CHAPTER 7

MICROSOFT EXCEL BASICS

 Microsoft Excel

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that is used to record and analyze

numerical data. Excel is a commercial spreadsheet application produced and
distributed by Microsoft for Microsoft Windows and Mac OS. It features the ability
to perform basic calculations, use graphing tools, create pivot tables and create
macros. Excel is a spreadsheet program that allows you to store, organize,
and analyze information.
 Benefits and Advantages
of Microsoft Excel

1. Implement data organization using spreadsheets.

2. Perform various formula and calculations.
3. Improves efficiency, quality and productivity of work.
4. Manipulate, format data and cells to create different relevant charts.
5. Analyze or interpret data to make data visualization much easier.
The Microsoft Excel Interface

START SCREEN

When
. you open Excel 2013 for the first time,
the Excel Start Screen will appear. From
here, you'll be able to create a new blank
workbook, choose a template, or access
your recent workbooks.
Figure 1. MS Excel Start Screen Blank Workbook
Templates
Recent Workbooks
Quick Access Toolbar
Account Access
The Ribbon

Name Box Formula Bar

Column
Cell
Row Worksheet View Option

Zoom Control

Worksheets Horizontal and

Figure 2. MS Excel Environment
Vertical Scroll Bar
QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR

QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR

Located just above the Ribbon, the Quick
Access toolbar lets you access common
commands no matter which tab is selected.
By default, it shows the Save, Undo,
and Redo commands. You can add other
commands depending on your preference.

To add or remove commands:

1. Click the drop-down arrow to the

right of the Quick Access toolbar

2. Select the command you want to

add from the drop-down menu. To
choose from more commands,
select More Commands.
COMMAND GROUP

Each group contains a series of

different commands. Simply click any
command to apply it. Some groups also have
an arrow in the bottom-right corner, which
you can click to see even more commands.
commands depending on your preference.

Command Groups for Home:

1. Clipboard – paste, copy and cut
2. Font – font family, font size, cell border and other properties
3. Alignment – indention and text or cell formatting.
4. Number– currency, decimal, percentage styles and other
accounting or number format.
5. Styles – formatting of tables and cell styles.
6. Cells – cell deletion, insertion and format.
7. Editing – several formula, sorting, find and select.
 The Ribbons
It contains all of the commands you will need to perform common tasks in Excel. It
has multiple tabs, each with several groups of commands.

The Home Tab gives you access to some of the most commonly used
commands for working with data in Excel, including copying and
pasting, formatting, and number styles.
 Insert Tab

The Insert Tab allows you to insert charts, tables, spark lines, filters, and
more, which can help you visualize and communicate your workbook
data graphically.
 Page Layout Tab

The Page Layout Tab allows you to change the print formatting of your
workbook, including margin width, page orientation, and themes. These
commands will be especially helpful when preparing to print a workbook.
 Formula Tab

The Formula Tab gives you access to the most commonly

used functions and formulas in Excel. These commands will help
you calculate and analyze numerical data, such as averages and
percentages.
 Data Tab

The Data Tab makes it easy to sort and filter information in your workbook,
which can be especially helpful if your project contains a large amount of
data.
 Review Tab

You can use the Review Tab to access Excel's powerful editing features,
including comments and track changes. These features make it easy
to share and collaborate on workbooks.
 View Tab

The View Tab allows you to switch between different views for your
workbook and freeze panes for easy viewing. These commands will also be
helpful when preparing to print a workbook.
 Contextual Tabs

Contextual Tabs will appear on the Ribbon when working with certain items,
like tables and pictures. These tabs contain special command groups that
can help you format these items as needed.
ACCOUNT ACCESS
Located at the upper right corner of the window which allows you to show the
account information or your profile, access your Microsoft Account and switch
accounts.

Worksheet Views
You can choose to view any workbook in Normal view, Page Layout view, or
Page Break view. These views can be useful for various tasks, especially if
you're planning to print the spreadsheet.
 Normal View
This is the default view for all worksheetsin Excel.

Page Layout View

This view can help you visualize how your worksheet will appear when
printed. You can also add headers and footers from this view.

Page Break View

This view makes it easy to change the location of page breaks in your
workbook, which is especially helpful when printing a lot of data from
Excel.
Backstage View
To access the Backstage View, just simply click the File Tab on the
Ribbon.

Info – this pane shows the information and protection controls of the
document
New – this pane create a new blank document.
Open – this pane will enable you to open recent or existing
documents.
Save and Save As – allows user to save the document created.
Print – you can see the print settings and to print your document.
Share – user can invite people for collaboration of the document or
share the document.
Export – exporting your document in other format.
Close – use to close the current document
Keyboard Shortcuts in Excel
Many users find that using an external keyboard with keyboard shortcuts for Excel
helps them work more efficiently. For users with mobility or vision disabilities,
keyboard shortcuts can be easier than using the touchscreen, and are an essential
alternative to using a mouse.

Frequently Used Shortcuts

This table shows the most frequently used shortcuts in Microsoft Excel.

TASK SHORTCUT KEY

Close a workbook Ctrl + W Choose a fill color Alt + H, H
Cut data Ctrl + X
Open a workbook Ctrl + O Go to insert tab Alt + N
Bold character Ctrl + B
Go to home tab Alt + H Center align cell contents Alt + H, A, C

Save a workbook Ctrl + S Go to page layout tab Alt + P

Go to data tab Alt + A
Copy data Ctrl + C Go to view tab Alt + W
Open context menu Shift + F10, or Context Key
Paste data Ctrl + V Add borders Alt + H, B

Undo action Ctrl + Z Delete column Alt + H, D, C

Go to formula tab Alt + M
Remove cell contents Delete Hide the selected rows Ctrl + 9
Hide the selected columns Ctrl + 0
Access keys for Ribbon Tabs
To go directly to a tab on the ribbon, press one of the following access keys.
Additional tabs may appear depending on your selection in the worksheet.
TASK SHORTCUT KEY
Move to the tell me or search field on the Alt + Q, then enter the search term
ribbon and type a search term for
assistance or help content.
Open the file page and use backstage Alt + F
view.
Open the home tab and format text and Alt + H
numbers and use the find tool.
Open the insert tab and insert pivot Alt + N
tables, charts, add-ins, sparklines,
pictures, shapes, headers, or text boxes.
Open the page layout tab and work with Alt + P
themes, page setup, scale, and
alignment.
Open the formulas tab and insert, trace, Alt + M
and customize functions and calculations.
Open the data tab and connect to, sort, Alt + A
filter, analyze, and work with data.
Open the review tab and check spelling, Alt + R
add notes and threaded comments, and
protect sheets and workbooks.
Navigating Cells
This table shows the used shortcuts to navigate cells in Microsoft Excel.

TASK SHORTCUT KEY

Move to the previous cell in a worksheet Shift + Tab
or the previous option in a dialog.
Move one cell up in a worksheet. Up Arrow Key
Move one cell down in a worksheet. Down Arrow Key
Move one cell left in a worksheet. Left Arrow Key
Move one cell right in a worksheet. Right Arrow Key
Move to the edge of the current data Ctrl + Arrow Key
region in a worksheet.
Move to the last cell on a worksheet, to Ctrl + End
the lowest used row of the rightmost
used column.
Extend the selection of cells to the last Ctrl + Shift + End
used cell on the worksheet (lower-right
corner).
Formatting Cells
This table shows the used shortcuts to format cells in Microsoft
Excel.
TASK SHORTCUT KEY
Open the format cells dialog. Ctrl + 1
Format fonts in the format cells dialog. Ctrl + Shift + F or Ctrl + Shift + P
Insert a note Shift + F2
Open and edit a cell note Shift + F2
Insert a threaded comment Ctrl + Shift + F2
Open and reply to a threaded comment Ctrl + Shift + F2

Open the insert dialog to insert blank
cells.
Open the delete dialog to delete
selected cells.
Enter the current time.
Enter the current date.
Copy a formula from the cell above the
active cell into the cell or the formula
bar.
Move the selected cells.
Ctrl + Shift + Plus Sign (+)
Ctrl + Minus Sign (-)
Ctrl + Shift + Colon (:)
Ctrl + Semi-colon (;)
Ctrl + Apostrophe (')
Ctrl + X
 Getting Started with
Microsoft Excel

CREATE WORKBOOK

1. Open Excel
2. Select Blank Workbook to create a
new workbook from scratch or
press Ctrl + N.

ENTER DATA IN SPREADSHEET

To manually enter data:
1. Select an empty cell, such as A1, and
then type text or a number.
2. Press Enter or Tab to move to the
next cell
To fill data in a series:

1. Enter the beginning of the series in two

cells: such as Jan and Feb; or 2014 and
2015.
2. Select the two cells containing the
series, and then drag the fill
handle across or down the cells.

SAVE YOUR WORKBOOK TO ONEDRIVE

Save a workbook to OneDrive to access it

from different devices and share and
collaborate with others.

1. Select File > Save As.

For work or school, select
OneDrive - <Company name>.
For personal files, select
OneDrive - Personal.
2. Enter a file name and select Save.
 FILL A COLUMN WITH FLASH FILL
For example, automatically fill a First Name
column from a Full Name column.

1. In the cell under First Name, type Molly

and press Enter.
2. In the next cell, type the first few letters
of Garret.
3. When the list of suggested values
appears, press Return.

Select Flash Fill Options for more

options.

QUICKLY CALCULATE WITH AUTOSUM

1. Select the cell below the numbers you

want to add.
2. Select Home > AutoSum.
3. Press Enter.

Note: For more calculations, select the

down arrow next to AutoSum, and select a
calculation.
 CREATE A CHART

Use the Quick Analysis tool to pick the

right chart for your data.

1. Select the data you want to show in a

chart.
2. Select the Quick Analysis button to
the bottom-right of the selected cells.
3. Select Charts, hover over the options,
and pick the chart you want.

CONDITIONAL FORMATTING

Use Quick Analysis to highlight important

data or show data trends.

1. Select the data to conditionally format.

2. Select the Quick Analysis button to
the bottom-right of the selected cells.
3. Select Formatting, hover over the
options, and pick the one you want.
CREATE FORMULA THAT REFERS TO VALUES IN OTHER CELLS
1. Select a cell.
2. Type the equal sign (=) Note: Formulas in excel always begin with equal
sign.
3. Select a cell or type its address in selected cell.

4. Enter an operator:
(+) For Addition
(-) For Subtraction
(*) For Multiplication
(/) For Division

5. Select the next cell, or type its address in the selected cell.

6. Press Enter. The result of the calculation will appear in the cell with the
formula.
SEE A FORMULA

1. When a formula is entered into a cell, it also appears in the Formula bar.

2. To see a formula, select a cell, and it will appear in the formula bar.

ENTER A FORMULA THAT CONTAINS BUILT-IN FUNCTION

1. Select an empty cell.

2. Type an equal sign = and then type a function. For example, =SUM for getting
the total sales.
3. Type an opening parenthesis “(“
4. Select the range of cells, and then type a closing parenthesis).

5. Press Enter to get the result.