Lesson 1: Entering Text and Numbers: The Microsoft Excel Window
Lesson 1: Entering Text and Numbers: The Microsoft Excel Window
Lesson 1: Entering Text and Numbers: The Microsoft Excel Window
This lesson will introduce you to the Excel window. You use the window to interact with Excel. To begin this lesson,
start Microsoft Excel 2007. The Microsoft Excel window appears and your screen looks similar to the one shown
here.
Note: Your screen will probably not look exactly like the screen shown. In Excel 2007, how a window displays
depends on the size of your window, the size of your monitor, and the resolution to which your monitor is set.
Resolution determines how much information your computer monitor can display. If you use a low resolution, less
information fits on your screen, but the size of your text and images are larger. If you use a high resolution, more
information fits on your screen, but the size of the text and images are smaller. Also, settings in Excel 2007, Windows
Vista, and Windows XP allow you to change the color and style of your windows.
In the upper-left corner of the Excel 2007 window is the Microsoft Office button. When you click the button, a menu
appears. You can use the menu to create a new file, open an existing file, save a file, and perform many other tasks.
The Quick Access Toolbar
Next to the Microsoft Office button is the Quick Access toolbar. The Quick Access toolbar gives you with access to
commands you frequently use. By default, Save, Undo, and Redo appear on the Quick Access toolbar. You can use
Save to save your file, Undo to roll back an action you have taken, and Redo to reapply an action you have rolled
back.
Next to the Quick Access toolbar is the Title bar. On the Title bar, Microsoft Excel displays the name of the workbook
you are currently using. At the top of the Excel window, you should see "Microsoft Excel - Book1" or a similar name.
The Ribbon
You use commands to tell Microsoft Excel what to do. In Microsoft Excel 2007, you use the Ribbon to issue
commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the Excel window, below the Quick Access toolbar. At the top of the
Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays several related command groups. Within each group are related
command buttons. You click buttons to issue commands or to access menus and dialog boxes. You may also find a
dialog box launcher in the bottom-right corner of a group. When you click the dialog box launcher, a dialog box makes
additional commands available.
Worksheets
Microsoft Excel consists of worksheets. Each worksheet contains columns and rows. The columns are lettered A to Z
and then continuing with AA, AB, AC and so on; the rows are numbered 1 to 1,048,576. The number of columns and
rows you can have in a worksheet is limited by your computer memory and your system resources.
The combination of a column coordinate and a row coordinate make up a cell address. For example, the cell located
in the upper-left corner of the worksheet is cell A1, meaning column A, row 1. Cell E10 is located under column E on
row 10. You enter your data into the cells on the worksheet.
Formula Bar
If the Formula bar is turned on, the cell address of the cell you are in displays in the Name box which is located on
the left side of the Formula bar. Cell entries display on the right side of the Formula bar. If you do not see the Formula
bar in your window, perform the following steps:
Note: The current cell address displays on the left side of the Formula bar.
The Status bar appears at the very bottom of the Excel window and provides such information as the sum, average,
minimum, and maximum value of selected numbers. You can change what displays on the Status bar by right-clicking
on the Status bar and selecting the options you want from the Customize Status Bar menu. You click a menu item to
select it. You click it again to deselect it. A check mark next to an item means the item is selected.
EXERCISE 1
Press the down arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves downward one cell at a time.
Press the up arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves upward one cell at a time.
The Tab Key
Hold down the Shift key and then press Tab. Note that the cursor moves to the left one cell at a time.
1. Press the right arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the right.
2. Press the left arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the left.
1. Press the Page Down key. Note that the cursor moves down one page.
2. Press the Page Up key. Note that the cursor moves up one page.
Go To Cells Quickly
The following are shortcuts for moving quickly from one cell in a worksheet to a cell in a different part of the
worksheet.
EXERCISE 2
Go to -- F5
The F5 function key is the "Go To" key. If you press the F5 key, you are prompted for the cell to which you wish to go.
Enter the cell address, and the cursor jumps to that cell.
Go to -- Ctrl+G
1. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "g" (Ctrl+g). The Go To dialog box opens.
2. Type C4 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell C4.
Select Cells
If you wish to perform a function on a group of cells, you must first select those cells by highlighting them. The
exercises that follow teach you how to select.
EXERCISE 3
Select Cells
1. Go to cell A1.
2. Press the F8 key. This anchors the cursor.
3. Note that "Extend Selection" appears on the Status bar in the lower-left corner of the window. You are in the
Extend mode.
4. Click in cell E7. Excel highlights cells A1 to E7.
5. Press Esc and click anywhere on the worksheet to clear the highlighting.
You can also select an area by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse over the area. In
addition, you can select noncontiguous areas of the worksheet by doing the following:
1. Go to cell A1.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key. You won't release it until step 9. Holding down the Ctrl key enables you to select
noncontiguous areas of the worksheet.
3. Press the left mouse button.
4. While holding down the left mouse button, use the mouse to move from cell A1 to C5.
5. Continue to hold down the Ctrl key, but release the left mouse button.
6. Using the mouse, place the cursor in cell D7.
7. Press the left mouse button.
8. While holding down the left mouse button, move to cell F10. Release the left mouse button.
9. Release the Ctrl key. Cells A1 to C5 and cells D7 to F10 are selected.
10. Press Esc and click anywhere on the worksheet to remove the highlighting.
Enter Data
In this section, you will learn how to enter data into your worksheet. First, place the cursor in the cell in which you
want to start entering data. Type some data, and then press Enter. If you need to delete, press the Backspace key to
delete one character at a time.
EXERCISE 4
Enter Data
1. Place the cursor in cell A1.
2. Type John Jordan. Do not press Enter at this time.
Delete Data
Edit a Cell
After you enter data into a cell, you can edit the data by pressing F2 while you are in the cell you wish to edit.
EXERCISE 5
Edit a Cell
You can also edit the cell by using the Formula bar. You change "Jones" to "Joker" in the following exercise.
Typing in a cell replaces the old cell entry with the new information you type.
Wrap Text
When you type text that is too long to fit in the cell, the text overlaps the next cell. If you do not want it to overlap the
next cell, you can wrap the text.
EXERCISE 6
Wrap Text
Save a File
This is the end of Lesson1. To save your file:
Close Excel
Close Microsoft Excel.
+ Addition
- Subtraction
* Multiplication
/ Division
^ Exponential
In the following exercises, you practice some of the methods you can use to move around a worksheet and you learn
how to perform mathematical calculations. Refer to Lesson 1 to learn more about moving around a worksheet.
EXERCISE 1
Addition
1. Type Add in cell A1.
2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
3. Type 1 in cell A2.
4. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
5. Type 1 in cell A3.
6. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
7. Type =A2+A3 in cell A4.
8. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel adds cell A1 to cell A2 and displays the result in cell A4. The
formula displays on the Formula bar.
Note: Clicking the check mark on the Formula bar is similar to pressing Enter. Excel records your entry but does not
move to the next cell.
Subtraction
Multiplication
1. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "g" (Ctrl+g). The Go To dialog box appears.
2. Type C1 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell C1
4. Type Multiply.
5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
6. Type 2 in cell C2.
7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
8. Type 3 in cell C3.
9. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
10. Type =C2*C3 in cell C4.
11. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel multiplies C1 by cell C2 and displays the result in cell C3.
The formula displays on the Formula bar.
Division
1. Press F5.
2. Type D1 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell D1.
4. Type Divide.
5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
6. Type 6 in cell D2.
7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
8. Type 3 in cell D3.
9. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
10. Type =D2/D3 in cell D4.
11. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel divides cell D2 by cell D3 and displays the result in cell D4.
The formula displays on the Formula bar.
When creating formulas, you can reference cells and include numbers. All of the following formulas are valid:
=A2/B2
=A1+12-B3
=A2*B2+12
=24+53
AutoSum
You can use the AutoSum button on the Home tab to automatically add a column or row of numbers. When you
press the AutoSum button , Excel selects the numbers it thinks you want to add. If you then click the check mark
on the Formula bar or press the Enter key, Excel adds the numbers. If Excel's guess as to which numbers you want
to add is wrong, you can select the cells you want.
EXERCISE 2
AutoSum
1. Go to cell F1.
2. Type 3.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
4. Type 3.
5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
6. Type 3.
7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell to cell F4.
8. Choose the Home tab.
9. Click the AutoSum button in the Editing group. Excel selects cells F1 through F3 and enters a formula in
cell F4.
10. Press Enter. Excel adds cells F1 through F3 and displays the result in cell F4.
EXERCISE 3
Automatic Calculation
Make the changes described below and note how Microsoft Excel automatically recalculates.
1. Move to cell A2.
2. Type 2.
3. Press the right arrow key. Excel changes the result in cell A4. Excel adds cell A2 to cell A3 and the new
result appears in cell A4.
4. Move to cell B2.
5. Type 8.
6. Press the right arrow key. Excel subtracts cell B3 from cell B3 and the new result appears in cell B4.
7. Move to cell C2.
8. Type 4.
9. Press the right arrow key. Excel multiplies cell C2 by cell C3 and the new result appears in cell C4.
10. Move to cell D2.
11. Type 12.
12. Press the Enter key. Excel divides cell D2 by cell D3 and the new result appears in cell D4.
EXERCISE 4
Center
Left-Align
Right-Align
Note: You can also change the alignment of cells with numbers in them by using the alignment buttons.
EXERCISE 5
Advanced Calculations
Note: Microsoft Excel divides 12 by 2, multiplies the answer by 4, adds 3, and then adds another 3. The answer, 30,
displays in cell A7.
To change the order of calculation, use parentheses. Microsoft Excel calculates the information in parentheses first.
Note: Microsoft Excel adds 3 plus 3 plus 12, divides the answer by 2, and then multiplies the result by 4. The answer,
36, displays in cell A7.
You can use Excel's Cut feature to remove information from a worksheet. Then you can use the Paste feature to
place the information you cut anywhere in the same or another worksheet. In other words, you can move information
from one place in a worksheet to another place in the same or different worksheet by using the Cut and Paste
features.
Microsoft Excel records cell addresses in formulas in three different ways, called absolute, relative, and mixed. The
way a formula is recorded is important when you copy it. With relative cell addressing, when you copy a formula from
one area of the worksheet to another, Excel records the position of the cell relative to the cell that originally contained
the formula. With absolute cell addressing, when you copy a formula from one area of the worksheet to another,
Excel references the same cells, no matter where you copy the formula. You can use mixed cell addressing to keep
the row constant while the column changes, or vice versa. The following exercises demonstrate.
EXERCISE 6
In addition to typing a formula as you did in Lesson 1, you can also enter formulas by using Point mode. When you
are in Point mode, you can enter a formula either by clicking on a cell or by using the arrow keys.
5. Click the Paste button in the Clipboard group. Excel pastes the formula in cell A12 into cell B12.
6. Press the Esc key to exit the Copy mode.
Compare the formula in cell A12 with the formula in cell B12 (while in the respective cell, look at the Formula bar).
The formulas are the same except that the formula in cell A12 sums the entries in column A and the formula in cell
B12 sums the entries in column B. The formula was copied in a relative fashion.
Before proceeding with the next part of the exercise, you must copy the information in cells A7 to B9 to cells C7 to
D9. This time you will copy by using the Mini toolbar.
Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that enable you to perform tasks by using the keyboard. Generally, you
press and hold down a key while pressing a letter. For example, Ctrl+c means you should press and hold down the
Ctrl key while pressing "c." This tutorial notates key combinations as follows:
Press Ctrl+c.
Now copy the formula from C12 to D12. This time, copy by using keyboard shortcuts.
You use mixed cell addressing to reference a cell when you want to copy part of it absolute and part relative. For
example, the row can be absolute and the column relative. You can use the F4 key to create a mixed cell reference.
The keyboard shortcut for Cut is Ctrl+x. The steps for cutting and pasting with a keyboard shortcut are:
EXERCISE 7
To insert a column:
To insert rows:
Create Borders
You can use borders to make entries in your Excel worksheet stand out. You can choose from several types of
borders. When you press the down arrow next to the Border button , a menu appears. By making the proper
selection from the menu, you can place a border on the top, bottom, left, or right side of the selected cells; on all
sides; or around the outside border. You can have a thick outside border or a border with a single-line top and a
double-line bottom. Accountants usually place a single underline above a final number and a double underline below.
The following illustrates:
EXERCISE 8
Create Borders
1. Select cells B6 to E6.
3. Click the down arrow next to the Borders button . A menu appears.
4. Click Top and Double Bottom Border. Excel adds the border you chose to the selected cells.
EXERCISE 9
1. Go to cell B2.
2. Type Sample Worksheet.
3. Click the check mark on the Formula bar.
4. Select cells B2 to E2.
5. Choose the Home tab.
6. Click the Merge and Center button in the Alignment group. Excel merges cells B2, C2, D2, and E2 and
then centers the content.
Note: To unmerge cells:
EXERCISE 10
EXERCISE 11
EXERCISE 12
Move to a New Worksheet
Click Sheet2 in the lower-left corner of the screen. Excel moves to Sheet2.
In the exercises that follow, you will learn different methods you can use to bold, italicize, and underline.
EXERCISE 13
Microsoft Excel provides two types of underlines. The exercises that follow illustrate them.
Single Underline:
1. Type Italic in cell B2. Note: Because you previously entered the word Italic in column B, Excel may enter
the word in the cell automatically after you type the letter I. Excel does this to speed up your data entry.
2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "i" (Ctrl+i). Excel italicizes the contents of the cell.
4. Press Ctrl+i again if you wish to remove the italic formatting.
EXERCISE 14
EXERCISE 15
You can also change the column width with the cursor.
1. Place the mouse pointer on the line between the B and C column headings. The mouse pointer should look
like the one displayed here , with two arrows.
2. Move your mouse to the right while holding down the left mouse button. The width indicator
appears on the screen.
3. Release the left mouse button when the width indicator shows approximately 20. Excel increases the
column width to 20.
Format Numbers
You can format the numbers you enter into Microsoft Excel. For example, you can add commas to separate
thousands, specify the number of decimal places, place a dollar sign in front of a number, or display a number as a
percent.
EXERCISE 16
Format Numbers
7. Click the Comma Style button . Excel separates thousands with a comma.
8. Click the Accounting Number Format button . Excel adds a dollar sign to your number.
9. Click twice on the Increase Decimal button to change the number format to four decimal places.
10. Click the Decrease Decimal button if you wish to decrease the number of decimal places.
Change a decimal to a percent.
This is the end of Lesson 2. You can save and close your file. See Lesson 1 to learn how to save and close a file.
Lesson 3: Creating Excel Functions, Filling Cells, and
Printing
By using functions, you can quickly and easily make many useful calculations, such as finding an average, the
highest number, the lowest number, and a count of the number of items in a list. Microsoft Excel has many functions
that you can use.
A range reference refers to all the cells between and including the reference. A range reference consists of two cell
addresses separated by a colon. The reference A1:A3 includes cells A1, A2, and A3. The reference A1:C3 includes
cells A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and C3.
A union reference includes two or more references. A union reference consists of two or more numbers, range
references, or cell addresses separated by a comma. The reference A7,B8:B10,C9,10 refers to cells A7, B8 to B10,
C9 and the number 10.
Understanding Functions
Functions are prewritten formulas. Functions differ from regular formulas in that you supply the value but not the
operators, such as +, -, *, or /. For example, you can use the SUM function to add. When using a function, remember
the following:
Enclose arguments within parentheses. Arguments are values on which you want to perform the calculation. For
example, arguments specify the numbers or cells you want to add.
=SUM(2,13,A1,B2:C7)
In this function:
EXERCISE 1
Functions
12. Type C1:C3 in the Number1 field, if it does not automatically appear.
13. Click OK. The sum of cells C1 to C3, which is 300, appears.
Format worksheet
As you learned in Lesson 2, you can also calculate a sum by using the AutoSum button .
Calculate an Average
You can use the AVERAGE function to calculate the average of a series of numbers.
1. Move to cell A6.
2. Type Average. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B6.
3. Type =AVERAGE(B1:B3).
4. Press Enter. The average of cells B1 to B3, which is 21, appears.
In Microsoft Excel, you can use the AutoSum button to calculate an average.
You can use the MIN function to find the lowest number in a series of numbers.
Note: You can also use the drop-down button next to the AutoSum button to calculate minimums, maximums,
and counts.
You can use the MAX function to find the highest number in a series of numbers.
.
You can use the count function to count the number of numbers in a series.
EXERCISE 2
1. Click the Auto Fill Options button. The Auto Fill Options menu appears.
2. Choose the Copy Cells radio button. The entry in cells A1 and B1 are copied to all the highlighted cells.
3. Click the Auto Fill Options button again.
4. Choose the Fill Series radio button. The cells fill as a series from Sunday to Saturday again.
5. Click the Auto Fill Options button again.
6. Choose the Fill Without Formatting radio button. The cells fill as a series from Sunday to Saturday, but the
entries are not bolded.
7. Click the Auto Fill Options button again.
8. Choose the Fill Weekdays radio button. The cells fill as a series from Monday to Friday.
Some of the entries in column B are too long to fit in the column. You can quickly adjust the column width to fit the
longest entry.
1. Move your mouse pointer over the line that separates column B and C. The Width Indicator appears.
After you complete the remainder of the exercise, your worksheet will look like the one shown here.
Fill Times
Fill Numbers
1. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells D1 to D14. The number 1 fills each cell.
2. Click the Auto Fill Options button.
3. Choose the Fill Series radio button. The cells fill as a series, starting with 1, 2, 3.
1. Go to cell E1.
2. Type Lesson 1.
3. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells E1 to E14. The cells fill in as a series: Lesson
1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, and so on.
You can type in your header or footer or you can use predefined headers and footers. To find predefined headers
and footers, click the Header or Footer button or use the Header & Footer Elements group's buttons. When you
choose a header or footer by clicking the Header or Footer button, Excel centers your choice. The table shown here
describes each of the Header & Footer Elements group button options.
EXERCISE 3
Margins define the amount of white space that appears on the top, bottom, left, and right edges of your document.
The Margin option on the Page Layout tab provides several standard margin sizes from which you can choose.
There are two page orientations: portrait and landscape. Paper, such as paper sized 8 1/2 by 11, is longer on one
edge than it is on the other. If you print in Portrait, the shortest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page.
Portrait is the default option. If you print in Landscape, the longest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page.
Portrait
Landscape
Paper comes in a variety of sizes. Most business correspondence uses 8 1/2 by 11 paper, which is the default page
size in Excel. If you are not using 8 1/2 by 11 paper, you can use the Size option on the Page Layout tab to change
the Size setting.
EXERCISE 4
Print
The simplest way to print is to click the Office button, highlight Print on the menu that appears, and then click Quick
Print in the Preview and Print the Document pane. Dotted lines appear on your screen, and your document prints.
The dotted lines indicate the right, left, top, and bottom edges of your printed pages.
You can also use the Print Preview option to print. When using Print Preview, you can see onscreen how your printed
document will look when you print it. If you click the Page Setup button while in Print Preview mode, you can set page
settings such as centering your data on the page.
If your document is several pages long, you can use the Next Page and Previous Page buttons to move forward and
backward through your document. If you check the Show Margins check box, you will see margin lines on your
document. You can click and drag the margin markers to increase or decrease the size of your margins. To return to
Excel, click the Close Print Preview button.
You click the Print button when you are ready to print. The Print dialog box appears. You can choose to print the
entire worksheet or specific pages. If you want to print specific pages, enter the page numbers in the From and To
fields. You can enter the number of copies you want to print in the Number of Copies field.
EXERCISE 5
This is the end of Lesson 3. You can save and close your file.
Lesson 4: Creating Charts
In Microsoft Excel, you can represent numbers in a chart. On the Insert tab, you can choose from a variety of chart
types, including column, line, pie, bar, area, and scatter. The basic procedure for creating a chart is the same no
matter what type of chart you choose. As you change your data, your chart will automatically update.
You select a chart type by choosing an option from the Insert tab's Chart group. After you choose a chart type, such
as column, line, or bar, you choose a chart sub-type. For example, after you choose Column Chart, you can choose
to have your chart represented as a two-dimensional chart, a three-dimensional chart, a cylinder chart, a cone chart,
or a pyramid chart. There are further sub-types within each of these categories. As you roll your mouse pointer over
each option, Excel supplies a brief description of each chart sub-type.
Create a Chart
To create the column chart shown above, start by creating the worksheet below exactly as shown.
After you have created the worksheet, you are ready to create your chart.
EXERCISE 1
Create a Column Chart
1. Select cells A3 to D6. You must select all the cells containing the data you want in your chart. You should
also include the data labels.
2. Choose the Insert tab.
3. Click the Column button in the Charts group. A list of column chart sub-types types appears.
4. Click the Clustered Column chart sub-type. Excel creates a Clustered Column chart and the Chart Tools
context tabs appear.
You can determine what your chart displays by choosing a layout. For example, the layout you choose determines
whether your chart displays a title, where the title displays, whether your chart has a legend, where the legend
displays, whether the chart has axis labels and so on. Excel provides several layouts from which you can choose.
EXERCISE 2
Add Labels
When you apply a layout, Excel may create areas where you can insert labels. You use labels to give your chart a
title or to label your axes. When you applied layout 5, Excel created label areas for a title and for the vertical axis.
EXERCISE 3
Add labels
Before After
1. Select Chart Title. Click on Chart Title and then place your cursor before the C in Chart and hold down the
Shift key while you use the right arrow key to highlight the words Chart Title.
2. Type Toy Sales. Excel adds your title.
3. Select Axis Title. Click on Axis Title. Place your cursor before the A in Axis. Hold down the Shift key while
you use the right arrow key to highlight the words Axis Title.
4. Type Sales. Excel labels the axis.
5. Click anywhere on the chart to end your entry.
Switch Data
If you want to change what displays in your chart, you can switch from row data to column data and vice versa.
EXERCISE 4
Switch Data
Before After
EXERCISE 5
EXERCISE 6
Change the Size and Position of a Chart
EXERCISE 7
EXERCISE 8
You have reached the end of Lesson 4. You can save and close your file.