Computing

Introduction to Application Software

Semester two.
RECAP
• Hardware
– physical components of a computer system
• Software/Programs
– instruction that the computer use to carry out a process
or task
– Computer hardware would be useless without software,
the lists of instructions which tell the hardware what to do.
RECAP
 Types of Software
 Systems Software
Control or maintain the operations of a computer
hardware and its devices.
• Operating system
• Utility programs
RECAP
 Application Software.
Programs designed to make users more productive
and/or assists them with personal tasks.

 Application software => System software => Hardware

Application Software.

• Differentiate among the seven forms through which software

is available:
packaged software,
custom software,
Web application,
open source software,
shareware,
freeware,
public-domain software
Application Software.
• Identify the key features of widely used business programs:
Word processing software: used to create, edit, save, and print
text documents.
• Microsoft word, Open office, Apple pages, google docs
Spreadsheet software: used to capture, store, organize, and
manipulate data - both text and number
• Microsoft excel, Open office calc, Numbers, google sheets
Database software: used to organize and manage structured and
related data
• MySQL, Microsoft SQL server, Oracle, Microsoft Access, MongoDB
Presentation software: used to create interactive, slide-based
presentations that help to tell a story or convey a message.
• Microsoft power point, google slides, apple Key note.
Microsoft Excel
• What is Microsoft Excel?
Excel is a spreadsheet program that allows you to capture, store,
organize, and manipulate data.
Data can be text, numbers, and formulas.
The data is entered into cells which are organized into columns
and rows.
Many people use Excel to keep a budget, make charts and graphs
to show data, track sales for a business, and much more.
• Open Excel 2016 on your computer. Locate the Excel icon on the
computer desktop or under programs (see Figure 1), place the pointer
arrow on it, and double-click the left mouse button
Excel 2016 Interface

Figure 1 Excel Icon

• The Excel interface is where you see and use the tools in Excel on the
screen. This includes the way the tools are organized and presented
to you, the software user.
• Some features of excel work book
• The Welcome Page, The Ribbon, Quick Access Toolbar, and File Tab.
Excel Welcome Page
• When you first open Excel 2016, you will see the Welcome Page (Figure 2
below).
• Take a moment to browse the many templates available for specific
uses. Notice the Search Box near the top-center where you can search
for templates for other uses.

Figure 2. Welcome page

Excel Workbook

• Figure 3: Work book and work sheet

Excel Ribbon
• The Ribbon is a toolbox at the top of the screen. It’s organized into
three main parts (see Figure 3):
• Tabs – Tabs represent a general activity area. For example, the
“Home” has the tools most often
• used, and the “Insert” tab has the tools to “put objects into” the work
area.
• Groups – Groups show related “tools” together more specifically, like
“Font” or “Alignment”.
• Commands – A command is one of the actual “tools”, which can be a
button, expandable menu, or
• a box for entering information.
Excel Ribbon

• The Ribbon can be customized or displayed differently depending on your preference

Quick Access Tool Bar
• The Quick Access Toolbar is above the Tabs and has the commands
used most frequently (see Figure 4).

• Figure 4
File Tab
• The File Tab is where you can create a New document, Open an
existing one, Save changes, Save As a different file with a different
name, Print the current workbook, and many other options.
Excel Ribbon and Commands
Excel Work Space
• Name Box: Displays the currently selected sell.
• Formula Bar: Displays the number, text, or formula that is in the
currently selected cell, and allows you to edit it. It behaves just like a
text box.
• Selected Cell: The selected cell has a dark border around it.
• Column: Columns run vertically (top to bottom).
• Column Label: Identifies each column with a letter. Clicking on a
column label selects the entire column.
• Row: Rows run horizontally (left to right).
• Row Label: Identifies each row with a number. Clicking on a row label
selects the entire row.
Work Space
• Cell: The intersection of a row and column.
• Worksheets: The worksheets is contained in the workbook are
displayed at the bottom-left of the screen. Click on a worksheet to
view it.
• Scroll Bars: Used to view other parts of a worksheet when the entire
worksheet cannot fit on the screen.
• View Tools: See Status Bar next
Status Bar
• Status Bar: Located below the document window area

• Current Information: The left end gives current information about

the spreadsheet. (Ready, Enter etc.)
• Views: At the right end are shortcuts to the different views that are
available. Each view displays the spreadsheet in a different way,
allowing user to carry out various tasks more efficiently.
Status Bar
• Zoom Slider: Also at the right end of the Status Bar is the Zoom
Slider. This allows you to adjust how large the spreadsheet is
displayed on the screen.
• It does not adjust the actual size of the text—just how big or small
they are rendered on the screen (like moving a newspaper away from
or closer to your eyes).
Status Bar
Customizing Status Bar.
Right-click the Status Bar to display the Customize Status Bar menu
USING FORMULARS AND FUNCTIONS IN EXCEL
Vocabulary
• Formula
• Functions
 date and time functions
 financial functions
 logical functions
 mathematical functions
 statistical functions
 text functions
trigonometric functions

22 Lecturer: Eddons Munthali 22

Formula

• An expression that operates on values in a range of cells or a cell

and is used to do mathematical calculations.
• Formulas always start with the equal sign ( = ) typed in the cell,
followed by your calculation
• Operators specify the type of calculation that you want to
perform on the elements of a formula.
Formula

• Excel follows general mathematical rules for calculations, which

is Parentheses, Exponents, Multiplication and Division,
and Addition and Subtraction, or the acronym PEMDAS (Please
Excuse My Dear Aunt Sally).
• Using parentheses allows you to change that calculation order.
Types of operators.
• There are four different types of calculation operators:
i. Arithmetic,
ii. Comparison,
iii. Text concatenation,
iv. Reference.
Mathematical
To perform basic mathematical operations, such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division;
combine numbers; and produce numeric results, use the following arithmetic operators.
Comparison
You can compare two values with the following operators. When two values are compared by using
these operators, the result is a logical value—either TRUE or FALSE.
Text concatenation operator
Use the ampersand (&) to concatenate (join) one or more text strings to produce a single piece of text.
Reference Operator
Combine ranges of cells for calculations with the following operators.
Logical Functions
 What Are Functions?
• A function is a shorthand way to write an formula
that performs a calculation.
• A function has three parts:
• The equal sign identifies the cell contents as a formula.
• The function name identifies the operation to be
performed.
• The argument is the value the function uses to
perform a calculation.
• They are specific input to a function

Parts of a function

31 31
 Using Functions in Excel
Some function examples:
 SUM, SUMIF
 MIN, MAX

 AVERAGE, AVERAGEIF

 COUNT, COUNTA, COUNTIF

 ROUND
A Function is a predefined worksheet
formula
The advantage of
using a function:
• Saves time writing
• Simplifies complex calculations
• Faster execution
• Less chance of typographical errors
• Fewer characters in the formula bar

Example: instead of = C5+C6+C7+C8

use =SUM(C5:C8)
Functions take arguments and return a result
The general format of a function is -
=Function name(arguments)
• Arguments – argument variables are used by the
function to calculate the result. Arguments appear in
a specific order.
• Syntax – specific format required to use a function its
name and order of arguments
• Result – the value calculated by the function
• Algorithm – a step-by-step procedure for
accomplishing some end task.
 The SUM Function
• Syntax: SUM(range) or SUM(num1, num2, …)
Can type into cell, use AutoSum toolbar button or
function wizard
• Argument: Value or Range of cells to be summed
• Algorithm: a process or set of rules to be followed
in calculations or other problem-solving operations,
especially by a computer
Example: In the formula =SUM(B2:B8) * 3 Excel will add the
values in cells B2 through B8 and then multiple the result by
3.
Arguments of a SUM function
Valid Range Arguments for a SUM
function
• A1:A4 - Range along a column
• A1:D1 - Range along a row
• A1:D4 - A two-dimensional range
(Block)
• A1, D3:D5, 7 - non-contiguous cells*
* not all range arguments of functions can be used with
non-contiguous cells
Using functions
A B C D E F G H
1 Grade Book
2 Lab1 Lab2 MT Final Total Percent
3 Total Possible points Honors 10 20 100 200 330
4
5 Blue H 9 15 88 186 298 90.3%
6 Jones 5 77 155 237 71.8%
7 Smith H 10 18 91 190 309 93.6%
8 Grey 7 10 75 155 247 74.8%
9
10 Highest Score 10 18 91 190 309 93.6%
11 Lowest Score 5 10 75 155 237 71.8%

What formula is written in cell G5 and copied

down the column to determine the total points
earned by the corresponding student? (grades.xls)
Function Wizard
• Function wizard: A short-cut to all the
functions in excel (use fx toolbar button)
that walks you through building a function
Common Functions- with only a range argument
SUM (number1,[number2],…) Adds the numbers in a range of cells
AVERAGE (number1,number2,…) Calculates the arithmetic mean of a
list of values
MIN (number1,[number2],…) Returns the smallest number of a
range of values
MAX (number1,[number2],…) Returns the largest number of a range
of values
COUNT(value1,[value2],…) Determines the number of cells in a
range that contain numbers
COUNTA(value1, [value2],…) Counts non-blank cells

Where number1, number2 are 1 to 255 numeric arguments.

Arguments can either be numbers, ranged names or ranges
of cell references which contain numbers.
How a function’s algorithm can affect the resulting value
• How does the Average
function algorithm treat
blank cells? A
1 10
• What value will result in 2 20
cell A5 if it contains the 3
formula 4 30
=AVERAGE(A1:A4)? 5 =AVERAGE(A1:A4)
How many Honor students are there?
If scores should only be reported as integers.. How can we fix this
in Excel?

The Increase/Decrease
decimal buttons do NOT
change a value only how
the value is displayed.
Use the ROUND function to change the
precision of a value
The Round Function changes the precise value of
a number, not just its display
Syntax: =Round (number, num_digits)
• = Round (24.44,1) results in the value 24.4
• The ROUND function can be part of a larger formula:
• What value results: =Round (X2,0)*10 if cell X2 contains
the value 92.2?
• How would you write a formula to round the average value
in cells D5:D10 to the nearest ten?
The num_digits argument
• Positive num_digits
round to the
specified number of
decimal places
• A zero results in a
whole number
• Negative num_digits
round values to tens,
hundreds etc.
Notice the Σ SUM gives different results
when adding rounded values

The formula in cell C2 is =B2 – copied down

The formula in cell D2 is =Round(B2,0) – copied down
The formula in Cell B5 is =SUM(B2:B4) - copied across
Counting the number of honor
students

How can we count the number of honor students if

regular students have the letter R in the honor’s
column? Before we used a COUNTA and ignored
blanks but counted text.
Use the COUNTIF Function

The COUNTIF function counts the number of values

that meet a specified criteria:
The COUNTIF Function counts the number of items in a
range that meet a specific criteria.

COUNTIF (range, criteria) –

Range - a continuous cell range
Criteria Syntax:
- A number 6 =COUNTIF(B2:B7,6)
- Text “USA” =COUNTIF(A1:A50,“USA”)
- A cell reference B2 =COUNTIF(C3:C10,B2)
- A Boolean expression “>5” =COUNTIF(A1:A10,“>5”)

* The comma tells the computer the next argument is the criteria – so
you cannot list individual cells separated by a comma for the range
How many people scored above 6 points
on either lab?
The SUMIF Function sums the values in a range
that meet a specific criteria
SUMIF(range, criteria, sum-range)
Range – Continuous range used to compare the
criteria
Criteria – Comparison Criteria
Sum-Range - If criteria is met, the computer will sum
the corresponding entry in this range
The syntax of the criteria is the same as the syntax of
the COUNTIF function:
- a number such as 6
- text such as “Honor”
- a Boolean value such as “<2”
- a cell reference such as A1
 Sumif Function

Write a formula in cell

C9, which can be
copied down the
column, to summarize
the number of courses
being taken by students
in this college

=SUMIF(B$2:B$6,A9, C$2:C$6)
 Use the AVERAGEIF function to average values that meet a
specified criteria – average number of courses taken by
students in each college

=AVERAGEIF(B$2:B$6,A9, C$2:C$6)

AVERAGEIF(range, criteria, averagif-range) –

works identically to the
SUMIF function except it averages the specified range.
Date and Time functions
DATE function
• can be used when you want to get the date value using the year, month and, day values as the input
arguments.

Syntax
=DATE(year, month, day)
Input Arguments
• year – the year to be used for the date.
• month – the month to be used for the date.
• day – the day to be used for the date.

• The result displayed in the cell would depend on the formatting of that cell
Date and Time functions
Today function
• is used to get the current date. It returns a serial number that represents the current date.

Syntax
=TODAY()

Input Arguments
TODAY function does not take any input arguments. It is used with empty parenthesis. It automatically
take machine date as its argument.

Year Function
=Year(Today())
Produces the current year.
Date and Time functions
Networkdays Function
It returns a positive integer that represents the total number of working days between two specified
dates.
Syntax
=NETWORKDAYS(start_date, end_date, [holidays])

Input Arguments
• start_date – a date value that represents the start date.
• end_date – a date value that represents the end date.
• [holidays] – (Optional) It is a range of dates that are excluded from the calculation
Financial functions
PMT function
It is one of the many financial functions in excel. It helps you calculate the payment you need to make for
a loan when you know the total loan amount, interest rate, and the number of constant payments.

For example, suppose you buy a house for MWK 20,000,000. Since you don’t have that kind of cash, you
get a home loan at a 4% annual interest rate.
Now, you have to pay the loan installments every month for the next 20 years

= PMT(rate, nper, pv, [fv], [type])

• rate: It is the interest rate you need to pay per period.

• nper: It is the number of periods in which the loan is to be paid back.
• pv: It is the present value of the loan. In the above house loan example, this would be Mwk
20,000,000.
• fv: [optional argument] It is the future value of your payments you want after the loan is paid off. In
case you only want to get the loan paid and nothing else, omit it or make it 0.
• type: [optional argument] If the payment is due at the end of the month, omit this or make this 0. In
case the payment is due at the beginning of the month, make this 1.
 Financial functions
Future Value Function
is the expected value of an asset based (investment) on an assumed rate of return on that asset, i.e. an
interest rate, given that the amount of money or investment will be left untouched for the length of the
investment.

= FV (rate, nper, pmt, [pv], [type])

• rate: It is the interest rate you need to pay per period.
• nper: It is the number of periods in which the loan is to be paid back.
• pv: It is the present value of the investment.
• fv: [optional argument] It is the future value of your payments you want after the loan is paid off. In
case you only want to get the loan paid and nothing else, omit it or make it 0.
• type: [optional argument] If the payment is due at the end of the month, omit this or make this 0. In
case the payment is due at the beginning of the month, make this 1.

Present Value (PV) is today’s value of money you expect from future income and is calculated as the sum of
future investment returns discounted at a specified level of rate of return expectation.
= PV (rate, nper, pmt, [fv],[type])
 Financial functions
Present Value (PV) is today’s value of money you expect from future income and is calculated as the sum of
future investment returns discounted at a specified level of rate of return expectation.

= PV (rate, nper, pmt, [fv],[type])

Logical functions
Logical functions, such as the IF function, evaluates to either true or false.

Syntax

=IF(Condition, “Value if true”, “Value if False”)

The first argument sets a condition for comparison, called a logical test. The second argument determines
the value if the logical test is true. The third argument determines the value if the logical test is false.

For example, the formula:

=IF(C4>60,“PASS”,“FAIL”)

returns PASS if the value in cell C4 is greater than 60; otherwise the formula returns FAIL.

Nested IF
It is possible to combing function for example
=Round(SUM(C2
Logical Functions
Logical Functions -
IF( logical_test, value_if_true, value_if_false)
Checks whether a condition is met, and returns one value if TRUE, and another value if FALSE.
AND( logical1, logical2, ….)
Checks whether all arguments are TRUE, and returns TRUE if all arguments are TRUE.
OR( logical1, logical2, ….)
Checks whether any of the arguments are TRUE, and returns TRUE or FALSE. Returns FALSE only if
all arguments are FALSE

.
Logical Functions
Nested IF

You can combine multiple if condition in on statement. This is call Nested IF

Example:
=IF(C5>60,"Too Old", IF(C5 >45, "OK“, “Better”)).
Cell Referencing
• This is how we Identify a cell.
• Each cell has an address, e.g A3, C1: C5
There are they ways of referencing a Cell

• There are three types of cell references in Excel: relative, absolute

and mixed.
• When writing a formula for a single cell, you can go with any type.
But if you intend to copy your formula to other cells, it is important
that you use an appropriate address type because relative and
absolute cell references behave differently when filled () to other
cells
Cell Referencing
Relative Referencing
• When moved or copied across multiple cells, relative references
change based on the relative position of rows and columns.
• So, if you want to repeat the same calculation across several
columns or rows, you need to use relative cell references.
EG
For example, to multiply numbers in column A by 5, you enter this formula in B2
=A2*5
When copied from row 2 to row 3, the formula will change to:
=A3*5
 Cell Referencing
Absolute cell reference
• An absolute reference is the one with the dollar sign ($) in the row or
column coordinates, like $A1 or $A$1
• An absolute cell reference remains unchanged when copied to other
cells with the same formula. Absolute addresses are especially useful
when you want to perform multiple calculations with a value in a
specific cell or when you need to copy a formula to other cells without
changing references.
Absolute cell reference
• In Absolute referencing we lock either the Column, Row
or both.
• $A1 – locking Column
• A$1 – locking Row
• $A$1 – locking both
• If you local Column, the Column will be absolute, while
Row will be relative
• If you lock Row, then Row will be absolute and column
will be relative
• If you lock both then the locked cell/s will be absolute.
 Cell Referencing
• In $A3, you lock the column coordinate because the formula should
always multiply the original numbers in column A. The row
coordinate is relative since it needs to change for other rows.

• In B$2, you lock the row coordinate to tell Excel always to pick the
multiplier in row 2. The column coordinate is relative because the
multipliers are in 3 different columns and the formula should adjust
accordingly.