GETTING STARTED WITH EXCEL

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Excel is a spreadsheet program that allows you to store, organize, and analyze
information. In this lesson, you will learn your way around the Excel 2010 environment, including
the new backstage view, which replaces the Microsoft Office button menu from Excel 2007.
We will show you how to use and modify the Ribbon and the Quick Access toolbar, as
well as how to create new workbooks and open existing ones. After this lesson, you will be
ready to get started on your first workbook.

Working with your Excel environment

The Ribbon and Quick Access toolbar are where you'll find the commands you need to
perform common tasks in Excel. If you are familiar with Excel 2007, you will find that the main
difference in the Excel 2010 Ribbon is that commands such as Open and Print are now housed
in Backstage view.

The Ribbon
The Ribbon contains multiple tabs, each with several groups of commands. You can
add your own tabs that contain your favourite commands.

The Quick Access toolbar

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 The Quick Access toolbar, above the Ribbon, lets you access common commands no
matter which tab you are on. By default, it shows the Save, Undo, and Repeat commands.
You can add other commands to make it more convenient for you.
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Backstage view

Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening a file, printing, and
sharing your document. It is similar to the Microsoft Office button menu from Excel 2007 and
the File menu from earlier versions of Excel. However, instead of just a menu it's a full-page
view, which makes it easier to work with.

Creating and opening workbooks

Excel files are called workbooks. Each workbook holds one or more worksheets (also
known as spreadsheets).

Worksheets

Introduction to cells and cell content

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 You will need to know the basic ways you can work with cells and cell content in
Excel to be able to use it to calculate, analyze, and organize data. In this lesson, you
will learn how to select cells, insert content, and delete cells and cell content. You will
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also learn how to cut, copy, and paste cells; drag and drop cells; and fill cells using the
fill handle.

Cells are the basic building blocks of a worksheet. They can contain a variety of
content such as text, formatting attributes, formulas, and functions. To work with cells,
you'll need to know how to select them, insert content, and delete cells and cell
content.

The cell

Each rectangle in a worksheet is called

a cell. A cell is the intersection of a row and
a column.

Each cell has a name, or a cell

address based on which column and row it
intersects. The cell address of a selected cell
appears in the name box. Here, you can see
that C5 is selected.

NOTE: You can also select multiple cells at the same time. A
group of cells is known as a cell range. Rather than a single cell address, you will refer to a cell range using the cell
addresses of the first and last cells in the cell range, separated by a colon. For example, a cell range that included
cells A1, A2, A3, A4, and A5 would be written as A1:A5.

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To select a cell:

1. Click a cell to select it. When a cell is selected, you will notice that the borders of
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the cell appear bold and the column heading and row heading of the cell
are highlighted.
2. Release your mouse. The cell will stay selected until you click another cell in the
worksheet

NOTE: You can also navigate your worksheet and select a cell by using the arrow keys on your keyboard.

To select multiple cells:

1. Click and drag your mouse until all

of the adjoining cells you want are
highlighted.
2. Release your mouse. The cells will
stay selected until you click
another cell in the worksheet.

Cell content

Each cell can contain its own text, formatting, comments, formulas, and functions.

Text
Cells can contain letters, numbers, and dates.

Formatting attributes
Cells can contain formatting attributes that change the way letters, numbers, and dates are
displayed. For example, dates can be formatted as MM/DD/YYYY or M/D/YYYY.

Comments
Cells can contain comments from multiple
reviewers.

Formulas and functions

Cells can contain formulas and functions that

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calculate cell values. For example, SUM(cell 1, cell 2...) is a formula that can add the values
in multiple cells.
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To insert content:

1. Click a cell to select it.

2. Enter content into the selected cell using your keyboard. The content appears in
the cell and in the formula bar. You can also enter or edit cell content from the
formula bar.

To delete content within cells:

1. Select the cells containing content you

want to delete.

2. Click the Clear command on the

Ribbon. A dialog box will appear.

3. Select Clear Contents.

NOTE: You can also use your keyboard's Backspace key to delete content from a single cell or
the Delete key to delete content from multiple cells.

To delete cells:

1. Select the cells you want to delete.

2. Choose the Delete command from the

Ribbon.

NOTE: There's an important difference

between deleting the content of a
cell and deleting the cell itself. If you delete
the cell, by default the cells underneath it
will shift up and replace the deleted cell.

To copy and paste cell content:

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 1. Select the cells you want to copy.

2. Click the Copy command. The border of the selected cells will change appearance.
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3. Select the cell or cells where you want to paste the content.

4. Click the Paste command. The copied content will be entered into the highlighted
cells.

To cut and paste cell content:

1. Select the cells you want to cut.

2. Click the Cut command. The border

of the selected cells will change
appearance.

3. Select the cells where you want to

paste the content.

4. Click the Paste command. The cut

content will be removed from the
original cells and entered into the highlighted cells.

To drag and drop cells:

1. Select the cells you want to move.

2. Position your mouse on one of

the outside edges of the selected
cells. The mouse changes from
a white cross to a black cross

with 4 arrows .

3. Click and drag the cells to the new

location.

4. Release your mouse, and the cells will be dropped there.

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Working with columns, rows, and cells
When you open a new blank workbook, the cells are set to a default size. You have
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the ability to modify cells, as well as to insert and delete columns, rows, and cells as needed.
In this lesson, you will learn how to change row height and column width, insert and delete
rows and columns, wrap text in a cell, and merge cells.

By default, every row and column of a new workbook is set to the

same height and width. Excel allows you to modify column width and row height in different
ways.

To modify column width:

1. Position your mouse over the column line in

the column heading so the white cross
becomes a double arrow .

2. Click and drag the column to the right to

increase column width or to the left to
decrease column width.

3. Release the mouse. The column width will

be changed in your spreadsheet.

NOTE: If you see pound signs (#######) in a cell, it

means the column is not wide enough to display the cell content. Simply increase the column width to
show the cell content.

To modify row height:

1. Position the cursor over the row line so the white

cross becomes a double arrow .

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 2. Click and drag the row downward to increase row height or upward to decrease height.
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3. Release the mouse. The height of each selected row will be changed in your worksheet.

To insert rows:

1. Select the row below where you want the

new row to appear.

2. Click the Insert command on the Home tab.

3. The new row appears in your worksheet.

NOTE: When inserting new rows, columns, or cells, you will see the Insert Options button by the
inserted cells. This button allows you to choose how Excel formats them. By default, Excel formats inserted
rows with the same formatting as the cells in the row above them. To access more options, hover your
mouse over the Insert Options button and click the drop-down arrow that appears.

To insert columns:

1. Select the column to the right of where you want the new column to appear. For example,
if you want to insert a column between A and B, select column B.
2. Click the Insert command on the Home tab
3. The new column appears in your worksheet.

NOTE: By default, Excel formats inserted columns with the same formatting as the column to the left of them. To
access more options, hover your mouse over the Insert Options button and click the drop-down arrow that appears.

REMINDERS: When inserting rows and columns, make sure to select the row or column by clicking its heading so
all of the cells in that row or column are selected. If you select just a cell in the row or column, only a new cell will
be inserted.

Wrapping text and merging cells

If a cell contains more text than can be displayed, you can choose to wrap the text
within the cell or merge the cell with empty adjoining cells. Wrap text to make it display on
multiple lines of the cell. Merge cells to combine adjoining cells into one larger cell.

To wrap text:
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 1. Select the cells with text that you want to wrap.

2. Select the Wrap Text command on the Home tab.

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3. The text in the selected cells will be wrapped in your worksheet.
NOTE: If you change your mind, re click the Wrap Text command to unwrap the text.

To merge cells using the Merge & Center command:

1. Select the cells you want to merge.

2. Select the Merge & Center command on the Home tab.

3. The selected cells will be merged, and the text will be centered.
NOTE: If you change your mind, re click the Merge & Center command to unmerge the cells.

To access more merge options:

Click the drop-down arrow next to the Merge & Center command on the Home tab.
The merge drop-down menu appears.

 Merge & Center: Merges selected cells into one cell and
centers the text
 Merge Across: Merges each row of selected cells into
larger cells; useful when merging content across
multiple rows of cells rather than creating one large cell
 Merge Cells: Merges selected cells into one cell
 Unmerge Cells: Unmerges selected cells

Formatting text
Spreadsheets that have not been formatted can be difficult to read. Formatted text
and cells can draw attention to specific parts of the spreadsheet and make the spreadsheet
more visually appealing and easier to understand.

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 In Excel, there are many tools you can use to format text and cells. In this lesson, you
will learn how to change the color and style of text and cells, align text, and apply special
formatting to numbers and dates.
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Many of the commands you will use to format text can be found in the Font,
Alignment, and Number groups on the Ribbon. Font commands let you change the style,
size, and color of text. You can also use them to add borders and fill colors to
cells. Alignment commands let you format how text is displayed across cells both
horizontally and vertically. Number commands let you change how selected cells display
numbers and dates.

To change the font:

1. Select the cells you want to modify.

2. Click the drop-down arrow next to

the Font command on the Home tab. The font
drop-down menu appears.

3. Move your mouse over the various fonts. A

live preview of the font will appear in the
worksheet.

4. Select the font you want to use.

To change the font size:

1. Select the cells you want to modify.

2. Click the drop-down arrow next to the font

size command on the Home tab. The font size
drop-down menu appears.

3. Move your mouse over the various font sizes.

A live preview of the font size will appear in
the worksheet.

4. Select the font size you want to use.

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To use the bold, italic, and underline commands:
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1. Select the cells you want to modify.

2. Click the Bold, Italic, or Underline command on the Home tab.

To add a border:
1. Select the cells you want to modify.

2. Click the drop-down arrow next to

the Borders command on the Home tab. The
border drop-down menu appears.

3. Select the border style you want to use.

NOTE: You can draw borders and change the line

style and color of borders with the Draw Borders tools at the
bottom of the Borders drop-down menu.

To change horizontal text alignment:

1. Select the cells you want to modify.

2. Select one of the three

horizontal Alignment commands on the
Home tab.

 Align Text Left: Aligns text to the left of the

cell
 Center: Aligns text to the center of the cell
 Align Text Right: Aligns text to the right of the cell

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To change vertical text alignment:

1. Select the cells you want to modify.

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2. Select one of the three
vertical Alignment commands on the
Home tab.

 Top Align: Aligns text to the top of the

cell
 Middle Align: Aligns text to the middle
of the cell
 Bottom Align: Aligns text to the bottom
of the cell

Formatting numbers and dates

One of Excel's most useful features is its ability to format numbers and dates in a
variety of ways. For example, you might need to format numbers with decimal places,
currency symbols ($), or percent symbols (%).

To format numbers and dates:

1. Select the cells you want to modify.

2. Click the drop-down arrow next to the Number

Format command on the Home tab.

3. Select the number format you want. For some

number formats, you can then use the Increase
Decimal and Decrease Decimal commands
(below the Number Format command) to change
the number of decimal places that are displayed.

Saving workbooks

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 Are you saving a workbook for the first time? Saving it as another name? Sharing it
with someone who doesn't have Excel 2010? There are many ways you share and receive
workbooks, which will affect how you need to save the file.
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In this lesson, you will learn how to use the Save and Save As commands, how to
save as an Excel 97-2003 compatible workbook, and how to save as a PDF.

When you create a new workbook in Excel, you'll need to know how to save it to
access and edit it later. Excel allows you to save your documents in several ways.

To use the Save As command:

Save As allows you to choose a name and location for your workbook. Use it if you
are saving a workbook for the first time or if you want to save a different version of a
workbook while keeping the original.

1. Click the File tab.

2. Select Save As.

3. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you want to save the
workbook.

4. Enter a name for the workbook, then click Save.

To use the Save command:

1. Click the Save command on the Quick Access toolbar.

2. The workbook will be saved in its current location with

the same file name.

Note: If you are saving for the first time and select Save, the Save As dialog box will appear.

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To save as an Excel 97-2003 workbook:

You can share your workbooks with anyone using Excel 2010 or 2007 because they use
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the same file format. However, earlier versions of Excel use a different file format, so if you want
to share your workbook with someone using an earlier version of Excel you will need to save it
as an Excel 97-2003 workbook.

1. Click the File tab.

2. Select Save As.

3. In the Save as type drop-down menu, select Excel 97-2003 Workbook.

4. Select the location where you want to save the file.

5. Enter a name for the file, then click Save.

To save as a PDF:

Saving your workbook as an Adobe Acrobat Document—which is called a PDF file—

can be especially useful when your recipients do not have Excel. A PDF will make it possible
for recipients to view the content from your workbook, but they will not be able to edit
anything.

1. Click the File tab.

2. Select Save As.

3. In the Save as type drop-

down menu, select PDF.

4. Select the location where

you want to save the file.

5. Enter a name for the file,

then click Save.

NOTE: Excel defaults to saving the active worksheet only. If you have multiple worksheets and want to
save all of them in the same PDF file, click Options. The Options dialog box will appear. Select Entire
workbook from the Options dialog box, then click OK.

Simple formulas
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 Excel can be used to calculate numerical information. In this lesson, you will learn
how to create simple formulas in Excel to add, subtract, multiply, and divide values in a
workbook. You'll also learn the various ways you can use cell references to make working
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with formulas easier and more efficient.

A formula is an equation that performs a calculation. Like a calculator, Excel can

execute formulas that add, subtract, multiply, and divide.

One of Excel's most useful features is its ability to calculate using a cell address to
represent the value in a cell. This is called using a cell reference.

To maximize the capabilities of Excel, it is important to understand how to create

simple formulas and use cell references.

Creating simple formulas

Excel uses standard operators for equations, such as

a plus sign for addition (+), minus sign for subtraction
(-), asterisk for multiplication (*), forward slash for
division (/), and caret (^) for exponents.

The key thing to remember when writing formulas for Excel is that all formulas must
begin with an equals sign (=). This is because the cell contains—or is equal to—the formula
and its value.

To create a simple formula in Excel:

1. Select the cell where the answer will

appear (B4, for example).

2. Type the equals sign (=).

3. Type in the formula you want Excel to

calculate (75/250, for example).

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 4. Press Enter. The formula will be
calculated, and the value will be
displayed in the cell.
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NOTE: If the result of a formula is too large to be displayed in a cell, it may appear as pound
signs (#######) instead of a value. This means the column is not wide enough to display the cell content.
Simply increase the column width to show the cell content.

Creating formulas with cell references

When a formula contains a cell address, it is called a cell reference. Creating a

formula with cell references is useful because you can update data in your worksheet
without having to rewrite the values in the formula.

To create a formula using cell references:

1. Select the cell where the answer will

appear (B3, for example).

2. Type the equals sign (=).

3. Type the cell address that contains the

first number in the equation (B1, for

example).

4. Type the operator you need for your

formula. For example, type the addition
sign (+).

5. Type the cell address that contains the

second number in the equation (B2, for
example).

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 6. Press Enter. The formula will be calculated, and the value will be displayed in the
cell.
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Introduction to worksheets

Every Excel workbook contains at least one or more worksheets. If you are working
with a large amount of related data, you can use worksheets to help organize your data
and make it easier to work with.

In this lesson, you will learn how to name and add color to worksheet tabs, as well as
how to add, delete, copy, and move worksheets. Additionally, you will learn how
to group and ungroup worksheets and freeze columns and rows in worksheets so they
remain visible even when you're scrolling.

When you open an Excel workbook, there are three worksheets by default. The
default names on the worksheet tabs are Sheet1, Sheet2, and Sheet3. To organize your
workbook and make it easier to navigate, you can rename and even color code the
worksheet tabs. Additionally, you can insert, delete, move, and copy worksheets .

To rename worksheets:

1. Right-click the worksheet tab you want to

rename. The worksheet menu appears.

2. Select Rename.

3. The text is now highlighted by a black box. Type the name of your worksheet.

4. Click anywhere outside the tab. The

worksheet is renamed.

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To insert new worksheets:

Click the Insert Worksheet icon. A new

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worksheet will appear.

To delete worksheets:

Worksheets can be deleted from a workbook,

including those containing data.

1. Select the worksheets you want to delete.

2. Right-click one of the selected worksheets.
The worksheet menu appears.
3. Select Delete. The selected worksheets will
be deleted from your workbook.

To move a worksheet:

1. Click the worksheet you want to move. The

mouse will change to show a small worksheet

icon .
2. Drag the worksheet icon until a small black
arrow appears where you want the
worksheet to be moved.
3. Release your mouse, and the worksheet will be moved.

Printing
There are many choices you can make when printing an Excel workbook. You can
choose what parts of a workbook to print and how the data fits on the page.

In this lesson, you will learn how to print worksheets, workbooks, and selections of
cells..

To view the Print pane:

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 1. Click the File tab. This takes you to Backstage view.

2. Select Print. The Print pane appears, with the print settings on the left and Print
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Preview on the right.

To print active sheets:

If you have multiple worksheets in your workbook, you'll need to decide if you want to
print the entire workbook or specific worksheets. Excel gives you the option to Print Active
Sheets. A worksheet is considered active if it is selected.

1. Select the worksheets you want to print. To

print multiple worksheets, click the first
worksheet, hold down the Ctrl key, then click
the other worksheets you want to select.
2. Click the File tab.
3. Select Print to access the Print pane.
4. Select Print Active Sheets from the print
range drop-down menu.
5. Click the Print button.

To print a selection or set the print area:

Printing a selection—sometimes called setting the print area—lets you choose which
cells to print, as opposed to the entire worksheet.

1. Select the cells you want to print.

2. Click the File tab.
3. Select Print to access the Print pane.
4. Select Print Selection from the print
range drop-down menu.
5. You can see what your selection will
look like on the page in Print Preview.

6. Click the Print button.

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Note: You don't have to wait until you're ready to print to set the print area. You can also set it from
the Page Layout tab in advance. This will place a dotted line around your selection so you can see which
cells are going to print while you work. To do this, select the cells you want to print, go to the Page
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Layout tab, and choose Print Area.

Complex formulas
Excel is a spreadsheet application that can help you calculate and analyze numerical
information for household budgets, company finances, inventory, and more. To do this, you
need to understand complex formulas.

In this lesson, you'll learn how to write complex formulas in Excel following the order
of operations. You will also learn about relative and absolute cell references, as well as how
to copy and fill formulas containing cell references.

Simple formulas have one mathematical operation, such as 5+5. Complex

formulas have more than one mathematical operation, such as 5+5-2. When there is more
than one operation in a formula, the order of operations tells us which operation to calculate
first. To use Excel to calculate complex formulas, you'll need to understand the order of
operations.

The order of operations

Excel calculates formulas based on the following order of operations:

1. Operations enclosed in parentheses

2. Exponential calculations (to the power of)
3. Multiplication and division, whichever comes first
4. Addition and subtraction, whichever comes first

Example 1

The following example demonstrates how to use the order of operations to calculate a
formula:

Working with cell references

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 In order to maintain accurate formulas, it is necessary to understand how cell
references respond when
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you copy or fill them to new
cells in the worksheet.

Excel will interpret cell

references as
either relative or absolute.
By default, cell references
are relative references.
When copied or filled, they
change based on the relative
position of rows and
columns. If you copy a
formula (=A1+B1) into row 2,
the formula will change to become (=A2+B2).

Relative references

Relative references can save you time when you're repeating the same type of
calculation across multiple rows or columns.

In the following example, we're creating a formula with cell references in row 4 to
calculate the total cost of the electric bill and water bill for each month (B4=B2+B3). For the
upcoming months, we want to use the same formula with relative references (C2+C3,
D2+D3, E2+E3, etc.). For convenience, we can copy the formula in B4 into the rest of row 4,
and Excel will calculate the value of the bills for these months using relative references.

To create and copy a formula using relative references:

1. Select the first cell where you want to enter the formula (B4, for example).

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 2. Enter the formula to calculate the value you
want (B2+B3, for example).
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3. Press Enter. The formula will be calculated.

4. Select the cell you want to copy (B4, for example), then click the Copy command
from the Home tab.

5. Select the cells where you want to paste the formula, then click the Paste command
from the Home tab. You can also drag the fill handle to fill cells.

6. Your formula is copied to the selected cells as a relative reference (C4=C2+C3,

D4=D2+D3, E4=E2+E3, etc.), and the values are calculated.

Basic functions

A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using specific values in a

particular order. One of the key benefits of functions is that they can save you time because
you do not have to write the formula yourself. Excel has hundreds of functions to assist with
your calculations.

To use these functions correctly, you need to understand the different parts of a
function and how to create arguments in functions to calculate values and cell references.

The parts of a function

The order in which you insert a function is

important. Each function has a specific order—
called syntax—which must be followed in order
for the function to work correctly.

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 The basic syntax to create a formula with a function is to insert an equals sign
(=), function name (SUM, for example, is the function name for addition), and argument.
Arguments contain the information you want the formula to calculate, such as a range of cell
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references.

Working with arguments

Arguments must be enclosed in parentheses. Individual values or cell references inside

the parentheses are separated by either colons or commas.

 Colons create a reference to a range of cells.

For example, =AVERAGE(E19:E23) would calculate the average of the cell range
E19 through E23.

 Commas separate individual values, cell references, and cell ranges in

parentheses. If there is more than one argument, you must separate each argument
by a comma.
For example, =COUNT(C6:C14,C19:C23,C28) will count all the cells in the three
arguments that are included in parentheses.

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,
birth date, 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 birth date—to group birthdates by department.

Filtering data

Filters can be applied in 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 your results.

Charts

A chart is a tool you can use in Excel to communicate data graphically. Charts
allow your audience to see the meaning behind the numbers, and they make

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showing comparisons and trends much easier. In this lesson, you'll learn how
to insert charts and modify them so they communicate information effectively.
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Excel workbooks can contain a lot of data, and this data can often be difficult to
interpret. For example, where are the highest and lowest values? Are the numbers
increasing or decreasing?

The answers to questions like these can become much clearer when data is
represented as a chart. Excel has various types of charts, so you can choose one that most
effectively represents your data.

Chart tools

Once you insert a chart, a set of chart

tools arranged into three tabs will appear on the
Ribbon. These are only visible when the chart is
selected. You can use these three tabs to modify your chart.

What-if analysis

Excel includes many powerful tools to perform complex mathematical calculations,

including what-if analysis. This feature can help you experiment and answer questions with
your data, even when the data is incomplete. In this lesson, you'll learn how to use a what-if
analysis tool called Goal Seek.

Double-check your formulas

One of the most powerful features of Excel is the ability to create formulas. You can
use formulas to calculate new values, analyze data, and much more. But formulas also have
a downside: If you make even a small mistake when typing a formula, it can give an
incorrect result.

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 To make matters worse, your spreadsheet will not always tell you if a formula is
wrong. It will usually just go ahead and run the calculations and give you the wrong answer.
It's up to you to double-check your formulas whenever you create them.
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We've put together a list of tips you can use to help check formulas for accuracy.
These tips won't help you solve every problem you encounter, but they should provide you
with the tools to identify many common errors.

Check the references

Most formulas use at least one cell reference.

When you double-click a formula, it will highlight all of
the referenced cells. You can then double-check each
one to make sure they are correct.

Look for mix-ups

A common mistake is to use the correct cell references, but in the wrong order. For
example, if you want to subtract C2 from C3, the formula should be =C3-C2, not =C2-C3.

Break it up

If a formula is too complicated to check, try

breaking it up into several smaller formulas. This way,
you can check each formula for accuracy, and if there
are any problems you will know exactly where they
are.

Ballpark it

You can use your own experience, critical-thinking skills, and common sense to
estimate what the answer should be. If Excel gives you a much larger or smaller value than
expected, there may be a problem with your formula (or with the values in the cells).

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Note that this tip does not always work. In some cases, the wrong answer may be fairly close to the correct answer.
However, in many situations it can help you quickly catch a problem in your formula.

Check the arguments

If you're using a function, make sure each required argument is included. A small dialog box
should appear as you're typing the function to let you know what arguments are needed.

Walk through the order of operations

Remember the order of operations from math class? If not (or if you want a refresher),
you can check out our Complex Formulas lesson. Your spreadsheet will always use this
ordering, which means it doesn't just calculate a formula from left to right. In the example
below, the multiplication is calculated first, which isn't what we wanted. We could fix this
formula by enclosing D2+D3 in parentheses.

Switch to formula view

If you have a lot of formulas and functions

in your spreadsheet, you may want to switch
to formula view to see all of them at the same
time. Just hold the Ctrl key and press ` (grave accent). The grave accent key is usually
located in the upper-left corner of the keyboard. Press Ctrl+` again to switch back to normal
view.

Remember, it takes a lot of practice to master writing formulas. Even the most experienced
spreadsheet users encounter formula errors. If your formula doesn't work or produces an incorrect
value, don't panic! More often than not, there's probably a simple reason your formula resulted in an
error—once you find it, you'll be able to get your formula working correctly.

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What are number formats?

Whenever you're working with a spreadsheet, it's a good idea to use

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appropriate number formats for your data. Number formats tell your spreadsheet exactly
what type of data you're using, such as percentages (%), currency ($), times, dates, and so
on. For example, take a look at this spreadsheet, which uses a variety of number formats:

Why use number formats?

Number formats don't just make your spreadsheet easier to read—they also make it
easier to use. When you apply a number format, you're telling your spreadsheet exactly what
kinds of values are stored in a cell. For example, the date format tells the spreadsheet that
you're entering specific calendar dates. This allows the spreadsheet to better understand
your data, which can help ensure that your data remains consistent and that your formulas
are calculated correctly.

NOTE: If you don't need to use a specific number format, the spreadsheet will usually apply
the general number format by default. However, the general format may apply some small formatting changes
to your data.

Using number formats correctly

There's more to number formatting than

selecting cells and applying a format. Spreadsheets
can actually apply a lot of number
formatting automatically based on the way you enter
data. This means you'll need to enter data in a way
the program can understand, and then ensure that
those cells are using the proper number format. For
example, the image shows how to use number
formats correctly for dates, percentages, and times:

Percentage formats
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 One of the most helpful number formats is the percentage (%) format. It displays
values as percentages, such as 20% or 55%. This is especially helpful when calculating
things like the cost of sales tax or a tip. When you type a percent sign (%) after a number,
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the percentage number format will be applied to that cell automatically.

There are many times when percentage formatting will be useful. For example, in the
images below, notice how the sales tax rate is formatted differently for each spreadsheet (5,
5%, and 0.05):

As you can see, the calculation in the spreadsheet didn't work correctly. Without the
percentage number format, our spreadsheet thinks we want to multiply $22.50 by 5, not 5%.
And while the spreadsheet on the right still works without percentage formatting, the
spreadsheet in the middle is easier to read.

CONCATENATE function

The word concatenate is just another way of saying "to combine" or "to join together".
The CONCATENATE function allows you to combine text from different cells into one cell. In
our example, we can use it to combine the text in column A and column B to create a
combined name in a new column.

CONCATENATE lets you combine two or more things in one cell—and despite the long
name, it's actually easy to use. It works the same way in all versions of Excel, as well as in other
spreadsheet applications like Google Sheets.

NOTE: Before we start typing the formula, there's one important thing you need to know:

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 CONCATENATE will combine exactly what you tell it to combine, and nothing more. If
you want punctuation, spaces, or any other details to appear in the cell, you'll need to tell
CONCATENATE to include it. In this case, we want the names to have a space in between
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them (so it doesn't say Josephine Carter), so we'll need to add an argument that contains a
space. This means we'll need three arguments:

 B2 (first name)
 " " (a space in quotation marks)
 A2 (last name)
Now that we have our arguments, we can type the
following formula into cell E2:

=CONCATENATE(B2, “ ”, A2)

Just like any function, the syntax is important. Make sure to start with an equals sign, and
separate each argument with a comma.

Note: Depending on where you live, you may need to separate the arguments with a semicolon (;) instead of a
comma

Combining names

Let's say we have a spreadsheet of contact information with last names and first names
in separate columns, and we'd like to combine them to get each person's full name. In the
image, you can see that the first names are in column B and the last names are in column A.
Our formula will go in cell E2.

That's it! When you press Enter, it should

display the full name: Josephine Carter.

Now you can click and drag the fill handle

down through cell E11, and it should display
the full name for each person.

Combining numbers and text

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 You can even use CONCATENATE to combine numbers and text. For example, let's say
we're using Excel to keep track of a store's inventory. We currently have 25 apples in stock,
but 25 and apples are in separate cells. We want to combine them into one cell so that it looks
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like this:

To do this, we'll need to combine three things:

 F17 (number in stock)

 " " (space)
 F16 (product name)
Type the following formula into cell E19:

=CONCATENATE(F17, “ ”, F16)

Let's say we want it to say We have 25 apples. We'll just need to add an argument at the
beginning that says We have:

=CONCATENATE(“We have ”, F17, “ ”, F16)

NOTE: If you wanted to, you could add even more arguments to create more complex statements. Just keep in
mind that the syntax always needs to be exactly right, or the formula may not work—and it's easier to make a
mistake with a longer formula.

What exactly is VLOOKUP?

Basically, VLOOKUP lets you search for specific information in your spreadsheet. For
example, if you have a list of products with prices, you could search for the price of a specific
item.

We're going to use VLOOKUP to find the

price of the Photo frame. You can probably
already see that the price is $9.99, but that's
because this is a simple example. Once you

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learn how to use VLOOKUP, you'll be able to use it with larger, more complex spreadsheets,
and that's when it will become truly useful.
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We'll add our formula to cell E2, but you can add it to any blank cell. As with any formula,
you'll start with an equals sign (=). Then type the formula name. Our arguments will need to be
in parentheses, so type an open parenthesis. So far, it should look like this:

=VLOOKUP(

Adding the arguments

Now, we'll add our arguments. The arguments will tell VLOOKUP what to search for and
where to search.

The first argument is the name of the item you're searching for, which in this case is Photo
frame. Because the argument is text, we'll need to put it in double quotes:

=VLOOKUP("Photo frame"

The second argument is the cell range that contains the data. In this example, our data is in
A2:B16. As with any function, you'll need to use a comma to separate each argument:

=VLOOKUP("Photo frame", A2:B16

Note: It's important to know that VLOOKUP will always search the first column in this range. In this example, it will
search column A for "Photo frame". In some cases, you may need to move the columns around so the first column
contains the correct data.

The third argument is the column index number. It's simpler than it sounds: The first column in
the range is 1; the second column is 2, etc. In this case, we are trying to find the price of the
item, and the prices are contained in the second column. This means our third argument will
be 2:

=VLOOKUP("Photo frame", A2:B16, 2

The fourth argument tells VLOOKUP whether to look for approximate matches, and it can be
either TRUE or FALSE. If it is TRUE, it will look for approximate matches. Generally, this is only
useful if the first column has numerical values

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that have been sorted. Because we're only looking for exact matches, the fourth argument
should be FALSE. This is our last argument, so go ahead and close the parentheses:
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=VLOOKUP ("Photo frame", A2:B16, 2, FALSE)

That's it! When you press Enter, it should give you the answer, which is 9. 99.

Data validation
Data validation allows you to control
exactly what a user can enter into a cell. In
our example, we can use data validation to
ensure that the user chooses one of the
three possible shipping options. To make
things even easier, we can insert a drop-
down list of the possible options.

This kind of data validation allows you

to build a powerful, fool-proof spreadsheet.
Since users won't have to type in data
manually, the spreadsheet will be faster to
use, and there's a much lower chance that
someone can introduce an error. Depending on what spreadsheet program you're using, the
process of adding data validation will vary. We'll show you how to add data validation
in Microsoft Excel. But before we do this, we'll actually need to name the cell range first.
Naming cell ranges is one way to keep track of important cell ranges in your spreadsheet.

To create a data validation drop-down list (Excel 2007-2016):

1. Select the cell where you want the drop-down list to

appear. In our example, that's cell E6 on the Invoice
worksheet.
2. On the Data tab, click the Data Validation command.
3. A dialog box will appear. In the Allow: field, select List.

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 4. In the Source: field, type the equals sign (=) and
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the name of your range, and then click OK. In our
example, we'll type: =Ship Range.

5. A drop-down arrow will appear next to the

selected cell. Click the arrow to select the
desired option. In our example, we'll
select Standard. Alternatively, you
can type the shipping option, but Excel will
only accept it if it is spelled correctly.

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