Applications of ICT Lab

LAB 9

MICROSOFT OFFICE EXCEL

OBJECTIVES

 Learn to use Microsoft Office Excel in a very effective way.

 In this lab we will learn some a little bit more advanced features of the Excel like,
sorting the data, sorting at multiple levels, and filter the data.

SORTING DATA

Introduction

With over 17 billion cells in a single worksheet, Excel gives

you the ability to work with an enormous amount of data.
Arranging your data alphabetically, from smallest to largest,
or other criteria, can help you find the information you're
looking for more quickly.

In this lesson, you will learn how to sort data to better view
and organize the contents of your spreadsheet.

Basic Sorting

Sorting is a common task that allows you to change or customize the order of your spreadsheet
data. For example, you could organize an office birthday list by employee, birthdate, or
department, making it easier to find what you're looking for. Custom sorting takes it a step
further, giving you the ability to sort multiple levels (such as department first, then birthdate, to
group birthdates by department), and more.

To Sort in Alphabetical Order:

1. Select a cell in the column you want to sort by. In this example, we will sort by Last Name

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2. Select the Data tab, and locate the Sort and Filter group.

3. Click the ascending command to Sort A to Z, or the descending command to Sort Z

to A.

4. The data in the spreadsheet will be organized alphabetically.

Sorted by last name, from A to Z

Sorting options can also be found on the Home tab, condensed into the Sort & Filter command.

To Sort in Numerical Order:

1. Select a cell in the column you want to sort

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Selecting a column to sort

From the Data tab, click the ascending command to Sort Smallest to Largest, or the
descending command to Sort Largest to Smallest.

2. The data in the spreadsheet will be organized numerically.

To Sort by Date or Time:

1. Select a cell in the column you want to sort by.

2. From the Data tab, click the ascending command to Sort Oldest to Newest, or the
descending command to Sort Newest to Oldest.

3. The data in the spreadsheet will be organized by date or time.

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Sorted by payment date, from oldest to newest

Custom Sorting

To Sort in the Order of Your Choosing:

You can use a Custom List to identify your own sorting order, such as days of the week, or,
in this example, t-shirt sizes from smallest to largest (Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large).

1. From the Data tab, click the Sort command to open the Sort dialog box.

2. Identify the column you want to Sort by clicking the drop-down arrow in the Column field.
In this example, we will choose T-Shirt Size.

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Selecting a column to sort by

3. Make sure Values is selected in the Sort On field.

4. Click the drop-down arrow in the Order field, and choose Custom List...

Choosing to order by Custom List

5. Select NEW LIST, and enter how you want your data sorted in the List entries box. We will
sort t-shirt sizes from smallest to largest.

6. Click Add to save the list, then click OK.

7. Click OK to close the Sort dialog box and sort your data.

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Clicking OK to sort

8. The spreadsheet will be sorted in order of Small, Medium, Large, and X-Large.

Sorted by t-shirt size, from smallest to largest

To Sort by Cell Colour, Font Colour, or Cell Icon:

1. From the Data tab, click the Sort command to open the Sort dialog box.

2. Identify the column you want to Sort by clicking the drop-down arrow in the Column field.

3. Choose whether you want to sort by Cell Colour, Font Colour, or Cell Icon in the Sort On
field. In this example, will sort on Font Colour.

Choosing to sort on Font Colour

4. In the Order field, click the drop-down arrow to choose a colour, then decide whether you
want it ordered On Top or On Bottom.

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Selecting a font colour

5. Click OK. The data is now sorted by attribute rather than text.

Sorted by font colour

Sorting Multiple Levels

Another feature of custom sorting, sorting multiple levels allows you to identify which columns
to sort by and when, giving you more control over the organization of your data. For example,
you could sort by more than one cell colour (such as red, then yellow, then green, to indicate
different levels of priority); or, as seen here, sort students by homeroom number, then by last
name.

To Add a Level:

1. From the Data tab, click the Sort command to open the Sort dialog box.

2. Identify the first item you want to Sort by. In this example, we will sort Homeroom # from
Smallest to Largest.

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3. Click Add Level to add another item

4. Identify the item you want to sort by next. We will sort Last Name from A to Z.

Adding a level

Choosing criteria for a second level

5. Click OK.

6. The spreadsheet will be sorted so that homeroom numbers are in order, and within each
homeroom, students are listed alphabetically by last name.

Sorted by multiple levels

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Copy Level will add a level by duplicating the one you have selected, and allowing you to
modify the sorting criteria. This is useful if you need to sort multiple levels that share some
criteria, such as the same Column, Sort On, or Order.

To Change the Sorting Priority:

1. From the Data tab, click the Sort command to open the Custom Sort dialog box.

2. Select the level you want to re-order.

3. Use the Move Up or Move Down arrows. The higher the level is on the list, the higher its
priority.

4. Click OK.

FILTERING DATA

Introduction

Filters can be used to narrow down the data in your

worksheet and hide parts of it from view. While it may sound
a little like grouping, filtering is different in the way that it
allows you to qualify and display only the data that interests
you. For example, you could filter a list of survey participants
to view only those who are between the ages of 25-34. You
could also filter an inventory of paint colours to view
anything that contains the word "blue," such as "bluebell" or
"robin's egg blue."

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In this lesson, you will learn how to filter the data in your worksheet to display only the
information you need.

Filtering Data

Filters can be applied in many different ways to improve the performance of your worksheet.
You can filter text, dates, and numbers. You can even use more than one filter to further narrow
down your results.

To Filter Data:

In this example, we will filter the contents of an equipment log at a technology company. We
will display only the laptops and projectors that are available for check-out.

1. Begin with a worksheet that identifies each column using a header row.

Worksheet with header row

2. Select the Data tab, and locate the Sort & Filter group.

3. Click the Filter command.

Clicking the filter command

4. Drop-down arrows will appear in the header of each column.

5. Click the drop-down arrow for the column you would like to filter. In this example, we will
filter the Type column to view only certain types of equipment.

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Filtering a column

6. The Filter menu appears.

7. Uncheck the boxes next to the data you don't want to view. (You can uncheck the box next to
Select All to quickly uncheck all.)

8. Check the boxes next to the data you do want to view. In this example, we will check Laptop
and Projector to view only those types of equipment.

9. Click OK. All other data will be filtered, or temporarily hidden. Only laptops and projectors
will be visible

Filtered worksheet

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Filtering options can also be found on the Home tab, condensed into the Sort & Filter command.

To Add Another Filter:

Filters are additive, meaning you can use as many as you need to narrow down your results. In
this example, we will work with a spreadsheet that has already been filtered to display only
laptops and projectors. Now we will display only laptops and projectors that were checked out
during the month of August.

1. Click the drop-down arrow where you would like to add a filter. In this example, we will
add a filter to the Checked-Out column to view information by date.

2. Uncheck the boxes next to the data you don't want to view. Check the boxes next to the data
you do want to view. In this example, we will check the box next to August.

3. Click OK. In addition to the original filter, the new filter will be applied. The worksheet will
be narrowed down even further.

Worksheet with two filters

To Clear a Filter:

1. Click the drop-down arrow in the column from which you want to clear the filter.

2. Choose Clear Filter From...

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Clearing a filter

3. The filter will be cleared from the column. The data that was previously hidden will be on
display once again.

To instantly clear all filters from your worksheet, click the Filter command on the Data tab.

Advanced Filtering

To Filter Using Search:

Searching for data is a convenient alternative to checking or unchecking data from the list. You
can search for data that contains an exact phrase, number, or date, or a simple fragment. For
example, searching for the exact phrase "Saris X-10 Laptop" will display only Saris X-10
Laptops. Searching for the word "Saris," however, will display Saris X-10 Laptops, and any other
Saris equipment, including projectors, digital cameras, and more.

1. From the Data tab, click the Filter command.

2. Click the drop-down arrow in the column you would like to filter. In this example, we will
filter the Equipment Detail column to view only a specific brand.

3. Enter the data you would like to view in the Search box. We will enter the word "Saris" to find
all Saris brand equipment. The search results will appear automatically.

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Check the boxes next to the data you want to display. We will display all the data that includes
the brand name Saris.

4. Click OK. The worksheet will be filtered according to your search term.

Worksheet filtered using Search

Selecting a text filter

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To Use Advanced Text Filters:

Advanced text filters can be used to display more specific information, such as cells that contain
a certain number of characters, or data that does not contain a word you specify. In this example,
we will use advanced text filters to hide any equipment that is related to cameras, including digital
cameras, camcorders, and more.

1. From the Data tab, click the Filter command.

2. Click the drop-down arrow in the column of text that you would like to filter. In this
example, we will filter the Equipment Detail column to view only certain kinds of equipment.

3. Choose Text Filters to open the advanced filtering menu.

4. Choose a filter. In this example, we will choose Does Not Contain to view data that does not
contain the text we specify.

5. The Custom AutoFilter dialog appears.

6. Enter your text to the right of your filter. In this example, we will enter "cam" to view data
that does not contain those letters. That will exclude any equipment related to cameras, such as
digital cameras, camcorders, camera bags, and the digicam printer.

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Click OK. The data will be filtered according to the filter you chose and the text you

specified.

To Use Advanced Date Filters:

Advanced date filters can be used to view information from a certain time period, such as last
year, next quarter, between two dates, and more. Excel automatically knows your current date and
time, making this tool very easy to use. In this example, we will use advanced date filters to view
only the equipment that has been checked out this week.

1. From the Data tab, click the Filter command.

2. Click the drop-down arrow in the column of dates that you would like to filter. In this
example, we will filter the Checked-Out column to view only a certain range of dates.

3. Choose Date Filters to open the advanced filtering menu.

4. Click a filter. We will choose This Week to view equipment that has been checked out this
week.

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Selecting a date filter

5. The worksheet will be filtered according to the date filter you chose.

Worksheet filtered by date

To Use Advanced Number Filters:

Advanced number filters allow you to manipulate numbered data in many different ways. For
example, in a worksheet of exam grades, you could display the top and bottom numbers to view
the highest and lowest scores. In this example, we will display only certain kinds of equipment
based on the range of ID #s that have been assigned to them.

1. From the Data tab, click the Filter command.

2. Click the drop-down arrow in the column of numbers that you would like to filter. In this
example, we will filter the ID # column to view only a certain range of ID #s.

3. Choose Number Filters to open the advanced filtering menu.

4. Choose a filter. In this example, we will choose Between to view ID #s between the numbers
we specify.

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Selecting a number filter

5. Enter a number to the right of each filter. In this example, we will view ID #s greater than or equal to
3000, but less than or equal to 4000. That will display ID #s in the 3000-4000 range.

6. Click OK. The data will be filtered according to the filter you chose and the numbers you
specified.

Worksheet filtered by numbers

Tasks:

Now you have to put some modifications in the worksheets you have prepared in the last lab. Put
the listed features in your sheets.

 Sort a list of names alphabetically.

 Sort a column of numbers in ascending and descending order.

 Sort data by multiple columns (e.g., first by department, then by salary).

 Sort by custom lists (e.g., sort weekdays in order Monday to Sunday).

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 Filter a dataset to display only rows where the age is above 30.

 Apply a filter to show only records that contain a specific word in a text column.

 Use advanced filters to display records meeting complex criteria (e.g., age > 25 AND salary >
$50,000).

 Apply filters to date columns to display records within a specific range.

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