1.

Introduction to MS Excel

Before you start using this MS Excel tutorial, it is very beneficial for you to become
familiar with the basic features of MS Excel workbooks and worksheets. In MS Excel,
a workbook is the file in which you work and store your data. Because each
workbook can contain many sheets, you can organize various kinds of related
information in a single file. Worksheets are used to list and analyze data. You can
enter and edit data on several worksheets simultaneously and perform calculations
based on data from multiple worksheets. When you create a chart, you can place
the chart on the worksheet with its related data or on a separate chart sheet. The
names of the worksheets appear on tabs at the bottom of the workbook window. To
move from one sheet to another, click the desired sheet's tab.

As you can see, we have already used the terms "spreadsheet" and "worksheet".
Although people generally use the two terms interchangeably, the term worksheet
refers to the row-and-column matrix sheet on which you work upon while the term
spreadsheet refers to this type of computer application.

As mentioned earlier, the workbook can contain worksheets and chart sheets. The
following illustration shows a new worksheet in an MS Excel 2007 workbook:

2. Getting familiar with Ms-Excel Window

Title bar
Menu bar tabs

Namebox
Name box Formula bar Groups Commands
Cell
Sheets Zoom
Columns
Rows
2.1. Menu bar

Menu bar is used to provide commands and options available in a program, if you
click a certain menu bar tab, a program will change the commands to suit the
commands related to the menu you have just clicked.

2.2. Title bar

Title bar is used to show the name of a program and file you are currently using or
working on.

2.3. Cell

Cell is where a where a column meet a row, on a

picture is Cell B2, where a column B meets row 2

2.4. Name box

Name box is used to show the name of a current cell. It is

used to display the current row and column you are
working on for example B2

2.5. Formula bar

Formula bar is used to show the

content of an active cell or formulas
you have used to get a content in a
cell.

2.6. Sheets

Sheets are Ms Excel features used to organize your work,

you can refer sheets as pages because Ms. Excel file we
call in a Workbook and Worksheets are inside the Workbook.

2.6.1. To add new sheet (s)

 Click on Insert Worksheet tab or just
right click and choose new sheet

2.6.2. Delete a sheet

  Right click on a sheet to delete
 Click on Delete
 If a sheet is empty , will be deleted , if a sheet is not empty, will request
more delete confirmation

2.6.3. Rename a sheet

 Right click a sheet to rename
 Choose rename from a popup menu
 Write a name for your sheet
 Then click inside a sheet

3. Working with contents in Ms. Excel

Typing in Ms Excel is the same as in Ms Word, the difference came on the

texts and numbers alignments. In Ms Excel when you type a text will
automatically align it self to Left and numbers to Right. Whenever you see
a number align it self on the left side of a cell , you must check it again , there might
be a typing error. All numbers and texts they might be aligned depending on you if
using special commands for alignments (Center, Left, and Right).

3.1. Naming a Cell

Sometimes it is useful to reference a cell by name rather than by column and row.
For example, the tax rate (of 30%) could be held in a cell named taxrate and then
referred to as such in any formulae

 Click on the active cell name

 In the Name Box(just above the heading to column
 The name of a cell will be highlighted
 Type in the new name of(spaces aren’t valid
 Then press <Enter>
 Finally, you may use the cell name in the formula instead of a cell ref
example. A3

3.2. Deleting contents in Ms Excel

Deleting contents in MS Excel depends on what to delete. For examle you might
need to delete part of the contents in a cell, or you might need to delete the
whole content in a cell, row or column.
 3.2.1. Deleting part of content in a cell

 Click in a cell with a content to delete.

 On a formula bar highlight part of the content to delete.
 Then press delete button or back space

3.2.2. Deleting the content in a Row and Column

 Click a cell number to delete its contents

 Click Delete

4. Sort and Filter

Sorting and Filtering allow you to manipulate data in a worksheet based on given set
of criteria.

4.1. Basic Sorts

To execute a basic descending or ascending sort based

on one column:

 Highlight the cells that will be sorted

 Click the Sort & Filter button on the Home tab
 Click the Sort Ascending (A-Z) button or Sort
Descending (Z-A) button

4.2. Custom Sorts

To sort on the basis of more than one column:

 Click the Sort & Filter button on the Home tab

 Choose which column you want to sort by first
 Click Add Level
 Choose the next column you want to sort
 Click OK
5. Copy or Move Data

Excel allows you to move, copy, and paste cells and cell content through cutting
and pasting and copying and pasting.

5.1. Select Data

To select a cell or data to be copied or cut:

 Click the cell
 Click and drag the cursor to select many cells in a
range

5.2. Select a Row or Column

To select a row or column click

on the row or column header.

5.3. Copy and Paste

To copy and paste data:

 Select the cell(s) that you wish to copy

 On the Clipboard group of the Home tab, click Copy
 Select the cell(s) where you would like to copy the data
 On the Clipboard group of the Home tab, click Paste
 5.4. Auto Fill

The Auto Fill feature fills cell data or series of data in a worksheet into a selected
range of cells. If you want the same data copied into the other cells, you only
need to complete one cell. If you want to have a series of data (for example, days
of the week) fill in the first two cells in the series and then use the auto fill
feature. To use the Auto Fill feature:

 Click the Fill Handle

 Drag the Fill Handle to complete the
cells

6. Modifying a Worksheet

6.1. Insert Cells, Rows, and Columns

To insert cells, rows, and columns in Excel:

 Place the cursor in the row below where you want the new row, or in the
column to the left of where you want the new
column
 Click the Insert button on the Cells group of
the Home tab
 Click the appropriate choice: Cell, Row, or
Column

6.2. Delete Cells, Rows and Columns

To delete cells, rows, and columns:

 Place the cursor in the cell, row, or column

that you want to delete
 Click the Delete button on the Cells group of
the Home tab
 Click the appropriate choice: Cell, Row, or
Column
6.3. Find and Replace

To find data or find and replace data:

 Click the Find & Select button on the Editing group of the Home tab
 Choose Find or Replace
 Complete the Find What text box
 Click on Options for more search options

6.4. Go To Command

The Go To command takes you to a specific cell either by cell reference (the
Column Letter and the Row Number) or cell name.

 Click the Find & Select button on the Editing

group of the Home tab
 Click Go To

6.5. Spell Check

To check the spelling:

7. Format Worksheet

7.1. Modifying fonts

Modifying fonts in Excel will allow you to emphasize titles and headings. To
modify a font:

 Select the cell or cells that you would

like the font applied
 On the Font group on the Home tab,
choose the font type, size, bold, italics,
underline, or color

7.2. Format Cells Dialog Box

In Excel, you can also apply specific formatting to a cell. To apply formatting to a
cell or group of cells:

 Select the cell or cells

that will have the
formatting
 Click the Dialog Box
arrow on the
Alignment group of
the Home tab

There are several tabs on this dialog box that allow you to modify properties of
the cell or cells.
Number: Allows for the display of different number types and decimal places
Alignment: Allows for the horizontal and vertical alignment of text, wrap text,
shrink text, merge cells and the direction of the text.
Font: Allows for control of font, font style, size, color, and additional features
Border: Border styles and colors
Fill: Cell fill colors and styles

7.3. Add Borders and Colors to Cells

Borders and colors can be added to cells manually or

through the use of styles.

To add borders manually:

 Click the Borders drop down menu on the Font

group of the Home tab
 Choose the appropriate border

To apply colors manually:

 Click the Fill drop down menu on the Font

group of the Home tab
 Choose the appropriate color

7.4. Change Column Width and Row Height

To change the width of a column or the height of a row:

 Click the Format button on the Cells group of the Home tab
  Manually adjust the height and width by
clicking Row Height or Column Width
 To use AutoFit click AutoFit Row Height or
AutoFit Column Width

7.5. Hide or Unhide Rows or Columns

To hide or unhide rows or columns:

 Select the row or column you wish to hide or

unhide
 Click the Format button on the Cells group of the Home tab
 Click Hide & Unhide

7.6. Merge Cells

To merge cells select the cells you want to merge and click
the Merge & Center button on the Alignment group of the
Home tab. The four choices for merging cells are:
Merge & Center: Combines the cells and centers the
contents in the new, larger cell
Merge Across: Combines the cells across columns without
centering data
Merge Cells: Combines the cells in a range without
centering
Unmerge Cells: Splits the cell that has been merged

7.7. Align Cell Contents

To align cell contents, click the cell or cells you want to align and click on the
options within the Alignment group on the Home tab. There are several options
for alignment of cell contents:

 Top Align: Aligns text to the top of the cell

 Middle Align: Aligns text between the top and
bottom of the cell
 Bottom Align: Aligns text to the bottom of the cell
 Align Text Left: Aligns text to the left of the cell
 Center: Centers the text from left to right in the cell
 Align Text Right: Aligns text to the right of the cell
 Decrease Indent: Decreases the indent between the left border and the text
 Increase Indent: Increase the indent between the left border and the text
  Orientation: Rotate the text diagonally or vertically

8. Freeze or lock rows and columns

You can view two areas of a worksheet and lock rows or columns in one area by
freezing or splitting panes (pane: A portion of the document window bounded by
and separated from other portions by vertical or horizontal bars.). When you
freeze panes, you select specific rows or columns that remain visible when
scrolling in the worksheet.

For example, you would freeze panes to keep row and column labels visible as
you scroll, as shown in the following example.

Worksheet window with row 1 frozen.

When you split panes, you create separate worksheet areas that you can scroll
within, while rows or columns in the non-scrolled area remain visible.

8.1. Freeze panes to lock specific rows or columns

On the worksheet, do one of the following:

 To lock rows, select the row below where you want the split to appear
 To lock rows, select the row below where you want the split to appear.
 To lock columns, select the column to the right of where you want the split
to appear.
 To lock both rows and columns, click the cell below and to the right of
where you want the split to appear

On the View tab, in the Window group, click Freeze Panes, and then click the
option that you want.
 Note:When you freeze panes, the Freeze Panes option changes to Unfreeze Panes
so that you can unlock frozen rows or columns.

9. Performing Calculations in Excel

There two ways of perfoming calculation in Ms Excel. Manually anf Using inbuild
funtions.

9.1. Calculate manually

A formula is a set of mathematical instructions that can be used in Excel to

perform calculations. If you are calculating manually , a formular must start with
an = sign.

There are many elements to and

excel formula.
 References: The cell or range
of cells that you want to use
in your calculation
 Operators: Symbols (+, -, *, /, etc.) that specify the calculation to be
performed
 Constants: Numbers or text values that do not change
 Functions: Predefined formulas in Excel

To create a basic formula in Excel:

 Select the cell for the formula
 Type = (the equal sign) and the formula
 Highlight the range of cells to calculate

 Click Enter

9.2. Calculate with Functions

A function is a built in formula in Excel. A function has a name and arguments

(the mathematical function) in parentheses. Common functions in Excel:

 Sum: Adds all cells in the argument

 Average: Calculates the average of the cells in the argument
 Min: Finds the minimum value
 Max: Finds the maximum value
 Count: Finds the number of cells that contain a numerical value within a
range of the argument

To calculate a function:

 Click the cell where you want the function applied

 Click the Formular Tab
 Choose the Function library which related to the function you want
 Choose the function
 Click OK

9.3. To Calculate Percentage in Ms Excel

9.4. Relative, Absolute Cell Reference

Excel uses two types of cell references to create formulas. Each has its own
purpose. Read on to determine which type of cell reference to use for your
formula.

9.4.1. Relative Cell Reference

This is the most widely used type

of cell reference in formulas.
Relative cell references are basic
cell references that adjust and
change when copied or when using
AutoFill.
Example:
 =SUM(B5:B8), as shown below, changes to =SUM(C5:C8) when copied across
to the next cell.

9.4.2. Absolute Cell References

Situations arise in which the cell reference must remain the same when copied
or when using AutoFill. Dollar signs are used to hold a column and/or row
reference constant.

Example:

In the example below, when calculating

commissions for sales staff, you would
not want cell B10 to change when
copying the formula down. You want
both the column and the row to remain
the same to refer to that exact cell. By
using $B$10 in the formula, neither
changes when copied.

10. Data Filtering

To filter data allows you to extract your records based on different criterias. In Ms
Excel we can filter data in two ways, Auto Filter and Advance Filter.
10.1. Using Auto Filter

Filtering allows you to display only data that meets certain criteria. To filter:

 Click the column or columns that contain the data you wish to filter
 On the Home tab, click on Sort & Filter
 Click Filter button
 Click the Arrow at the bottom of the first cell
 Click the Text Filter
 Click the W [Comments]ords you wish to Filter

 To clear the filter click the Sort & Filter button

 Click Clear

10.2. Using Advanced Filter

To filter a range of cells by using complex criteria (criteria: Conditions you specify
to limit which records are included in the result set of a query. For example, the
following criterion selects records for which the value for the Order Amount field
is greater than 30,000: Order Amount > 30000.), use the Advanced command in
the Sort & Filter group on the Data tab. The Advanced command works differently
from the Filter command in several important ways.

 It displays the Advanced Filter dialog box instead of the AutoFilter menu.

 You type the advanced criteria in a separate criteria range on the

worksheet and above the range of cells or table you want to filter.
Microsoft Office Excel uses the separate criteria range in the Advanced
Filter dialog box as the source for the advanced criteria.

The process of avnaced Filter involves three items, List Range, Criteria Range and
Copying Location. List Range refers to a set of data, in ther words you can say “all
the data before Filter”. Criteria range refers to condition speciafied for the data to
match. It has a Title and Condition. You might have more than One condition
depending to the data you want to acquire. The Copying Location is the place for
you to put the extracted data.

 Before you do anything make sure your data has got column heading ot
titles.
 Next , prepare your Criteria Range, for example, if you want
to extract from a list Students who are Boys, You should
identify the title used to present the gender, if its Sex or
otherwise and the text used to present the gender, like Male and Female,
F and M, Boys and Girls.
 Then Highlight your List Range
 On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click
Advanced
 To filter the range by hiding rows that don't
match your criteria, click Filter the list, in-place.
 To filter the range by copying rows that match your criteria to another
area of the worksheet, click Copy to another location, click in the Copy to
box, and then click the upper-left corner of the area where you want to
paste the rows.

 In the Criteria range box, enter the reference for the criteria range,
including the criteria labels.

To move the Advanced Filter dialog box out of the way temporarily while
you select the criteria range, click Collapse Dialog .

 To change how the data is filtered, change the values in the criteria
range and filter the data again.

10.3. Remove duplicate values

When you remove duplicate values, only the values in the range of cells or table
are affected. Any other values outside the range of cells or table are not altered
or moved.
 Caution:
Because you are permanently deleting data, it's a good idea to copy the original
range of cells or table to another worksheet or workbook before removing
duplicate values.

 Select the range of cells, or make sure that the active cell is in a table.
 On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Remove Duplicates.

 Do one or more of the following:

 Under Columns, select one or more columns.
 To quickly select all columns, click Select All.
 To quickly clear all columns, click Unselect All.

If the range of cells or table contains many columns and you

want to only select a few columns, you may find it easier to click
Unselect All, and then under Columns, select those columns.

 Click OK.
A message is displayed indicating how many duplicate values were
removed and how many unique values remain, or if no duplicate values
were removed.

 Click OK.

11. Conditional formatting

Whenever you analyze data, you often ask yourself questions, such as:
 Where are the exceptions in a summary of profits over the past five years?
 What are the trends in a marketing opinion poll over the past two years?
  Who has sold more than $50,000 dollars this month?
 What is the overall age distribution of employees?
 Which products have greater than 10% revenue increases from year to
year?
 Who are the highest performing and lowest performing students in the
freshman class?

Conditional formatting helps to answer these questions by making it easy to highlight

interesting cells or ranges of cells, emphasize unusual values, and visualize data by
using data bars, color scales, and icon sets. A conditional format changes the
appearance of a cell range based on a condition (or criteria). If the condition is true,
the cell range is formatted based on that condition; if the conditional is false, the cell
range is not formatted based on that condition

11.1. Format all cells by using a two-color scale

Color scales are visual guides that help you understand data distribution and
variation. A two-color scale helps you compare a range of cells by using a
gradation of two colors. The shade of the color represents higher or lower values.
For example, in a green and red color scale, you can specify higher value cells
have a more green color and lower value cells have a more red color.

11.1.1. Quick formatting

 Select a range of cells, or make sure that the active cell is

in a table or PivotTable report.
 On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the arrow next
to Conditional Formatting, and then click Color Scales.
  Select a two-color scale.
Hover over the color scale icons to see which one is a
two-color scale. The top color represents higher values
and the bottom color represents lower values.

11.1.2. Advanced formatting

 Select a range of cells, or make sure that the active cell is

in a table or PivotTable report.
 On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the arrow next
to Conditional Formatting, and then click Manage Rules.
 The Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog box is
displayed.
 Do one of the following:
 To add a conditional format, click New Rule.
The New Formatting Rule dialog box is
displayed.
 To change a conditional format, do the
following:

 Make sure that the appropriate

worksheet or table is selected in the
Show formatting rules for list box.

 Optionally, change the range of cells

by clicking Collapse Dialog in the
Applies to box to temporarily hide
the dialog box, selecting the new
range of cells on the worksheet, and
then selecting Expand Dialog .

 Select the rule, and then click Edit

The Edit Formatting Rule dialog box
is rule.

displayed.
 Under Select a Rule Type, click Format all cells based on
their values.
 Under Edit the Rule Description, in the Format Style list
box, select 2-Color Scale.
 Select a Minimum and Maximum Type. Do one of the
following:

Format lowest and highest values Select Lowest

Value and Highest Value. In this case, you do not
enter a Minimum and Maximum Value.
 Format a number, date, or time value Select
Number, and then enter a Minimum and
Maximum Value.
 Format a percentage Select Percent, and then
enter a Minimum and Maximum Value.

Valid values are from 0 to 100. Do not enter a

percent sign.

Use a percentage when you want to visualize all

values proportionally because the distribution of
values is proportional.

 Format a percentile Select Percentile and then

enter a Minimum and Maximum Value.

Valid percentiles are from 0 to 100. You cannot

use a percentile if the range of cells contains more
than 8,191 data points.

Use a percentile when you want to visualize a

group of high values (such as the top
20thpercentile) in one color grade proportion and
low values (such as the bottom 20th percentile) in
another color grade proportion, because they
represent extreme values that might skew the
visualization of your data.
 Format a formula result Select Formula, and then
enter a Minimum and Maximum Value

The formula must return a number, date, or time

value. Start the formula with an equal sign (=).
Invalid formulas result in no formatting applied.
It's a good idea to test the formula in the
worksheet to make sure that it doesn't return an
error value.