the ribbon tabs can be seen, the ribbon
has been minimized. Right-click on any of the ribbon tabs and a shortcut menu will appear with
a tick mark against Minimize the Ribbon. Select this option to remove the tick mark and reveal
the ribbon and its buttons.

Lost Toolbars (pre-2007)

Hot Tip
Excel 2010 displays a small arrow in the top
right corner of the screen, which can be used
to minimize and maximize the ribbon.

Right-click on any toolbar button or

menu option and a checklist of
toolbars will appear. If the toolbar
required does not have a tick mark
against it, select it and it will appear
on screen.

Above: Toolbars in Excel 2003 and earlier versions can be

moved around the screen and displayed around the edges
or floated on top of the cells.

Toolbars Side by Side

(pre-2007)

If a toolbar is in the middle of the screen,

hover the tip of the mouse pointer over its
title bar (along the top), hold the left
button down and move the toolbar to the
correct location. If a toolbar is incorrectly
positioned around an edge of the screen,
look for an embossed line or two lines on
the side of the toolbar. Position the tip of
the mouse pointer over this line or lines,
hold the left button down and move the
mouse to move the toolbar.

Hot Tip

Sometimes two toolbars can be

Toolbars in Excel 2003 and earlier versions can
displayed on the same row, which
be moved and positioned around the screen.
means that several buttons may
They will snap into the edges of the screen or
be missing. However, the toolbars
can float on top of the cells.
can be separated. In Excel 2002
and 2003, click on the small
button between the two toolbars, which looks like two arrows and a drop-down triangle. From
the menu that appears, select Show Buttons on Two Rows. In earlier versions of Excel, find the
point at which the two toolbars are divided and look for an embossed line or two lines to drag
and drop one of the toolbars below the other one.

Excel Upgrades
Excel 2007 and 2010 can seem confusing when used for the first time, especially if youve
upgraded from Excel 2003 or an earlier version. The menus have been replaced with ribbon

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tabs along the top of the screen, displaying

different sets of buttons. Most of the
familiar Excel features can be found via
these ribbon tabs and buttons, however.
There is also a Quick Access Toolbar in the
top left corner of the screen, which can be
customized to add or remove buttons.

return to the standard view of the spreadsheet,

click on the View ribbon tab in Excel 2007/2010
and select the Normal button near the top left of
the screen. In earlier versions of Excel, click on
the View menu and choose Normal.

FILE TROUBLE
Task Pane Trouble (20022003)
Excel 2002 and 2003 have a Task Pane,
Above: Upgrading to Excel 2007/2010 from an earlier
displayed on the right side of the screen,
version can be frustrating at first, but most of the old
which includes various options for opening
features are still easy to find.
files, copying data and inserting ClipArt
(Excel 2003 has more options than 2002). This Task Pane can be displayed or hidden by
clicking on the View menu and selecting Task Pane.

Above: In Page Break Preview the spreadsheet can

look confusing and unfamiliar, so select Normal to
fix the view.

Where Are Recently Opened Files?

When two or more Excel files are opened, some of them will not be visible on the screen, but they
are still open. Click on the View ribbon tab in Excel 2007/2010 and select the Switch Windows
ribbon button near the top right of the screen. A list of open Excel files will be displayed. Simply
select one to view it. In Excel 2003 and earlier
versions, click on the Window menu and a list of
open Excel files will be displayed at the bottom of
the menu. Select one to view it.
Hold down the Alt key on the

Missing Cells and

Page 1 Displayed
across the
Worksheet
This suggests that Page
Break Preview has been
selected in error. Page
Break Preview shows the
number of pages that
will be printed and which
cells will be included on
each page. It also hides
rows and columns that
will not be printed. To

Excel files can disappear from the screen, refuse

to open in later versions of the program or
display worrying warnings about compatibility.
Below are some of the most common file
problems and how to solve them.

Hot Tip

Saving Down

Above: The Task Pane was introduced in Excel 2002 and included in 2003, but
phased out in 2007; it can be displayed and removed by clicking on the View menu.

keyboard and press the Tab key

to switch between programs
and files.

An Excel file can be saved down as an earlier file

type, so that it can be opened in previous versions
of Excel. In Excel 2007/2010, for example, a file can be saved as an Excel 972003 type.
However, when the file is resaved (Ctrl+S on the keyboard), a warning box may appear on screen
if Excel identifies some features that may not work in an older version of the program. Click on
Copy to New Sheet to save this information, or click on Continue to ignore the warning.

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

Wrong File Format

Files created in Excel 2007/2010 have a .xlsx
extension, whereas files created in older versions
have a .xls extension. These newer .xlsx files can be
opened in older versions of Excel (2000, 2002 and
2003) by downloading a compatibility pack available
at http://support.microsoft.com/kb/924074.
Alternatively, ask the person who created the
.xlxs file to save it as an Excel 972003 or
earlier version.
Above: Saving an Excel file for use with an
earlier version of the program can cause a
warning message to appear; the file can still be
opened in an older version of Excel, but some
features may not be available.

Cells Cannot Be Changed

This usually means that the worksheet has been

protected to prevent the data from being amended
or deleted (although it may still be possible to edit
some of the cells). To remove the protection feature in Excel 2007/2010, right-click on the
open sheet tab at the bottom left corner of the screen and see if the words Unprotect Sheet
are displayed on the shortcut menu. If they are, select this option and if a box does not appear
requesting a password, the sheet has been unprotected and all the cells can be edited. In Excel
pre-2007, click on the Tools menu, choose Protection and select Unprotect Sheet.

MISTAKES AND ERRORS

AFRAID TO ASK
Many questions about Excel might seem too simple to ask, but the truth is
that sometimes the simple things are overlooked and are never fully
explained. Below are some of the most common afraid-to-ask questions
raised during Excel training courses.

WORKSHEETS, ROWS AND COLUMNS

The terminology of workbooks, worksheets, rows and columns quickly becomes assumed
knowledge among groups of people using Excel, but there are many simple questions that you
may not know the answers to.

How Do I Name a Sheet Tab?

Right-click on the sheet tab in the bottom left
corner of the screen and choose Rename.
Type a name for it and press Enter/Return on
the keyboard. Alternatively, double-click on the
sheet tab and you will be able to rename it.
Above: Sheet tabs can be renamed by right clicking on
each one and selecting Rename from the shortcut
menu that appears.

Hot Tip
Insert an extra worksheet by
holding down the Shift key on the
keyboard and pressing F11.
Above: If a file created in a newer version of Excel cannot be opened, you may be able to download a compatibility
pack (for Excel 2000, 2002 and 2003).

Can I Add More Sheets

to a Workbook?
Yes. In Excel 2003 and earlier versions, click on
the Insert menu and choose Worksheet. In
Excel 2007/2010, click on the small Insert
Worksheet button to the right of the sheet tabs.

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

MISTAKES AND ERRORS

Why Are There So Many Rows and Columns?

Its hard to think why anyone would need more than one million rows in a worksheet in
Excel 2010, but long lists of data can sometimes use all this space. When these rows and
columns are empty, they dont take up much space on the computer, so the size of the file
isnt a problem.

Can I Reduce or Increase the Number of Rows and Columns?

The number of rows and columns cannot be changed. The amount available is fixed according
to the version of Excel in use. For example, Excel 97 has 65,536 rows, whereas Excel 2010 has
1,048,576 rows.

possible in Excel, but it is best practice to start with an = symbol. In most versions of Excel, an
= symbol will be automatically inserted at the beginning of the calculation. So if you create the
calculation +A1+A2, Excel will convert this to read =+A1+A2.

Can I Type Calculation Values from the

Cells Rather Than Cell References?
Typing the cell values wont give you an incorrect
calculation, but if those cell values change, the
calculation wont change. Including cell references
in a calculation (e.g. =A4-F4) allows the calculation
to be automatically updated if the values in cells A4
and F4 change.

CELLS AND CALCULATIONS

It is easy to pick up bad habits when selecting cells, copying data and making calculations.
Here are some ways to help you establish best-practice methods.

Why Do Cells Sometimes

Move and Sometimes Copy
When Selected?

Should All Calculations Start with =Sum?

Can I just Click

in Another Cell
When Ive Finished
in the First?

Can a Calculation Start

with a + Symbol?
Some of the early spreadsheet programs
(such as Quattro Pro) created calculations by
starting with a + symbol, and this is also

Above: A calculation can start with a + symbol, but Excel

will add an = symbol to the beginning of it, so its best
practice simply to start with this.

It is possible to write a calculation where cells are

multiplied, divided, subtracted and added using =Sum, but this is the wrong use of the function
and is not necessary. The calculation =Sum(A1*A2), for example, can be written more
efficiently as =A1*A2.

Pay attention to the mouse pointer. If its a

white cross, this can be used for selecting
cells. If its a white arrow, it will move a cell or
group of cells. If its a small black cross, it will
copy the contents of a cell.

Above: Check the shape of the mouse pointer before

selecting cells with the mouse it must be a white cross;
if its a small black cross, the selected cells will be copied.

243

Above: A calculation can go wrong if you dont press Enter/Return on the

keyboard to finish, but instead click elsewhere in another cell.

In most cases it will be fine,

but if a calculation is being
written, upon clicking in
another cell, that cell
reference will be included in
the calculation. It is always
better to press Enter/Return
on the keyboard.

EXTRA PRACTICE

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

EXTRA PRACTICE

2007/2010). The Sort dialogue box will appear. Choose to sort on Month or Expense, then
click on OK to see the data sorted.

EXCEL EXERCISES
Once youve got to grips with Excel its best to get in some practice on all
the different features and functions it offers. The following pages cover a
variety of task-based, step-by-step guides on creating spreadsheets for
specific purposes.

More expenses can be added to the list and Excels AutoComplete saves time on typing
expense entries. For example, type the letter U at the bottom of the list in column B and
utility bill will appear (if it has already been entered above). Press Enter to confirm the
AutoComplete suggestion.

STEP-BY-STEP: MONTHLY EXPENSES LIST

A monthly expenses list can be useful for keeping a record of household, work or business
expenditure. The following guide explains how to create a simple list and includes details of
additional features covered in earlier chapters that can be applied to it. If you want to save
time typing, download the file Excel_Exercises.xls, available on the Flame Tree Publishing
website, and select the Expenses worksheet.
1

Using a new workbook and worksheet, enter the heading Month in cell A1, Expense in
cell B1, Amount in cell C1 and Details in cell D1. In cell A2, enter a month and year, such
as Jan 11, or Aug 12. Maintain this format for all dates to ensure continuity.

Enter several months and years in column A. In column B, enter an expense type such as
petrol, supermarket, clothes, utility bill, insurance or mortgage. Remain consistent with the
types of expenses.

Enter some amounts in column C to correspond with the expenses listed in columns A and
B. If necessary, enter some further details in column D. For example, a utility bill could
include details such as water rates or gas in column D.

Above: Enter a series of headings across the top of the

worksheet and several sample expenses down the columns.

Above: The expenses list can be sorted on month,

expense type and amount.

Above: Excel AutoCompletes the expense entries in

column B, which saves time on repeatedly typing them.

Above: An expenses list can be further analysed, converting

it into a PivotTable with summarized data and totals.

Extra Excel Features

4

Save the Excel file with a meaningful name, such as Expenses. Select one cell inside the
list, click on the Data menu or ribbon and choose the Sort menu option or button (Excel

Subtotals: Sort and group the data to see subtotals per month and by expense type.
See page 114 (Chapter 3) for further details and more exercises.

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

Pivot Table: Group and tally the expenses data into a simple-to-read table with totals.
See page 122 (Chapter 3) for more information and another step-by-step guide.

Drop-down list: Expenses can be entered into this spreadsheet using a drop-down list
(Data Validation). See Adding Drop Down Variables on page 182 (Chapter 5).

Highlight high-value expenses: Use Conditional Formatting to change the colour of

high-value expenses. See page 90 in Chapter 2 for more information.

AutoFilter or Filter: Filter the list so that only specific types of expenses are displayed,
expenses for particular months, or values under or over a certain amount. For further
details on AutoFilter, see Manipulating Long Lists on page 109 (Chapter 3).

EXTRA PRACTICE

Above: Most online accounts have a facility

to download statements.

Above: Online accounts statements can usually

be downloaded in a variety of formats.

STEP-BY-STEP:
DOWNLOADING A BANK STATEMENT

Above: If a statement cannot be downloaded, try selecting

the transactions, right-clicking and choosing Copy.

Above: Downloaded statement transactions may

need to be sorted.

Most financial institutions provide online banking with the facility to download account
statements. The following guide provides an outline of whats typically involved in
downloading and opening a statement in Excel.

When viewing an account online with a financial institution (e.g. a bank or building
society), look for an option to download a bank statement. You may be able to stipulate a
start and end date for the statement, or just a particular month.

When choosing to download a statement, there may be several choices of file types to
download. If Excel isnt available, look for comma separated values (CSV) or Text (TXT) instead.

If its not possible to download a bank statement, try selecting the transactions online,
right-clicking and choosing Copy. Open Excel, right-click in an empty cell and choose Paste
to transfer the copied data.

If a statement has been saved as

an Excel or compatible file, open
Excel and press Ctrl and the letter
O on the keyboard to open a file.
Change the file type (near the
bottom of the dialogue box) to
All Files. Locate the downloaded
statement and click on Open.

Above: Transactions can be quickly found using the Find

box press Ctrl and F to open this search box.

If Excel can understand the structure of the statement it will open it; if not, a Text Import
Wizard will appear (see Chapter 3 for more details on this feature). Widen any columns
that are too narrow.

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

EXTRA PRACTICE

Check the date order of the transactions is correct (e.g. oldest transactions at the top). If it
isnt, select all of the data, then click on the Data menu or ribbon and choose Sort. From
the dialogue box that appears, select the Date column and choose to sort ascending or
oldest to newest, for example. Click on OK to return to the spreadsheet and sort the data.

Select cell B1 and enter the

negative value -10000. In cell
B2, enter the number 48 and in
cell B3, enter 5.6%.

Transactions can be quickly found, which helps with checking receipts. Hold down the Ctrl
key on the keyboard and press the letter F. A Find box will appear. Enter a word or amount
to search for, then click on Find Next.

Select cell B4 and click on the

fx button on the toolbar or
formula bar (depending on the
version of Excel being used).
From the function dialogue box
that appears, select or change
the category to Financial and
choose PMT from the list of
functions. Click on OK.

Further data can be added to this bank statement. A separate statement will need to
be downloaded, but the data can be selected and copied from it, then pasted into the
older statement.

Extra Excel Features

Highlight overdrawn balances: Use Conditional Formatting to change the colour

of overdrawn balances. See page 90 (Chapter 2) for more information.

Downloading text files: Excel can open statements that are saved as text or CSV
files. See the section on Long Lists on page 105 (Chapter 3) to find out about importing
text files.

STEP-BY-STEP: CALCULATING A LOAN

Excel can be used to speculate loans and investments with varying amounts, interest rates and
years. The following guide shows how to create a loan calculation using a PMT function. The
completed worksheet can be found in the Excel file (Excel_Exercises.xls) that is used with this
book, in the PMT_Loan worksheet.
1

Using a blank worksheet, enter the title Amount to borrow in cell A1, Number of repayments
in cell A2, Interest rate in cell A3, Amount of repayment in cell A4 and Total repaid in cell A5.

In the PMT Function Arguments

dialogue box, select the first
white box (Rate) and enter
B3/12. In the second white box
(Nper), enter B2 and in the third
white box (Pv), enter B1. Click
on OK to return to the
spreadsheet.
Select cell B5 and enter the
calculation =B4*B2. This will
calculate the total amount
repaid. Test the PMT function
by changing the values in cells
B1, B2 and B3.

Above: Enter the details as shown to be able to

use the PMT function and calculate the amount of
each repayment.

Above: Complete the criteria for the PMT function to

allow Excel to calculate the value of each repayment
based on the values displayed in cells B1, B2 and B3.

Above: Change the values in cells B1, B2 and B3,

and the PMT function will automatically calculate
a new repayment amount.

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

WEBSITES

FURTHER READING
Albright, S.C., Winston, W. & Zappe, C., Data
Analysis and Decision Making with Microsoft
Excel, South-Western College Publishing, 2008.
Alexander, M. & Walkenbach, J., Excel Dashboards
and Reports, John Wiley & Sons, 2010.
Arthur, E., Excel Made Easy, Arcturus Publishing
Ltd, 2009.
Crews, T. & Murphy, C., CaseGrader: Microsoft
Office Excel 2007 Casebook with Autograding
Technology, Course Technology, 2007.
Day, Alastair, Mastering Financial Modelling in
Microsoft Excel: A Practicioners Guide to
Applied Corporate Finance, Financial Times/
Prentice Hall, 2007.
Few, S., Show Me the Numbers: Designing
Tables and Graphs to Enlighten, Analytics
Press, 2004.

WEBSITES

Koneman, P.A., Advanced Projects for Microsoft

Excel 2000, Prentice Hall, 2000.

www.excelbanter.com

www.microsoft.com/learning

A forum that focuses only on Excel and

Microsoft-certified online courses to learn

MacDonald, M., Excel 2010: The Missing

Manual, OReilly Media, 2010.

Excel-related topics.

valuable skills on various Microsoft products.

Murray, K., Microsoft Office 2010 Plain and

Simple, Microsoft Press, 2010.

www.blogs.msdn.com/b/excel/

www.mrexcel.com

A guide for switching to the 2010 version

Support and wide range of services for Excel.

Person, R., Balanced Scorecards and

Operational Dashboards with Microsoft Excel,
John Wiley & Sons,

of Microsoft Excel.
www.office.microsoft.com/en-us/
www.excelhelp.org

Rendell, I. & Mott, J., Advanced Spreadsheet

Projects in Excel, Hodder Education, 2008,
2008.
Russ, M. & Ferrari, A., Microsoft PowerPivot
for Excel 2010: Give Your Data Meaning,
Microsoft Press, 2010.

The leading website in Excel Help. Providing

free help on excel formulas, templates,
macros. Initially provides links to elsewhere.

excel-help/ Microsofts official website for

help and troubleshooting covering past and
current versions of Excel.
www.ozgrid.com/Excel/
A list of Excel formulas, plus tips and tricks

www.exceltip.com

on how to use them.

Salkind, N.J., Statistics for People Who (Think

They) Hate Statistics: Excel 2007 Edition, Sage
Publications, Inc, 2009.

Tips on how to use Excel for data

business-related tasks. Also has Excel

Schmuller, J., Statistical Analysis with Excel For

Dummies, For Dummies, 2009.

Sells Excel-related programs as well as

consultants and experts available to

having free tips and downloads on Excel.

Hart-Davis, G., How to Do Everything with

Microsoft Office Excel 2003, McGraw-Hill
Osborne, 2003.

Smith, K.T., Smith, L.T. & and Smith, L.C.,

Microsoft Excel for Accounting: Auditing
and Accounting Information Systems, Prentice
Hall, 2002.

www.functionx.com/excel

UTOPIA_ExcelGS

Lessons on how to use the 2007 version of

A guide to beginning Excel, designed by the

Jelen, B., Microsoft Excel 2010 in Depth,

QUE, 2010.

Walkenback, J., Excel VBA Programming for

Dummies, John Wiley & Sons, 2010.

Excel to create spreadsheets, perform

Information Technology Services department

calculation and carry out data analysis.

at University of Texas at Austin.

Frye, C., Excel 2007 Step by Step, Microsoft

Press, 2007.
Gottfried, B.S., Spreadsheet Tools for
Engineers: Excel, McGraw-Hill Higher
Education, 2002.

management, calculations and other

www.spreadsheetpage.com

answer questions.
www.utexas.edu/its/training/handouts/

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

INDEX

INDEX
A
absolute cell
references 140
ACCRINT 163
ACCRINTM 163
active cell indicator
28, 31
ADDRESS 168
Advanced Filter 227
Alt+Down key 59
AND 167
Apple Macintosh 25,
3334
AREAS 168
arrows removal 104
AutoComplete 58
AutoCorrect 6265
AutoFill 60, 139, 149
AutoFilter 10913, 248
AutoFormat 8687
AutoRecovery 48
AutoSum 14243
AVEDEV 171
AVERAGE 171
B
backgrounds 200201
bank statements 1718,
105, 186, 24850
basic sorting 11415
best/worst results filtering
11112
BETADIST 171
BODMAS rules 13839
C
calculations 10304,
13675
+ symbol 242
=sum 243

basics 13637
BODMAS rules
13839
calculate and copy
139
copied 232
questions on 24243
on status bar 141
symbols 13738, 140
values 243
cancel editing 57
capital letters mistakes
6263
CAPS lock 62
cash-flow forecast
18385
CELL 166
cells 15, 4950
absolute cell
references 140
adding functions
14445
changing 240
clicking on 243
colour sorting 11618
combining 15354
dialogue box
formatting 8286
error messages
21012
errors 23135
Left and Right 154
missing 238
questions on 24243
selecting 6668, 242
warning messages
21315
CHAR 173
charts
colours 192

copying to other
programme 194
creation 19192
manipulation 19294
toolbar 194
CHOOSE 168
circular references 213
CLEAN 173
Clear Formats 89
Clear Print Area 206
ClipArt 198200
clipboard copying 7071
close button 26, 30
COLUMN 168
columns 15
common questions on
24142
compressed 235
deleting 79
errors 23135
freezing 9899
headings 28, 31
hidden 234
hiding 100
inserting 79
missing 234
number of 242
repeat 205, 207
text converting to 107
width 77
CONCATENATE 173
Conditional Formatting
9093, 22425, 248
CONFIDENCE 171
consolidation
worksheets 189
copied calculations 232
Copy-Paste Smart Tag
8788
Copy-Paste Special 88

CORREL 171
COUNT 172
COUNTA 172
COUNTBLANK 166
COUNTIF 170
crash recovery 4748
credit card statements
1718
cut, copy and paste
6870
D
data
addition to charts 194
colour change 9093
consolidation 18890
copied 233
deletion 7375
editing 7576
formatting 8089
importation 10506
presentation 19194
printing 20207
structure 188
tallying 11933
validation 21922
DATE 161
dates 84, 23132
DATEVALUE 161
DAVERAGE 160
DAY 161
DAYS360 161
DB 163
DCOUNT 160
DDB 163
DFunctions 16061
DGET 161
DMAX 161
DMIN 161
dollar signs 140, 233

drawing tools 19598

drop-down lists 18283,
22122, 248
DSUM 161, 186
duplicate entries,
deletion 226
E
EDATE 161
EFFECT 164
enter key 56
EOMONTH 161
errors
analysis 22830
checking 230
indicators 214, 2158
messages 2108, 220
in PivotTables 223
ERROR.TYPE 166
EXACT 173, 223
Excel (2007/2010) 2932
Excel closing 367, 47
Excel (pre-2007) 2629
Excel upgrades 23738
expenses
PivotTables 13033
subtotalling 12829
F
FALSE 167
fast sorting 115
files
creation 3839
extensions 46
finding 42
formats 240
importation 105
names 4445
opening old 4041
opening recent 3940
problems 23940
saving 4346, 239
Fill Effects 8586
Filter 248
FIND 173

Find and Replace 76

FIXED 174
font changing 8182
FORECAST 172
forecasting 17885
Format Painter 8889
format removal 89
formula auditing 22830
formula bar 28, 31
formula evaluation 230
Freeze Panes 9798
functions
adding to cell 14445
basic 14454
combining 15051
database 16061
date and time 16163
editing 151
financial 16365
information 16667
loans and investments
15253
logical 167
lookup/reference
16869
mathematical 17071
moving between
15152
overdue dates 14849
statistical 17173
text 17375
writing 14546
see also individual
entries
FV 1523, 164
FVSCHEDULE 164
G
Goal Seek 18182
grouping sheets 188
H
##### message 212
#DIV/0 211
#N/A message 211

#NAME message 210

#NUL! message 212
#NUM! message 212
#REF message 211
#VALUE message 210
headers and footers
20506
hiding erors 22325
highlight expensive
expenses 248
highlight overdrawn
balances 250
history 23
HLOOKUP 168
horizontal scroll bar 29
horizontal split box 28, 31
HOUR 161
household valuables 19
HYPERLINK 168
I
IF 14649, 150, 167, 222
illustration 195201
images 199201
INDEX 168
INDIRECT 169
INFO 166
insert worksheet 32
INTRATE 164
IPMT 164
IRR 164
ISBLANK 166
ISERR 166
ISERROR 165
ISEVEN 166
ISLOGICAL 166
ISNA 166
ISNOTEXT 166
ISNUMBER 166
ISODD 166
ISREF 166
ISTEXT 166
J
jargon 1416

K
keyboards 34
knockon errors 213
L
layouts 32
LEFT 174
LEN 174
lines removal 104
list filtering 10910
list manipulation 10913
list sorting 11418
loans and investments
15253, 250
logos 199201
LOOKUP 169
LOWER 174
M
Mac see Apple Macintosh
margins 204
MATCH 169
MAX 172
MAXA 172
maximize/restore button
26, 30
MEDIAN 172
menu bar 26
MID 174
mileage claims 1819
MIN 172
MINA 172
minimize button 26, 29
MINUTE 162
missing numbers 214
MODE 173
MONTH 162
mouse scrolling 51
Multiplan 25
multiple sorting 116
My Documents 42
N
NA 166
name box 27, 31

255

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MICROSOFT EXCEL MADE EASY

An essential guide to Microsoft

Excel, whether youre a novice or
nesting IF functions 150
NETWORKDAYS 162
NOMINAL 164
NOT 167
NOW 162
NPER 164
NPV 164
N(value) 166
O
OFFSET 169
opening Excel 3536
OR 167
Outline 10102
Overdue 148
P
Page Break Preview 204
page jumping 51
paste smart tages 70
Paste Special 7273
PC/Mac compatibility
and differences 25,
3334
photos 198201
PI 170
PivotTables 12227,
13033, 22324, 248
PMT 164
PPMT 165
practice download 10
price comparisons 2021
printing 20207
enhancements
20506
problems 20607
PrintPreview 20203
PRODUCT 170
PROPER 174
PV 165
Q
quick access toolbar 29
quick zoom 97

R
RAND 170
RANDBETWEEN 170
RANK 173
RATE 165
REPLACE 174
reports producing
18690
REPT 174
resize horizontal scroll
bar 32
ribbon 16, 31
ribbon tabs 30, 232, 236
RIGHT 174
ROUND 170
ROUNDDOWN 170
ROUNDUP 170
ROW 169
rows 1415, 169
blue 23334
common questions
on 24142
compressed 235
deleting 79
errors 23135
freezing 9899
headings 28, 31
height 7778
hidden 234
hiding 100
inserting 79
missing 234
number of 242
repeat 205, 207
resizing 78
selecting 78
S
saving down 4546, 239
Scenario Manager
17881
screen aspects 2734
screen layout problems
23639
screen splitting 5253

scroll bars 5152

vertical 28, 31
SEARCH 175
SECOND 162
select all button 28, 31
sheet tabs 28, 32, 241
SIGN 170
SLN 165
sorting 11418
split box, vertical 29, 32
spreadies 14
spreadsheets 14, 22
freezing 9799
multiple 100
view adjustment
9699
SQRT 170
status bar 29, 32, 141
SUBSTITUTE 175
subtotals 11922, 247
SUM 171
SUMIF 171
SUMPRODUCT 171
SYD 165
T
tab scroll buttons 28, 31
Task Panes 238
taskbar 35
TEXT 175
box creating 196
downloading files 250
file importing 10708
tidying 15354
to columns 107
wrapping 85
Text Import Wizard 106,
108, 249
tick and cross 57
TIME 162
TIMEVALUE 162
title bar 26, 29
TODAY 162
toolbars
Excel 27

formatting 8082
lost 236
side by side 237
wrong place 237
Trace Dependents 229
Trace Error 229
Trace Precedents 228
TRANSPOSE 169
TRIM 175
TRUE 167
TYPE 167
U
unique records 227
UPPER 175
V
VALUE 175
VDB 165
versions 8, 2324
VLOOKUP(Vertical
Lookup) 15559, 169,
224, 225
W
warning messages
21018
warranties 1920
WEEKDAY 162
word filtering 11213
WordArt 198
workbook 16
additional sheets 241
WORKDAY 163
worksheets 16, 53
common questions
on 24142
insert 32

use it every day for work. Packed

with easy-to-read information
and step-by-step exercises.

Excel jargon, terminology

and history

Covers pre- and post-2007

versions of Excel

Step-by-step guides

Analyse results and

produce reports

Save time on data input

and creating spreadsheets

Understand how to create a

Vlookup, IF and other functions

Produce forecasts and

speculate on investments

Y
YEAR 163
YEARFRAC 163
Z
zoom control 32, 97

www.flametreepublishing.com