EXCEL MODULE 5

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MODULE 5 EXCEL COURSE NOTES

Excel MODULE 5

(Manual – Version 5)

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MODULE 5 EXCEL COURSE NOTES

TABLE OF CONTENTS
CONDITIONAL FORMATTING........................................................................................... 5
CONDITIONAL FORMATTING WITH DATES .............................................................................. 7
CHARTING ......................................................................................................................... 8
CREATE A NEW CHART ................................................................................................ 8
TO ALTER THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHART ........................................................... 8
PLOT A SECONDARY AXIS ............................................................................................ 8
GROUPING SHEETS ......................................................................................................... 9
LINKING SHEETS .............................................................................................................. 9
3D REFERENCES (SUMMING BETWEEN SHEETS) ....................................................... 9
PROTECTING CELLS ................................................................................................... 10
REMOVING CELL PROTECTION ................................................................................. 11
EXCEL KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS.................................................................................. 12

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CONDITIONAL FORMATTING

If a cell contains formula results or other cell values that you want to monitor, you can
identify the cells by applying conditional formats. For example, you can apply green
shading to a cell if the sales exceed forecast and red shading if sales fall short.
If the value of the cell changes and no longer meets the specified condition, the formatting
will change to reflect the amendments, for example, if the cell is shaded red because the
sales fall short but a very large order is placed and the information in that cell then exceeds
forecast, the cell will be shaded in green automatically.
1. Select the cells you want to highlight as conditional formatting is required.
2. On the Home ribbon select the Style group, and click on the Conditional
Formatting button, the following options are displayed:

3. Choose from the following options:

• Highlight Cells Rules:- select a comparison phrase, ie, between, greater
than or less than, then type a value and select a format as shown below.
Repeat this process to
add more rules.

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• To use a formula as the formatting criteria (to evaluate data or a condition

other than the values in selected cells), click Conditional Formatting,
Highlight Cells Rules, More Rules, Use a Formula to determine which
cells to format. The formula must evaluate to a logical value of TRUE or
FALSE. Enter the formula and set a format using the Format button.

4. You can also choose from new Conditional Formats:

• Select Data Bars to provide a visual bar to represent data – the length of
the bar represents the value in the cell
• Select Icon Sets to insert an icon next to data in a cell – the icon
represents the value in the cell
• Select Colour Scales to shade the cell – the shade of the colour represents
the value in the cell.
• To change the rules for any of the options above
click More Rules from the relevant drop down
menu

5. To clear conditional formatting rules click Conditional Formatting, Clear

Rules, then select the appropriate option as shown below.
6. To manage existing rules select Manage Rules from the Conditional
Formatting menu as show below.

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There are many other conditional formats to choose from such as Data Bars
which draw bars representing values in the cells or Traffic light icons which can
be customised by editing rules.

Conditional Formatting with Dates

You can also change the colour of cells based on dates. Select the cells you want to format
and choose Conditional Formatting, Highlight Cells Rules and choose A Date Occurring.

To be more specific with date formatting choose New rule, Use a Formula to Determine
which cells to format and write a formula. Example (format cells which occur within 60 days
of todays date:-

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CHARTING

A chart is a graphic representation of worksheet data. Showing your data in a chart can
make it clearer, more interesting and easier to read. Charts can also help you evaluate
your data and make comparisons between different worksheet figures.

Values from worksheet cells are displayed as bars, lines, columns and pie slices or other
shapes in the chart. The values are known as Data Points in a chart. These are grouped
into a Data Series. Each different set of values or Data Series is represented on a chart in
a different colour.

Your chart data is automatically linked to the Worksheet you created it from. When you
change the data on your worksheet, the chart is updated to reflect these changes.

CREATE A NEW CHART

To create a chart follow the steps below:

1. Select the range of cells in the worksheet that you wish to plot. Include any column or
row labels that you wish to use.

2. Press F11.

TO ALTER THE APPEARANCE OF THE CHART

1. Click on the chart to ensure it is selected.

2. Three new tabs will appear at the end of the Ribbon Bar; Design, Layout and
Format. (NOTE: in 2013/2016 two new tabs will appear, Design and Format)

3. The tabs at the end of the ribbon contain the commands required to modify your
chart.

PLOT A SECONDARY AXIS

To plot a secondary axis on a chart:-

1. Click the data series in the chart you want to plot on the secondary axis (e.g this
could be one of the red bars in the chart), this will select all the bars in that series.
2. From the Format tab on the ribbon choose the Format Selection button at the start
of the ribbon
3. Click Plot series on secondary axis
4. Right click one of the coloured bars and choose Change Series Chart Type, select
either Series 1 or Series 2 and change the chart type from Clustered Column to
Line.

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GROUPING SHEETS

Grouping sheets is useful when you want to make changes across multiple sheets.
To group sheets:
1. Click the first worksheet to be referenced.

2. Hold down SHIFT and click the last worksheet to be referenced.

3. To ungroup sheets, click on a sheet outside the grouped sheets.

NOTE if all sheets are grouped, clicking on another sheet will automatically ungroup all
sheets.

LINKING SHEETS

To create a link to another worksheet

1. Select the cell or cells where you want to create the external reference and type =

2. Switch to the worksheet that contains the cells that you want to link to.

3. Select the cell or cells that you want to link to and press Enter.

3D REFERENCES (Summing Between Sheets)

3D References enable you to write a formula that will link different worksheets within a
workbook.

1. Click the cell where you want to enter the function.

2. Type an equal sign to let Excel know you are starting a formula, enter the name of
the function, followed by an open bracket, ie, =SUM(

3. Click the tab for the first worksheet to be referenced.

4. Hold down SHIFT and click the tab for the last worksheet to be referenced.

5. Select the cell or range of cells to be referenced.

6. Complete the formula by closing the bracket and pressing enter.

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PROTECTING CELLS

All cells are initially locked and the worksheet protection is off so that changes can be
made to cells. If worksheet protection were turned on with all cells locked no entries could
be made to any of the worksheet cells. If you are using cell protection you probably only
need a few cells unlocked to allow changes.

1. Select the cells, which are to be unprotected. Use the Ctrl key to select non-
adjacent cells if necessary.

2. Click the Home tab on the Ribbon Bar.

3. Click the Number group then click the expand button in the bottom right
corner of the group.

4. Click Protection from the tabs in the dialog box shown below.

5. Click in the Locked select box to remove the tick.

6. Click or press Enter.

7. Select the Review tab on the Ribbon bar.

8. Click Protect Sheet.

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9. You can specify what users can and can’t do by ticking and unticking options in
the Allow all users of this worksheet to: section.

10. Enter a password. Click or press Enter.

11. Confirm the password and click or press Enter.

REMOVING CELL PROTECTION

1. Select the Review tab on the Ribbon bar.

2. Select Unprotect sheet.

3. If a password was entered when the protection was set-up this will need to be
entered when un-protecting.

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EXCEL KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS

Shortcut Key Action
Ctrl Home or End Jump to cell A1 or last populated cell on sheet
END, arrow key Move by one block of data in row or column
Ctrl + Enter Fill the selected range with the current entry
Ctrl Shift ~ Apply the default format
Ctrl C Copy
Ctrl X Cut
Ctrl V Paste
Ctrl B, I, U Bold, italics or underline
Alt Enter Start a new line within the same cell (text wrap)
Shift +  → Select cells or increase/decrease an existing selection
Ctrl A Select All
Ctrl + (numpad) Insert an entire row or column (select row/column first)
Ctrl – (numpad) Delete an entire row or column (select row/column first)
Ctrl (key Show or hide formulae on a worksheet
underneath ESC)
Ctrl D Duplicate (cells above)
Ctrl G Go to specific cell reference
Shift Click Sheet Group consecutive sheets
Tabs
Ctrl Click Sheet Group non consecutive sheets
Tabs
Ctrl Drag sheet Duplicate sheet
Ctrl ; Insert current date
Ctrl Shift ; Insert current time
Ctrl W Close Window (same as file close)
F2 Edit the current cell
F3 Paste Name
F4 Insert an absolute cell reference
F11 Create a chart based on the selected range
F12 Save As
=today() Insert current date (automatically updates)
=now() Insert current date and time (automatically updates)

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