Excel Basics - Austin Community College

1 1 Excel Basics Spreadsheet Basics Screen Elements Task Pane Worksheets Menus and Toolbars Name Box and Formula Bar Modify a Workbook Creating a workbook Move between cells Adding and Deleting rows, columns, and cells Resizing columns and rows Entering Data Moving and copying cells AutoSum AutoFill Freeze Panes Formulas and Functions Formulas Basic functions Insert a function Formatting Formatting toolbar Format cells dialog box Styles Format Painter Borders, colors and patterns AutoFormat Page Properties and printing Page breaks page setup Print Preview Print Spreadsheet Basics Excel allows you to create spreadsheets much like paper ledgers that can perform automatic calculations. Each Excel file is a workbook (the entire Excel file) that can hold many worksheets ( pages within an Excel workbook).

2 The worksheet is a grid of columns (designated by letters) and rows (designated by numbers). The letters and numbers of the columns and rows (called labels) are displayed in gray buttons across the top and left side of the worksheet. The intersection of a column and a row is called a cell. Each cell on the spreadsheet has a cell address that is the column letter and the row number. Cells can contain text, numbers, or mathematical formulas. Screen Elements Task Pane The task pane allows the user to execute many commands, some of which are not available through any other method. It displays controls for selecting options and additional information. A task pane is moveable inside of the Excel window, it can be docked on either side or it can float anywhere on the screen. 2 Task Pane Use any of these methods to open the task pane: Click File > New to create a new workbook.

3 Click View > Task Pane. Press Ctrl + F1. Once the task pane is opened, you will have to navigate to the particular pane with the desired options. The drop-down arrow in the upper right corner of the task pane provides a menu of the main task panes. Worksheets An Excel workbook is made up of worksheets, accessible through tabs across the bottom of the Excel window. Each workbook starts out with 3 sheets (named Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3 by default); however, you can add up to 255 sheets. The tab of the active sheet is bold. You can change the names of the worksheets to make them more meaningful to the contents of the worksheet. To Rename Worksheets: 1. Make sure the worksheet you wish to rename is selected or active. 2. On the menu bar click Format > Sheet > Rename. 3. The sheet name tab of the current worksheet will become highlighted.

4 Just start typing the name you want. 4. Click anywhere in your worksheet when you are finished. Alternative methods to rename worksheets: Rename a worksheet 31. Right-click on the sheet you wish to rename. 2. On the pop-up menu, click Rename. 3. Type in the name you want and click anywhere in your worksheet when finished. Or 1. Double click on the tab for the sheet you want to rename. 2. The sheet name tab of the current worksheet will become highlighted. Just start typing the name you want. 3. Click anywhere in your worksheet when you are finished. If you find you need more than the 3 worksheets provided you may add additional worksheets. You may also delete worksheets that you do not need. To add a worksheet: 1. Click Insert on the Menu bar, and then click Worksheet. It may then be necessary to rearrange the order of the sheets.

5 To rearrange the sheets, simply drag the appropriate worksheet tab to its new location. To delete a worksheet: 1. Select the sheet to be deleted by clicking the appropriate sheet tab. 2. Click Edit on the Menu bar then click Delete Sheet. 3. Click OK to confirm the deletion. Or 1. Right-click the tab of the sheet to be deleted. 2. Select Delete from the pop-up menu. Menus and Toolbars The Menu bar is a tool for navigating around in the Excel environment and accomplishing certain tasks. By selecting a command from the Menu bar, you are letting Excel know what you are attempting to accomplish. The menus in Excel initially list only the commands you have recently used. To view all options in each menu, click the double arrows at the bottom of the menu. menu bar To view all commands in the menu: 1. Select View > Toolbars > Customize from the menu bar.

6 2. Click on the Options tab. 3. Uncheck the Menus show recently used commands first check box. Toolbars Many toolbars displaying shortcut buttons are available. Select View > Toolbars from the menu bar to select more toolbars. To use a toolbar: 1. Move the mouse pointer over the button you want to use. A ScreenTip appears displaying the name or purpose of the button. ScreenTip 2. When you find the button you want to use, just click it. 4 The toolbars display buttons for the commands you use the most. You may need a button that is not displayed on the toolbar. To access these buttons, use the More Buttons button on the toolbar. Access more buttons By default, your toolbars appear as docked toolbars. A docked toolbar is one that is attached to one edge of the program window. A toolbar can be docked to the top of the window directly below the title bar, to the left or right edge, or to the bottom of the window.

7 Toolbars can also float like palettes within the workspace window. Floating toolbar Standard Toolbar This toolbar is located just below the menu bar at the top of the screen and allows you to quickly access basic Excel commands. Standard Toolbar Name Description New Starts a new workbook. Open Opens a previously saved workbook. Save Saves the current workbook. Print Prints the current worksheet. Print Preview Displays the current worksheet as it will appear when printed. Spell Check Checks the spelling of the current worksheet. 5 6 Name Description Cut Cuts (moves) the current selection to the Clipboard. Copy Copies the current selection to the Clipboard. Paste Copies the contents of the Clipboard to the active cell. Format Painter Copies the formatting, such as bold, italic, Currency style, etc., from one selection to another.

8 Undo Undoes the previous action. Redo Reverses the previous Undo procedure. Insert Hyperlink Inserts a link that, when clicked, takes the user to another workbook, a different worksheet, or a page or file on the internet. It may also create an e-mail message to a specific e-mail address. AutoSum Sums the values in the indicated range of cells. Sort Ascending Sorts the worksheet data in ascending order by the column in which the active cell pointer is located. Sort Descending Sorts data in descending order (Z to A) by the column in which the active cell pointer is located. Chart Wizard Creates a chart using values in the selected range of cells. Drawing Displays the Drawing toolbar, which you can use to add drawn objects to a worksheet. Zoom Changes the zoom percentage of the worksheet view. Microsoft Excel Help Displays the Office Assistant, which you can use to access Help.

9 Customize Toolbars Customizing toolbars allows you to delete certain shortcut buttons from a toolbar if you do not use them and add the shortcut buttons for commands you use often. 1. Select View > Toolbars > Customize and select the Commands tab. Customize Toolbars dialog box 2. By clicking on the command categories in the Categories box, the commands will change in the Commands box to the right. 3. Select the command you would like to add to the toolbar by selecting it from the Commands box. 4. Drag the command with the mouse to the desired location on the toolbar and release the mouse button. The shortcut button should now appear on the toolbar. 5. Remove buttons from the toolbars by reversing these steps. Highlight the button on the toolbar, drag it off the toolbar with the mouse, and release the mouse button.

10 Name Box and Formula Bar The Name Box and Formula Bar are located underneath the toolbars at the top of the Excel window. The Name box displays the address of the active cell. The Formula Bar displays the contents of the active cell. Name Box and Formula Bar Name Box The main purpose of the Name box is to display the address of the active cell. You can use the Name box to move the active cell pointer to any cell you want. The Name box can also be used to name a cell or group or cells (range). By naming cells, you can refer to them when they are needed in formulas and functions. To move the active cell pointer to another cell: 1. Click the Name box. 2. Type the address of the cell you want to jump to. 3. Press Enter. To name a cell: 1. Click the cell you want to name, or select a range of cells. 2. Type the name you want to use in the Name box.