Getting Started With Microsoft Excel_065017
Getting Started With Microsoft Excel_065017
COMPUTER APPLICATIONS
TECHNOLOGY
COURSE
GETTING STARTED WITH
MICROSOFT EXCEL
COMPILED BY
MICHELLE MEYER
Page 2 of 33
Contents
When opening MS Excel for the first time, you will see an Excel window with
a green pane on the left. Workbooks recently accessed will be listed there. You
will also see a couple of templates that can be used. Click on the blank
workbook thumbnail to open a new workbook in Excel.
You should immediately save the workbook under a name suitable for the
type of workbook you are creating. Keep the file name short and sweet, but
descriptive enough so you’re able to find it at a later stage. For instance, if
you are creating a budget for the month of January 2019, name it
budget_march_2019.xlsx, where the “.xlsx” is the file extension automatically
added by Excel.
budget_march_2019.xlsx
file name default Excel extension
Columns are labelled A, B, C, etc. Rows are labelled 1, 2, 3, etc. Each cell in
the workbook has an address, for instance, C12, which means the cell is
located in row 12 of column C. You can hide/delete a column/row by right
clicking on it and choosing Either hide or Delete.
You can change the worksheet name or hide/delete the worksheet by right
clicking on it and choosing Rename/Hide/Delete.
You can also insert columns/rows in the same way.
It is sometimes necessary
to save a workbook in a
different format, example,
as a .pdf file or an older
version of the same file in
order to open it with Excel
2003, for instance. To
save a file as .pdf is very
useful, especially if you do
not want the file to be
edited once you send it to someone. Also, anyone is able to open it if they have
a PDF Reader installed on their computers.
All your basic editing options of a workbook is found in the Home tab.
Clipboard Group
If you want to move the text/cell, you will select cut. Alternatively, the
keyboard shortcut for cut is <ctrl><x> and copy is <ctrl><c>.
Place the cursor where you want to place the selected text/cell and click on
paste. Alternatively, use the shortcut <ctrl><v>.
Font Group
Alignment Group
You can top, centre or bottom align a cell vertically, by choosing the correct
alignment in the alignment group.
Indentation
You can increase or decrease the cell indentation by clicking on the relevant
icon in the alignment group. Notice how the text doesn’t
start right next to the cell border.
Cell Orientation
Wrap Text
Number Group
Number Formats
Currency
Text
Styles Group
Conditional Formatting
Format as Table
You can choose a table style using this tool as shown in the example.
Cell Styles
Individual cells can be formatted using pre-set cell styles, which can be found
in the Styles group.
Cells Group
Editing Group
AutoSum
Fill
This tool allows you to fill a series automatically, such as numbers ranging
from 1, 2, 3, etc. or days of the week, example Mon, Tue, Wed, etc. or months
in the year, example Jan, Feb, Mar, etc.
Alternatively, you can enter the first two values in a range and
then click in the right corner of the second cell (your cursor will
look like a + sign) and drag down as far as you need to fill the
series down or across. This is shown in the screenshots. It will
then fill down to the rest of the cells.
Clear
The clear tool allows you to clear formatting in cells, clear cell
contents, hyperlinks and comments.
Choose which columns you want to sort on. You can add as many levels of
sorting as required. In the example, the data is first sorted by Band/Solo and
then alphabetically by surname. Notice the result of the sort as shown below:
You can also filter data in Excel, by placing filters on the data headers and
choosing which data you wish to display.
Insert Tab
The insert tab is mainly used to insert images, shapes, screenshots, pivot
tables and charts.
Tables Group
Pivot Tables
Use a pivot table to build a list of unique values. Because pivot tables
summarize data, they can be used to find unique values in a field. This is a
good way to quickly see all the values that appear in a field and also find
typos, and other inconsistencies. In the example below, a basic table was used
to show the ages of a group of students. A pivot table was then used to
summarize the data and calculate and show the average age of the group of
students. You can choose which data you want to summarize and if you want
to display your pivot table in the same or different worksheet.
Table
Pivot
table
Illustrations Group
Pictures
Once a picture is inserted and selected, the Picture Format tab will appear in
your Ribbon.
Shapes
You can add any shape by clicking on the Shapes icon, such as a rectangle,
circle, arrow, callout, etc.
Once you have drawn the shape, you can change its colour or add text.
SmartArt
This tool can be used if you want to insert basic lists, cycles or flowcharts.
Screenshots
Charts Group
▪ Create a table using at least two sets of data for your x and y axis.
▪ At least one set of data must be values. (see examples below)
▪ Select the data including your headers if you have any.
▪ Click insert and choose the type of chart you want. You need to decide
which chart would be best to display your results.
▪ You can then choose if you want to keep the chart in the same sheet or
move it to a different worksheet.
Column Chart
Chart title
Gridlines
Data bars
Axis
Pie Chart
Chart area
Legend
Formatting a Chart
Once you have inserted your chart and your chart area is selected, you will
be given two new ribbons to work with: Design and Format.
In the Design ribbon, you can change the chart using the various styles
available as shown in the screenshot.
In the Format ribbon you can change various aspects of the chart, such as
the fill colour or style of each ‘bar’ or ‘slice’ of the chart. You can also add
standard shapes.
Note: You can right click on any aspect of the chart and format it.
Links
You can insert a link to any place within the same sheet or workbook, another
file, email address or a website.
Sometimes you want to add a comment to a cell. You can do this by choosing
Insert, Comment. Alternatively, you can also right click on the cell and choose
New Comment.
Once you click on the green arrow, it will post the comment and other users
can reply to the comment:
You can also add a note to a cell by right clicking on the cell and choosing
New Note.
Text Group
Text Box
Word Art
Insert a WordArt title to your sheet by choosing the WordArt option. A new
ribbon will pop up that will allow you to format your WordArt.
In the text group, you can select the Header and Footer icon. This will
change your page to Page Layout view that will enable you to see the
header and footer section of your page.
Click on the left, centre or right section of the header or footer in order to
insert the field, text or image you need, which can be found in the new Header
and Footer Tools ribbon that is activated.
In the example below the current date and sheet name fields are displayed in
the header. Note that these fields are not manually typed in, but rather
selected from the Header and Footer Elements group.
To switch back to normal sheet view, click on View, Normal. Even though the
header and footer is not visible anymore, you will be able to see it when the
worksheet is printed or previewed.
Symbols Group
Equations
Symbol
In the Page Layout tab, you can change the margins, orientation and page
scaling amongst other features.
Orientation
Choose the page orientation, portrait or landscape. This is only needed if you
want to print the file or publish it in another format, like PDF.
Size
Choose the size of your page, for example A4, A3, etc. Once again, it will only
be needed if you want to print the file or publish it to PDF.
Breaks
Insert page breaks using this tool. To change or remove breaks in a document,
you must go to View, Page Break Preview. In this view, it is easy to see where
breaks have been inserted.
Margins
You can choose pre-set margins for your page. If you choose custom margins,
a dialog box will pop up with more options.
If you click on the Page tab, you can scale the worksheet according to how
you would like it printed. If you want to print the whole worksheet on one
page, you can set it to print one page wide by one page tall.
Formulas Tab
One of the main features that Excel has to offer, is the ability to do simple and
complex calculations.
All functions and formulas must start with an = sign and is displayed in the
Formula bar.
Formulas
A formula is a calculation that the user tells Excel to perform. You make use
of standard mathematical operators to do these calculations. The general
mathematical rules apply when creating a formula: BODMAS (Brackets, Of,
Division, Multiplication, Addition and Subtraction).
Always make use of cell references (A5, B7, etc.) containing values instead of
entering a value in a formula wherever possible. Below is an example:
Even though both formulas will return the correct value, the formula entered
in cell D2 won’t be correct anymore if the quantity in cell B2 was changed to
30 for example, whereas the function in cell D3 would still work if the value
in cell B3 changed from 100 to 150.
Note: Never enter a formula one by one. Once you have inserted a formula in
D2, you should be able to copy it down to all the following cells by simply
placing your cursor on the bottom right corner of the cell and dragging down.
Note how the cells automatically change the cell references as you go down:
B2 becomes B3, then B4, etc.
Sometimes you don’t want cells to change when you copy a formula. In these
cases, you need to make use of absolute cell referencing. This is done by
inserting a $ sign in front of the cell references you don’t want to change. For
example $B$12.
Notice how C1 stays C1 when it is copied down to the rest of the cells, but B4
still changes to B5 then B6, etc.
You can also combine values in a formula if you don’t have the values in the
cell. For example, if you didn’t have the rate per hour available in the
worksheet, you could have inserted the following formula in cell D4:
=B4*20
This works perfectly well, but if the rate per hour had to change, all the
formulas would have to be updated.
Functions
The functions inserted in cells C11, C12, C13 and C14 will return the values
according to the function entered. A function always starts with an = sign,
followed by the name of the function, followed by a bracket.
Results
The following table contains a summary of all the functions you need to
master from grade 10 to grade 12.
Note that if you click on the fx icon, you can view all the available functions
with their descriptions.
Defined Names
You can define your own cell or named ranges, by using the Define Name tool
in the Defined Names group.
In the above example, the new name HourlyRate was given to cell C1. Note
that it doesn’t say C1 anymore in the name block.
Data Tab
Data Validation
▪ Create a separate list of data you want available in your list. This can
be done on the same sheet or on a different sheet.
▪ Select the cell or highlight the range where you want your combo box.
▪ Select Data Validation.
▪ Choose List.
▪ Select your source and highlight the range where your list items are
found.
▪ Click Ok.
Data source
E2:E3
Combo box
Text Length
Review Tab
Proofing Group
You can use the spelling option in the proofing group to check
your spelling in a spreadsheet.
Protect Group
▪ Select the cells you want a user to be able to edit. In my example I have
selected the range A4:B9.
▪ Right click on the selected cells/range.
▪ Choose Format Cells and then select the Protection tab.
▪ Untick the Locked check box and click Ok.
View Tab
Freeze Panes
▪ Place your cursor below the row or to the right of the column you want
to freeze.
▪ Select Freeze Panes.
▪ Alternatively you can also just opt to freeze the top row or first column.
▪ Click on File
▪ Click Print <ctrl><p>
▪ Review your worksheet before printing
▪ Choose the correct printer, paper size/scaling
▪ Make sure you are printing the correct sheet
and not the entire workbook if you don’t need
it.
▪ Scale the worksheet if needed.
▪ Select the relevant pages you need to print.
▪ Print on both sides to save paper.
▪ Click on File
▪ Protect workbook
▪ Encrypt with password
Developer Tab
Controls Group
You can also add checkboxes, option buttons and other content controls like
you can do in Microsoft Word.
Macros
▪ Add a shortcut key if you are not going to assign your macro to a button.
(In the example, <Ctrl><m> is used, since it is not a commonly used
shortcut.
▪ Give a suitable description for your macro so that any user can see what
your macro is meant to do. Click ok.
▪ Now you can record your macro. Every cell you click and every change
you make will be recorded. (In the example, cell B13 is selected and the
function =average(B2:B12) is inserted in the cell.)
▪ Stop recording.
▪ Now you can remove what you have done, but whenever the shortcut
key is pressed, Excel will mirror what you have recorded.
You can view your workbook macros by clicking on the Macros icon. To edit
your macro, you can choose Visual Basic and change the aspects you want to
edit.
Keyboard Shortcuts
General
Editing
Formatting