BASIC EXCEL

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Content
1. Brief introduction to Excel

2. Handling basic errors in Excel

3. Determine the order of precedence in formulas

Understanding how to write functions, focusing on syntax,

4. arguments, and algorithms

5. Data validation lists and Conditional formatting

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Content
6. Understanding various functions and formulas, including:
• LARGE
• SMALL
• COUNT, COUNTA and COUNTIF
• ROUND

7. Create basic chart to represent data

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1. Brief introduction to Excel

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 2. Handling basic errors in Excel
Productio
Description n Rate Unit $/Hour
Delivery of Boxes to Product line 15 boxes/hr 10
Cutting of Leather 20 shoes/hr ###
Attachment of Appliques 30 appliques/hr 10
Sewing of Logos to Leather 22.5 pieces/hr 12.5
Assembly of Leather & Sole 10 shoes/hr 23
Assembly of Arch Support 18.5 shoes/hr 13

Quantity
Each Shoe - Manufacting Tasks: /Shoe Unit Total Cost
Delivery of Boxes to Product line
.2 boxes/shoe ####
Cutting of Leather 1 shoe 1
Attachment of Appliques 6 appliques/shoe 2
Assembly of Leather & Sole 1.00 shoe ###
Assembly of Arch Support 1.00 shoe ###
Total Labor ####
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2. Handling basic errors in Excel
(Continued…)
Error Message Description

######
Insufficient Width in cell to display numerical data, or negative date/time

#NAME? Unrecognized text in a formula

#N/A No answer

#REF! Invalid cell reference

#VALUE! Wrong argument type or operand

#NUM! Invalid numeric values in a formula or function

#DIV/0! Division by Zero

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 2. Handling basic errors in Excel (Continued…)
Modifying column width
• Double-click column dividing line to make the column as wide as the
longest entry
• Drag column dividing line to desired width
• Click format button in Cells group on Home tab – Format - Click Auto-fit
Column or Auto-fit Row

Checking error messages (Error Alert button)

Formatting numbers consistently

Inserting a title to identify worksheet formulas

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 2. Handling basic errors in Excel - FORMATING NUMBERS

Selecting the number on the “numbers” Select the from the ribbon
ribbon at the top to display:

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2. Handling basic errors in Excel (Continued…) – Corrected worksheet

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2. Handling basic errors in Excel (Continued…) Customer headers

Insert tab - select the Header &

Footer button

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 3. Determine the order of precedence in formulas

Order of
precedence Example Resulting Value Explanation
Operations in parentheses () = A3 * (4+6) If A3 = 2, resulting value is 2 * Excel first performs the addition of 4+6 even though
(4+6), thus 2*10 = 20 the multiplication has a higher precedence than
addition, because the addition operation is enclosed
in parentheses ()

Exponentiation = 2 * 2^3 Resulting value is 2 * 8, thus = 16 Excel first performs the exponential operation of 2 ^
3, and then performs the multiplication

Multiplication and division =2 + 3 * 10 Resulting value is 2 + 30, thus 32 Excel first multiplies 3 * 10 and then adds 2
from left to right

Addition and subtraction =2 - 3 + 10 / 10 Resulting value is 2 - 3 +1, thus 0 Excel first divides 10/10 and then subtract 2-3 and
from left to right finally adds the value to the quotient

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 4. Writing functions: Syntax, arguments, and algorithms

Function = Predefined formula that performs calculations

Structure
▪ Function name and open parenthesis mark
▪ Arguments (list of inputs in a specific order, separated by commas)
▪ Closing parenthesis mark

A Function has its own syntax (specifies function name and order of
arguments)

Behaves according to its algorithm (rules programmed into the function)

In a Cell either type the “=“ sign and indicating what you want to add or by
selecting the on the top

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 4. Writing functions: Syntax, arguments, and algorithms

Understanding Relative Cell Referencing

Excel automatically alters the new formula relative to the location of the original formula.

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4. Writing functions: Syntax, arguments,
and algorithms
Absolute cell referencing
▪ Indicates that a cell reference (both column and row)—or even a
part of a cell reference—should remain unchanged when copying
▪ Syntax: $ before column letter, before reference number, or both

Mixed cell reference

A cell reference that has only one $
Common when you need to copy a formula both down a column and
across a row at the same time

Copy formulas down

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 5. Functions and formulas: Where are they?

Understanding Absolute and Mixed Cell Referencing (continued)

The formula entered in cell C11

applies absolute and mixed cell
referencing.

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 5. Functions and formulas: Where are they?
When Selecting the on the top, Function screen comes up

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 5. Functions and formulas

Example: Sum

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 5. Functions and formulas - Basics
Function (Arguments) Description

SUM(number 1, number 2, …..) Calculates the sum of a list of values

AVERAGE(number1, number 2, ….) Calculates the average value in a list of values

MIN(number 1, number 2, ….) Calculates the minimum value in a list of values

MAX(number1, number 2, …) Calculates the maximum values in a list of values

COUNT(number 1, number 2,…) Determines the number of values in a list

COUNTA(number 1, number 2,…) Coutna does not ignore text fields

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5. Functions and formulas – LARGE and SMALL
Determining the Highest and Lowest Values in a Data Set

LARGE function
▪ Determines the nth largest
value in a range
▪ LARGE (array,k)

SMALL function
• Determines the nth smallest value in a range
• SMALL (array,k)

Note: Array means the range you are working with

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5. Functions and formulas – LARGE

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5. Functions and formulas – SMALL

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5. Functions and formulas – COUNT and CountA

The COUNT function ignores blank cells and cells with text

=COUNT(range)

The COUNTA function does not ignore text cells.

=COUNTA(Range)

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5. Functions and formulas – COUNTIF
COUNTIF function: Counts the number of items in a range that meet
specified criteria

=COUNTIF (range,criteria)

Range argument must be a contiguous set of cells

Criteria argument is a “test” that data must meet in order to be

counted in the grouping

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5. Functions and formulas – COUNTIF

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 5. Functions and formulas – COUNTIF and Relational operators

Relational operator Description Example in a COUNTIF function

>
Greater than =COUNTIF(F3:F13, ">1") counts values greater than 1

<
=COUNTIF(C3:C13, "<E") counts values that appear alphabetically
Less than before the letter E

>=
Greater than or equal to =COUNTIF(F3:F14, ">=1") counts values greater than or equal to 1

<=
Less than or equal to =COUNTIF(G3:G13, "<=2") Counts values less than or equal to 2

=
=COUNTIF(F3:F13, "=1" counts values equal to 1; this formula is
Equal to equivalent to =COUNTIF(F3:F13,1)

<>
Not equal to =COUNTIF(E3:E13,
© Copyright Enterprises University of"<>1") counts values
Pretoria 2024 not equal to 1
6. Data validation lists

Create a new sheet

Add list of objects, names, products

Go to Data Tab > Data validation

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6. Custom number formats to data: Conditional formatting

Home, Conditional formatting OR Manage Rules

Example: Value Greater than 10 turn cell red

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 8. Wildcards in Formulas
Wildcard Formula Result Description

* =COUNTIF(H2:H13, "*3") 4 Counts all IDs that end with the text value "3"

* =COUNTIF(H2:H13, "*1*") 7 Counts all IDs that contain the text value "1"

? =COUNTIF(H3:H13, "?313") 3 Counts all IDs with a single character followed by the characters "313". Notice that cell
H7 is not counted because it contains two characters preceding the characters 313.

? =COUNTIF(H3:H13, "*33??") 8 Counts all IDs that have the value 3 in the third-to-lasts position in the text value,
regardless of the number of preceding characters.

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9. Creating, managing and understand various Charts: Tufte’s Data
graphics principles

Above all else, show the data: Reminder not to clutter a chart by
adding unnecessary illustration or decoration

Maximize the data-ink ratio, within reason: Refers to the portion of ink
that is devoted to displaying the data versus the portion of the graphic
that can be removed without losing the data

Erase non-data-ink, within reason: Non-data-ink is a part of the chart

that decorates more than informs

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9. Creating, managing and understand various Charts

Erase redundant data-ink, within reason: Redundant data ink is

ink that repeats information

Revise and edit: Revise and edit charts like you would a piece of
writing

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9. Charts: Example of “chart junk”

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9. Charts: Example of a “clean” chart

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9. Creating a chart
Select the data to display
Click the INSERT tab
Click a button in the Charts group or the Dialog Box Launcher

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9. Chart Elements

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9. Chart types

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9. Chart types
Line chart: displays trends over time or by category. Line charts plot
numeric values on one axis and category labels equidistantly on the other
axis

Column chart: compares values across categories in a vertical

orientation

Area chart: combines the features of a line chart with a bar or column
chart by filling in the area below the line, and displaying the trend values
over time or categories

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 9. Chart types

Pie chart: displays the percentage contribution that

each category makes to a whole or 100%

Comparing line and X Y (Scatter) charts: X Y (Scatter)

charts plot numeric values on both the x- and y-axes
based on the value of the data

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9. Charts: Line chart vs. X Y (Scatter) Chart

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9. Charts: Changing the Chart Source Data

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9. Charts: Result of changing source data

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9. Charts: Specifying Chart Layout Options

Click chart to display Chart Tools contextual tabs

Chart Tools Layout Tab

Options grouped by Labels, Axes, and Background

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 10. Viewing, managing large worksheets and Comments
Freezing panes
▪ Keeps titles displayed in the top pane
▪ Allows the bottom pane to be scrolled
▪ Both titles and values farther down are displayed simultaneously

Splitting the window

▪ Allows you to scroll each portion individually, top/bottom and left/right, with
separate scroll bars

Use a Comparison worksheet

▪ Places current values and historical values on a separate worksheet in the
workbook, side by side

Formulas – Show formulas: Displays formulas in cells

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10. Viewing, managing large worksheets and Comments

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 10. Viewing, managing large worksheets and Comments
Review – Add Comment

Notes when sharing workbooks

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 10. Viewing, managing large worksheets and Comments
Review – Add Comment

Notes when sharing workbooks

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