MS EXCEL

Workbooks and Worksheets

When you launch Excel, the Excel application window opens with a new Excel workbook.  A workbook is a multi-page Excel document. Each page in the workbook is called a worksheet, and the active worksheet is displayed in the document window. At the left end of the horizontal scroll bar are sheet tabs and navigation buttons. Use the sheet tabs to move to another worksheet and the navigation buttons to scroll through the sheet tabs.

Merge, Shrink to Fit, and Wrap Text

If you want a vertical title to cross several rows, use these steps:

§         Select the title and several additional cells below the title.

§         Select Format cells and check one or all of the following options in the Format Cells dialog box:

§         Click the Merge Cells check box to merge the cells.

§         Shrink to Fit reduces the size of the type within selected cells to the contents fit.

§         Wrap Text wraps the contents of a cell if it would exceed the cell’s boundaries.

§         Click OK to apply these changes.

Both Shrink to Fit and Wrap Text use the current column width.  If you narrow or widen a column after you shrink or wrap a label, you will need to re-shrink or rewrap.

Deleting Cell Contents

To delete the contents of a cell completely:

§         Activate the cell

§         Press the Delete key on the keyboard or right click and choose Clear Contents from the short-cut menu.

Selecting Multiple Cells

In Excel, at least one cell is always selected:  the active cell. A group of cells is called a range. 

To select a range:

§         Move to the first cell in the range (check to be sure the mouse pointer is the large cross used for selecting).

§         Hold down the mouse button.

§         Drag to the last cell you want to select before releasing the mouse button.

To select all the cells in a column or row:

  • Click the column heading or row heading.

To select multiple columns or rows:

§         Select one heading and drag to select the others.

To select the entire worksheet:

§         Click the Select All button, the gray rectangle at the upper-left corner of the worksheet above the row headings.

If the cells, columns, or rows you want to select are noncontiguous (not next to each other):

§         Select one of the ranges you want to select, and then hold down the Ctrl key while selecting the others.

 

Entering Text and Numbers

Three types of data can be entered in cells in a worksheet:

1.       Numbers are values you may want to use in calculations, including dates. Dates are often used in calculations to determine, for example, how many days to charge for an overdue video or how many months of interest you have earned on a deposit.

2.       Formulas are calculations.

3.      Text is any entry that isn’t a number or a formula.

To enter data in a cell, first activate the cell, and then begin typing the data. As soon as you begin entering characters from the keyboard, an insertion point appears in the cell, the text you are entering appears in the cell and the formula bar, and the formula bar buttons are activated.

Correcting Data Entry Mistakes

If you make a mistake while entering data:

1.       Click the Cancel Formula button (the red X) to discard the entry you were making.

2.      Turn off the formula buttons.

3.       You can press the Esc key on the keyboard

Using the Chart Wizard

When you have your text and numbers selected, click the Chart Wizard button on the Standard toolbar.

1.       In the First step of the Chart Wizard, choose a chart type in the Chart Type list box. If the type of chart you want isn’t listed, check out the chart types on the Custom tab. After choosing a chart type in the left pane on the Standard Types tab, choose a subtype in the right pane.  To see a rough sample of the type and subtype using your data, use the Press and Hold to View Sample button in the Chart Wizard. When you have selected a type and subtype, click Next to continue.

2. In the second step, you have an opportunity to make sure the range you selected is correct on the Data range tab.  If isn’t, use the Collapse Dialog button and reselect the proper range before continuing.  Choose Rows or Columns in the Series In option group. The preview will change to reflect the range and series arrangement you specify.  Click Next, or click the series tab to make additional changes.


Use the Series tab in Step 2 of the Chart Wizard to check selected ranges and values for the series used in the chart.  Click any of the items listed in the series list box to see which cells or cell ranges in the spreadsheet correspond to the selected series item. Use the Collapse Dialog button next to either the Name or Values text boxes to modify these chart elements. You can also specify or change the cells used for x-axis labels in Category (x) Axis Labels text box.

 

3.  In the third step, use tabs to change options for various aspects of the chart: 


Titles:  Enter titles for the chart and axes.
Axes:  Display or hide axes.
 Gridlines:  Display gridlines and display or hide the third dimension of a 3-D chart.
 Legend:  Display and place a legend.
Data Labels:  Display text or values as data labels.
Data Tables:  Show the selected range from the worksheet as part of the chart.

As you change options, the chart preview will reflect your changes. When you have finished setting options, click Next to continue.
4.       In the last step of the Chart Wizard, you can place the chart on the current worksheet or on a new, blank sheet in the same workbook.  If the chart is placed on its own sheet, it will print as a full-size, single-page chart whenever it is printed. If you add it to the current worksheet as an object, it will print as part of the worksheet, but it can also be printed separately. Enter a new sheet name (or choose As Object In and select the worksheet in which to place the chart) and Click Finish to create and place the chart.

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Revised:  November 09, 2004
for: http://www.cuyamaca.net/lrc
by:  Katherine Meek