Excel

Basics to Advanced
Design Robust Spreadsheet Applications
Powered with Formatting, Advanced Calculations, Charts, Pivot
Tables, and Macros.

Chandraish Sinha

www.ohiocomputeracademy.com
Legal Notes
Copyright © 2023 Books District Publication.
First Edition.
ISBN: 978-0-9992449-6-8
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced,
stored in a retrieval system, copied, printed, modified, or shared
by any means without prior written permission of the
author, except in the case of brief quotations embedded in
critical articles or reviews.
Every effort has been made to make this book as complete and
accurate as possible. However, there may be mistakes, both
typographical and in content. The information contained in this
book is sold without warranty, either express or implied.
Neither the author nor publisher will be held liable for any
damages caused or alleged to be caused directly or indirectly
by this book.
The content in the book should be used only as a general guide
and not an ultimate source for MS Excel implementations.
Some topics may seem similar to other published sources, but this is only due to the
commonality presented by the topics.
 Dedicated to
Ishie
My daughter, who excels in every little thing she does…
 About the Author
Chandraish Sinha is the Founder/President of Ohio Computer Academy, a company
dedicated to IT education.
An IT training enthusiast, Chandraish resonates with his company’s slogan - Inspire, Educate
and Evolve. He is a Business Intelligence learner and explorer, with a strong background in
implementing multiple large and medium-scale BI solutions.
Throughout his 22-year career, Chandraish has worked with a variety of Business
Intelligence and dashboarding applications, such as Tableau, Power BI, Qlik View, Qlik
Sense, IBM Cognos, Business Objects, and Actuate. His passion for data leads him to
explore applications that provide better data insights.
Chandraish is an accomplished author with multiple published books on various topics. To
view his Amazon author profile, visit amazon.com/author/ chandraishsinha.
He actively maintains his blogs, where he regularly shares insights and knowledge on
applications such as MS Excel, Tableau, Power BI, and QlikView. Readers can find his blogs
at the following links:
• https://ohiocomputeracademy.com/category/msexcel/
• https://ohiocomputeracademy.com/category/tableau/
• https://ohiocomputeracademy.com/category/power-bi/
• https://www.learntableaupublic.com/
• https://www.learnallbi.com/
Connect with him on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/chandraishsinha
 Other books by the author:
1. Dashboarding with Tableau
2. Mastering Power BI
3. Tableau Unlimited
4. Implementing Tableau Server
5. Tableau 10 for Beginners
6. Tableau Dashboards: Step by Step guide to developing visualizations in Tableau 9.2
7. Tableau Questions & Answers: Guide to Tableau concepts and FAQs
8. QlikView Essentials
9. QlikView Questions and Answers: Guide to QlikView and FAQs
10. How to be a Successful IT Professional in the USA: A Checklist and Easy Guide
to Success
 Acknowledgement
My earnest thanks to all my readers who have supported my books so far and inspired
me to pursue further. I personally read all their reviews and feedback.
I am grateful to the entire Microsoft community at large for creating numerous blogs,
videos, and other content. They provide immense learning and exploring opportunities.
I extend my sincere thanks to my students for asking challenging questions and
encouraging me to learn more.
Book writing involves the effort of many people, and I am thankful to all of them for
providing the necessary assistance.
 Preface
Microsoft Excel is the popular application due to its versatile features and capabilities. Its useful
features, data manipulation capabilities, PivotTables, and powerful functions empower users to
efficiently organize, analyze, and present data in various formats.
Having worked in different Business Intelligence applications, including Tableau, Power BI, and
Qlik, I've come to realize that Excel is the building block for BI and data analysis. In fact, these
applications heavily rely on Excel. Additionally, organizations use Excel to test the reports and
dashboards designed in these applications.
Excel is essential for anyone starting a career in Information Technology, as it forms the basis of
databases and helps in understanding how functions work in calculations.
This book introduces readers to the basics and gradually advances to deeper concepts. A sincere
attempt has been made to cover all the aspects of MS Excel from start to finish.
The technique I have followed in this book is to explain the concept followed by a hands-on
exercise. All the data and solution files are provided. Readers can follow the steps provided in
the book and create their own spreadsheets.
This book can be used with any version of Excel. The basic workings of Excel have not changed
over the years, but new features get added with the newer versions.
The goal of this book is to provide readers with a comprehensive and practical resource that will
not only improve their Excel skills but also empower them to leverage Excel as a valuable tool in
personal and professional endeavors. I have taken care to explain concepts in a clear and
straightforward manner, making this book suitable for both self-study and as a reference guide.
 Over the 11 chapters in this book, you will learn the following:
Chapter 1 covers the basics of MS Excel and explains all the
important terminologies. It assists in installing the application and provides detail
explanations of the ribbon and other functionalities such as Sorting, Filtering, Printing and
more.
Chapter 2 explains how to format data in an Excel spreadsheet. It also covers conditional
formatting in Excel.
Chapter 3 Introduces the readers to the formulas and calculations. It also explains the
concept of different types of cell references and their usefulness in creating calculations.
Chapter 4 deals with Logical functions and how they are used in performing logical tests
using IF, AND, and OR functions.
Chapter 5 discusses Text functions in Excel and how to perform string manipulation using
functions like LEFT, RIGHT, LEN, CONCAT, and more.
Chapter 6 explains DateTime functions in Excel. It starts with how dates are represented in
Excel and how to use different date functions.
Chapter 7 takes a deep dive into Mathematical functions such as COUNT, SUM, SUMIFS,
and more.
Chapter 8 covers in detail the Lookup and Reference functions such as VLOOKUP,
LOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH.
Chapter 9 explains Pivot tables and charts. Pivot tables are essential for aggregating and
analyzing data, and charts are used to present data visually.
Chapter 10 covers Excel tables, which provide added functionality on the range of cells. It
explains how to create an Excel table and use to them to analyze the data.
Chapter 11 introduces Macros in Excel, which are used to automate the repetitive tasks.
The chapter explains how to record and run a Macro.

How to use this book:

The book comes with enclosed datasets providing practice workbooks and solution workbooks.
The practice workbooks are located in the Data/Practice folder, and the solution workbooks are
available in the Data/Solutions folder. Download the Data folder to access these files.
Readers are encouraged to use the practice workbooks and perform the exercises by following
the steps provided in the book. Readers can refer to the solutions for the output.
 Downloading the code
Please follow the link given below to download the
Data files. The folder contains both practice and solution files:

https://ohiocomputeracademy.com/ms-excel-basics-to-advanced/

Password: MS@Excel

Errata
In creating this work, any unforeseen errors might have occurred. If any readers encounter
difficulties due to processing errors, please write to us at:
[email protected]
with subject line: Errata Excel Basics to Advanced

Your support, suggestions, and feedbacks are highly appreciated by the Author.
He personally reads and responds to all messages.
 Table of Contents
1.MS Excel Fundamentals
Introducing MS Excel
Importance of MS Excel
MS Excel Terminology
Installation
Installation of Office 365
Understanding the ribbon
Ribbon Tabs
Understanding the Workbook
Creating your first Workbook
Auto fill
Flash fill
Copy data from one sheet to another
Saving the Excel Workbook
Freeze Pane
Sorting
Filtering the data
Task bar
Printing in Excel
Printing Options
2.Formatting in Excel
Cell Formatting in MS Excel
Format Cells
Conditional Formatting
Custom Conditional Formatting
3.Introduction to Formulas
Overview of Formulas
Cell Reference
Relative Cell reference
Absolute Cell reference
Mixed Cell reference
3-D reference
R1C1 reference
Copy values of a Formula
4.Logical Functions
Overview of Logical Functions
The IF function
The AND function
The OR function
The NOT function
The IFERROR function
5.Text Functions
Overview of Text Functions
The LEFT, RIGHT, and MID function
 The LEFT function
The RIGHT function
The MID function
The LEN function
The CONCAT function
6.DateTime Functions
Overview of Dates
Add or subtract days from dates
The EDATE function
The DATE, YEAR, MONTH, and DAY functions
The DATE function
The YEAR function
The MONTH function
The DAY function
Calculating Quarters
TODAY, NOW, and TIME functions
TODAY and NOW functions
The TIME function
7.Mathematical Functions
The COUNT functions
COUNT function
COUNTA function
COUNTIF function
The SUM functions
SUM function
SUMIF function
SUMIFS function
8.Lookup and Reference
The VLOOKUP function
How it works
VLOOKUP features
Look up value in the same sheet
Look up value in different sheets
Look up value in different workbooks
The LOOKUP function
The INDEX function
The MATCH function
Combining INDEX and MATCH function
9.Pivot tables and Charts
Understanding Pivot Tables
Pivot Table Interface
Creating Pivot table
Charts in Excel
Standard Charts
Pivot Charts
Updating PivotTable Data
 Updating the PivotTable with New Data Rows
Automatically Updating the PivotTable on open
10.Excel Table
Overview of Excel Tables
Creating an Excel table
SubTotal function
SUBTOTAL vs. SUM
11.Introduction to Excel Macros
Overview of Macros
Enabling the Developer tab
Recording a Macro
Visual basic code for Macros
Index
 Chapter 1
MS Excel Fundamentals
MS Excel or Microsoft Excel is a popular spreadsheet application that empowers users to
organize, analyze, and manipulate data efficiently. This chapter will begin by exploring the user
interface, including ribbon, Worksheets, and Cells. Additionally, it will cover data entry and
demonstrate how to perform filtering and sorting operations.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

Introducing MS Excel
Installation
Understanding the ribbon
Understanding the workbook
Creating your first Excel workbook
Freeze Pane
Sorting
Filtering the data
Task bar
Printing in Excel

Introducing MS Excel
MS Excel stands for Microsoft Excel, is a spreadsheet program developed by Microsoft
Corporation. It is a part of the MS Office suite of business applications and enables users to
format, organize, and perform calculations on data in a spreadsheet format. Excel was first
launched in 1985.
Importance of MS Excel
MS Excel is utilized by organizations in a variety of ways. Some of the usages of MS excel
include:

Data storage: MS Excel's vast grid allows for storing large amounts of data,
making it ideal for data storage purposes.
Data validation: The built-in functionalities in MS Excel facilitate quick and
efficient data validation.
Data analysis: Excel's ability to generate reports and charts makes it valuable for
data analysis tasks.
Creating wireframes: Excel can be utilized to create wireframes for website
designs and dashboard layouts.
Day-to-day tasks: MS Excel is handy for various day-to-day tasks like creating
attendance reports, accounting, and time management.
Basis for learning other applications: Proficiency in MS Excel can serve as a
foundation for learning other tools and applications, including database
management and reporting platforms like Tableau and Power BI.

MS Excel is a powerful and versatile spreadsheet application that plays a crucial role in various
organizations and industries. Moreover, MS Excel serves as a stepping stone for learning more
advanced applications and tools, making it an essential skill in today's data-driven world.

MS Excel Terminology
A good knowledge of the terminology and keywords used in MS Excel are essential in order to
master the application. Some common terms are listed in Table 1.1 MS Excel Terminology,
below.
 Table:1.1 MS Excel Terminology.
Terminology Description
Workbook A design file created in Excel is called a Workbook. One
workbook can contain multiple worksheets.
Worksheet An individual spreadsheet in a workbook.
XLS/XLSX The commonly used extensions of an Excel file are XLS/XLSX.
XLS is the default file format from Excel 97-2003, and XLSX is
the default format for Excel 2007 and later.
Data Data entered on a spreadsheet can be a number, text, or an image.
Rows/Columns The data in a worksheet is stored in row and column format. Rows
are horizontal, and columns are vertical.
Cell The data is entered/stored in a cell, which is an intersection of a
row and column.
Cell reference It is a combination of row (number) and column (letter) that
/address identifies the position of a cell on a spreadsheet.
Formula Uses the built-in functions in Excel and perform computations
such mathematical, string, logical, etc.
Pivot table A Pivot table is used to summarize the data present in the
spreadsheet.
Pivot charts The graphical representation of the summarized data is done using
charts.
Sort Arranging the data based on the value or the data type.
Filter A Filter is used to display the data based on the specified criteria.
Macro A Macro is a series of recorded or manually written commands
that automate repetitive tasks within Excel.
Understanding the key terminology and concepts in MS Excel is crucial for effectively using the
application. Having a grasp of these fundamental Excel terms provides a solid foundation for
working with spreadsheets.

Installation
Installation of MS-Excel is required to perform the exercises provided in this book. MS Excel is
part of MS Office applications, these applications come in two flavors:

MS Office 365: It is a subscription-based version that offers access to the latest

features and updates, along with cloud-based storage and collaboration options.
MS Office stand-alone: It is a one-time purchase version that provides a fixed set of
features and does not receive regular updates like Office 365.

For the exercises in this book, readers can use either version of MS Office, but having MS Excel
installed is necessary to follow along and practice the concepts explained throughout the
chapters. The installation steps for both are the same.

Installation of Office 365

Below are the steps to install Office 365:
1. Open any internet browser and go to www.office.com. Click on Sign in located in the
top-right corner. If you don’t have an account, create a new one.
2. On the Microsoft 365 Home page, click on Install Office. This will start the download
and installation process for Microsoft 365 on your machine.
 Note: By default, a 64-bit version of the app will be installed unless Microsoft 365
detects a 32-bit version already installed. In that case, the 32-bit version will be
installed.

3. Depending on the browser used to download Office 365, select Run (in Microsoft edge or
Internet explorer), Setup (in chrome), or Save File (in Firefox).
4. On the prompt Do you want to allow this app to make changes to your device, select Yes.
This will start the installation process.
5. Once the installation is complete, a message will be displayed on the screen, “You’re all
set! Office is installed now.” An animation will be played to show where to find
Microsoft 365 applications on the computer.
6. Select Close.
7. To open Microsoft 365 apps, select the Start button on your machine and type the name
of the app, such as Excel.
8. When the app opens, accept the license agreement.
Note: To launch MS Excel on the machine, click on the Windows button and type Excel.

Understanding the ribbon

The Microsoft Excel ribbon enables users to execute commands to perform desired tasks. It is
divided into the following sections:
Tabs. The Ribbon consists of various tabs such as File, Home, Insert, etc.
Groups. Each tab contains multiple Groups which are sets of related commands.
Action buttons. Groups contain action buttons/icons to execute a command.
More Group options. A small downward arrow at the bottom right of each group
launches more options provided in the group.
 Figure 1.1: MS Excel Ribbon.
The options available on the ribbon are explained in Table 1.1, providing details of each option
as displayed in Figure 1.1.
Table:1.1 MS Excel Ribbon options.
Ribbon Option Description
Tabs MS Excel ribbon consists of tabs such as File, Home, Insert, Draw,
Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, View, Help, and Acrobat.
Groups Each tab consists of Groups. For example, the Home tab consists of
Groups such as Font, Alignment, Number, etc.
Action Each Group consists of buttons and icons, such B for Bold, I for
buttons/Icons Italics, icons for colors, alignment, etc.
More Group The downward arrow on a group displays more options available in
Options that group.
Ribbon display The ribbon also has an icon displayed on the top-right that provides
options the option to show/hide the ribbon.
Ribbon Tabs
The Excel ribbon tabs are customizable. Tabs can be shown or hidden from the options in the
File menu. The ribbon commonly consists of the following tabs:
File
The File tab provides options for opening, saving the workbook, and printing. It also provides the
More/Options command, which can be used to customize the ribbon and other features of the
workbook.
Home
The Home tab contains the most frequently used commands, such as formatting, alignment, and
styles, etc.
Insert
The insert tab is used for adding various objects to the sheet. This tab can be used to add Pivot
tables, charts, illustrations, links, etc.
Draw
The draw tab provides options to draw on the screen with the digital pen, mouse or finger. If this
tab is not present on the ribbon, it can be added from File > More > Options.
Page Layout
Use the Page Layout tab to manage the appearance of the worksheet. This includes Themes,
Page Setup, and other formatting options related to the layout of the printed page.
Formulas
The Formulas tab includes all the functions used in Excel formulas. It provides access to a wide
range of mathematical, statistical, logical, and text functions that enable powerful data
calculations and analysis.
Data
The Data tab helps in managing the data in the current worksheet and provides tools to connect
to external data sources as well. It includes features for sorting, filtering, data validation, data
import, and data analysis.
Review
The Review tab contains commands that help in reviewing the document by performing spell
checks, adding comments, and tracking changes. It also includes options for protecting the
worksheet and managing workbook security.
View
The View tab helps in viewing the data in the worksheet in a desired way. It contains commands
for different views, freeze panes, and adjusting the zoom level for better visibility.
Help
The Help tab offers options for accessing help and support on MS Excel, including accessing the
Help documentation and getting assistance from Microsoft's support resources.
Acrobat
The Acrobat tab contains commands to convert worksheets in a workbook into a PDF document.
This tab requires Acrobat to be installed on the machine, and the PDF Add-in needs to be
enabled. The PDF add-in can be enabled by navigating to File > Options > Add-ins and selecting
the PDF add-in from the list of available add-ins.
Ribbon Tab Shortcuts
The ribbon tables can be accessed through keyboard shortcuts, which are combinations of the
ALT and other keys on the keyboard.
Press the ALT key to display the ribbon shortcuts, also known as Key Tips. These Key Tips are
the small images of letters displayed next to the tabs and options. Combine these Key Tips letters
with the ALT key to create the shortcuts. For example, ALT + F will display the File menu.
The Table 1.2 provides some of the ribbon shortcuts.
Table:1.2 Ribbon shortcuts.
Ribbon Description
shortcut
ALT + F Open the File Menu
ALT + H Open the Home tab
ALT + N Open the Insert tab
ALT + P Open the Page Layout tab
ALT + M Open the Formulas Tab
ALT + A Open the Data Tab
ALT + R Open the Review tab
ALT + W Open the View tab
ALT + Y +2 Open the Design tab
ALT + J +1 Open the Draw tab
ALT + Y + 3 Open the Help tab

In addition to these shortcuts, there are numerous shortcuts available to access specific
commands within each tab.
Understanding the Workbook
In MS Excel, a Workbook consists of one or more Worksheets, also referred to as Sheets or
spreadsheets. Each Worksheet is a separate tab within the Workbook and can contain different
sets of data or information.
The structure and important components of a workbook are shown below.

Figure 1.2: Workbook Structure.

Table 1.2 Workbook Structure explains the various components of a workbook.
Table:1.2 Workbook Structure.
Component Description
Cell Address Displays the active cell address which is an intersection of a row and a
column. In this example, Order ID has the address A1.
Rows Data in a spreadsheet is entered in rows and columns, with rows being
numbered.
Columns Columns are represented by alphabets.
Formula bar Displays the data or formula in the active cell. Users can modify the
contents of the cell or formula in this bar.
Sheet When a new workbook is created, it displays one sheet by default. The
name of the sheet can be changed.
New Sheet The New sheet icon is used to add new sheets.
Status Bar Depending on the data selected on the sheet, spreadsheets display the
Count, Average, and Sum.
Normal This option is used to view the spreadsheet in the normal mode.
Page Layout This option is used to view the spreadsheet in a Page layout mode. It
shows how the spreadsheet will appear when printed.
Page Break This option displays the Page Break preview.
Preview
Zoom The slider can be used to zoom in or out.

Creating your first Workbook

Excel is all about entering data and formulas in the spreadsheet. Now that
we have gained knowledge about the various components of Excel, let's
create our first workbook.

Exercise1: Launch MS Excel and create an Excel workbook.

Enter data by referring to the enclosed data set in the Practice folder
Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals.xlsx. It contains details of the orders made
by the customers. The first row is the header, and the remaining rows
contain data.
Refer Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals_Solutions.xlsx in the Solutions folder for the solution.
Steps to create an Excel workbook:
1. Launch MS Excel. Click on the Windows button or press the Windows key on your
keyboard, then type Excel and finally click on the Excel icon. This will open Microsoft
Excel on your machine.
2. A screen will be displayed showing a Blank workbook along with various templates
provided by MS Excel. Select Blank workbook to start with a new, empty workbook.

Figure 1.3: Select Blank workbook.

Selecting the Blank workbook icon will navigate to the spreadsheet development
environment. It will display the ribbon on the top and an empty sheet called Sheet1.
3. Refer to the enclosed dataset Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals.xlsx. Enter/type three
rows of data in the empty spreadsheet. The first row is the header row, and the
remaining two rows are for the data pertaining to the header.

Figure 1.4: Three rows of data.

 4. Each data element should be entered in a specific cell.
a. Enter the data in a cell and press Tab key on the keyboard to navigate to the
adjacent cell (horizontally).
b. To go to the cell below (vertically), enter the data and press Enter on the
keyboard.
The lines (dividing the column /letters) can be used to expand the
cells.

Auto fill
Instead of manually typing data in each row/cell, use the AutoFill option to enter data more
effortlessly.
AutoFill works on cells that follow a pattern, for example, the Row ID and Order Date columns.
The Row ID column contains consecutive numbers (1, 2, 3, 4), and the Order Date column
contains the first date of every month. However, AutoFill cannot be used on the Ship Date
column, as it does not have any pattern.
Exercise2: Using the Auto fill feature, fill the remaining Row IDs 3 through 12. Also, use this
option on Order Date to fill the continuous dates.
Steps to use the Auto fill feature:
1. In the worksheet, select the Row ID values 1 and 2, then use the fill handle (plus + sign)
on the bottom right corner of the cell, and drag it down to fill the remaining Row IDs
from 3 to 12.

Figure 1.5: Auto fill on Row ID.

 This will populate the remaining Row IDs in the rows below.
2. Order Date column follows a pattern, containing the first day of every month. We can
also use Auto fill on this column. Select the first two dates on this column and drag
them down to autofill the dates till 12/1/2021.

Figure 1.6: Auto fill on Order Date.

This will populate all the first days of every month.
Tip: To create consecutive dates using Autofill, select the first date value, and then drag the fill
handle (plus + sign) down to auto fill the rest of the cells with consecutive dates.
The data in the other columns must be typed as they do not follow any pattern and therefore
cannot be auto-filled. Enter the data in the remaining
Columns by copying and pasting from Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals.
Autofill is helpful in implementing formulas. A formula can be created for one cell and then
filled in the remaining cells using Autofill.

Flash fill
Flash fill is a new feature in Excel 2023. It automatically fills the data in a column based on
patterns it identifies in the adjacent cells. For example, Flash fill can be used to separate the first
and second names from a single column or combine the first and second names from two
different columns.
Exercise3: Using the Flash fill functionality, split Ship Mode into two separate columns.
Currently Ship Mode contains two words, for example, ‘Priority Delivery’; the objective is to
separate these values into two columns.
Refer to Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals_Solutions (Sheet EnteringData_FlashFill) for the
solution.
Steps to use the Flash fill:
1. In the worksheet created previously, insert two blank columns after the Ship Mode
column. To do this, follow these steps:

a. Highlight Column E by clicking on the column header. Right-click on the

highlighted area and select Insert. This will insert one blank column after the
Ship Mode column.
b. Repeat the same step to insert another blank column, which will now be after
the first blank column.

This will result in two blank columns being inserted after the Ship Mode column.
2. After inserting the two blank columns after Ship Mode column, provide the headers of
these new columns as Ship Name1 and Ship Name2.
3. In the Ship Name 1 column, type the first name ‘Priority’ in the first cell. Then, use the
right-click of the mouse and drag down from the edge of the cell to select Flash Fill.
This will fill in the corresponding Ship Name1 values automatically based on the pattern
it identifies.
 Figure 1.7: Flash Fill for Ship Name1.
4. Similarly, in the Ship Name2 column, type the second name ‘Delivery’ in the first cell.
Then, use the right-click of the mouse and drag down from the edge of the cell to select
Flash Fill. This will fill in the corresponding Ship Name2 values automatically based on
the pattern it identifies.
5. To combine the columns again, insert a column after Ship Name2. Name this column
header as Ship Mode Combined.
In the first cell, type the combined name of the first Ship Mode – ‘Priority Delivery’.
Then, use the right-click of the mouse and drag down from the edge of the cell to select
Flash Fill. This will fill in the corresponding combined Ship Modes automatically based
on the pattern it identifies.
 Figure 1.8: Flash fill output of Ship Mode.
Flash Fill can be used with any text values that follow a recognizable pattern. It automatically
detects and fills the adjacent cells based on the identified pattern, making data manipulation and
formatting more efficient.

Copy data from one sheet to another

The remaining data can be entered by referring to the enclosed
Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals.xlsx or copying the data from it.
Exercise4: Copy the data from Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals.xlsx to a new sheet.
Steps to copy the data:
1. If the enclosed workbook is not already open, navigate to the
enclosed data files and double click on Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals_Solutions.xlsx.
2. Click on any cell and press Ctrl + A on the keyboard to select entire data on the sheet.
Press Ctrl + C to copy the selected data.
3. Create a new sheet by clicking on the + sign next to the existing sheet name at the left
bottom. Click on the first cell i.e. A1, and press Ctrl + V on the keyboard to paste the
copied data.
4. Renaming the sheets.
Right now, the new sheet will have the name as Sheet2. Rename the sheet by right-
clicking on it and selecting Rename.

Figure 1.9: Renaming the sheet.

Rename the sheet as Copy_Original or any desired name.

The option Move or Copy as shown in Figure 1.9 is used to move or copy the
spreadsheet within the existing Workbook. Try this option and observe the results.
Saving the Excel Workbook
To save the file for the first time, navigate to File option from the ribbon and select Save As. This
option is used to save the file in the desired location. If the file is already saved, then use Ctrl + S
keys on the keyboard to update the file in the existing location with the current changes made.
To save the workbook, navigate to File menu and select Save As. Then, select Browse to
navigate to the desired location.

Figure 1.10: Browsing to a location.

After selecting the desired location, type the name of the file (to save the file with a different
name) and choose Save as type as Excel Workbook.

Figure 1.11: File name and save as type.

As a best practice always save the file. The saved files will appear when the you open Excel next
time.
Freeze Pane
The Freeze pane option keeps a specific area of the worksheet visible while scrolling vertically
or horizontally. This option is available on the View tab of the ribbon, under the Window group.
Exercise5: Apply Freeze pane on the worksheet so that when user scrolls, the header row and
the first column are always visible.
The current spread sheet contains 37 rows of data. If vertical scrolling is used, the header gets
hidden, and if horizontal scrolling is used, the first column gets hidden. This can be fixed by
using the Freeze feature.
Steps to Freeze the panes:
1. Freezing the header row.
Navigate to the View tab in the spreadsheet ribbon and select Freeze Panes, then choose
Freeze Top Row.

Figure 1.12: Freeze pane option.

 A line will appear between the header row and the second row, indicating that the
Freeze Top Row option has been implemented. Now, when scrolling down the sheet, the
header row will remain visible.
2. Freeze first column.
From View/Freeze panes, select Freeze First Column. When using horizontal scroll, the
first column will always be visible.
3. Freeze multiple rows.
Navigate to View/Freeze panes and select Unfreeze pane to reset the earlier option.
Now, select the second row and first cell (A3). Navigate to View/Freeze Panes and
select Freeze Panes. This will lock the first two rows from the top.
4. Freezing both Rows and Columns.
Select a cell below the header row and to the right of the first column, i.e., cell B3.
Navigate to View/Freeze Panes and select Freeze Panes. This will lock both the row
and column together.
Freeze panes option is useful when the worksheet contains huge amounts of data.

Sorting
Sorting is the process of arranging a group of data in a specific order. In Excel, sorting can be
performed on:

Text fields (Alphabetical sorting), numbers (ascending or descending).

Dates (oldest to newest and vice versa).
Format (based on colors).
Sorting can be performed on a single column or multiple columns.

Sorting options are available in the Home tab under Editing group or from the Data tab under
Sort & Filter group (ALT + A + S).
Exercise6: In the previously saved workbook, sort the data first by Ship Mode in ascending
order (A to Z), then by Segment in descending order (Z to A), and finally by Region in ascending
order (A-Z).
Steps to perform Sorting using multiple columns:
1. Navigate to the Data tab in the ribbon and select Sort.

Figure 1.13: Sort option under Data tab.

2. A Sort dialog box will pop up with different options:

Sort By: Select Ship Mode from the dropdown to specify on which column
the sorting will occur.
Sort On: Select Cell Values to specify how the sorting will be performed,
i.e., on the cell Values or color.
Order: Select A to Z to specify the sort order i.e., ascending or descending.
In this option, Custom List is used to specify the user-defined sorting
pattern.
Use Add Level to add other columns in the sorting, such as, Segment and Region,
and select the appropriate settings.
The Sort settings should appear as shown below:

Figure 1.14: Sorting on multiple columns.

This will rearrange the data in the Excel sheet according to the specified sorting criteria.
 Figure 1.15: Display of data after sorting.
To reset the sorting, use the Undo command by pressing Ctrl + Z on the keyboard.

Filtering the data

Filters are used to display data based on specific criteria. Filters control what data is shown and
what data is excluded.
Filters can be applied from either the Home tab under Editing group or the Data tab under Sort &
Filter group.
They can be functional on both text and numeric columns, each offering different options. To
display filtered data, use the selections from the list, search for specific values, or utilize
comparison options in Text or Number filters.
 Figure 1.16: Text and Numeric filter options.
Exercise7: In the Excel file, Filter the data as follows:
- Filter by Ship mode as “First class” and then look for the data where Sales > 100.
Refer to Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals_Solutions.xlsx (Filtered results sheet) in the Solutions
folder for the solution.
Steps to apply Filters on the data:
1. Select any header column on the worksheet. Navigate to Data tab in the ribbon and select
Filter. This will display drop-down arrows on each header column.
2. On the Ship Mode column, use the drop-down arrow. Uncheck Select All and select First
Class from the list of Ship Mode values.
 Figure 1.17: Filter on Ship Mode column.
This will filter the data by Ship Mode = First Class.
3. To apply filter for Sales > 100, perform the following two steps:
From the Sales column drop-down, select Number Filters, then choose Greater Than. In
the subsequent Custom Autofilter dialog, specify the condition as 100.
 Figure 1.18: Filter on Sales Column.
This will display the Sales greater than 100 within Ship Mode First
Class. The output will be as shown below:

Figure 1.19:
Filtered data.

Task bar
The taskbar or status bar in an Excel spreadsheet is located at the bottom of the Excel window. It
provides useful information and quick access to various functionalities. Taskbar displays the
following:

Ready status. The leftmost section typically displays "Ready" when Excel is idle
and ready to receive user input.
Sum, Average, Count. When range of cells containing numerical data is selected,
Excel automatically shows the sum, average, and count of the selected cells on the
bottom-right of the status bar.
Zoom slider. The slider on the right end of the status bar allows users to adjust the
zoom level of the worksheet.
 Page Layout and Normal View. Displayed on the right of the status bar. Clicking
on these icons allows users to switch between these views for the worksheet.

Refer to Chapter1.MSExcelFundamentals_Solutions.xlsx, when Sales column is highlighted, MS

Excel automatically displays Average, Count and Sum of the Sales.

Figure 1.20: Task bar results.

The taskbar (status bar) in Excel provides valuable information and quick access to frequently
used features.

Printing in Excel
Printing data in an Excel worksheet allows users to produce hard copies of their spreadsheet for
various purposes, such as reports, and presentations or data analysis. Entire or partial worksheet
and workbooks can be printed. A Workbook can also be print to a file instead of a printer.

Printing Options
Several settings are available to print the data on an Excel worksheet. From the File menu in the
ribbon, navigate to Print to view all the settings. The advantage of this option is that the user can
see the preview of the data as they adjust the settings.
The shortcut to invoke the Print options is CTRL + P.
 Figure 1.21: Print settings.
Table 1.3 Print settings explains the various options for printing Excel data.
Table:1.3 Printing options.
Printing Description
Setting
Print Active Use this option to choose whether you want to print the entire workbook,
Sheets the active sheet, or a selected area in the worksheet.
Print One sided Use this option to specify whether you want to print only on one side of
the paper or on both sides.
Collated Refers to the way multiple copies of a document are arranged when
printed. When you print multiple copies of a worksheet or workbook, the
collate option determines whether the copies are printed sequentially or
grouped together.
Portrait Use this option to specify the orientation of the printed document –
Orientation Portrait or Landscape.
Letter This option is used to specify the size of the printed page.
Normal By looking at the preview of the data, you can adjust the margins of the
Margins document.
No scaling The Scaling option can be used to specify how the data is to fit on a
sheet while printing.
Page Setup This option can be used to specify header and footer to the document
while printing.
There are different print settings available to print data in an Excel worksheet. These options are
also available from the ribbon’s Page Layout tab.
 Chapter 2
Formatting in Excel
The previous chapter provided an introduction to the fundamentals of MS Excel. This chapter
will explore formatting in MS Excel, starting with basic cell formatting such as changing colors,
fonts, and number formatting. In addition to the fundamental formatting options, the chapter will
delve into conditional formatting, an advanced feature that enables automatic formatting based
on specific conditions.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

Cell Formatting
Conditional formatting

Cell Formatting in MS Excel

Formatting is used to provide meaning to the data stored in a cell and the overall sheet or
workbook. For example, if a date is entered in a cell, it should appear as a date and not as a
number. Formatting also involves coloring the cells, merging the cells, alignment, and
conditional formatting.
The following types of formatting can be done in an Excel sheet:
Providing background and text color to the data
Changing the data format of the values
Providing borders on the cells
Suffixing numbers with $ and prefixing them with %
Conditional formatting

To clear the applied formatting, navigate to Home tab and select Clear from the Editing group.
Format Cells
Format cells option can be applied to a specific cell or multiple cells in a worksheet. It is invoked
by right-clicking on any cell and selecting Format Cells or by using the dialog box launcher
(small downward arrow) on the Number group on the Home tab. The shortcut to invoke the
Format Cell option is CTRL + 1.

Figure 2.1: Format Cells options.

It consists of various tabs, including Number, Alignment, Font, Border, Fill, and Protection.
Table 2.1 lists the various options available on the Format Cells tabs.
 Table:2.1 Format Cells tabs.
Tabs Description
Number Number option is used to specify what type of data is stored in a cell. It
can be general or any of the number formats or a date.
Alignment Used to provide Horizontal and Vertical alignment. It also has options for
Wrap text, Shrink to fit, and Merge cells. Orientation of the text display
can also be changed from here.
Font Different Font styles can be specified from this tab.
Border Borders around the cells can be controlled from this tab.
Fill Fill is used to provide background colors to the cells.
Protection This tab is used to protect the data in the cells, preventing others from
making any changes. It works in conjunction with Review tab (Protect
group) on the ribbon.

The tabs on Format Cells can also be accessed from the Home tab ribbon under the groups for
Font, Alignment, and Number.

Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter2.FormattingInExcel.xlsx in the Practice folder.

Perform following formatting options.
- Make the Header row distinct by providing color and borders.
- Create a new row to group the header columns.
- Format the Sales, Discount, and Profit columns. Display Sales and Profit prefixed with a
$ sign and two decimal places. Display Discount as a percentage.
Refer to Chapter2.FormattingInExcel_Solutions.xlsx (Cell Formatting sheet) in the Solutions
folder for the solution.
Steps to format data in a worksheet:

1. Launch MS Excel and open Chapter2.FormattingInExcel.xlsx. Create a copy of the

sheet or work on the same sheet.
2. Formatting headers.

Headers should be distinct from the rest of the data. To do so,

Highlight the header row (Row1, Columns A through M). From the Home tab, navigate
to Font group and select Fill Color. Choose the desired color.

Figure 2.2: Background color for headers.

3. Select the header row again, and from the Home tab, under the Font group, select
Borders and then All borders. This will produce borders around each cell in the
header row.
4. Group the headers using merge cells.

- Insert a blank row above the header row by selecting the header row, right-clicking,
and selecting Insert.
- In the new row, type Order Details in the cell with address B1 (first row, B
column).
- Select columns B1 through E1, and from the Home tab, select Merge & Center
(from the Alignment group).
 Figure 2.3: Merging cells.
This will display the text Order Details in the center of the selected cells.
To learn more details about the options used in MS-Excel to perform this formatting,
select Order Details, right-click, and choose Format Cells.
- Similarly, type Customer Details in cell F1.
Select cells F1 through I1 and from the Home tab, select Merge & Center (from
Alignment group).
- Type Metrics in cell J1.
Select cells J1 through M1 and from the Home tab, select Merge & Center (from
Alignment group).
- Use different colors to differentiate the groups.

Figure 2.4: Grouped cells in different colors.

5. Number formatting.

To format Sales values to display the $ sign.

- Select the Sales column (Column J).
 - Go to the Home tab and navigate to the Number group
- Click on the drop-down arrow next to the Number Format box.
- Select Accounting from the list of number formats.
Now the Sales will be displayed with the $ sign and two decimal places.

Figure 2.5: Changing the format of a number.

If some of the cells display hash (#), that means that value is too large to fit in the cell.
To view the complete value, use the mouse to drag the column boundary to extend the
column width.
Tip: Number formats can also be changed by right-clicking on the selected cells and choosing
Format Cells.
6. Utilizing format painter.

The Profit column should also have the same format as Sales. To do this, follow these
steps:
- Select any cell in Column J (Sales)
- Go to the Home tab, find Format Painter icon in the Clipboard group, and click on
it. This will copy the formatting of the selected cell.
 Figure 2.6: Selecting Format painter.
- Now select or drag over all the values in Column M (Profit). This will apply the
format of the Sales column to the Profit column.
Tip: If user click on the Format Painter once, it will copy the formatting, which can only be
pasted once. To paste the formatting at multiple locations, click on the Format Painter, then click
on the desired locations. If user double-click on the Format Painter icon, the formatting can be
pasted at multiple locations with clicking again. To reset the copied formatting at any time, press
the Esc key on the keyboard.
7. Formatting Discount column to display as a percentage (%).

Select Column L (Discount) and from the Home tab, navigate to the Number group, then
click on the % icon to format the values as percentages.
Formatting of data is essential to ensure that the data entered is displayed in the intended format.
To review or change the format, right-click on the cell and select Format Cells.

Conditional Formatting
Conditional formatting in Excel allows users to apply formatting to the data based on specific
criteria. It is similar to Cell formatting but more dynamic as it is based on conditions.
Conditional formatting options are available from the Home tab under Styles, in the Conditional
Formatting group.
 Figure 2.7: Conditional Formatting options.
The shortcut to invoke the Conditional Formatting options is ALT + H + L.
MS Excel provides predefined conditional formatting options such as Highlight Cells Rules,
Top/Bottom Rules, etc. Custom rules can be defined by using the New Rule option. To reset the
formatting options, select Clear Rules.
Exercise2: Perform the following formatting options in the worksheet
data.
- Display the Sales amount in Green where Sales is greater than $500.
- Display negative Profits in red.
- Display Top 20% of Profit in green.
- Display data bars to represent higher and lower quantities sold.
- Display Sales Score card to depict Low, Medium, and High sales amounts in red,
yellow, and green, respectively.
Refer to Chapter2. FormattingInExcel_Solutions (Conditional Formatting sheet) for the
solution.
Steps to perform Conditional formatting:

1. Use the previously saved sheet. Either make a copy of it or work on the same sheet.
2. Display Sales in Green.

- Select Column J (Sales). From the ribbon, navigate to Home> Styles > Conditional
Formatting.
- From Conditional Formatting, select the option for Greater Than. In the Greater
Than dialog, specify the condition for greater than 500 and choose the color Green
fill with Dark Green Text.
Steps shown as 1 and 2 in the figure below.

Figure 2.8: Sales greater than $500.

This will display Sales greater than $500 in green color.

3. Display negative Profits in red.

- Select Column M (Profit). From the ribbon, navigate to Home> Styles >
Conditional Formatting.
 - From Conditional Formatting, select the option for Highlight Cells Rules and
then choose Less Than and in the Less Than dialog box, specify the condition
for negative values.

Figure 2.9: Display negative Profits in red.

This will display negative Profits in red.
4. Display Top 20% of Profit in Green.

- Select Column M (Profit). From the ribbon, navigate to Home> Styles >
Conditional Formatting.
- From Conditional Formatting, choose the option for Top/Bottom Rules and choose
Top 10%.
- In the Top 10% dialog box, specify the condition for 20% and change the color to
Green fill with Dark Green Text.

Figure 2.10: Displaying Top 20% of Profit.

This will display the Top 20% of Profit amounts in Green.
5. Display data bars on Quantity.

- Select Column K (Quantity). From the ribbon, navigate to

Home > Styles > Conditional Formatting.
- From Conditional Formatting, choose the option for Data Bars and select the
desired bar colors.

Figure 2.11: Displaying data bars on Quantity.

The length of the bar will represent higher and lower quantities.
6. Display Sales score card.

For this example, copy the Sales column into an empty column after Profit and name it
as New Sales. This is done so that the previous formatting is not disturbed.
- Select New Sales column and from Conditional Formatting, choose Clear Rules
and then select Clear Rules from Selected Cells. This will remove all the previous
formatting.
- With the New Sales column selected, from Conditional Formatting, choose the
option for Color Scales and select the first color scale.
 Figure 2.12: Use color scales to display the Scorecard.
This will display high Sales in Green, medium in Yellow, and lower Sales in red.

Custom Conditional Formatting

Custom conditional formatting allows users to define custom formatting rules instead of using
the Excel predefined rules (explained in the previous section.) Custom formatting rules are
defined from Home > Styles > Conditional Formatting > New Rule.
Exercise3: Use the previous worksheet for this exercise.
- Color the Segment in Yellow color where Sales > 500.
For solution, refer to Chapter2.FormattingInExcel_Solutions (Conditional Formatting sheet).
Steps to perform Custom conditional formatting:

1. Select the data portion of Column G (Segment), i.e., G3 to G38. Navigate to the
Home tab and then click on Conditional Formatting > New Rules.
2. Under the New Formatting Rules box, select the last option Use Formula to
determine which cells to format.
3. Under Edit Rule description, type the formula,
=$J3 > 500

Where J3 is the address of the Sales column (starting cell).

Note: In the above calculation, the $ sign is prefixed to provide absolute referencing. It will keep
the J column absolute and unchanged when the calculation occurs for each row.
4. Click on Format at the bottom of the screen and in the subsequent Format Cells
dialog box, go to the Fill tab, and select Yellow color.

The above steps are shown in the figure below as Step1, Step 2, and Step 3.

Figure 2.13: Highlighting Segment where Sales is greater than 500.

This will highlight Segment cells in yellow where Sales > 500.
To edit the rules, navigate to Conditional Formatting > Manage Rules.
To clear the applied formatting anytime, navigate to Conditional Formatting > Clear Rules.
Using conditional formatting, based on a condition different types of formatting options can be
applied.
Excel's formatting capabilities are essential for creating visually appealing and informative
spreadsheets.
With this knowledge, users can confidently format their data, making it more impactful and
insightful for their audience. Understanding the various formatting options available in Excel
empowers users to present their data effectively and efficiently.
 Chapter 3
Introduction to Formulas
The previous chapter explained various formatting options in Excel. This chapter will delve into
Formulas, one of the most powerful features in Excel. Additionally, we will explore different
types of Cell references in Excel, as they are essential for understanding formulas.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

Overview of Formulas
Cell reference
Copy values of a formula

Overview of Formulas
A formula in Excel is a mathematical expression that performs calculations or actions on the data
present in the worksheet.
A formula can be written in any cell and always starts with an equal (=) sign
followed by an expression. After typing the formula, press the Enter key on the
keyboard to execute it.
A formula can contain a mathematical operator (+, -, /, *) or an Excel- defined
function (Sum, Average, Min, Max, etc.).
If functions are used in a formula, they are always enclosed within a pair of
parentheses ( ).
A formula in a cell can be used with autofill to compute the formula for all the rows
and columns.
To execute/finalize a formula, press Enter on the keyboard. To exit from the
formula cell. press the ESC key on the keyboard.
A formula can contain a cell address, a range of cells (vertical or horizontal), a
function, a mathematical operator, or a constant.
 For example, the following formula:
=SUM(C3:C14) * 2

uses Sum function to add the values contained in the cell range C3 through C14 and
finally multiplies it by a constant 2. A constant is a number or text values entered
directly into a formula, and these values do not change.

When a Formula is typed, it appears in the formula Bar at the top of the sheet. To
view a formula, select a cell containing the formula, and it will be displayed in the
formula bar.

Figure 3.1: Formula bar.

A formula can be copied and pasted between the cells, and it can refer to cells in the
same worksheet, different worksheets in the same workbook, or even worksheets in
different workbooks.
All available functions in Excel can be accessed by clicking on fx in the formula
bar.

The shortcut to invoke the Formula tab is ALT + M.

Tip: Formulas usually refer to a range of cells. To select all the cells in a column, click on the
first cell and then press CTRL+ SHIFT and the down arrow on the keyboard.

Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter3.IntrotoFormula.xlsx (Original Sheet) to perform this

exercise.
The workbook contains the payroll data for employees, including their Last name, First name,
Hourly Wage, and Hours worked. There is a blank column for Pay as of June 9th. Perform the
following calculations:
 - Calculate the Pay for June 9th for each employee
- Calculate the Totals, Maximum, Minimum, and Average values for the Hourly Wage
and June 9 Pay columns.
Refer to Chapter3. IntrotoFormula_Solutions.xlsx (BasicFormulas sheet) for the solution.
Steps to perform calculations:
1. Open the file Chapter3.IntrotoFormula.xlsx and review the data.
2. Calculate Pay for June 9th.
- Click on cell F3, type “=”, and then click on cell C3 (Hourly Wage of the first
employee).
- Type “*”, and then click on cell D3 (Hours worked for the first employee) and
press enter.
This will calculate the Pay of the first employee with a formula
=C3*D3

- Using the mouse, Autofill (click on the cell and drag it down from the edge) the rest
of the cells to perform the calculation for rest of the rows.
3. Calculate the Total Hourly Wage.
- Navigate to cell B15 and type the Text Total.
- On cell C15, type “=”, and then type the function, Sum. Since it is a function, it
should be enclosed in parenthesis, type “(“. We can press Tab on the keyboard after
typing =Sum.
- Using the mouse, select the range on Column C (Hourly Wage).
- Close the parenthesis and press Enter.
 Figure 3.2: Calculating the Sum.
4. Calculate Maximum Hourly Wage.
- In cell B16 type the Text Max.
- In cell C16, type “=Max(” (or press Tab on your keyboard after typing =Max).
- Using the mouse, select the range in Column C (Hourly Wage).
- Close the parenthesis and press Enter. The maximum hourly wage will be displayed
in cell C16, and the formula should look like the following:
=MAX(C3:C13)

5. Calculate Minimum Hourly Wage.

- Navigate to cell B17 and type the Text Min.
- On cell C17, type “=Min(” or press Tab on your keyboard after typing =Min.
- Using the mouse, select the range on Column C (Hourly Wage).
- Close the parenthesis and press enter. The minimum hourly wage will be displayed
in cell C17, the formula should look like the following:
=Min(C3:C13)
6. Calculate Average Hourly Wage.
- Go to cell B18 and type the Text Average.
- Select cell C18 and type “=Average(“.
- Using the mouse, select the range on Column C (Hourly Wage).
- Close the parenthesis and press Enter. The average hourly wage will be displayed in
cell C18 and the formula should look like the following:
=Average(C3:C13)

7. Calculate Total, Max, Min and Average for the Pay column.
- Copy the formulas performed previously in columns C15, C16, C17, and C18.
- Select cell F15 and paste the copied formulas in F15. Excel will automatically
adjust the cell references for F15, F16, F17, and F18 to reflect the appropriate
values from the Pay column.

After performing the above calculations, the worksheet will look like the one shown
below:

Figure 3.3: Worksheet with Calculations.

Cell Reference
When creating a formula or calculation in Excel, it refers to the data in a cell or a range of cells.
This reference can be made to cells in any part of the same worksheet, different worksheets in
the same workbook, or even in other workbooks. As seen in the previous exercise, a range of
cells is denoted by a colon, i.e., C3:C13 represents the range of cells from C3 through C13.
In a formula, a reference to a cell is made in five ways –
Relative cell reference
Absolute cell reference
Mixed cell reference
3-D cell reference
R1C1 cell reference

Relative Cell reference

Relative cell reference in Excel allows formulas to calculate based on their position relative to
the cells they refer to. This makes it easier to copy and apply formulas across different cells,
rows, and columns.
Relative cell reference is based on the relative position of the cell containing the
formula and the cell/data it refers to.
If the position of the cell containing the formula changes, its reference also changes
accordingly.
If the formula is copied to other rows or columns, the reference automatically
adjusts to reflect the new location.
By default, all formulas use relative references.

Refer to previous exercise Step 4. Pay was calculated using the formula =C3*D3 in cell F3.
When the formula is auto filled in the remaining columns, Excel automatically changed the
reference to the respective cells.
 Figure 3.4: Relative Reference.
Click on each cell to check the formula. When the Total, Max, Min, and Average calculations
were copied and pasted (previous exercise Step 7), relative referencing was used again.
Tip: To display the formula used in the entire sheet, use the Show Formula toggle located in
Formulas > Formula Auditing on the ribbon. This will switch between the actual formula and the
resulting value.

Absolute Cell reference

Absolute cell references always point to a specific cell address. If the position of the cell
containing the formula changes, the absolute reference remains constant. Unlike relative
references, if a formula with absolute references is copied or auto-filled, the references do not
change.
To create an absolute reference, use a $ sign before the respective column and row. For example,
to make an absolute reference to cell G1, the syntax will be $G$1.
Exercise2: Use the enclosed Chapter3. IntrotoFormula.xlsx (Absolute Reference Sheet) to
perform this exercise.
- Calculate Nightly incentive.
If the Shift (Column E) is ‘Night’, multiply the Hourly wage with the % value provided
in cell G1 for the Shift Incentive.
 - Calculate Total Pay by adding the values of the Nightly incentive column to Pay
(Column F).
Refer to Chapter3_IntrotoFormula_Solutions.xlsx (Absolute Reference sheet) for the solution.
Since this exercise involves using a condition, we will first understand the IF Function.
IF Function
An IF function evaluates a logical expression and displays a value if it is true, and another value
if it is false.
Syntax:
=IF (logical_test, value_if_True, value_if_false)
Steps to perform Absolute Cell Reference calculation:
1. Open Chapter3.IntrotoFormula.xlsx (Absolute reference sheet) and navigate to Nightly
Incentive (Column G).
2. In cell G4, type the IF condition to check the value of the Shift (Column E).
If Shift = Night, multiply the corresponding Hourly wage with the % value available in
the cell G1; otherwise show 0.
=IF(E4=”Night”, C4*G1,0)

Press Enter on the keyboard after typing the formula.

Tip: To avoid typing the cell references for E4, C4, and G1, click on those cells and
they will be automatically included in the formula.
The result of the calculation in column G4 will be 0 as the corresponding Shift for this
column is Day.
3. Use Auto fill (click on G4, use the + icon on the edge and drag it down) to fill the rest of
the cells in column G.
 Figure 3.5: Incorrect result of the formula.
Notice that the values are incorrect, and an error is displayed in one cell.
What is the reason for the incorrect results?
The calculation is supposed to multiply each cell with G1 (% value) when Shift =
“Night”; therefore, the first calculation is correct (on Cell G4). However, when autofill
was performed, Excel used relative reference and changed G1 to G2, G3, G4, etc.
To resolve this error, the calculation needs to be modified to include the absolute
reference for G1 so that it does not change.
4. To fix the incorrect results, delete all the data in column G (for the formula) and modify
the calculation in G4 as
=IF(E4 = “Night”,C4*$G$1,0)

Then perform autofill. Now the correct values will be displayed.

 Figure 3.6: Correct results with Absolute referencing.
Absolute referencing is employed when the cell address in the formula needs to remain
the constant or fixed. This ensures that the formula does not change when it is copied or
filled to other cells.
5. Calculate Total Pay.
- In the column next to Nightly Incentive (Column H), add the text for the header as
‘9-Jun Total Pay’.
- Add the calculation to sum the values in Column F and Column G.
=F4+G4

Autofill all the cells in column H.

6. Copy the totals from Column F (F16 through F19) and paste them on Column H starting
from H16. The values will automatically adjust accordingly.
 The final output will appear as below:

Figure 3.7: Final output with Absolute reference.

Mixed Cell reference

Mixed Cell Reference combines both relative and absolute cell references. It can have either of
the two flavors:
Absolute row (for e.g., G$1) and Relative column. If copied or auto filled, the row
remains unchanged while the column changes.
Absolute column (for e.g., $G1) and Relative row. If copied or auto filled, the
column remains unchanged and the row changes.

Exercise3: Use the provided Chapter3.IntrotoFormula.xlsx (Sheet Mixed Reference_1) to

perform this exercise.
This sheet contains Gross pay of the employees for different Weeks and their deductions.
- For each month, calculate Net Pay as Gross Pay – (Gross * Deduction)
This exercise will use Mixed reference type 1 where column is absolute, and the row is relative.
Refer to Chapter3. IntrotoFormula_Solutions.xlsx (Mixed Reference sheet_1) for the solution.
Steps to perform Mixed cell reference calculation:
1. On Chapter3.IntrotoFormula_.xlsx (Sheet Mixed reference_1), navigate to titled 9-Jun
Net Pay (Column G).
2. On Cell G3, type the calculation for Net Pay as follows:
=C3 - (C3*F3)

After typing the formula, press Enter. Then, use the autofill handle to fill the formula in
the rest of the cells in Column G. All the values will be calculated correctly. This can be
checked by selecting each of the cells to verify the calculations.
3. Now to get the values for the week starting 23-Jun, perform Autofill horizontally.

Figure 3.8: Horizontal Autofill.

This will produce incorrect results.
 What is the reason for the incorrect results?
On cell H3, the current displayed calculation is =D3 - (D3*G3). While D3 is correct, the
Deduction column reference is shown as G3 instead of F3. This is due to Excel’s default use
of relative referencing, which changed F3 to G3 when the formula was copied to the new
column using horizontal autofill.
The objective is to keep the Deduction column (F) constant but change the rows (values
vertically). To achieve this, the calculation in G3 needs to be modified to include the Mixed
reference for Column F (F$3) so that the column does not change when autofill is used.
4. To fix the incorrect results, delete all the data in column G (for the formula) and modify the
calculation in G4 as:
=C3 - (C3*$F3)

Tip: To add a $ sign for mixed reference, first type the regular calculation, and then in the
formula bar, add $ before the respective column or row.
Now, perform autofill both vertically and horizontally for all the weeks. The correct values
will be displayed. The usage of $F3 in the formula will keep the column F constant and
change only the rows, allowing the calculations to be correctly applied.
The final output will appear as shown below:
 Figure 3.9: Final output with Absolute column Mixed reference.

Exercise4: Use the enclosed Chapter3.IntrotoFormula.xlsx (Sheet Mixed Reference_2) to

perform this exercise.
This sheet contains the Salary of the employees and % spent on various Expenses such as
Grocery, Rent, and Movies.
- Calculate Actual amounts spent by employees on each of these expenses by
multiplying the Pay with each of the expenses % values.
This exercise will use both types of Mixed references - Row absolute/Column relative and
Column absolute/Row relative.
Refer to Chapter3.IntrotoFormula_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Mixed Reference sheet_2) for the
solution.
Steps to perform Mixed cell reference for both the types of calculations:
1. Open Chapter3.IntrotoFormula.xlsx (Sheet Mixed reference_2).
2. For Grocery.
- Navigate to Grocery Amount (Cell D6).
- Create a calculation by typing “=” and then select the cell for Pay (C6), then
type “*” and then select the cell for Grocery % (C2). The calculation should
look like:
=C6*C2
3. Autofill the values horizontally to get values for Rent Amount and Movie Amount for the
first employee Adam Smith, and observe the results.

Figure 3.10: Incorrect results for Rent/Movie Amounts.

What is the reason for the incorrect results?
Notice in the above figure that the Amount and calculation for D6 (Adam Smith
Grocery) is correct, but it is incorrect for Rent and Movie. Due to relative referencing,
the Rent calculation has changed to D6 * D2 (it should be C6 * D2) and for Movie, it
has changed to E6 * E2 (it should be C6 * E2). We have to keep the Pay (Column C)
absolute and row relative.
4. Resolution.
To resolve this issue, delete the previous calculation in D6 and change it to:
=$C6*C2

This modification will keep the Pay column (C) constant while allowing the row to
change as the formula is copied or auto filled to other cells.
 Now, perform autofill horizontally to get the correct amounts for Rent and Movies. The
formulas for Rent will appear like =$C6*D2 and for Movies, it will appear as =$C6*E2.
5. Calculate remaining values.
Now, to calculate the values for all the employees, select the cells D6, E6, and F6 and
drag them down to autofill in all the cells for different employees.
This will display incorrect results.

Figure 3.11: Incorrect results for rest of the employees.

What is the reason for the incorrect results?
Notice in the above figure, first row for Adam Smith is correct, but in the rest of the
rows, the % values are calculated incorrectly. It should consider only C2, D2, and E2,
cells but due to relative referencing, it has changed to C3, D3, and E3, etc. in the
remaining cells.
In this case, the calculation should keep the row absolute and columns relative.
6. Resolution.
To resolve this issue, delete all the previous calculations. On D6, change the calculation
to
=$C6*C$2
 Now, perform autofill horizontally to get the correct amounts for Rent and Movies for
Adam Smith. After that, select all the three cells (D6, E6, and F6) and drag them down
to autofill the rest of the cells.
The correct output will appear like the one below:

Figure 3.12: Correct results with two types of Mixed referencing.

3-D reference
3-D reference allows referencing cells in multiple worksheets.

The referenced worksheets should have the same structure.

It can reference a range of cells and also a range of worksheet names.
To provide 3-D reference, it must include a cell or a range of cells preceded by a
range of worksheet names and an exclamation mark (!).

For e.g., a workbook contains 5 sheets, namely, Sheet1, Sheet2, Sheet3, Sheet4, and Sheet5.
Each of these sheets contain a cell for Total (which is stored in cell G5). A 3-D reference can add
all of these totals from different sheets. The syntax will be:
=Sum(Sheet1:Sheet5!G5)
Exercise4: Use the enclosed Chapter3. IntrotoFormula_2.xlsx. It has four sheets containing the
monthly payroll information for employees. The structure of all the sheets is the same and each
one contains a total in Cell C14.
- Calculate the Total of all the months, taking the Totals from Cell C14 in each of the
sheets.
Refer to Chapter3. IntrotoFormula_2_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.

Steps to perform 3 – D reference:

1. Open Chapter3.IntrotoFormula_2.xlsx and navigate to All Months Total sheet.
2. In the cell F5, type the following formula:
=SUM(June:Aug!C14)

In the formula, June:Aug represents the range of the sheets, and C14 is the cell where
the total in each sheet is calculated.

Figure 3.13: Result of 3-D referencing.

R1C1 reference
In Excel, cell addresses can be represented in two ways: A1 style and R1C1 style. In R1C1
reference style:
Both the row and column of a cell address are referred by a number.
In A1 style, the first row is denoted by number 1, and the first column is denoted by
the letter A. In R1C1 style, both the first row and the first column are represented
by R1C1, where both the row and column are referred to by a number.
By default, Excel uses A1 style. To change to R1C1 style, navigate to File >
Options > Formulas and check R1C1 reference style.
 Figure 3.14: Option to change A1 style to R1C1 style.

Difference between A1 style and R1C1 style

In R1C1 style, when referring to any cell in a formula within an active cell, the address of the
referred cell is calculated based on its distance from the active cell.
Consider the following example: If a formula (in R1C1 style) refers to the hourly wage of
Shawn, the referred address will be R[4]C[2], indicating how far that cell is from the active cell.
On the other hand, if we use A1 style, that address will be C5.

Figure 3.15: Referencing a cell in R1C1 style.

R1C1 style of reference is useful for computing the row and column positions in macros.

Copy values of a Formula

When the cells containing formula are copied and pasted in another sheet, the calculations are
also copied which may result in errors because the cell references used in the formula may not be
present in the new sheet.
To copy/paste only the values/result of the formula, paste the cells as values.
To do this, copy any cell/s containing the formula, go to the destination where these cell values
need to be pasted, right-click and select the Paste Options, and then Paste Special. In the
subsequent dialog box, select Values.

Figure 3.16: Copy and Paste values of a formula.

The Paste Special in the Pasting Options will be useful when only values are required to be
copied and not the actual formula.
 Chapter 4
Logical Functions
The previous chapter provided an introduction to formulas and how to use cell references. This
chapter will explain the usage of Logical functions. Logical functions are a powerful set of tools
that allow performing logical tests on data and making decisions based on the results.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

Overview of Logical Functions

The IF function
Nested IF and IFS
The AND function
The OR function
The NOT function
The IFERROR function

Overview of Logical Functions

Logical functions in Excel test a condition, which can be an expression or a value. This condition
evaluates to True or False. Based on the result (True or False), an action can be performed which
can again be a value or an expression.
Whenever users need to perform an action based on a condition, logical functions come into
play. These functions can be nested or used with other functions to create complex logic.
Excel provides a wide variety of Logical functions. The subsequent sections will explain each of
these functions.
The IF function
The IF function was already introduced in the earlier chapter. It evaluates a logical expression
and displays one value if the condition is true and another value if the condition is false.
Syntax:
=IF (logical_test, value_if_True, value_if_false)
Where:
The logical_test is the condition that is tested to determine if it is true or false. If the condition is
true, the function returns the value specified in the value_if_true argument; otherwise, it returns
the value specified in the value_if_false argument.
The logical_test can perform tests on numbers or text values, making it a versatile and powerful
function for decision-making in Excel.

Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter4.LogicalFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

In the blank column K (High/Regular), perform the following calculation:
- If Sales are greater than 500, label them as High; otherwise, label them as Regular.
Refer to Chapter4.LogicalFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use the IF function:
1. Open Chapter4_LogicalFunctions.xlsx. Work on the same sheet or create a copy of
it.
2. Go to Column K (High/Regular).

- Click on cell K2, type “=”, and then type IF. Press Tab on the keyboard. It will
display = IF( . The syntax of the calculation will also be shown.
- Select Column J2 (Sales) and type the calculation as
=IF(J2>500,"High","Regular")
 This calculation will evaluate the condition J2>500; if it is true, “High” will be
displayed; otherwise “Regular” will be displayed.

3. After the first value is displayed correctly, drag it down to autofill the rest of the
cells.

Figure 4.1: Result of the IF function.

The IF function is the key logical function that can be used in different scenarios.

Nested IF and IFS

The previously explained IF function can only perform one logical test. The Nested IF function
can perform multiple logical tests by nesting one IF function inside another.
Syntax:
=IF(logical_test1, value_if_true1,IF(logical_test2, value_if_true2,IF(logical_test3,
value_if_true3, value_if_false3)))
The IFS function is a newer addition in Excel 2016. It is much cleaner than Nested IF and
produces the same result.
Syntax:
IFS(condition1, value1, [condition2, value2], ...)

Exercise2: Use the enclosed Chapter4.LogicalFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

Perform the calculation to provide various incentives based on the segment. Use both Nested IF
and IFS functions:
- If Segment = “Home Office”, give an incentive of $2, if Segment = “Corporate”, give
an incentive of $3, and if Segment = “Consumer”, give an incentive of $4.
Since multiple conditions need to be checked, we can use a Nested IF.
Refer to Chapter4.LogicalFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use the Nested IF function:
1. Use the same workbook as used in the previous exercise.
2. Go to Column T/ Nested IF (Cell T2) and type the formula as shown below:
=IF(G2="Home Office","$2",IF(G2="Corporate","$3",IF(G2="Consumer","$4")))

3. After the first value is displayed correctly, drag it down to autofill the rest of the cells.
4. Using IFS function.
Go to Column U/IFS (cell U2) and type the formula as shown below:
 =IFS(G2 = "Home Office","$2",G2 = "Corporate","$3",G2 = "Consumer","$4")

This formula will produce the same result as Nested IF.

The AND function

The AND function, as the name suggests, compares more than one condition. It returns True if
all the conditions are satisfied; otherwise returns False.
Syntax:
=AND(Condition1, Condition2…)
The condition in the function can perform a test on a number or a text. The AND function can
also be used with IF.
Exercise3: Use the enclosed Chapter4.LogicalFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.
Type the formula in the blank Column L (Bonus decision).
The management wants to decide the bonus based on the following condition:
- If Sales is greater 600 and the Region is not West, then display “Bonus is 20%”;
otherwise display “TBD”.
Since we need to check for two conditions, the AND function will be used.
Refer to Chapter4.LogicalFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use the AND function:
1. Use the previous sheet and navigate to Column L (Bonus Decision).
2. In Cell L2, type the following formula using the function AND function:
AND(J2>600, H2<>"West")
 This formula will return “True” if the Sales (Column J2) is greater than 600 and Region
(Column H2) is not equal to West.
3. Autofill the remaining cells in Column L. It will display True for three cells, and the rest
will be False.
4. Use AND with IF.
Modify the calculation on L2 to include the AND function within the IF function.
=IF(AND(J2>600, H2<>"West"),"20% Bonus","TBD")

In the above IF function, the AND function is used as a logical test. If it evaluates to
true, it returns “20% Bonus”; otherwise, it returns false, returns “TBD”.
5. Autofill the rest of Column L with this new calculation.

Figure 4.2: Result of using IF with the AND function.

The AND function can be used in various scenarios, such as checking multiple criteria before
performing an action, validating data, and creating complex logical expressions.
The OR function
The OR function compares more than one condition. It returns true if ANY of the conditions are
satisfied, otherwise returns false.
Syntax:
=OR(Condition1, Condition2…)
The condition in the function can perform a test on numbers or a text. The OR function can also
be used with IF.

Exercise4: Use the enclosed Chapter4.LogicalFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

Type the formula on the blank Column M (Shipping Charge).
The management wants to decide when to charge customer for Shipping based on the following
condition:
- If Ship Mode is “Priority Delivery” or Sales is less than $100, display “Shipping
Charge”; otherwise display “No Shipping Charge”.
Since we need to check either of the two conditions, OR function will be used.
Refer to Chapter4.LogicalFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use the OR function:
1. Use the previous sheet and navigate to Column M (Shipping Charge?) .
2. In Cell M2, type the formula using the OR function
=OR(D2="Priority delivery",J2<100)

This formula will return “True” if either the Ship Mode (Column D2) is “Priority
Delivery” or Sales (Column J2) is less than 100.
The calculation on cell M2 will return True as one condition (Ship Mode = Priority) is
true.
3. Autofill the remaining cells of Column M with this formula. Based on the condition
specified in the formula, several Trues and Falses will be displayed.
4. Use OR with IF.
Modify the calculation on M2 to enclose the OR function within the IF function.
=IF(OR(D2="Priority delivery",J2<100),"Shipping Charge", "No Shipping Charge")

In the above IF function, the OR function is used as a logical test. If it is true, it returns
“Shipping Charge”, if false, returns “No Shipping Charge”.

Figure 4.3: Result of using IF with OR function.

Verify the calculation against the results with Ship Mode and Sales. Check if the
"Shipping Charge" or "No Shipping Charge" is displayed correctly based on the
specified conditions in the OR function.
The NOT function
The Not function reverses the behavior of the IF function. It always returns the opposite logical
value. It returns true if false is provided and returns false if true is provided.
Syntax:
=Not (Condition)
Exercise5: Use the enclosed Chapter4.LogicalFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.
Type the formula in the blank column N (High/Regular using NOT) and O (NOT with multiple
values).
- Perform the calculation to achieve the same functionality as done in High/Regular using
the IF function in Exercise 1.
- Use the NOT function to check for multiple values.
Refer to Chapter4.LogicalFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use the NOT function:
1. Continue using the previous sheet and navigate to Column N (High/Regular using
NOT).
2. In the Cell N2, type the formula using the NOT function
=IF(NOT(J2>500),"Regular","High")

Notice that it uses the reverse of the earlier IF function (specified in Exercise 1). The
NOT function checks if Sales in not greater than 500 and uses the IF function to display
Regular and High.

3. Autofill the remaining cells in Column N. It will produce the same result as in
Column K.
4. Using NOT to check multiple values.

To use NOT for checking multiple values, use it in conjunction with AND or OR
function.
- On Cell 02 (NOT with multiple values), type the calculation as:
=IF(NOT(AND(G2="Home Office",H2="West")),J2,0)

This calculation will check if Segment is not “Home Office” and Region (H2) is not
“West”, then displays Sales(J2), else displays 0.
 Figure 4.4: Result of NOT function.
The NOT function offers flexibility and enhances the capabilities of Excel when dealing with
various data scenarios.

The IFERROR function

The IFERROR function is used to handle errors in Excel and is designed to catch and manage
errors in a formula.
Syntax:
=IFERROR (Value, Value_if_Error)
Exercise6: Use the enclosed Chapter4.LogicalFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.
Type the formula in the blank column P (IFERROR).
- Divide Column J (Sales) with Column R (Discount) to intentionally produce a divide by
0 error. Now, resolve the error using IFERROR.
Refer to Chapter4.LogicalFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use the IFERROR function:
1. Continue using the previous sheet and navigate to Column P (IFERROR).
2. In Cell P2, type the formula:
=J2/R2

3. Autofill the remaining cells in Column P. Notice the error #DIV/0!; it is a divide-by-0
error as some of the discount values are 0%.

Figure 4.5: Divide by zero error.

4. This error can be fixed by using the IFERROR function.
Delete all the values in Column P and modify the calculation in cell P2 with the
following formula:
=IFERROR(J2/R2,0)

The IFERROR function will display 0 in case of an error.

 Figure 4.6: The IFERROR function displays 0 instead of an error.

The IFERROR function in Excel is a valuable tool for handling errors that may occur in
formulas. It provides a way to catch and manage errors, ensuring that the spreadsheet remains
accurate and functional even in the presence of errors.
 Chapter 5
Text Functions
The previous chapter provided an explanation on Logical functions and how to use them in
checking conditions in a calculation. This chapter will explore the use of Text functions in Excel.
Text functions help in extracting specific parts of a text, combine text from different cells,
finding the length of text, remove unwanted characters, and much more.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

Overview of Text Functions

The LEFT, RIGHT, and MID functions
The LEN function
The CONCAT function

Overview of Text Functions

The Text functions, also called String functions, are used in manipulating strings in Excel. String
values include data such as, names, Addresses, and more.
Some of the useful string functions are:

The LEFT, Right and MID functions

The LEN function
The CONCAT function

The following sections will explain each of these functions in detail.

The LEFT, RIGHT, and MID function
The Left, Right, and Mid functions are used to extract a specified number of characters from a
given string.

The LEFT function

The LEFT function returns the specified number of characters from the left of the string.
Syntax:
=LEFT (Text, number of characters)
Where:
The text or string from which the user wants to extract characters. The number of characters is
optional and specifies the number of characters to be extracted from the left or the start of the
string. If omitted, it will return the first letter from the left.

The RIGHT function

The RIGHT function is similar to LEFT but starts from the right-side of the string. It returns the
specified number of characters of the string from the right.
Syntax:
=RIGHT (Text, number of characters)
Where:
The text or string from which the user wants to extract characters. The number of characters is
optional and specifies the characters to extract from the right side of the text.

The MID function

The MID function is used to extract a specified number of characters from a string, starting at the
specified position and number of characters to be extracted.
Syntax:
=MID (Text, start_num, num_chars)
Where:
The text or string from which the user wants to extract characters. The start_num provides the
position from which the extraction should begin. Num_chars signifies the number of characters
to be extracted from the text.

Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter5.TextFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

The Order ID (Column B) is a combination of Country, Year, and Order Number. The objective
is to split these string values into different columns:
- Extract the string ‘US’ from Order ID. Type this formula in Column C (Country).
- Extract Order number from the Order ID. Type this formula in Column D (Order
Number).
- Extract Year from the Order ID. Type this formula in Column E (Year).
Refer to Chapter5.TextFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use the LEFT, RIGHT and MID functions:
1. Open Chapter5.TextFunctions.xlsx. Work on the same sheet or make a copy of it.
2. LEFT function.

Navigate to Column C (Country).

- Click on cell C2, type “=” and then type LEFT. Press tab on the keyboard. It will
display = LEFT( . The syntax of the calculation will also be displayed.
- Select Column B2 (Order ID) and type the calculation as
=LEFT(B2,2)

This calculation will start from the left side of Order ID and extract 2 characters.
3. After the first value is displayed correctly, drag it down to autofill the rest of the
cells.
4. RIGHT function.

Navigate to Column D (Order Number) and type the calculation on cell D2:
=RIGHT(B2,6)

This formula will start from the right and will extract 6 characters. Autofill the rest of
the cells.

5. MID Function.

Navigate to Column E (Year) and type the calculation on cell E2:

=MID(B2,4,4)

This formula will start from the position 4 and return 4 characters.
After implementing all the three functions, the result will appear as below:

Figure 5.1: Result of Left, Right, and Mid functions.

The LEN function
The LEN or length function returns the length of a string or the number of characters in a string.
It counts the special characters and spaces in the string. It works on dates and numbers too but
does not count the formatting portion.
Syntax:
LEN (TEXT)

Exercise2: Use the enclosed Chapter5.TextFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

- Find the length of the Order Number (Column D). Place this value in Column F (Length
of Order Number).
- Find the length of the Order Date (Column G). Place this value in Column H (Length of
Order Date).
- Find the length of the Sales (Column O). Place this value in Column P (Length of Sales)
Refer to Chapter5.TextFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use the LEN function:
1. Continue working on the previous sheet.
2. Finding the length of a string
Navigate to Column F and type the formula in cell F2:

=LEN(D2)

This will calculate the length of the Order Number stored in Cell D2. Autofill the rest of
the cells in Column D
3. Finding the length of a Date.
Navigate to Column H and type the formula as on cell H2:

=LEN(G2)
This will calculate the length of Order Date stored in Cell G2. Autofill the rest of the
cells in Column H.
 Notice that Excel avoided the data formatting characters (/) while calculating the length
of date.
4. Finding the length of a Number.
Navigate to Column P and type the formula as on cell P2:

=LEN(O2)

This will calculate the length of Sales stored in Cell G2. Autofill the rest to the cells in
Column P.
Notice Excel considers the $ sign and space while calculating the length of the number.

Figure 5.2: Result of the LEN function.

Utility of LEN function

LEN function can be used in conjunction with other functions to track errors or enforce specific
business rules. For example, according to a business rule, Order Number should always be 6
characters long. A calculation can be created to check this:
 =IF(LEN(D2) > 6, "Incorrect", "Correct")

In this way, Order numbers having length greater than 6 will be marked as “Incorrect”.

The CONCAT function

The CONCAT function combines text from different cells or a range of cells. It replaces the
CONCATENATE function, although the CONCATENATE function is still available.
Syntax:
CONCAT (TEXT1,TEXT2…)
Text1, Text2 are the strings to be concatenated.

Exercise3: Use the enclosed Chapter5.TextFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

- Create a new Order ID column which should combine the fields Order Number, Year,
and first three letters of Region in upper case. The new Order ID will appear in the
format 133949-2021-WES
This exercise will also use the UPPER function which will convert a string to upper case
letters.
Refer to Chapter5.TextFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.

Steps to use the CONCAT function:

1. Continue working on the previous sheet.
2. Navigate to Column T (New Order ID) and on cell T2, type the following formula:

=CONCAT(D2,"-”,E2,"-",UPPER(LEFT(M2,3)))
The formula will work as follows:
 Select D2
Concatenate it with “-“
Select E2
Concatenate it with “-“
The LEFT (M2,3) will take three letters of Region from the left and use UPPER to
convert them to upper case letters.
Finally, CONCAT will concatenate all the strings present in the calculation.

3. Autofill the rest of the cells on Column T.

Figure 5.3: Result of CONCAT function.

The CONCAT function allows users to create new text strings by joining multiple text
values without the need for complex formulas or manual string manipulation.
 Chapter 6
DateTime Functions
The previous chapter provided an explanation on Text functions and how to use them to perform
operations on string values. This chapter will explore the use of DateTime functions. These
functions enable users to perform tasks like calculating the difference between two dates,
extracting the day, month, or year from a date, adding or subtracting time intervals, and
converting date formats.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

Overview of Dates
Adding or subtracting days from dates
The EDATE function
The DATE, YEAR, MONTH, and DAY functions
Calculating Quarters
TODAY, NOW, and TIME functions
NETWORKDAYS function

Overview of Dates
Dates are essential for data storage and analysis as they help in tracking the data by dates.

In an Excel cell, a date is stored as a serial number, but the cell formatting displays
it in the date format.
The time portion present in the date is represented as decimals.
Dates stored as serial numbers allow performing numerical calculations on dates.

The default date format is m/d/yyyy. Excel dates start from January 1, 1900 and the
serial number of the date ‘1/1/1900’ is 1, ‘1/2/1900’ is 2, and so on.
 The date format and serial number can be checked by typing 1, 2, etc. in any cell
and formatting it to date.
Dates can be formatted in different ways by using Format Cells.
When filters are applied, an aggregated date format is displayed.

Figure 6.1: Dates aggregated to Years in filters.

Excel provides a number of useful date functions that allow performing date-level calculations.

Add or subtract days from dates

Since dates are stored as serial numbers, users can add or subtract days from dates using normal
mathematical operation.
Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.
- Calculate Sales Call Date, which is seven days prior to the Order Date
- Calculate Survey Date, which is three days from the Order Date
Refer to Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to Add or subtract days from dates:
1. Open Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions.xlsx. Work on the same sheet or make a copy
of it.
2. Navigate to Column C (Sales Call Date)

- Click on cell C2, type “=” and then select cell D2 (Order Date), add minus sign “-“
and type 7. The formula should appear like:
= D2-7

3. After the first value is displayed correctly, drag it down to autofill the rest of the
cells.
4. Navigate to Column G (Survey Date).

- Click on cell G2, type “=” and then select cell D2 (Order Date), add plus (+) and
type 3. The formula should appear like
= D2+3

5. After the first value is displayed correctly, drag it down to autofill the rest of the
cells.

After performing the calculation, the dates will appear as below:

Figure 6.2: Add or subtract days from Dates.

The EDATE function
The EDATE function is used to add or subtract months from a date.
Syntax:
=EDATE (start_date, months)
Where:
Start_date is the date to which the number of months needs to be added. To add months, provide
a positive number and to subtract months, provide a negative number for the months attribute.

Exercise2: Use the enclosed Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

- Calculate Payment Date, which is 3 months from the Order Date.
Refer to Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use EDATE function:
1. Continue working on the same sheet used in the previous exercise.
2. Navigate to Column H (Payment Date)

- Click on cell H2, type “=” and then type the function EDATE. Press Tab on the
keyboard. This will display opening parenthesis and the syntax of the function.
- Select cell D2 (Order Date) and type comma “,”, and then type 3. The formula
should appear as
=EDATE(D2,3)

3. After the first value is displayed correctly, drag it down to autofill the rest of the
cells.
 Figure 6.3: Adding Dates using EDATE.
To subtract a specific number of months from the date, use a negative number in the
calculation.

The DATE, YEAR, MONTH, and DAY functions

The Date, Year, Month, and Day functions are useful in creating a date.

The DATE function

The DATE function returns the sequential serial number that represents a specific date based on
the provided Year, Month, and Day arguments.
Syntax:
=DATE (year, month, day)
Where:
Year can include 4 digits. Month can include an integer representing 1to 12 months in a year.
Day can include an integer representing the day of the month from 1 to 31.

The YEAR function

The YEAR function returns the Year of the provided date. The year is returned as an integer
between 1900 through 9999. If the resulting cell does not display the correct year, make sure that
its format is General or number.
Syntax:
=YEAR (serial number)
Where:
Serial number is the date of the year.

The MONTH function

The MONTH function returns the month of the provided date as an integer ranging from 1 – 12.
Syntax:
=Month (serial number)
Where:
Serial number is the date of the year.

The DAY function

The DAY function returns the day of the provided date as an integer ranging from 1 – 31.
Syntax:
=DAY (serial number)
Where:
Serial number is the date of the year.
Tip: If after applying the formula, the resulting cell does not display the correct year or month,
make sure that its format is General or Number with no decimal places.

Exercise3: Use the enclosed Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

The requirement is to remind the customers to re-order the products after one year, two months
and fifteen days from the order date.
To perform this:
- Calculate Reorder call by adding one year, 2 months, and 15 days to the Order Date
Refer to Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.
Steps to use Year, Month, and Day functions:
1. Continue working on the same sheet used in the previous exercise. This exercise
will involve using the DATE function by providing Year, Month, and Day values.
Recall the syntax of DATE, which is =DATE (year, month, day)
2. Navigate to Column I (Reorder Call)

- Click on cell I2, type “=” and then type the function DATE. Press Tab on the
keyboard. This will display opening parenthesis and the syntax of the function.
- Type YEAR and press Tab, select D2 and add (+1) to it. Type a “,” after this.
- Type MONTH and press Tab, select D2 and add (+2) to it. Type a “,” after this.
- Type DAY and press Tab, select D2 and add (+15) to it. Type a “,” after this.
- Close the parenthesis and press Enter.
- The formula should appear as:

=DATE(YEAR(D2) + 1,MONTH(D2) + 2,DAY(D2)+15)

 3. After the first value is displayed correctly, drag it down to autofill the rest of the
cells.

Figure 6.4: Result of Date, Year, Month, and Day functions.

By using these functions, users can easily perform calculations based on years, months, and days,
enabling them to keep track of time-related data with precision.

Calculating Quarters
Calculating Quarters in Excel requires using the MONTH and ROUNDUP functions. Excel does
not have a direct function to calculate a Quarter, so it is derived from the MONTH and
ROUNDUP functions.
The ROUNDUP function is used to always round up to the nearest number of decimal places.
Syntax:
=ROUNDUP (number, num_digits)
Where:
Number is the number to be rounded up and num_digits is the number of decimal places to
which the number should be rounded up.
For example, =ROUNDUP(67.57,1) will round up the number to 67.6, and
=ROUNDUP(67.57,0) will round up the number to 68.

Exercise4: Use the enclosed Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

- Find the quarters of the Order Date.

Refer to Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions_Solutions.xlsx for the solution.

Steps to find the Quarter:
1. Continue working on the same sheet used in the previous exercise.
2. Navigate to Column J (Order Date Quarters).

- On Cell J2, type “=” and then ROUNDUP, press the Tab key on the keyboard.
- To supply the number to the ROUNDUP function, type “MONTH(“ and either
type D2 or select the cell D2 and type “/3”.
- Type “,” , and type 0. This will roundup the number to 0 places of decimals.
The resulting formula will appear as:
=ROUNDUP(MONTH(D2)/3,0)

3. After the first value is displayed correctly, drag it down to autofill the rest of the
cells.

This will provide the quarters from the Order Date.

 Figure 6.5: Quarters from Order Date.
The combination of MONTH and ROUNDUP functions can be used efficiently to determine the
quarters of specific dates.

TODAY, NOW, and TIME functions

The Today, Now, and Time functions enable users to display the current date, current date and
time, and create custom time values.
TODAY and NOW functions
The TODAY and NOW functions are used to display the system date. These dates will always
reflect the current system date when the excel workbook is opened on any given day.
Syntax:
=TODAY ()
=NOW ()
TODAY returns the current date formatted as date.
NOW returns the current date and time formatted as date and time.
The difference between TODAY and NOW is that the former returns only the date and the latter
returns the date with time.
Tip: Time value can be added or subtracted from system date NOW() by proving the decimal
value. For example, to add half a day, simply use =NOW() + .5

The TIME function

The TIME function creates a time with the provided hours, minutes, and seconds.
Syntax:
=TIME(hour, minute, second)

Exercise5: Use the enclosed Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

- Create a formula to add 15 hours, 20 mins and 30 secs to the system date.

Refer to Chapter6. DateTimeFunctions_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Now) for the solution.

Steps to use NOW function:
1. Use the sheet named NOW in the same workbook.
2. Navigate to D4 and type the following formula:
=NOW() + TIME(5,20,30)

In the above formula, NOW() will provide the system’s date and TIME function will add the
hours, minutes, and seconds to it.
NETWORKDAYS function
The NETWORKDAYS function in Excel is used to calculate the number of working days
between two specified start and end dates, excluding weekends and specified holidays. It
includes both the start date and end dates in the calculation. This function is useful for
calculating the number of days while excluding non-working days.
Syntax:
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date,end_date,[holidays])
Where:
Start_date. The start date in the range.
End_date. The end date in the range.
Holidays. Optional. A list of dates that are considered holidays and should be excluded from the
count. A range of cells containing the holiday dates must be provided.

Exercise6: Use the enclosed Chapter6.DateTimeFunctions.xlsx to perform this exercise.

- Find the working days between Order Date and Ship Date.

Refer to Chapter6. DateTimeFunctions_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Now) for the solution.

Steps to use NETWORKDAYS function:
1. Use the sheet named Sheet1 in the same workbook.
2. Navigate to Column S/ Network Days (Cell S2) and type the following formula:

=NETWORKDAYS (D2,F2)

3. After the first value is displayed correctly, drag it down to autofill the rest of the
cells.

This will provide the working days between the two dates.
 Chapter 7
Mathematical Functions
The previous chapter explained DateTime functions and their application in date calculations. In
this chapter, the focus is on the essential Mathematical and Statistical functions in Excel,
specifically delving into aggregation functions like COUNT and SUM.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

COUNT functions
SUM, SUMIF, and SUMIFS functions

The Mathematical functions in Excel perform mathematical computations on a group/range of

cells. Excel provides a wide range of such functions. The subsequent sections will explain the
use these mathematical functions.

The COUNT functions

Excel provides various Count functions, such as COUNT, COUNTA, and COUNTIF.

COUNT function
The COUNT function counts the cells that contain numbers, dates, and numbers formatted as
Text. It does not count the blank cells, error values, text values, and logical values.
Syntax:
=COUNT(value1, value2..)
It can also accept a range of cells, for example, =Count(A2:A10)
COUNTA function
The COUNTA function is similar to COUNT but can count error values, text, and logical values
in a cell. It does not count the blank cells.

COUNTIF function
The COUNTIF function counts only the cells that meet a certain criterion.
Syntax:
=COUNTIF(range, criteria)
Where:
Range is the range of cells and criteria is the condition specified in double quotes. For example,
= COUNTIF(A2:A10, “>5”)

Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter7.MathematicalFunctions.xlsx (Sheet Counts) to perform

this exercise.
The provided data contains a set of values in a combination of numbers, dates, blanks, numbers
formatted as text, errors, and text value.
- Calculate COUNT, COUNTA, and COUNTIF using the provided values to see the
difference in the resulting values.
Refer to Chapter7.MathematicalFunctions_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Counts) for the
solution.
Steps to use the Count functions:
1. Open Chapter7.MathematicalFunctions.xlsx. Work on the Counts sheet.
2. Navigate to cell B12 and type the formula for COUNT.
= COUNT(A2:A10)

3. Navigate to cell B13 and type the formula for COUNTA.

= COUNTA(A2:A10)
 4. Navigate to cell B14 and type the formula for COUNTIF.
= COUNTIF(A2:A10,”>20”)

Figure 7.1: Result of the Count functions.

In the above result, the COUNT function computed as a result of 6, as it counted the non-blank
values, numbers, and the number represented as text (1).
The COUNTA function displayed a result of 8, as it has counted the error cell(#Div) and the text
value (A) along with other non-blank values.
The COUNTIF function showed a result of 3 for the condition >20, as it considered the serial
number of the date along with the values 40 and 50.

The SUM functions

Excel provides various of SUM functions such as SUM, SUMIF, and SUMIFS.
SUM function
The SUM function adds the values in the cells. It can sum individual values, cell references, or
ranges.
Syntax:
=COUNT(value1, value2..)

SUMIF function
The SUMIF function is used to add the values in a range that meet specific criteria.
Syntax:
SUMIF(range, criteria, sum_range)
Where:
Range is the range of cells on which the criteria will be applied. Criteria is the condition which
can be a number, expression, cell reference, text, or a function. Sum_range is optional and
specifies the actual cells to be added. If omitted, Excel adds the cells that are specified in the
range.

SUMIFS function
The SUMIFS function adds the values in the cells meeting multiple criteria.
Syntax:
SUMIFS(sum_range, criteria_range1, criteria1, criteria_range2, criteria2,…)

Exercise2: Use the enclosed Chapter7.MathematicalFunctions.xlsx (Sheet Orders) to perform

this exercise.
- Calculate Total Sales by adding all the Sales values.
- Calculate the Total Sales for the Region = West.
- Calculate the Sales where Segment is Corporate and the Region is West.
 Refer to Chapter7.MathematicalFunctions_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Orders) for the
solution.
Steps to use the SUM, SUMIF, and SUMIFS functions:
1. Open Chapter7.MathematicaFunctions.xlsx. Work on the Orders sheet.
2. To Calculate SUM.
- Navigate to cell J21. Type the formula as =SUM
- Insert an open parenthesis and select the range of cells in Column J (J2:J19) and
close the parenthesis.
- Press Enter.
= SUM(J2:J19)

This formula will display the sum of all the cells in column J.
3. Calculating Total Sales for the Region = West .
The function SUMIF will be used since this calculation requires a condition.
- Navigate to cell J22. Type =SUMIF, and then press tab on the keyboard.
- Select the range of cells in column H (Region),
- Provide the criteria for Region West and select the range of cells where Sum
needs to be applied, i.e., column J.
- The completed formula should appear as:
=SUMIF(H2:H19,"West",J2:J19)

4. Calculating the Sales where Segment = Corporate and Region = West.

The function SUMIFS will be used since this calculation requires checking for multiple
conditions.
- Navigate to cell J23. Type =SUMIFS and select the respective ranges to
formulate a calculation as:
=SUMIFS(J2:J19,G2:G19,"Corporate",H2:H19,"West")
 In the above calculation, J2:J19 is the range of Sales column which needs to be added.
G2:G19 is the range of the Segment column, and H2:H19 is the range for the Region
column.
The results of the three calculations are shown below:

Figure 7.2: Result of the Sum functions.

Excel provides a wide range of functions, and these are some of the most commonly used
Mathematical functions in Excel. To use these functions, simply enter the function name in a cell
and provide the appropriate cell references or values within parentheses. Press Enter to execute a
function, and Excel will perform the calculation and display the result in the cell.
 Chapter 8
Lookup and Reference
The previous chapter explained Mathematical functions and their applications in performing
calculations. This chapter will explore Lookup and reference functions, such as VLOOKUP,
LOOKUP, INDEX, and MATCH. These Excel functions allow users to search for specific
values, retrieve data from different parts of a worksheet, and perform lookups based on specific
criteria.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

The VLOOKUP function

The LOOKUP function
The INDEX function
The MATCH function

The VLOOKUP and LOOKUP are reference functions used to reference data stored in the same
or different sheets/workbooks.

The VLOOKUP function

The VLOOKUP, also called vertical lookup is used to find related data in a table or a range.
When VLOOKUP is used, Excel looks for the lookup value and then returns the corresponding
data from a table or range in the same sheet or different sheet/workbook.
Syntax:
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index, range_lookup)
Where:
lookup_value: is the value to look up. This value must be in the first column of the range of cells
specified in the table_array. It can be a value or a cell reference.
table_array: The range of cells in which the lookup_value is searched. It will return the
corresponding data based on the lookup_value. The first column in the cell range must contain
the lookup_value.
col_index: The column number (with value 1 for the left-most column of the table_array) that
contains the return value.
range_lookup: This is an optional value that specifies if the return value should be an exact
match or approximate. It is a logical value:
Approximate match (1/True). It assumes that the first column in the range is sorted
and will return the closest matched value. VLOOKUP uses approximate match by
default if range_lookup is not specified.
Exact match(0/False). This searches for the exact match in the first column.

How it works
The VLOOKUP function works by searching for the "Value to look up" in the first column of the
specified range "where this value is located."
Once it finds a match, it returns the value from the specified "column number" in that range.
The "return an Approximate or Exact match" is indicated as 1/TRUE for an approximate match
or 0/FALSE for an exact match.

VLOOKUP features
It is useful in situations where one table/range contains an ID, and another
table/range contains the corresponding ID/description. VLOOKUP can reference
both tables, match the IDs, and return the corresponding descriptions.
 VLOOKUP searches for values to the right of the lookup value. It looks for the
lookup value in the first column of the table/range and then searches to the right. It
cannot search to the left of the lookup value.
If the range_lookup parameter (true/false) is TRUE or not provided, the first
column in the table/range needs to be sorted alphabetically or numerically.

If the first column is not sorted, it may return unexpected values. To ensure an exact
match, either sort the first column or use FALSE as the range_lookup parameter.

Look up value in the same sheet

The below exercise will demonstrate VLOOKUP when the lookup value is located in the same
sheet.

Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx (Sheet Vlookup_SameSheet)

to perform this exercise.
This workbook contains similar data as used in the previous chapters. In this sheet the Customer
Name column is blank. The objective is to:
- Use VLOOKUP to retrieve Customer Names based on Customer IDs (Column F).
Customer IDs and Names are located in the range F14 to G25.
- Use VLOOKUP to retrieve Product Names based on Product IDs (Column J). Product
IDs and Names are located in the range J14 to M25.
Refer to Chapter8.LookupAndReference_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Vlookup_SameSheet)
for the solution.

Steps to use VLOOKUP when lookup value is located in the same sheet:
1. Open Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx.
2. To get Customer Name.
1.
a. Navigate to cell G2.
b. Type = VLOOKUP and press the tab key on the keyboard.
c. Select Cell F2 (Customer ID) to provide the lookup value,
d. Select the range F14:G25 to provide the table array (where Lookup value
and description is located)
e. Type 2 to provide the col index. It is 2 because the range F14 to G25
contains only 2 columns, the first one being the lookup value.
f. Close the parenthesis and press Enter.

The VLOOKUP formula should appear like:

= VLOOKUP(F2,F14:G25,2)

This will produce incorrect results as the Customer ID column in the table_array
(F14:G25) is not sorted and no value (true/false) is provided for the range_lookup.
To get the correct value, we need to either sort the Customer ID column in the
table_array or provide FALSE in the range_lookup to get the exact match.
Modify the VLOOKUP formula to provide FALSE.
=VLOOKUP(F2,F14:G25,2,FALSE)

This will display the correct results.

3. If the value in G2 is correct, autofill the rest of the cells to fill the formula for the
remaining cells in column G. This will apply the VLOOKUP formula to all the
customer IDs in column F and automatically retrieve the corresponding customer
names in column G.
 Figure 8.1: Finding Customer Name using VLookup.
4. To get Product Name.
a. Navigate to Column K (Cell K2). Write the VLOOKUP formula as:

=VLOOKUP(J2,J14:P25,4,FALSE)

In the above formula, note that col_index is specified as 4, which is the column
number where the Product Name(located at M14) is found (starting from Product
ID as the first column.)

5. If the value in cell K2 is correct, autofill the formula to the rest of the cells in
Column K. This will populate the Product Names for all corresponding Product
IDs.
 Figure 8.2: Finding Product Name using VLookup.

Look up value in different sheets

In some scenarios, the lookup value may be located in different sheets. VLOOKUP is
particularly useful in referencing data from other sheets.
The following exercise will demonstrate how to use VLOOKUP when the lookup value is
located in different sheets.

Exercise2: Use the enclosed Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx (Sheet

Vlookup_DifferentSheets) to perform this exercise.
- Based on Customer IDs (Column F), retrieve the corresponding Customer Names. The
Customer IDs and Names are located in a different sheet called "Customers".
- Based on the Product IDs (Column J), obtain the respective Product Names. The Product
IDs and Names are located in a different sheet called "Products".
Refer to Chapter8.LookupAndReference_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Vlookup_DifferentSheets) for the
solution.
Steps to use VLOOKUP when the lookup value is located in different sheets:
1. Use the same workbook as used in the previous exercise and navigate to the sheet
V_Lookup_DifferentSheets.
2. To get the Customer Name.

- Navigate to cell G2.

- Type = VLOOKUP and press the Tab key on the keyboard.
- Select Cell F2 (Customer ID) to provide the lookup value and type “,”
- Then navigate to Customers sheet and select the range for Customer ID and
Customer Name i.e., columns A1 to B12. The formula for VLOOKUP will be
displayed on the formula bar at the top.
- In the VLOOKUP on formula bar, type 2 as the col_index, type “,” and False to get
the exact match.
- Close the parenthesis and press Enter on the keyboard.
This will navigate you to the V_Lookup_DifferentSheets, and first Customer Name
will be displayed.
The VLOOKUP formula will appear like:
=VLOOKUP(F2,Customers!A1:B12,2,FALSE)

Observe that the range is displayed with the sheet name Customers ! A1: B12

3. If the value in G2 is correct, autofill the rest of the cells in Column G. Excel will
automatically apply the VLOOKUP formula to the subsequent cells, adjusting the
cell references accordingly, and display the corresponding Customer Names for
each Customer ID.
 Figure 8.3: Customer Names displayed from a different sheet.
4. To get Product Name.

- Navigate to cell K2.

- Type = VLOOKUP and press the Tab key on the keyboard.
- Select Cell J2 (Customer ID) to provide the lookup value and type “,”.
- Navigate to Products sheet and select the range for Product ID and Product Name
i.e., columns A1 to D12. The formula for VLOOKUP will be displayed on the
formula bar at the top.
- In the VLOOKUP on formula bar, type 4 as the col_index. Type “,” and FALSE to
get the exact match.
- Close the parenthesis and press Enter on the keyboard.
This will navigate you to the V_Lookup_DifferentSheets, and the first Product
Name will be displayed.
The VLOOKUP formula will appear like:
=VLOOKUP(J2,Products!A1:D12,4,FALSE)

Observe that the range is displayed with the sheet name

Products ! A1: D12.

5. If the value in K2 is correct, autofill the rest of the cells in column K.

 Figure 8.4: Product Names displayed from a different sheet.

Look up value in different workbooks

In some scenarios, the lookup value may be located in different Excel workbooks. VLOOKUP is
useful in referencing the data from different workbooks.
The exercise below will demonstrate how to use VLOOKUP when the lookup value is in a
different workbook.

Exercise3: Use the enclosed Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx (Sheet

Vlookup_DifferentWorkbook) to perform this exercise.
- To get Customer Names based on Customer IDs (Column F), the data is located in a
different Excel workbook called Customers.
- To get Product Names based on Product IDs (Column J), the data is located in a
different Excel workbook called Products.
Refer to Chapter8.LookupAndReference_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Vlookup_DifferentSheets)
for the solution.
Steps to use VLOOKUP when the lookup value is located in different workbooks:
1. From the enclosed data set, open Chapter8.Customers and Chapter8.Products on
your system. We will be taking Customer Name and Product Name from these
workbooks.
2. Now, open Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx. Navigate to the sheet
V_Lookup_DifferentWorkbook.
3. To get Customer Name.

- Navigate to cell G2.

- Type = VLOOKUP and press the Tab key on the keyboard.
- Select Cell F2 (Customer ID) to provide the lookup value and type “,”.
- Navigate to the Excel workbook Customers.xlsx and select the range for Customer
ID and Customer Name, i.e., columns A1 to B12.
The formula for VLOOKUP will be displayed on the formula bar at the top.
- In the VLOOKUP on formula bar, type 2 as the col_index, then Type “,”, and
FALSE to get the exact match.
- Close the parenthesis and press Enter on the keyboard. This will navigate you to the
V_Lookup_DifferentWorkbook sheet, and the first Customer Name will be
displayed.
The VLOOKUP formula will appear like:
=VLOOKUP(F2,[Chapter8.Customers.xlsx]Sheet1!$A$1:$B$12,2,FALSE)

Observe that the range is displayed with the workbook name

[Chapter8.Customers.xlsx]Sheet1!$A$1:$B$12, and Excel automatically uses the
absolute references for the columns in the range.

4. If the value in G2 is correct, autofill the rest of the cells in Column G.

5. To get Product Name.

- Navigate to cell K2 in Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx.

- Type = VLOOKUP and press the Tab key on the keyboard.
 - Select Cell J1 (Product ID) to provide the lookup value and type “,”.
- Navigate to the Excel workbook Products and select the range for Product ID and
Product Name, i.e., columns A1 to D12.
The formula for VLOOKUP will be displayed on the formula bar at the top.
- In the VLOOKUP on formula bar, type 4 as the col_index. Type “,”, and FALSE to
get the exact match.
- Close the parenthesis and press Enter on the keyboard. This will navigate you to the
V_Lookup_DifferentWorkbook sheet, and first Product Name will be displayed.
The VLOOKUP formula will appear like:
=VLOOKUP(F2,[Chapter8.Customers.xlsx]Sheet1!$A$1:$B$12,2,FALSE)

Observe that the range is displayed with the workbook name

[Chapter8.Customers.xlsx]Sheet1!$A$1:$B$12, and Excel automatically uses the
absolute references for the columns in the range.

6. If the value in K2 is correct, autofill the rest of the cells in Column K.

The Customer Name and Product Name values will be the same as displayed in the
previous exercises.

The LOOKUP function

The LOOKUP function, helps in searching for a value in a single row or column and finding the
corresponding value from the same position in another single row or column.

Syntax: =
=LOOKUP(lookup_value, lookup_vector, [result_vector])
Where:
lookup_value: is the value that needs to be looked up.
lookup_vector: The one-row or one-column range to search.
result_vector: The one-row or one-column range of results.

VLOOKUP vs LOOKUP
Both functions are used for looking up the values, but VLOOKUP is more suited when the
search is made across multiple rows and within specific columns. VLOOKUP searches on the
right, the lookup column needs to be the first column in the range. On the other hand, whereas
LOOKUP (in Microsoft 365 XLOOKUP) can look up values in any direction, allowing for more
flexibility in searching.

Exercise4: Use the enclosed Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx (Sheet Lookup) to perform

this exercise.
This sheet contains columns such as, Name, ID, Revenue, Age, and Phone.
- Find the Revenue of ID 14872.
- Find the Age of ID 23948.
- Find the Name of ID 14872.
- Find the Phone number of ID 27361.
Refer to Chapter8.LookupAndReference_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Lookup) for the
solution.

Steps to use the LOOKUP function:

1. Continue using the same workbook used in the previous exercise. Navigate to the
sheet Lookup.
2. Revenue of ID 14872

- Navigate to cell B8.

- Write the LOOKUP function as below:
 =LOOKUP(B2,B2:B6,C2:C6)

Where lookup value is B2, B2:B6 is a range where the lookup value is located, and
C2:C6 is the range where the lookup_vector or the searched value is located.

3. Age of ID 23948

- Navigate to cell B9.

- Write the LOOKUP function as below:
=LOOKUP(B3,B2:B6,D2:D6)

4. Name of ID 14872

- Navigate to cell B10.

- Write the LOOKUP formula as below:
=LOOKUP(B2,B2:B6,A2:A6)

Observe in this formula, LOOKUP is looking to the left of the lookup value, which is
not possible using VLOOKUP.
5. Phone number of ID 27361

- Navigate to cell B11.

- Write the LOOKUP formula as below:
=LOOKUP(B4,B2:B6,E2:E6)

The result of the above LOOKUP functions is shown below:

Figure 8.5: Result of the LOOKUP function.

The INDEX function
The INDEX function is another useful reference/lookup function that returns the value of a cell
in a specified range. INDEX can be used to retrieve individual values or entire rows and
columns.
It is particularly valuable when dealing with large datasets as it allows easy retrieval of specific
cell values (intersection of row and column). The INDEX function becomes even more
beneficial when used in combination with other functions such as MATCH.
Syntax: =
INDEX(array, row_num, column_num)
Where:
array: refers to cell range. If range includes only one row or column, the corresponding row_num
or column_num is optional.
row_num: The position of the row in the array/range.
column_num: It is optional and represents the column position in the array.

Exercise5: Use the enclosed Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx (Sheet IndexMatch) to

perform this exercise.
In this exercise, we will explore different ways to write the INDEX function, such as using the
entire data as the range, using a specific column as a range, and using a specific row as the range.
- Use the entire data as the range and write an INDEX function to return the value of DM-
12955 that is stored in F5.
- Use Column F as the range and write an INDEX function to return the value of DM-
12955 that is stored in F5.
- Use row 5 as the range and write an INDEX function to return the value of DM-12955
that is stored in F5.
 Refer to Chapter8.LookupAndReference_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet IndexMatch) for the
solution.
Steps to use the INDEX function:
1. Return the value located at the intersection of row/column:

- Navigate to cell F14 (or any cell of your choice) and write the formula using the
INDEX function
=INDEX(A1:O12,5,6)

In the above formula A1:O12 is the range, number 5 is the row number, and 6 is the
column number. This formula will return DM-12955.

2. Return the value when only one column (F) is selected as a range.

- Navigate to cell F15 (or any cell of your choice) and write the formula using the
INDEX function:
=INDEX(F1:F12,5)

In the above formula F1:F12 is the range of the Column F. Since only one column is
selected, only the row number 5 is specified, and the column number is omitted. This
formula will return DM-12955.

3. Return the value when only one row (5) is selected as a range.

- Navigate to cell F16 (or any cell of your choice) and write the formula using the
INDEX function
=INDEX(A5:O5,6)

In the above formula A5:O5 is the range of the row 5. Since, only one row is selected,
only column number 6 is specified, and row number is omitted. This formula will return
DM-12955.
 Figure 8.6: Result of the INDEX function.
Due to its ability to work with entire ranges, individual columns, or rows, the INDEX function
provides users with flexible options for data lookup and reference.

The MATCH function

The MATCH function looks ups a specified value in a range of cells and returns the relative
position of the value in the range.
Syntax:
= MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, match_type)
Where:
lookup_value: is the value that needs to be searched in the lookup_array /range.
Lookup_array: is the range of cells being searched.
match_type: This is optional and has a value of -1,0,or 1.
- If Omitted or set to 1. It returns the largest value that is less than or equal to the
lookup_value. The values in the lookup_array must be in ascending order.
- If set to 0. It returns the exact match of the lookup_value.
 - If set to -1. It returns the smallest value that is greater than or equal to the lookup_value.
The lookup_array must be in descending order.

Exercise6: Use the enclosed Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx (Sheet IndexMatch) to

perform this exercise.
- Find the position of the Customer - Brian DeCherney
Refer to Chapter8.LookupAndReference_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet IndexMatch) for the
solution.
Steps to use the MATCH function:
1. Search for Customer Name – Brian DeCherney and return its cell position.

- Navigate to cell I14 (or any cell of your choice) and write the formula using the
MATCH function
=MATCH(G8,G2:G12,0)

In the above formula, G8 is the lookup value (Brian DeCherney). G2:G12 is the
range that contains this lookup value. 0 is the match type, which means an exact
match should be used.
The result of the above expression is 7. This indicates that Brian DeCherney is
located at the 7th position in the range G2:G12.

Combining INDEX and MATCH function

Quite often, INDEX and MATCH functions are used together to perform dynamic lookups.

Exercise7: Use the enclosed Chapter8.LookupAndReference.xlsx (Sheet IndexMatch) to

perform this exercise.
- Find the Sales of Customer - James Lanier.
 In this exercise, we will first find the Sales using the INDEX function, and then use both
INDEX and MATCH functions together to find the Sales. The output of both will be the
same.
Refer to Chapter8.LookupAndReference_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet IndexMatch) for the
solution.
Steps to use INDEX and MATCH to perform lookups:
1. Find the Sales using the INDEX function.

- Navigate to cell L14 and write the formula using the INDEX function:
=INDEX(G1:L12,2,6)
This will return the Sales of 475.944 for Customer - James Lanier.
2. Use the MATCH function to find the position of the Sales

- Navigate to cell L15 and write the formula using the MATCH function:
=MATCH(L2,L1:L12,0)
This will return the position of Sales 475.944 i.e., 2.
3. Combining the INDEX and MATCH function in one calculation.

- Navigate to cell L16 and write the formula as below:

=INDEX(G1:L12,MATCH(L2,L1:L12,0),6)
The above calculation replaces the row_num of the INDEX function with the position
returned by MATCH function and obtains the same result.

Figure 8.7: Result of combining INDEX and MATCH functions.

 Chapter 9
Pivot tables and Charts
The previous chapter provided an explanation on Lookup and Reference functions and how they
can be used in searching for a value in a dataset. This chapter will delve into summarizing data
using Pivot tables and Charts. With pivot tables, users can quickly generate reports, perform
calculations, and create visualizations without the need for complex formulas or manual data
manipulation.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

Understanding Pivot tables

Creating PivotTables
Charts
Updating PivotTable data

Understanding Pivot Tables

A Pivot table is created using a range of cells or a table. It serves as a valuable tool for
calculating, summarizing, and analyzing data. It helps in understanding a large data set by
drawing comparisons, identifying patterns and trends. By transforming data into rows and
columns and perform calculations, it empowers users to generate insightful reports in Excel.
To create a successful Pivot table:
All columns should have headers
There should not be any blank cells or columns
It should not have merged cells.

Pivot table is created by selecting Insert > Pivot Table from the ribbon.
Pivot Table Interface
The data contained in Chapter9.PivotTable (Sheet SourceData) is utilized to illustrate the Pivot
table interface.
The steps to be followed to create a pivot table are:

1. Open Chapter9.PivotTable.xlsx. Navigate to the Sheet SourceData.

2. Navigate to the Insert in the ribbon, select Pivot Table and then choose From
Table/ Range. In the subsequent PivotTable from table or range dialog box, select
New Worksheet.

Figure 9.1: Option to create a Pivot table.

This will create a new sheet displaying the Pivot Table interface, with the view/report on the left
and PivotTable Fields on the right.

3. Pivot table Interface has the format as shown below.

 Figure 9.2: Pivot table Interface.
When fields are selected from the PivotTable fields, they are displayed here.

4. The Pivot Table Fields offer the following options:

Figure 9.3: PivotTable Fields.

 a. Choose fields to add to report.

This section displays all the fields available in the selected data. As fields are selected,
they will appear in the view. Fields can be dragged/dropped under Filters, Columns,
Rows and Values as needed. To access field properties, click on the drop-down arrow
next to the respective field.

b. Filters.

The fields dropped here will serve as filters for the view/report.

c. Columns.

The Pivot table displays data in a column and Row format. Drop the fields that want to
be displayed in columns here.

d. Rows.

Drop here the fields that are to be displayed in rows.

e. Values.

Any numeric fields, such as Sales or Profit, on which aggregation needs to be

performed, will be displayed here.
As the fields are selected, they will form the PivotTable view/report. Fields can be
formatted to include a dollar sign, etc.

Figure 9.4: PivotTable created from the selection fields.

In the above PivotTable, Order Date is displayed as a filter, Region as Rows, Segment
as Columns, and Sales as the aggregated value.
Please Rename this PivotTable sheet as Pivot1.
 5. When a Pivot Table is selected, the ribbon displays two options – PivotTable
Analyze and Design.

Figure 9.5: PivotTable Analyze and Design options.

a. PivotTable Analyze. Use this option to add Slicer to the Pivot table.
Additionally, find Calculations, Charts, and Recommended PivotTables options
available here. If the underlying source data changes, refresh the Pivot table by
selecting the Refresh option.
b. Design. Use this option to control the layout, including Subtotals, Grand
Totals, Report Layout, Blank Rows, as well as PivotTable Style options.

The formatting of a PivotTable can be done in the same fashion as with any other cell or sheet in
Excel.

Creating Pivot table

A Pivot table is created to summarize data within a sheet in the workbook. The following
exercise will explain how to create a Pivot table to draw meaningful results from the data.

Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter9.PivotTable (Sheet SourceData) to perform this exercise.
- Create a Pivot table to display Sales by Customers and count the number of Orders for
each Customer.
- Use the Order Date to filter data by Years.
- Format Sales with a $ sign and show two decimal places.
- Display the Top 10 Customers by Sales.
 Refer to Chapter9.PivotTable_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet PivotTable2) for the solution.

Steps to create PivotTable to find the Sales by Customers:

1. Open Chapter9.PivotTable.xlsx and navigate to the sheet SourceData.
2. From the ribbon, navigate to Insert, and from the PivotTable drop-down, select From
Table/Range.
Choose the default range and ensure to use the option New WorkSheet. This will display
the PivotTable interface on a new sheet.
3. From the PivotTable Fields:
a. Select the fields Customer Name, Order ID, Order Date and Sales.
Customer Name, Order Date fields, and Order ID will be displayed under Rows.
Sales will be displayed under Values.
Excel automatically aggregates Order Date into different Date fields such as Years,
Quarters, Months etc., and also displays Order Date.
Click on the drop-down arrows next to Quarters, Months, and Order Date (one-by-
one) and select Remove Field. Ensure that only Years(Order Date) is displayed.

Figure 9.6: Removing the fields from the Rows.

b. Drag Years (Order Date) from Rows to Filters section. This will create a filter on the
Pivot table for Years.
4. Obtain Count of Order IDs.
Currently, individual Order Ids are displayed on the Pivot Table. To create a count, drag
Order ID from Rows to Values section.
After making all the above changes, the PivotTable field selection will appear as shown
below:

Figure 9.7: PivotTable field selections.

5. Display Sales with a $ sign and 2 decimal places.
Highlight the Sum of Sales column on the PivotTable, and from the Home tab in the
ribbon select “$”.
6. Display the Top 10 Customers by Sales.
a. On the Pivot Table, navigate to Customer Name and click the filter drop-down next
to it.
b. Select Value Filters and then choose Top 10.
c. In the subsequent Top 10 Filter dialog for Customer Name, select Sum of Sales from
the drop-down menu.
 Figure 9.8: Filter displaying Top 10 Customers.
This will display only the Top 10 Customers in the Pivot Table. If the $ sign disappears from the
Sales, add it again from the Home ribbon. The labels on the Pivot table can be renamed.
After applying the Top 10 filter, the resulting Pivot table will appear as shown below:

Figure 9.9: Final output of the PivotTable.

d. Rename the Pivot table sheet as Pivot2.
The above PivotTable displays filter by Years(Order Date), Customer Name, Count of Order ID,
and Sum of Sales. It also shows Top 10 Customers by Sales.

Exercise2: Use the enclosed Chapter9.PivotTable (Sheet SourceData) to perform this exercise.
- Create a Pivot table to display Sales by Category and Sub-Category. Display Subtotals
and Grand Totals.
- Use the Order Date to place a filter for Years.
- Calculate the Percentage of Sales for each Category and Sub-Category.
- Display a calculated field to calculate Cost as Sales/Quantity.
- Filter the results by Year = 2019, and Category = Furniture.
Refer to Chapter9.PivotTable_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet PivotTable3) for the solution.
Steps to create a PivotTable to find the Sales by Category and SubCategory.
1. In the Chapter9.PivotTable.xlsx workbook, navigate to the sheet named SourceData.
2. From the ribbon, navigate to the Insert tab. Then, from the PivotTable drop-down, select
From Table/Range.
Choose the default range and make sure to use the option for New WorkSheet. This will
display the PivotTable interface on a new sheet.
3. From the PivotTable Fields:
- Select the fields Order Date, Category, Sub-Category, and Sales.
- Except for the Years (Order Date), remove all the other date fields. These fields
can also be removed from the bottom of the field list.
- Move Years (Order Date) from Rows to the Filters section.
This will display Years (Order Date), Category, Sub-Category, and Total on the
Pivot table. It also displays Sub-totals by Category.
- With the PivotTable selected, navigate to Design option in the ribbon and explore
the options for Subtotals and Grandtotals.
 - If Subtotals are not displayed, select the option Show all Subtotals at the bottom of
Group.
4. Calculate Percentage of Sales by Category and Sub-Category .
- In the PivotTable Fields, drag Sales from the field list to the Values section. It will
appear as Sum of Sales2.
- Click on the drop-down arrow next to Sum of Sales2 and select Value Field
Settings. In the dialog box, click on the tab Show Values As and from the drop-
down list under Show Values as, select % of Parent Row Total.

Figure 9.10: Calculating % of Total.

This will display a column Sum of Sales2 as a percentage on the PivotTable. Rename this
column to % of Sales.
Note: The % of Sales for Sub-Category is calculated based on the Category Sub-Total, and
Category level % of Sales will be calculated based on the Grand Total.
5. Create a calculated field to calculate Cost as Sales/Quantity.
- From the PivotTable Fields, select Quantity. It will appear as Sum of Quantity
under the Values section.
 If Quantity is displayed in the PivotTable with a $ sign, remove the $ sign by
formatting it as General.
- Navigate to PivotTable Analyze ribbon and select Fields, Items, & Sets. Then,
choose Calculated Field.
In the Insert Calculated Field dialog, name the field as Cost and create a formula
by selecting the fields from the list.

Figure 9.11: Calculated field for Cost.

This will display the calculated field as Sum of Cost on the Pivot table.
After implementing all the above changes, the resulting Pivot table will appear as shown below:
 Figure 9.12: PivotTable by Category and Sub-Category.
To format the above calculated column with a $ sign and 2 decimal
places, go to Home tab and apply the desired formatting.

Charts in Excel
Charts in Excel are visual representations of data that make it easier to understand and analyze
complex information. Excel offers a wide variety of chart types, such as bar charts, column
charts, line charts, pie charts, scatter plots, and more, allowing users to choose the best-suited
chart for their data.
Excel has two types of charts – Standard Charts and Pivot chart. Most of the functionalities are
similar between the two charts except for few differences.
Standard Charts vs Pivot charts
1. Standard charts are created from the Insert tab, in the Chart group on the ribbon.
Pivot Charts are created from the Insert tab, in the Chart group (PivotChart) on the
ribbon. PivotCharts can also be created from PivotTable Analyze option, which is
displayed once PivotTable is selected.
2. Standard charts are connected to the source data/ worksheet cells. Pivot Charts are
based on the PivotTable data source (PivotTable fields).
3. Using Standard charts any kind of charts can be created. However, PivotCharts
cannot create Scatter or Stock charts.

Standard Charts
Standard charts are created from the Insert tab, in the Chart group on the ribbon. These charts
are connected to the source data/ worksheet cells.
To create a chart:
Select the data or range to visualize, then click on the "Insert" tab in the Excel
ribbon and navigate to the Charts group.
Choose the desired chart type for Excel to automatically generate the chart based on
the selected data.
Excel also provides Recommended Charts option, based on the data present in the
sheet.
The chart can be customized to suit the requirements. Excel provides options to add
titles, labels, data labels, legends, and even change the chart's colors and styles.

Excel's intuitive interface allows for quick chart creation and customization, enabling users to
add titles, labels, and other elements to enhance the visual representation.
Exercise3: Use the enclosed Chapter9.PivotTable (Sheet SourceData) to perform this exercise.
Create a copy of the SourceData sheet and perform the following:
- Create a bar chart to display top 10 customers by sales.
 Refer to Chapter9.PivotTable_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Std_SourceData) for the solution.
Steps to create Standard bar Chart:
1. In the Chapter9.PivotTable.xlsx workbook, navigate to the sheet named SourceData and
make a copy of the sheet. Name this sheet Std_SourceData.
2. Select the Sales column (Column N) and then go to the Home tab in the ribbon and
navigate to Sort & Filter option in the Editing group.
3. Choose the option for Sort Largest to Smallest, and in the subsequent box, select Expand
this selection. This will display top 10 customers by sales.
4. Now, select the column/ranges that will be used to create the chart. From the Customer
Column (column G), select G1 thru G11. Press CTRL on the keyboard and select the
corresponding Sales, i.e., cells N1 though N11.
5. Go to Insert tab on the ribbon and from the Charts group, either choose the
Recommended Charts, or select the drop down next to the bar chart icon and choose the
bar chart.

Figure 9.13: Selecting a chart to display.

6. This will create a bar chart, depicting the top 10 customers by Sales.
 Figure 9.14: Bar chart based on the Customers and Sales selection.
7. When the chart is selected, it displays a Chart Design tab in the menu, which can be used
to enhance the chart.

Figure 9.15: Chart design options.

A chart type can also be changed to display the data using a different chart.

Pivot Charts
To create a Pivot chart, we need to first create a Pivot table as they are based on the PivotTable
data source.
Exercise4: Use the enclosed Chapter9.PivotTable (Sheet SourceData) to perform this exercise.
- Create a Pivot table to display Sales by various Regions.
- Use the Order Date to place a filter for Years.
- Create visualizations, such as bar charts, pie charts etc., to display this data.
Refer to Chapter9.PivotTable_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Charts) for the solution.
Steps to create a PivotTable and Charts.
1. In the Chapter9.PivotTable.xlsx workbook, navigate to the sheet named
SourceData.
2. Creating Pivot table.

- From the ribbon, go to the Insert tab, select Pivot Table, and choose the default
range. Create a Pivot table on a new sheet.
- In the PivotTable Fields, select Order Date. It will be displayed under the Rows
section. Remove all the other date fields except Year (Order Date) and move it to
Filters.
- Select Region and Sales. Region will be displayed in the Rows, and Sales will be
displayed in the Values section.
- Select all values under Sales in the PivotTable and change the formatting to display
a $ sign in front of the numbers.
Rename this sheet as RegionWise Sales.
The PivotTable will appear as shown below:
 Figure 9.16: PivotTable for Region-wise Sales.

3. Creating PivotChart. PivotChart is connected to the data in the PivotTable.

- Click anywhere on the PivotTable, go to the PivotTable Analyze tab in the ribbon.
From the Tools group, select PivotChart.
- By default, a chart will be selected (e.g., Clustered Column).

Figure 9.17: Clustered Column Chart.

The Chart displays Regions on the X-axis and Sum(Sales) on the Y-axis. It also includes
filter for Years (Order Date) and Region. The blue (dot) Total on the right side shows
the legend for the Region bar.
Select the plus (+) symbol on the right of the chart to explore various Chart Elements.
- Click on the text “Total” in between to enter the Chart title “Sales by Region”.

4. Create a pie chart.

a. Select the PivotTable. From PivotChart Analyze option, choose

PivotChart, and from the list of Charts, select Pie. This will display a pie
chart with slices representing Sales in various Regions.
b. Displaying percentages on the pie chart.

Pie charts should display percentage of total instead of the whole amount.

i. In the chart, right-click on the pie slices and select Add Data
Labels.
ii. Right-click on the slices again and select Format Data Labels.

Figure 9.18: Displaying percentages on a pie chart.

 This will display percentages on the pie slices. Change the title of the chart to “Sales %
by Regions”
The resulting chart will appear as shown below:

Figure 9.19: Pie chart displaying Sales percentages.

To change the chart type, right-click on the existing chart and select Change Chart Type
to choose a different chart for data representation.

Updating PivotTable Data

The Pivot table needs to be refreshed whenever the underlying source data updates or changes.
To refresh the data, select any cell within the PivotTable, and then choose the Refresh option
from the PivotTable Analyze menu.
 Figure 9.20: Refreshing the PivotTable.
Select Refresh to refresh data in the current PivotTable. If multiple PivotTables are present in the
workbook select Refresh All.

Updating the PivotTable with New Data Rows

Since the PivotTable is based on a specific range, if a new row is added to the source data, the
PivotTable range needs to be adjusted accordingly.
To update the range of the PivotTable:
- Select any cell on the PivotTable
- Navigate to PivotTable Analyze and select Change Data Source. When Change Data
Source is selected, it will provide an option to change the existing range.

Figure 9.21: Updating PivotTable with new rows of data.

Automatically Updating the PivotTable on open

A PivotTable can also be automatically updated when the Workbook is opened. To enable this
feature, select the PivotTable, navigate to the PivotTable Analyze tab in the menu, and click
Options on the left. In the subsequent PivotTable Options dialog, go to the Data tab and check
the Refresh data when opening the file option.

Figure 9.2: Updating the PivotTable on Open.

Excel PivotTables are a valuable tool for data analysis and reporting, offering an efficient and
dynamic way to summarize large datasets. By allowing users to pivot and rearrange data,
calculate various summaries, and apply filters easily, PivotTables empower users to gain
valuable insights from their data without the need for complex formulas or manual calculations.
 Chapter 10
Excel Table
The previous chapter provided an explanation on PivotTables and how they can be used
summarizing and aggregating data in the worksheet. This chapter will explain the usage of Excel
Tables. Excel tables provide additional functionality over the range of cells and provide an easy
way of organizing, and standardization of data.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

Overview of Excel Tables

Creating an Excel Table
Subtotal

Overview of Excel Tables

Excel tables provide added functionality to a range of cells making them more dynamic. They
help in easier organization, management and analyzing of related data. An Excel table can be
created from the Home (Format as Table) or the Insert tab (table) in the ribbon. Any worksheet
data can be converted to a Table.
Components of an Excel table:
An Excel table consists of the following components:

Default Header row. By default, a table has a header row. Each header column
displays a drop-down for filtering and sorting. When creating a table, users can
specify if the data contains headers. If this option is not selected, Excel
automatically creates a default header row.
Visible header row. In a large dataset, the header row is always visible.
 Banded row. By default, all rows in the table are displayed with shading or banding
to distinguish the rows of data.
Table Design. When a cell inside a table is selected, the ribbon displays Table
Design. It can be used to control the properties of the table by selecting/unselecting
them.
Total row. When the Total Row option is selected from Table Design, it adds a row
with Totals. The cells on the total row display a drop-down to perform calculations
such as Average, Count, Sum, etc. When one of these options is selected, Excel
automatically converts them to a SUBTOTAL function, which ignores the filtered
rows while performing the calculation.
Automatic addition of Row/Column. To add a new row, navigate to the last cell and
press the Tab key on the keyboard. To add a new column, simply start typing a
column header next to the last column in the table, and a new column will be added
automatically.
Automatic Autofill. When a calculation is created in a cell of a column, it is
automatically filled in all the cells of the column. Autofill is not required.
Slicer option. To further filter the data, Excel Tables provide the option to add a
Slicer from the Insert tab. Slicers allow users to visually filter data in the table.
Resizing of Table. The last cell of the table displays a sizing handle that can be
used to drag and increase the size of the table.
Dynamic Pivot Table/Charts. When an Excel table is used as the source data for a
Pivot Table/Chart, it refreshes dynamically when data updates or a new row is
added, ensuring that the Pivot Table/Chart always reflects the most recent data.

Excel Tables provide added functionalities as compared to regular data in the range of cells.
Creating an Excel table
An Excel table is created from a range of cells. Data from any worksheet can be converted to an
Excel table.

Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter10.ExcelTable (Sheet SourceData) to perform this exercise.
- Convert the Source Data to an Excel table.
- Add a new Calculation in Column 0 as New Sales = Sales * Discount
Refer to Chapter10.ExcelTable_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Table) for the solution.
Steps to create an Excel Table:
1. Open Chapter10_ExcelTable.xlsx and navigate to the sheet SourceData.
2. Make a copy of the Source Data sheet to preserve the original data for comparison.

a. Right-click on the Source Data sheet and select Move or Copy, then choose
(move to end) from the list. Select the option Create a copy at the bottom.
b. Rename the new sheet as Table.

3. Create an Excel Table.

a. Select any cell within the data range, then go to the Insert tab in the ribbon and
click on Table. The Create Table dialog will appear with the range of the cells
pre-selected. Make sure to check the option My table has headers.
 Figure 10.1: Create Table option.
This will create an Excel table with headers and banded rows.
Once the Table is created, it will display the Table Design option on the ribbon. On the
extreme right, it shows the Table name. The default Table name can be changed here.
4. Add a calculation for New Sales .

a. Navigate to cell O2. Type “=” and create the calculation by selecting K2,
typing “*” and then selecting M2.
b. Press Enter. The formula in the cell O2 will be auto-filled to all the cells in
column O.
c. Rename the Column as “New Sales”.

The resulting Excel Table will appear as shown below:

Figure 10.2: Excel Table with a new column.

SubTotal function
When a Total row is added to the Table, the calculation in the formula bar displays as
SUBTOTAL.
To check this, click on Total of Profit on the Total Row. On the formula bar, the calculation will
display as “=SUBTOTAL(109,[Profit])”
By default, in a Table all calculations are converted to SUBTOTAL.
Syntax:
SUBTOTAL(function_num,<column or range>)
Where:
function_num is a number 1-11 or 101-111 that denotes the function used for the subtotal and
how it works with manually hidden rows and filtered rows.
1-11 includes manually-hidden rows (select rows, right-click and choose Hide), while 101-111
excludes them; filtered-out cells are always excluded.

Figure 10.3: SubTotal function numbers.

 The difference between SUBTOTAL and SUM is that SUBTOTAL ignores the filtered
records, whereas SUM is calculated on all the rows including the hidden or filtered
ones.

SUBTOTAL vs. SUM

The SUBTOTAL and SUM functions work differently when used in a calculation. The following
exercise will illustrate the difference between the two functions.

Exercise2: Use the enclosed Chapter10.ExcelTable (Sheet SourceData) to perform this exercise.
- Convert the Source Data to an Excel table.
- Add a Table row to display the Total of Profit and Average of Sales.
- Check the difference between SUBTOTAL and SUM functions.
Refer to Chapter10.ExcelTable_Solutions.xlsx (Sheet Table2) for the solution.
Steps to create an Excel Table with a Total row:
1. Open Chapter10_ExcelTable.xlsx and navigate to the sheet named SourceData.
2. Make a copy of the Source Data sheet to preserve the original data for comparison.
Rename the new sheet as Table2.
3. Create an Excel Table.
- Select any cell within the data range. Go to the Insert tab in the ribbon and click on
Table. The Create Table dialog will appear with the range of the cells pre-selected.
Make sure to check the option My table has headers.
4. Add a Total row .
- Click on any cell in the Table, and from the Table Design option in the ribbon,
select Total Row.
 Figure 10.4: Total Row in the Table Design option.
This will display the Total label under the first column and Total amount under the last
column, i.e., Profit.
Notice that a dropdown is displayed on every cell in the Total row, which shows
different aggregation functions. Any function can be selected from the dropdown, and it
will automatically perform the calculation.

Figure 10.5: Aggregation options on the Total Row.

- Click on the Total row (Sales column) and from the drop-down, select Average.
This will display the Average Sales.
5. SUBTOTAL vs. TOTAL

a. Navigate to cell N14 and create the SUM (Profit) formula by typing =SUM
(and selecting all the cells in the Profit column.

At this point, both SUBTOTAL and SUM will show the same amount as
$399.86
 Now, filter the data on Region = Central.
The SUBTOTAL amount will change to $6.51, but the Sum will stay the same as
$399.86.

Figure 10.6: SubTotal vs. Sum.

If the SUBTOTAL functionality is not desired, then use SUM.

Excel tables provide an efficient way to manage data. They are particularly useful when dealing
with large datasets to perform data analysis. They offer added functionalities and features
compared to regular data ranges, making data manipulation and calculations more convenient
and efficient.
 Chapter 11
Introduction to Excel Macros
The previous chapter provided an explanation of Excel Tables and how they can be used
organize data in the worksheet. This chapter will focus on the usage of Excel Macros. Macros are
powerful tool that automate repetitive tasks and enhance productivity. The chapter will delve into
recording and running a macro, as well as exploring the VBA editor for editing and enhancing
macro code.
The following topics will be discussed in this chapter:

Overview of Macros
Recording a Macro
Editing the Visual Basic code for Macro

Overview of Macros
A Macro is a series of recorded or manually written commands that automate repetitive tasks
within Excel.

It comprises of set of instructions that perform a series of actions in a predefined

order.
Macros can be used to format cells, apply formulas, copy/paste data, generate
reports, and more.
They operate on a range of cells, so if new data or rows are added, the range of the
Macro needs to be modified accordingly.
Macros are recorded (specify set of instructions) and can be run to perform the
actions specified in the instructions.
Macro name should not have spaces in it.
Macros are written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) code in the background.
To save an Excel file with a Macro attached, it should be saved as an Excel Macro-
Enabled Workbook (.XLSM).
 To access the Macro functionality, the Developer tab needs to be enabled in the
ribbon. The Developer tab is not enabled by default and can be activated from the
Excel Options menu.

Figure 11.1: Developer tab to access the Macro functionality.

Enabling the Developer tab

Macros are created from the Developer tab in the ribbon, which is not enabled by default.
To enable the Developer tab:
1. Navigate to the File menu and go to More > Options.
2. In the Excel Options dialog box, select Customize Ribbon and check the option for
Developer from the right.

Figure 11.2: Enabling the Developer tab.

Enabling the Developer option in the Excel Options will display the Developer tab on the ribbon.

Recording a Macro
Macros are designed to automate repetitive tasks in Excel, saving time and effort for the user.
The process of creating a macro involves three main steps: recording the macro, stopping the
recording, and running the recorded macro.
The following exercise will create a macro to automate the formatting of data, which will
streamline the formatting process and enhance productivity.

Exercise1: Use the enclosed Chapter11.IntroMacros (Sheet SourceData) to perform this

exercise.
Write a Macro to automate the following tasks:
- Display negative Profit values in red color.
- Display Sales $500 in green.
Refer to Chapter11.IntroMacros_Solutions.xlsm (Sheet CreateMacro and Run Macro)
for the solution.
Steps to create a Macro:
1. Open Chapter11_IntroMacros.xlsx and navigate to the sheet named SourceData.
2. Make a copy of the Source Data sheet to preserve the original sheet for
comparison. Name the new sheet as Macro1.
3. Record/Create a Macro.

- Navigate to the Developer tab in the ribbon and select Record Macro.
- Provide the name of the Macro as Format_Sales_Profit.
 Figure 11.3: Recording a Macro.
- Perform conditional formatting to display Sales >500 in Green .
Highlight the Sales column and navigate to Home > Conditional
formatting.
Select the option Highlight Cells Rules and choose Greater Than. Specify
the condition as 500:

Figure 11.4: Conditional formatting for Sales greater than 500.

This will display the Sales greater than $500 in Green.
- Perform conditional formatting to display negative Profit in red .
Select the Profit column and navigate to Home > Conditional formatting.
Select the option Highlight Cells Rules and Choose Less Than. Specify the
condition as:

Figure 11.5: Profit less than 0.

This will display negative Profit in red color.

4. After completing the above tasks, navigate to the Developer tab in the ribbon and
click on Stop Recording. This will stop the recording of the macro.
5. Run the macro.
a. To observe the running of Macro, create another copy of the
SourceData sheet and name it RunMacro.
b. Navigate to the Developer tab and select Macros. The subsequent
dialog will display all the Macros created so far. Select
Format_Sales_Profit and click Run.
 Figure 11.6: Executing the Macro.
This will execute the Macro and format the Sales and Profit
columns as desired.

6. Save the file as an Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (.XLSM) so that the Macro
remains attached to it. Save the file as Chapter11.IntroMacros_Solutions.xslm.

How Macro will help

In the previous exercise, a Macro named Format_Sales_Profit was created to automate the
formatting of the Sales and Profit columns. Now, whenever a similar file is received, the macro
can be run to apply the desired formatting. This helps save time and ensures consistency in data
formatting across different files.
- To observe this, create a new Excel file that contains same data as
Sourcedata.
- Navigate to the Developer tab and select Macros. The subsequent dialog
provides the option to select a Macro recorded in a different xlsm file. In
our case, it is
 - Chapter11.IntroMacros_Solutions.xlsm. It also shows the name of the
Macro – Format_Sales_Profit.

Figure 11.7: Running Macro on a different Excel file.

Select the correct file and click on Run. It will change the formatting of Sales
and Profit as specified in the Macro with no action required from the user.

Visual basic code for Macros

Macro creates a Visual basic code in the background, which is useful to enhance the Macro
functionality.
To access the code, follow these steps:
Open the XLSM file where the Macro was recorded.
Go to the Developer tab, and click on the Visual Basic option. The code will appear in a new
window:
 Figure 11.8: Visual Basic code for a Macro.
This code can be modified to change the underlying Macro’s behavior. For example, if a new
row is added to the data, the range can be updated in this code to reflect the changes in the Macro
functionality.

Excel macros are sets of recorded or manually written commands that automate repetitive tasks
in Excel. Excel macros are a powerful tool to simplify complex tasks, automate repetitive
actions, and maintain consistency in data formatting and processing across different files.
 Index
A
Auto fill, 27

C
Cell reference
3-D reference, 78
Absolute Cell reference, 66
Mixed Cell reference, 71
R1C1 reference, 80
Relative Cell reference, 65
Charts in Excel, 174
Copy data from one sheet to another, 31

D
DateTime functions
Calculating Quarters, 119
DATE function, 114
Dates, 109
DAY function, 116
EDATE function, 113
MONTH function, 116
TIME function, 124
TODAY and NOW functions, 122
YEAR function, 116

E
Excel Tables
Creating an Excel table, 187
Overview of Excel Tables, 184
SubTotal function, 189

F
Flash fill, 28
Formatting
Conditional Formatting, 51
Custom Conditional Formatting, 57
Format Cells, 46

I
Importance of MS Excel, 15
Installation, 17
 L
Logical functions
AND function, 89
IF function, 85
IFERROR function, 95
Nested IF and IFS, 87
NOT function, 92
OR function, 90
Lookup and reference functions
INDEX function, 153
LOOKUP function, 149
MATCH function, 156
VLOOKUP
Look up value in different sheets, 142
Look up value in different workbooks, 146
Look up value in the same sheet, 138
VLOOKUP
VLOOKUP function, 135

M
Macros
Overview of Macros, 193
Recording a Macro, 196
Visual basic code, 200
Mathematical functions
COUNT function, 126
COUNTA function, 128
SUMIF function, 131
SUMIFS function, 131

P
Pivot tables
Creating Pivot table, 166
Pivot Tables
Pivot Charts, 178
Understanding Pivot Tables, 161
Updating PivotTable Data, 181
Printing, 42

R
Ribbon
Ribbon Tabs, 20
Understanding the Ribbon, 18

S
Saving, 34

T
Terminology, 15, 16
Text function
CONCAT function, 106
Text functions
LEFT function, 99
LEN function, 103
MID function, 99
RIGHT function, 99

W
Workbook
Creating your first Workbook, 24
Understanding the Workbook, 23