Chapter 14

Microsoft Office Excel 2003

14.1 INTRODUCTION

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application that allows you to perform various calculations,
estimations, and formulations with data. It is the electronic counterpart of a paper ledger sheet,
which consists of a grid of columns (designated by letters) and rows (designated by numbers).
Spreadsheets are popular because they represent a better alternative to manually computing
mathematical calculations and are more accurate and time saving.

It also provides various facilities like inserting charts, creating graphs, analysing situations, and
helps in decision-making. It is one of the best management tools. Excel provides flexibility to the
user to manipulate the data without worrying about the size of the data for general applications.
Excel 2003 permits a wide selection of options to be used in the creation of worksheets and
allows you to create an impressive spreadsheet presentation.

14.2.1 Microsoft Excel Environment

When Microsoft Excel is opened, the main screen of the application appears. This main window
contains many parts; these parts are described below in detail (Figure 14.2).

14.4.5 Using Cut, Copy, and Paste in Excel

When you are working in a worksheet, you may decide to move the contents of one cell or a
range of cells to some other part of the spreadsheet. If the text is to be moved within the same
worksheet or to another worksheet, it should be first cut and then pasted. When you choose cut
or copy, the cells are surrounded by a flashing dotted line, and their contents are not actually
moved until you click in the cell where you want to paste. The contents of the selected cells do
not disappear as they do in Word 2003. Copying the text is similar to the cut operation, except
that copy retains the text at the original place but in case of cut, the text is removed from the
original cell.

To perform the cut, copy, and paste operations, follow the steps given below:

1. Select the cell or the range of cells to be moved or copied.

2. In case you want to move the cell contents, choose Cut from the Edit menu or click
the Cut button ( ) on the Standard toolbar. If you want to copy the contents, choose
Copy from the Edit menu or click the Copy button ( ) on the Standard toolbar. Note
that a dotted/fickering line surrounds the area that is cut or copied.
3. Click the mouse on the place in the workbook where you want to insert the text.
4. Choose Paste from the Edit menu, or click the Paste button ( ) on the Standard
toolbar. The text that you copied to the clipboard is pasted to the location where the
mouse is clicked (Figure 14.20).

Figure 14.20 Using Cut and paste

Copying Cells Using Fill Handle: In Excel, the Fill Handle provides an easy method of
copying contents of the selected cells to the adjacent cells in a column or in a row. Fill handle
appears on the worksheet when you move your mouse over the right bottom corner of the active
cell. To copy a cell to the adjacent cells using the fill handle, follow the steps given below:
 1. Select the cell or range of cells to be copied.
2. Point at the fill handle. The mouse pointer changes to black plus sign ( ).
3. Drag the fill handle in the direction of the copy until the faded rectangle surrounds all
the cells to be filled.
4. Release the mouse button to copy the contents (Figure 14.21).

Figure 14.21 Using Fill Handle

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Linking Worksheets

In Excel, moving the information from a cell or a range of cells, rows, or columns is not just
limited to a worksheet. Microsoft Excel 2003 gives the flexibility to link value from a cell in one
worksheet to another. For example, the value of cell A1 in the worksheet1 and cell A2 in the
worksheet2 can be added using the format “sheetname!celladdress.” The formula for this would
be “=A2+[worksheet1.xls]sheet1!A1.”

Dragging Cells: Cell contents can also be moved to another cell by simply dragging the cell to
point to the desired cell. To move a range of cells using drag and drop, follow the steps given
below:

1. Select the cell or the range of cells.

2. Point at the border around the selection to change mouse pointer to a pointing arrow.
3. Drag the border to the new location and release the mouse button (Figure 14.22).
Figure 14.22 Dragging cells

To drag the selected cells to a different sheet, hold down the Alt key and drag the selected area
onto the sheet label. Excel will then display that sheet and you can position your selected cells as
normal. Using this technique, you can restructure your spreadsheet at any stage in its
development.

Sometimes, you may wish to create a list of numbers in cells. When the list of numbers is large
say 1,000, then the process of entering the number manually becomes very time-consuming and
exhausting. To automate this process, Microsoft Excel 2003 also allows you to fill series of data
in an “intelligent” manner. For example, type any number in a cell, then type the next immediate
number in the adjacent cell. To follow the same series pattern to a range of cell, select both cells
and drag to the desired range using fill handle (Figure 14.23).

Figure 14.23 Inserting Series of Data

14.5 FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS

One of the distinguishing features of Excel is that it makes use of formulas and functions to
dynamically calculate results from the data present in worksheets. Functions are routines built
into the Excel spreadsheet while formulas are defined by the user and may include the built-in
functions. Both Functions and formulas are widely used in simple as well as in advance
computing. They provide the power to analyse data extensively.
Functions can be a more efficient way of performing mathematical operations than formulas. For
example, if you want to add the values of cells C1 to C10, then using the formula you need to
type “=C1+C2+C3+C4+C5+C6+C7+C8+C9+C10.” This can be tedious, a better, and a shorter
way would be to use the SUM function and simply type “=SUM(C1:C10).”

14.5.1 Functions

Microsoft Excel contains many pre-defined or built-in formulas, which are known as functions.
These can be used to perform simple or complex calculations. They perform calculations b using
specific values, called arguments, in a particular order.

Parentheses are used to separate different parts of a formula. For example, in the formula
=SUM(A1:A5), the parentheses separate the worksheet function from the cell references that the
function is referring to. This is particularly important in longer or more complicated formulas,
for example =((A2/4)+(A5-B3))*5. If a mistake is made and the parentheses in a formula do not
match, an error message is displayed. Note that the parts of a formula contained inside the
parenthesis are calculated first. Some examples of functions are
=SUM(B4,G43,T70),=COS(A2), =AVERAGE(B1:B10).You can type functions in the Formula
Bar directly into the cell or use the Function Wizard.

THINGS TO REMEMBER

Functions

Functions have three parts:

 = sign, which tells Excel that a formula or function follows.

 Function name, such as SUM for addition or AVERAGE for determining the
average of a series of numbers.
 Arguments on which the particular function operate. The argument contains
cell references to let the function know which data to calculate. In Excel, a function
can accept a maximum of 30 arguments. The argument must also be enclosed by
parentheses.

To insert a function, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the cell in which the function is to be entered.

2. Select Function from Insert menu, or click Insert Function button ( ) on the
Formula Bar to display the Insert Function dialog box (Figure 14.27).
Figure 14.27 Insert Function Dialog Box

3. Select a desired function category from the select a category drop-down box and
choose the function name from the Select a function list which contains a list of
available functions in the selected category. Once the desired function has been
selected, click OK.
4. After this, Excel displays a Function Arguments dialog box to help the user to create a
function. In this dialog box, first click on the collapse button (labelled with a red
arrow) to the right of the box labelled Number1 or Value1 (this depends on the
function chosen) (Figure 14.28).

Figure 14.28 Function Arguments Dialog Box

5. Drag the mouse to select the range of cells to be included as the first argument of the
function and press Enter key.
6. To specify additional arguments into the function, repeat Steps 4 and 5.
7. Click OK to insert the function (Figure 14.29).
Figure 14.29 Inserting Function in Worksheet

Some of the categories of functions provided by Excel are:

 Math and Trig Functions

 Statistical Functions
 Date and Time Functions
 Logical Functions
 Text Functions

Math and Trig Functions: A user can perform simple calculations, such as rounding a
number or calculating the total value for a range of cells with the help of mathematical and
trigonometric functions. The various mathematical functions are listed in Table 14.5.

Table 14.5 Mathematical Functions

Formula Description

SUM(number1, number2, Adds all the numbers in a range of cells

…)

ROUND(number, Rounds off a number to specified places of digits

num_digits)

SQRT(number) Returns a positive square root of a given number. If the number is negative,
SQRT returns the #NUM! error value
Formula Description

ABS(number Returns the absolute value of a number

TRUNC(number, Truncates a number to an integer by removing the fractional part of the number
num_digits)

Logical Functions: Excel has a number of functions that allow the user to evaluate values and
make decisions based on the result of the evaluation. These functions are known as logical
functions. The logical function returns either true or false value depending on the condition. The
various logical functions used are listed in Table 14.6.

Table 14.6 Logical Fucntions

Formula Description Example

AND(logical1, Returns value TRUE if all its arguments are true and returns FALSE AND(1+2=3,
logical2, ...) if one or more arguments are false AND(1+2=3,
Output: False

NOT(logical) Reverses the value of its argument NOT(1+1=2)

Output: False
NOT(1+1=1)
Output: True

OR(logical1, Returns TRUE, if any argument is TRUE and returns FALSE only OR(1+2=3, 2
logical2,...) when all arguments are FALSE Output: True
OR(1+2=2, 2
Output: False

Statistical Functions: In addition to mathematical functions, Excel provides a great deal of

assistance to 0compute statistical data. All the functions are simple and take only a set of
observations as arguments. The various statistical functions used are listed in Table 14.7.

Table 14.7 Statistical Functions

Formula Description Exam

MAX(number1, number2,...) Returns the largest value in a given set of values MAX
Outpu

MIN(number1, number2,...) Returns the smallest value in a given set of values MIN(
Outpu

AVERAGE(number1, number2,...) Calculates the arithmetic mean of all values in the list AVER
Outpu

Text Functions: In Excel, text functions are used not only to convert a value to text but also to
join several text strings into one text string. Many functions are available that enable you to
manipulate text strings, convert numeric entries into text strings, and convert numeric text entries
into numbers. The various text functions used are listed below in Table 14.8.

Table 14.8 Text Functions

Formula Description Exam

CONCATENATE (text1, Joins several text strings into one text string CON
text2,...) (“Gra
“Tota
Outp

LEN(text) Returns the number of characters in a text string LEN(

Outp

LOWER(text) Converts all upper case letters in a text string to lower case LOW
Outp

PROPER(text) Capitalizes the first letter in each word of a text PROP

Outp

UPPER(text) Converts a text string to upper case UPPE

Outp

TRIM(text) Removes all spaces from a text string except for single spaces TRIM
between words Outp
Date and Time Functions: The date and time functions are used for working with date and
time. Excel uses serial numbers to store dates, giving each day of each year a unique number.
The varous date and time functions used are listed below in Table 14.9.

Table 14.9 Date and Time Functions

Formula Description Exa

DATE(year, month, day) Returns the number that represents the date in Excel date-time code DAT
Outp

TIME(hour, minute, second) Returns the number that represents a particular time TIM
Outp

NOW() Returns the current date and time NOW

Outp

14.5.2 Using AutoSum

The SUM function is used more often than any other function. To make this function more
accessible, Excel includes an AutoSum button on the Standard toolbar, which inserts the SUM
function into a cell. It is a great tool to use when you want to quickly add the contents of a range
of cells. To use AutoSum, follow the steps given below:

1. Select the cell where you want the sum to appear.

2. Click the AutoSum button ( ) on the Standard toolbar. AutoSum inserts a formula
that uses the SUM function. Clicking on the AutoSum, the cells get surrounded by a
flashing dotted line. This dotted line is called a marquee. Excel puts this around the
range of cells you want to add up and inserts the range reference in the formula.
3. If this is the correct range, then press the Enter key. If not, type or highlight the correct
range and press the Enter key or Enter button ( ) to apply the formula (Figure
14.30).
Figure 14.30 Using AutoSum

14.5.3 Formulas

Formulas are mathematical expressions built in Excel that instruct the computer to carry out
calculations on specified sets of numbers in the rows and columns. A formula always begins with
an equal sign (=) followed by some combination of numbers, text, cell references, and operators.
If a formula is entered incorrectly, an ERROR IN FORMULA message will appear. If you forget
to enter the initial (=) sign, Excel will treat the expression like a text string and the values will
not be calculated. Note that Excel evaluates a formula in a specific order: from left to right
following the order of operations.

Suppose, cell A1 contains 25 and cell A2 contains 90 and you want to add values in cell A1 and
A2 in A3. For this, follow the steps given below:

1. Select the cell where formula is to be inserted. In our case, the cell is A3.
2. Type “=” followed by the operation (say, SUM) to be performed.
3. Type the first and second cell names, separated by a colon (A1:A2).
4. Press the Enter key or click the Enter button ( ) on the Formula Bar. Now the
formula appears in the Formula Bar while the cell (A3) contains the result of the
formula as shown in Figure 14.31.

Figure 14.31 Using Formulas

Relative, Absolute, and Mixed Referencing: Referring to cells by their column and row
labels (such as “A1”) is called relative referencing. When a formula contains relative referencing
and it is copied from one cell to another, Excel does not create an exact copy of the formula. It
will change cell addresses relative to the row and column they are moved to. For example, if a
simple addition formula in cell C2 =SUM(A2:B2) (see Figure 14.32[a]) is copied to cell C3, the
formula would change to =SUM(A3:B3) to reflect the new row. To prevent this change, cells
must be called by absolute referencing, and this is accomplished by placing dollar signs “$”
within the cell addresses in the formula.
Figure 14.32 Relatice, Absolute and Mixed Referencing

For example, if the formula in cell C2 would read =SUM($A$2:$B$2) (see Figure 14.32[b]) in
which both the column and row of both cells are absolute, the formula will not change when
copied. Mixed referencing can also be used where only the row or column is fixed. For
example, in the formula =SUM(A$2:$B2) (see Figure 14.32[c]), the cell reference A$2 indicates
relative column and absolute row and the cell reference $B2 indicates absolute column and
relative row.

Editing and Deleting Formulas: A formula can be edited or deleted if required. To delete a
formula, simply click on the cell that contains the formula and press the Delete key. If you want
to alter the formula, follow the steps given below:

1. Click the cell that contains the formula.

2. Click in the Formula Bar, change the formula and press the Enter key.

Handling Operators in Formula: In Microsoft Excel 2003, operators specify the type of
calculation that is to be performed on numbers or quantities. Excel includes four different types
of calculation operators:
  Arithmetic Operator
 Text Operator
 Comparison Operator
 Reference Operator

All these operators have been listed in Table 14.10.

Table 14.10 Operators Used in Excel Formulas

Operator Meaning

* Multiplication

/ Division

+ Addition

‒ Subtraction

% Per cent

^ Exponentiation

= Equal to

> Greater than

< Less than

>= Greater than or equal to

<= Less than or equal to

<> Not equal to

& Concatenates or combines two values to produce one continuous text value

: (colon) Known as range operator. Produces one reference to all the cells between two references, i
references, for example, D3:D7

, Known as union operator, which combines multiple references into one reference, for example, S
Operator Meaning

(comma) B4)

(space) Known as intersection operator, which produces on reference to cells common to the two references

Error Values: An error may occur in Excel while working with formulas when the intended
task is not carried out in a proper way. For example, if you intend to add cells (A1: A4) and one
of the cells, say A3, contains text, then the correct output will not be shown in the selected cell
and an error state is said to have occurred. The errors may also occur due to some other reasons.
Some of the common errors are listed in Table 14.11.

Table 14.11 Error Values

Type of
Description
Error

###### This is not exactly a kind of error; it just specifies that the result is too long to fit in the selected c
be corrected by making the column wider

#DIV/0! This type of error occurs when a number is divided by zero. The error can be corrected by ma
divisor is not zero

#NAME? This type of error occurs when there is a name in the formula that Excel cannot recognize.
avoided by selecting a name from the Name Box instead of typing it. If you type a function, chec
verify that the function exists or if users perform operations on text, enclose it in double quotation

#REF! This type of error occurs when cell reference is invalid. For example, when the user deletes ce
formula or cells are pasted and moved elsewhere. This error can be corrected by entering the form

#VALUE! This type of error occurs when wrong operands or arguments are used within a formula. This erro
by checking the passed arguments again and if wrong then passing them again

14.6 INSERTING CHARTS

In Excel, numerical data can be easily converted into a chart for graphical presentation of the
data. Charts provide more visual clarity than tables of data and, therefore, have more impact.
Several types of chart are possible in Microsoft Excel, and each type has a number of variations.
The chart types include pie charts, bar charts, line charts, etc. Whatever the type, all charts are
linked to the worksheet data. This means that data values can be amended even after the chart
has been created and the chart will automatically be updated.

Microsoft Excel allows a chart to be placed in two ways, as an embedded chart or a chart sheet.
Embedded charts appear as objects on worksheets and can be resized and positioned to appear
alongside tabular information or other charts and objects, whereas chart sheet exists as a separate
sheet in a workbook. Chart sheets are, perhaps, a little easier to manipulate but when printed,
they appear alone on the page. It is, therefore, possible to adjust the page orientation, headers,
footers and other page attributes for the chart without affecting other worksheets.

Types of Chart: Excel allows you to create charts of different types. You can choose from the
list of chart types available. Some of the commonly used chart types are:

 Area ( ): This is used when a user wants to emphasize change over time.
 Surface ( ): In this chart, temperature and time are plotted together to show the
tensile strength they produce.
 Bar ( ): This chart compares values with the different values given.
 Radar ( ): In this chart, each category of information has its own line radiating out
from the centre.
 Column ( ): This chart is very similar to a bar chart, except that the bars are aligned
vertically instead of horizontally.
 Bubble ( ): This chart shows three sets of variables, represented by the two axes and
the size of the bubble.
 Line ( ): This chart is useful for comparing trends.
 XY (Scatter) ( ): This is useful for comparing a set of values with the average or
predicted values.
 Pie ( ): This chart is used to compare a set of figures.
 Doughnut ( ): This chart is very similar to a pie chart, except that it can show more
than one set of figures. Each ring of the doughnut represents a set of figures.

14.6.1 Creating Charts

One of the simplest and easiest methods to create a chart is by using the Chart Wizard. This
wizard helps in creating a chart by displaying a series of dialog boxes. The dialog boxes included
are selecting a chart type; selecting a format for the chart; specifying how the data are arranged;
and adding a legend, axis titles, and a chart title. To insert a chart, follow the steps given below:

1. Enter the data into the worksheet, which is to be converted into a chart as shown
in Figure 14.33.
Figure 14.33 Worksheet Data

2. Select Chart from the Insert menu or click the Chart Wizard button ( ) on the
standard toolbar to view the first Chart Wizard dialog box.
3. Choose the Chart type and Chart sub-type from the available list. Then
click Next (Figure 14.34)

Figure 14.34 Chart Type Dialog Box

4. Select the data range (if different from the area highlighted in step 1) and
click Next (Figure 14.35).
Figure 14.35 Chart Soource Data Dialog Box

5. Now the Chart Options dialog box appears (see Figure 14.36). This dialog box allows
you to enter the name of the chart and titles for the X- and Y-axes. By clicking on the
tabs, one can change the axes, gridlines, legend, data labels, and data table. Click Next.

Figure 14.36 Chart Options Dialog Box

 6. The Chart location dialog box appears. This is the last step in Chart Wizard. This
dialog box prompts you to specify the location of the chart. Click As new sheet if the
chart is to be placed on a new, blank worksheet or select As object in to embed the
chart in an existing worksheet as shown in Figure 14.37.

Figure 14.37 Chart Location Dialog Box

7. Click Finish to create the chart. The chart appears on the screen as shown in Figure
14.38.

Figure 14.38 Chart on the Worksheet

Resizing and Moving Chart: Chart can be easily resized by clicking on the border of the
chart. Doing this, the resizing handles appear on the border of the chart. Handles on the corners
resize the chart proportionally while handles along the lines will stretch the chart.

A chart can be moved by selecting the chart, then holding down the left mouse button, and
dragging the chart to a new location. Elements within the chart such as the title and labels can
also be moved within the chart (Figure 14.39).

Figure 14.39 Resizing and Moving Chart

14.6.2 Using Chart Toolbar

Once a chart is inserted, it can be changed and enhanced by using the Chart toolbar. If the Chart
toolbar does not appear, right-click anywhere on the menu bar and select Chart from the
shortcut menu (Figure 14.40). The various buttons available on the Chart toolbar are listed
in Table 14.12.
Figure 14.40 Selecting Chart for Editing

Table 14.12 List of All the Available Buttons on the Chart Toolbar

Command Button Description

Chart Objects Used to select different objects in a chart

Format Chart Area Used to edit the chart area

Chart Type Used to select a different type of chart

Legend Used to show or hide the chart legend

Data Table Displays the data table instead of the chart

By Row Displays the data by rows

By Column Displays the data by columns

Angle Clockwise Used to angle the text in the downward direction

Angle Counterclockwise Used to angle the text in the upward direction

Changing the Chart Type: If a user after making a particular type of chart feels that the
chosen type does not suit or meet the requirements, then a different type of chart can be chosen
from the Chart toolbar to change the type of chart (Figure 14.41).
Figure 14.41 Different Chart Types

14.6.3 Saving a Chart

You can save charts for easy reference in future, thus reducing the time involved in making the
same chart repeatedly. To save a chart, follow the steps given below:

1. Select the chart and choose Chart Type from the Chart menu to display the Chart
Type dialog box.
2. In the Custom Types tab, choose User-defined and click Add. This displays the Add
Custom Chart Type dialog box.
3. Type a name for the graph in the Name text box and the description for the graph
in Description box (if required) and click OK to close the Add Custom Chart Type
dialog box (Figure 14.42).

Figure 14.42 Setting a Default Chart

4. Click Set as default chart button, a message box for confirming the action appears.
Click Yes to set the selected chart as the default chart.
5. Click OK to save the chart (Figure 14.43).
Figure 14.43 Saving a Default Chart

14.7 SORTING

Excel allows you to sort the data in any order. To perform this, follow the steps given below:

1. Click in the column by which you want to sort the data or select a specific range in a
column that is to be sorted.
2. Select Sort from Data menu to display the Sort dialog box (Figure 14.44).
 Figure 14.44 Sort Dialog Box

3. By default, Excel sorts all the data in ascending order. If you want to sort in
descending order, select Descending. Note that you can sort the data up to three fields
at a time.
4. Click OK to sort data and close the Sort dialog box (Figure 14.45).

Figure 14.45 Sorted Data