Ms EXCEL

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EXCEL-BASICS

Definition:
Microsoft Excel is a very powerful spreadsheet application that is designed, primarily, to
perform mathematical calculations. It also can be used to create a simple (non-relational)
database or to create charts and graphs. The power behind Excel is that once formulas are
entered into a worksheet, calculations can be performed on data entered into the worksheet.

What is a spreadsheet (Worksheet)?

A spreadsheet is similar to working with tables—it has rows and columns, and the space where
these two intersect are called “cells”.

What are cells?


A cell reference is its location or “address” within spreadsheet and is identified by what column
it is located (which uses letters) and what row it is in (which uses numbers), such as A1 or E15.
You can tell which cell you’re currently working in using the following methods:
1) The “Name Box” displays the cell reference.
2) The cell is “highlighted” by a bold outline.
3) The column and row headings the cell is located in are highlighted.

NOTE:
1. Each new Excel file is referred to as a workbook.
2. Initially, each new workbook contains three separate pages called worksheets (Sheet1,
Sheet2, Sheet3).
3. The intersection of each row and column is called a cell.
4. Each cell can hold a text string, numbers, or a formula that performs calculations on one
or more other cells.
5. The cell name, or cell reference, is a combination of the cell’s column and row number.
For example:A1.
6. There are a total of 16,384 columns in each worksheet and 1,048,576 rows.
Column and7. Columns are identified by the letters A-Z. After the 26th column, column headings
Row headings become double letters (A-Z, AA-AZ, BA-BZ etc.), until 16, 384 columns ending at XFD
8. Formulas always start with the equals sign (=).
9. Text data is always automatically formatted to be left-justified in a cell and numeric data
is automatically right-justified.

Formatting in Excel
Cells can be formatted to change the way data displays in the worksheet. The default format for a
cell containing numeric data is General. This format displays the data to the greatest precision
possible without adding commas, dollar signs, or other formatting.
Additional formatting can be applied before or after data is entered by selecting the cells and/or
data you wish to format and choosing desired formats from the Format Cells dialog box that
opens from the Alignment group.
Many formatting styles are available.

Also most of the formatting tools in Excel 2007 will be found on the “Home” ribbon.
Unique formatting tools:
1) Vertical alignment – Since cells can be “taller” than the contents, it is possible to select
whether the cell contents is aligned at the top, middle, or bottom of a cell.

2) Orientation – it is also possible to angle text within a cell.

3) Wrap Text – because of the column widths, sometimes it makes sense to wrap text
within a cell instead.
Formulas
The Basics To create a formula in Excel, you always start with the equals sign (=).
The basic math operators are:
Addition  + Subtraction  - Multiplication  * Division  /
So to add the contents of 2 cells together, it would look like this: =B5+B6
Excel will usually calculate from left to right, for example: =B5+B6-C4+E8 B5 and B6 will
be added together, then C4 will be subtracted from that total, then E8 will be added.
However, Excel will usually do multiplication and/or division before it does addition and/or
subtraction.
So for example: =B5+B6*C4-E8 B6 and C4 will be multiplied first, then B5 will be added to
that, then E8 will be subtracted.
One method for “enforcing” the order that you want the math to be calculated, is to use
parenthesis, for example: =(B5+B6)*(C4-E8) This will cause B5 and B6 to added together,
then E8 subtracted from C4, and then the results of these two calculations will be multiplied
against each other.
(Note: Excel refers to this as the “Order of Operation”.)
Whenever you’re adding several consecutive cells together, it is possible to use a “range”
within your formula and the built-in function called “sum”.
For example, instead of typing in: =B5+B6+B7+B8 You could use: =SUM(B5:B8) This
function says to start with the cell B5 and add all the cells together until the last cell B8.
A really cool tool is the Autosum button. You can either select your range that you want add
together and then click on this button, or you can click on the button first and it will try to
“guess” what range of cells you want to add together.

CONDITIONAL FORMATTING
Conditional Formatting allows you to change the appearance of a cell, depending on certain
conditions.

Here's the spreadsheet we'll be working on.


 Open up your Student Exam spreadsheet
 Highlight the cells with Overall Grades, which should be cells B11 to I11

The Overall Averages range from 44 to 85. We'll colour each grade, depending on a scale. A
different colour will apply to the following grades:

 50 and below
 51 to 60
 61 to 70
 71 to 80
 81 and above

So five different bands, and a colour for each. To set the Conditional Formatting in Excel, do the
following:

 With your Overall Averages highlighted, click on the Home menu at the top of Excel
 Locate the Styles panel, and the Conditional Formatting item:

The Conditional Formatting menu gives you various options. The easiest one is the Colour
Scales option. Select one of these and Excel will colour the cell backgrounds for you:
The one we want is the second option, Format only cells that contain. This will allow us to set
up our values. When you click this option, the dialogue box changes to this:
The part we're interested in is the bottom part, under the heading Edit the Rule Description. It
says Cell Value and Between, in the drop down boxes. These are the ones we want. We only
need to type a value for the two boxes that are currently blank in the image above. We can then
click the Format button to choose a colour.

MS Excel: IF Function

In Excel, the IF function returns one value if a specified condition evaluates to TRUE, or another
value if it evaluates to FALSE.

The syntax for the IF function is:

IF( condition, [value_if_true], [value_if_false] )

condition is the value that you want to test.

value_if_true is optional. It is the value that is returned if condition evaluates to TRUE.

value_if_false is optional. It is the value that is return if condition evaluates to FALSE.


HOW TO USE IF CONDITION

1) Starting the IF Function

2) Entering the Logical Test Argument

3) Entering the Value If True Argument


4) Entering the Value If False Argument

Cell References: Relative and Absolute

Cell references are an important part of creating formulas in Excel. Using cell references allows
your formulas to update automatically if the value in a particular cell changes and can also assist
you in updating formulas as cells are copied or moved. There are two basic types of cell
references, each serving a different purpose.

 Relative Cell References


 Absolute Cell References

Relative Cell References

References that will change in relation to the new location of the formula. Relative references
identify cells based on their relationship to the cell containing the reference.

EXAMPLE: In the example shown here, the function in D2 calculates Bob's pay by multiplying
his hours (C2) by his rate of pay (B2). Since the rate of pay varies by student, we can use the Fill
Command to copy the function to the other rows in the spreadsheet. Because the cell references
are relative, the function will adjust to calculate the values in the appropriate rows. In other
words, when we copy the function to Anna's total, her pay will be based on C3*B3.
Absolute Cell References

References that remain the same when a formula is copied to a new location. No matter where
the formula or the values in the original cell are moved, the formula will continue to refer to the
same cell.

EXAMPLE: In the example shown here, the function in C11 calculates Bob's pay by multiplying
his hours (B11) by the rate of pay for all students (C9). Notice the $ before both the column and
row IDs ($C$9). By making the reference to the rate of pay an absolute reference, we can use the
Fill Command to copy the function to the other rows in the spreadsheet. The same rate of pay
will be multiplied by the appropriate hours for each student. In other words, when we copy the
function to Anna's total, her pay will be based on B12*$C$9.

Relative and absolute cell references can be used in all situations that require cell references,
including cell ranges and formulas.

A formula, cell range, or cell reference can have both relative and absolute components. By
adding a dollar sign ($) before either the column or row location or both, that reference becomes
absolute. When adding dollar signs to cell references, only the portion of the reference directly
following the dollar sign is absolute. To keep the entire cell reference constant, place a dollar
sign before both the column and row location.
EXAMPLE: $A$12

To make a cell reference absolute:


1. Within the formula, before the part of the reference (i.e., row or column reference) that
you would like to be absolute, type $
OR
In the Formula bar
a. Click within the cell reference you want to change
b. Windows: Press [F4]

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