Spreadsheet

An electronic file that contains a grid of columns & rows used to organize related data. 

It also displays results of caluclation, enabling interpretation of quantitative data for decision making

Worksheet v. Workbook

Worksheet:  A single spreadsheet that typically contains descriptive labels, numberic values,  formulas, functions, values, text, and visual aids & graphical representations of data

Workbook:  A collection of one or more related worksheets contained within a single file.

Cell v Cell Address

Cell:  The intersection of a column & row.

Cell Address: Identifies a cell by a column letter and a row number

Active Cell

The current cell, indicated by a dark border.

Enter Text

Text is any combination of letters, numbers, symbols, and spaces not used in calculations. 

Enter Values

Values are numbers that represent a quantity or a measurable amount.

Enter Formulas

Formulas are the combination of cell references, arithmetic operations, values, and/or functions used in a calculation.

Addition

Common Symbol      Excel Symbol

                            +                          +                          

Subtraction

Common Symbol     Excel Symbol

-                           -

Multiplication

Common Symbol     Excel Symbol

X                           *

Division

Common Symbol      Excel Symbol

 .                  

        __                       /

     .                      

Exponentiation

Common Symbol     Excel Symbol

^                    ^

Order of Parenthesis

(Please Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally)

Please :      Parenthesis

Excuse:      Exponents

My:            Multiplication

Dear:         Division

Aunt:         Addition

Sally:         Subtraction

Auto Fill & the Fill Handle

Auto Fill enables you to copy the contents of a cell or to continue a sequence by dragging the fill handle over an adjacent cell or range of cells.

Fill Handle is a small black square at the bottom-right corner of a cell.

Displaying Cell Formulas

When you enter a formula, Ecel shows the result of the formula in the cell.  You might want to display the formulas instead of the calculated results in the cell.

Display:  Ctrl 7 the grave accent `(inbetween the tab key and the ESC key, in top left corner of keyboard.)

Rename Worksheets

You should rename the worksheet tabs to reflect the sheet contents so that you, & anyone whith whom you share your workbook, will be able to find data.

Double click a sheet tab, type the new name & press enter

Tab Color

When you use multiple worksheets, you micht want to apply a different color to each worksheet tab to make the tab stand out or to emphasize the difference between sheets.

Click Format in the Cells group on the Home tab point to Tab Color, then click a color on the Tab Color palette.

or

Right Click on the sheet tab, point to Tab Color on the shortcut menu, then click a color on the Tab Color Palette.

Insert

Delete

Insert:  Click Insert Worksheet to the right of the last worksheet tab

Click the Insert arrow either to the right or below Insert in the Cells group on the Home tab, then select Insert sheet

Right click any sheet tab, select Insert fromt he shortcut menu, Click Worksheet in the Insert dialog box, then click ok. 

Press Shift+Fill

Delete:  Click the Delete arrow either to the right or below Delete in the Cells group on the Home tab, then select Delete Sheet

Right click any sheet tab, select Delete from the shortcut menu

Move

Copy Worksheets

Move:  Drag a worksheet tab to the desired location.  As you drag a sheet tab, the pointer resembles a piece of paper.  A down pointing triangle appears between sheet tabs to indicate where the sheet will be moved when you release the mouse button.

Click Format in the Cells group on the Home tab or right click the sheet tab you want to move, and select Move or Copy to see the Move or Copy dialog box.  Select the workbook if you want to move the sheet to another workbook.

Copy.  The process for copying a worksheet is similar to moving a sheet.  Press and hold Ctrl as you drag the worksheet tab.

Display the Move or Copy dialog box, select the options, click the create a Copy check box, and then click ok.

Inserting & Deleting Cells, Columns & Rows

Insert:  Click in the column or row for which you want to insert a new column to the left or a new row above.  Click the Insert arrow in the Cells group on the Home tab, & then select Insert Sheet Columns or Insert Sheet Rows.

Right click the column letter or orw number for which you want to insert a new column to the left or a new row above, & select Insert fromt he shortcut menu.

Delete:  Click the column or orw heading for the column or row you want to delete.  Click Delete in the Cells group on the Home tab.

C lick in any cell within the column or row you want to delete.  Click the Delete arrow in the Cells group on the Home tab, then select Delete sheet columns or rows.

Right click the column letter or row number for the column or row you want to delete, then select Delete from the shortcut menu.

Column Width & Row Height

Column Width:  The number of characters that can fit horizontally using the default font or the number of horizontal pixls to show the contents of cells.

Position pointer ont he vertical border between the current column heading & the next column heading.  When the pointer displays a two headed arrow, double click the border.

Row Height:  The vertical measurement of the row.

Hide & Unhide Columns & Rows

When you hide a column or row, Excel prevents that column or row from displaying or printing.  Normally the areas hidden have confidential information.

Click in the column or row you want to hide, click Format in the Cells group on the Home tab, point to Hide & Unhide, then select Hide Columns or Hide Rows.

Right click the column or row heading(s) you want to hide, then select Hide.

Unhide:  Click Format in the Cells group on the Home tab, point to Hide & Unhide, then select Unhide Columns or Rows.

Right click the column(s) or rows(s) you want to hide, then select Unhide.

Range

Nonadjacent range

contains multiple ranges of cells.

Moving a range, Copy & Paste a Range

Select the range, use the cut command to copy the range tot he clipboard.  Make sure the area you want to move the data has enough empty cells, Click the top left corner of the area to move the data to, then use the Paste command to insert the cut cells & remove them fromt he original location.

Using Paste Special

Horizontal Alignment

Spedifies the position of data between the left & right cell margins

Vertical Alignment

Specifies the position of data between the top & bottom cell margins.

Merge & Center Labels

Select the range of cells across which you want to center the title, click Merge & Center in the Alignment group on the Home tab. 

Increase & Decrease Indent

To indent the contents of a cell, click Increase Indent in the Alignment group on the Home tab.  The more you click Increase Indent, the more text is indented in the active cell.

To decrease the indent, click Decrease Indent in the Alignment group.

Wrap Text

To make data appear on multiple lines by adjusting the row height to fit the cell contents within the column.

Click Wrap Text in the Alignment group, Excel wraps the text on two or more lines within the cell. 

Borders & Fill Color

A line that surrounds a cell or range.

Click a border, select the cell or range that you want to have a border, click Borders arrow in the Font group, then select the desired border type.

To remove, select No Border fromt he Borders menu.

A background color that displays behind the data. 

To apply a fill color, select the cell or range that you want to have a fill color, click the Fill Color arrow on the Home tab, then select the color choice from the Fill Color palette.

If you want to remove a color, select No Fill from the bottom of the palette.

Number Format

(General, Number, Currency, Accounting, Date, Time, Percentage, Fraction, Scientific, Text, Special & Custom)

General displays values as you originally enter them, doesn't allign decimal points in a colum or include symbols, & describes the primary number formats in Excel.

Number A number with or without the 1000 seperator & with any number of decimal places.  Negative numbers can be displayed with parentheses or red.

Currency  A number with the 1,000 separator, an optional dollar sign (placed immediately to the left of number).  Negative values are preceded by a minus sign or are displayed with parentheses or in red.

Accounting A number with the 1,000 separator, an optional dollar sign (left border of cell, vertically aligned with in column, negative values in parentheses, and zero values as hypens.

Date  The date in different way; March 14, 2012, 3/14/12, or 14-Mar-12.

Time  The time in different formats; 10:50 PM or 22:50 (24 hr time)

Percentage  The value as it would be multiplied by 100 with the percent sign.  The default number of decimal places is zero if you click Percent Style in the Number group or 2 decimal places if you use the Format Cells dialog box.

Fraction  A number as a fraction

Scientific  A number as a decimal fraction followed by a whole number exponent of 10.

Text  The data left aligned; useful for numberical values that have leading zeros & should be treated as text, such as zip coldes or phone numbers.

Special  A number with editing characters, such as hyphens in a Social Security Number.

Custom  Predefined customized number formats or special symbols to create your own customized number format.

Increase & Decrease Decimal Places

After applying a number format, you may need to adjust the number of decimal places that display. 

To change the number of decimal places displayed, click Increase Decimal in the Number group on the Home tab to display more decimal places for greater precision or Decrease Decimal to display fewer or no decimal places.

Page Options

To apply several page setup options at once or to access options not found on the Ribbon, click the Page Setup Dialog Box Launcher.  The Page Setup dialog box organizes option into 4 tabs:

Page

Margins,

Header/Footer

Sheet.

All tabs contain Print & Print Preview buttons.

Margins Options

Contains options for setting the specific margins. 

It contains options to center the workshet horizontally or vertically on the page.  To balance worksheet data equally between the left and right margins.

Create Headers & Footers

Lets you create a header and/or footer that appear at the top and/or bottom of every printed page.

Click the arrows to choose from several preformatted entries, or you can click Custom Header or Footer, insert text and other objects, then click the appropriate formatting button to customize your headers and footers.

Click the insert tab and click Header & Footer in the Text group.  Excel displays the workshhet in Page Layout view with the insertion point in the center area of the header.

Sheet Options

Contains options for setting the print area, print titles, print option, & page order. 

Some of these options are located in the Sheet Options group ont he Page Layout tab on the Ribbons.

Printing a Worksheet

Before printing a worksheet, click the File tab and then select print.  The Backstage view displays print options & displays the worksheet in print preview mode.

This mode helps you see in advance if the data are balanced on the page or if data will print on multiple pages.  The bottom of the Backstage view indicates how many total pages will print.