Excel

Unlock your potential and advance your career with

our best guide. Master all functions and formulas in a
practical way with step-by-step illustrations. Achieve
mastery in just minutes a day.

By ROLF RIOS
© Copyright 2022 by ROLF RIOS- All rights reserved.
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Introduction
Chapter 1: Excel Basics
1.1 Starting Excel
1.2 Creating A New Spreadsheet
1.3 Customizing Ribbon & Quick Access Toolbar
Chapter 2: Excel Ribbon Menu Descriptions
2.1 File
2.2 Printing (Step-By-Step Example)
2.3 Home
Chapter 3: Learn to master and manage formulas and functions
3.1 Formulas 101
3.2 Basic Formulas
3.3 Absolute References
3.4 Editing an Array Formula
3.5 Defining Range Names
3.6 Naming Constants and Formulas
3.7 Frequently Asked Questions
Chapter 4: Introduction to Pivot Tables
4.1 What is Pivot table?
4.2 Table Layout
4.3 Structure of Data Source
4.4 How to Create a Basic Pivot Table?
4.5 Refreshing Pivot table
4.6 Changing Calculation in Pivot table
4.7 Create a New Pivot Table Style
4.8 Pivot Table Style Options
4.9 Inserting Blank Rows in Pivot table
4.10 Filtering Pivot table
4.11 Calculated Fields and Calculated Items
4.12 What is GETPIVOTDATA Function?
4.13 Creating Pivot Charts
Chapter 5: Excel Tips and Tricks
5.1 Simple Tips and Tricks
5.2 Advanced Tips and Tricks
Conclusion
Introduction
Microsoft Excel is spreadsheet software that lets you organize, record,
evaluate, track, and analyze almost every kind of data. It's part of Microsoft
Office family of products.
Excel allows users to generate anything from quick collections and basic
arithmetic formulas, as well as interact with external sources and analyze
millions of documents. In milliseconds, complex engineering equations and
statistics may be done. Repeated spreadsheet operations may be streamlined
and completed with a simple mouse click.
You can quickly produce professional-looking budgets, surveys, forecasts,
invoices, tables, maps, matrices, and practically every other kind of artifact
containing language, money, numeric, or time values using formatting,
graphs, and other presentation methods. Excel is also technology in Microsoft
Office suite that interacts most with other applications. For instance, if you
had consumer and sales details in Excel, you might export it to Word and
build client invoices.
For research, testing, project plans, and more, you can conveniently import
data from Access or a variety of other data sources. Hundreds of pre-made
spreadsheets and models are eligible for free. These will help you save time
or give you ideas for creating your own worksheets. Excel is, without a
doubt, most robust and adaptable technology ever created. Many careers and
college students need basic awareness and familiarity with Excel, as well as
Word and Outlook. In following sections, we'll show you how to use Excel in
its most simple form. We'll go through most popular toolbar (Ribbon)
commands, as well as how to make a new spreadsheet and format it, save it,
and print it. You'll also learn how to use 30 of most commonly encountered
formulas and functions, as well as a step-by-step example of how to build a
simple Pivot Table.
When you're finished, you'll have a good understanding of Excel® and be
able to move forward to next level of your Microsoft Office suite learning.
Chapter 1: Excel Basics
To begin, we’ll first review how to open Excel and create a blank
spreadsheet.

1.1 Starting Excel

To open Excel:
1) Click ‘Start’ (Windows) button and scroll to letter ‘E.’
2) Select program ‘Excel’
This method is for Excel version 2023; earlier versions would be accessed
differently.

Alternatively:
From taskbar, select Excel icon:
1.2 Creating A New Spreadsheet
Once Excel has opened, your screen will look similar to following:

You’ll notice pre-made templates available. best practice is to first learn

basic functionality of Excel before using these. Once you have a better
understanding of Excel, you may modify and verify calculations in these
templates meet your requirements.
1) Select ‘Blank Workbook’ option
2) After you click ‘Blank Workbook’ option, you will have created a
 ‘workbook’ file made up of one or more worksheets.

Entire screen is not displayed for easier viewing:

Next, let’s review how to navigate and customize toolbar (Ribbon) and Quick
Access Toolbar.
Toolbar (Ribbon)

Toolbar, or what Microsoft calls ‘Ribbon,’ consists of tabs that contain

commands. There are ten default tabs.
Quick Access Toolbar
Quick Access Toolbar sets on top of Ribbon. Think of this as a place to add
procedures you use most often. For example, buttons to save, print, undo or
create a new workbook file. These commands stay constant, regardless of
what Ribbon tab is active.
1.3 Customizing Ribbon & Quick Access Toolbar

Both Quick Access Toolbar

and Ribbon are customizable. I find it more efficient to modify Quick
Access Toolbar. However, you may prefer to change Ribbon.
Below are steps to remove or add buttons to both Quick Access Toolbar and
Ribbon.
To add a command button:
1) Click drop-down arrow on ‘Quick Access Toolbar.’
2) Select ‘More Commands….’
Alternatively, you may right-click over ‘Ribbon’ or ‘Quick Access Toolbar
to receive below prompt:
Following prompt will appear:
3) Select either ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ or ‘Customize Ribbon.’
4) Select a command you would like to add
5) Select ‘Add>>’ button
6) Click ‘OK’ button

To remove a command button:

1) Click drop-down arrow on ‘Quick Access Toolbar.’
2) Select ‘More Commands…’ 3. Select either ‘Quick Access Toolbar’
or ‘Customize Ribbon.’
3) Select a command you would like to remove
 4) Select ‘<<Remove’ button
5) Click ‘OK’ button

Ribbon & Workbook Display Options

Across from Quick Access Toolbar in top left corner, you’ll notice a series of
small icons.
Up-arrow button, when clicked, will present three Ribbon choices:
1) Auto-hide Ribbon covers Ribbon before you unhide it by clicking
top of a worksheet.
2) Show Tabs displays tab name only, but not individual commands
3) Show Tabs and Commands displays both tab name and commands
(this is default setting)
4) underscore button, when clicked, will minimize active workbook

5) double window button, when clicked, will resize active workbook

 6) cross (X) button, when clicked, will close active workbook (you’ll be
prompted to save your file if you’ve not already done so)
7) Lastly, let’s take a quick look at a few more parts of worksheet
before we delve into specifics of Ribbon menu options.
Name Box
‘Name Box’ indicates location of active cell
Formula Bar
‘Formula Bar’ displays ‘syntax’ of a formula or displays a number, date,
currency, or text value of active cell.

Syntax
Syntax in Excel® refers to arrangement or order of a formula or function. All
formulas & functions begin with equal sign (=) followed by numbers or
function's name.
Chapter 2: Excel Ribbon Menu Descriptions
As we go through Ribbon menus, you'll see that same features can be
accomplished in a variety of forms. You may, for example, print a worksheet
by:
1) Choose a file from Ribbon File: Clicking ‘Print' icon and printing
2) Extending ‘Page Setup' submenu and pressing ‘Print' icon from
Ribbon Page Layout
3) From ‘Quick Access Toolbar,' press ‘Print Preview and Print' key,
then ‘Print' button.
4) Pressing shortcut keys (CONTROL + P) on your keyboard and
tapping ‘Print' icon
There is no superior method; it is merely a question of personal choice.
Following that, we'll go through eight of ten Ribbon menus. Summary would
include key features of eight menus, although not all of available commands
will be covered. usefulness of ‘Draw' and ‘Page Layout' menus is not tested
since it is covered in other parts of book or is infrequently utilized.

2.1 File
‘FILE' tab provides commands for saving, printing, and modifying
configuration of Excel program.
FILES TO BE SAVED (STEP-BY-STEP EXAMPLE)
To save a workbook file, follow these steps:
1) Click ‘Blank workbook' icon in Excel program.
2) Enter text test into cell ‘A1’ 3. Click ‘File’ tab

3) Click ‘Save As’

4) Click ‘Browse’ option to select a location on your computer to save

 file

5) When prompted, provide File name: Test.xlsx

6) Click ‘Save’ button

2.2 Printing (Step-By-Step Example)

As discussed at beginning of this chapter, there are four different ways to
print.
We’ll review three methods:
If not already, open ‘Test.xlsx’ file we created and saved in previous section
of this chapter:
1) Click ‘Open’ icon from ‘Quick Access Toolbar’. Click ‘Test.xlsx’
file to open
2) Click ‘File’ tab

3) Click ‘Print’
Alternatively:
Click ‘Print Preview and Print’ icon from ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ once
added to your ‘Quick Access Toolbar.’

Using either approach will launch following prompt

4) Click ‘Print’ button.
More Print Settings

\Spreadsheets we create normally have attractive formatting when viewed

electronically, however when printed, material is sometimes shortened and

report prints needlessly on numerous pages.

For example, information contained in below report is cut off in multiple
sections and prints out in 3 pages. A reader would have a difficult time
understanding content or would be inconvenienced by having to adjust print
settings themselves.
Following is not a step-by-step example; instead demonstrates through
screenshots how to:
1) Change ‘Orientation’ from ‘Portrait’ to ‘Landscape’
2) Adjust margin settings
3) Add a Header or Footer (page numbers)
Presentation uses Page Layout menu from Ribbon:
1) Expand ‘Page Setup’ section by clicking diagonal arrow
Following dialogue box will appear:
1) Select ‘Landscape’ radio button
2) Change ‘Scaling’ by selecting ‘Fit to’ radio button (this will ensure
report prints on 1 page)
3) Select ‘Margins’ tab

4) Select ‘Centre on page: Horizontally’ check box

5) Select ‘Header/Footer’ tab
6) Select button ‘Custom Header…’ title ‘Monthly Dashboard’ was
added
7) Select a drop-down list for ‘Footer:’ by selecting ‘Page 1 of?’. ‘?’
will automatically populate to number of pages selected for printing,
i.e., Page 1 of 3
8) Click ‘Print Preview’ button
We may now click ‘Print’ button and print our report as a single page.
Example of a print-friendly spreadsheet with a Header & Footer added:

2.3 Home
‘Home’ tab is primarily used for formatting, which is changing appearance of
cell contents to improve readability or to draw focus to specific areas. Some
of most often used commands are:
1) Copy, Cut, & Paste
2) Font, Number, & Currency formatting
3) Conditional Formatting

Copy
To copy subjects of one more cell:

Select cells you wish to copy and choose one of following options:
1) From Ribbon: Home (tab), click ‘Copy’ button (please see above
screenshot)
2) Clicking ‘Copy’ icon from ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ - once added to
your ‘Quick Access Toolbar.’
3) Right-clicking over cell(s) to be copied and select ‘Copy.’
Cut
To cut, remove subjects of one more cell and move it to another location:
Select cells you wish to cut (move) and choose one of following options:
1) From Ribbon: Home (tab), click ‘Cut’ button (please see above
screenshot)
2) Clicking ‘Cut’ icon from ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ - once added to
your ‘Quick Access Toolbar.’
3) From your keyboard, press shortcut keys (CONTROL+X)

4) Right-clicking over cell(s) to be cut and selecting ‘Cut.’

Paste
To paste subjects of one more cell after they have been copied or cut to
another location:

Select cells you wish to paste (move) and choose one of following options:
From Ribbon: Home (tab), click ‘Paste’ button (please see above
screenshot)
Clicking ‘Paste’ icon from ‘Quick Access Toolbar’ - once added to your
‘Quick Access Toolbar.’
From your keyboard, press shortcut keys (CONTROL+V)
Clicking ‘Paste’ drop-down arrow and selecting one of ‘Paste Special’
commands:
Main ‘Paste Special’ options are:

Font Options
To change font style, color, and size of subjects of cell, select one of
following options:
To add cell shading and/or gridlines:
Chapter 3: Learn to master and manage formulas
and functions
Formulas, to put it mildly, are very “bread and butter” of worksheet. Without
formulas, electronic spreadsheet would be a little better than its green-sheet
paper equivalent. Fortunately, Excel gives you ability to do all your
calculations right within cells of worksheet without any need for a separate
calculator.
Formulas that you build in a spreadsheet can run gamut from very simple to
extremely complex. Formulas can rely totally upon use of simple operators or
use of built-in functions, both of which describe type of operation or
calculation to perform and order in which to perform it. Or they can blend use
of operators and functions together.
When you use Excel functions in your formulas, you need to understand
particular type of information that a particular function uses in performing its
calculations. Information that you supply a function and that it uses in its
computation is referred to as argument(s) of function.

3.1 Formulas 101

From simple addition formula to most complex ANOVA statistical variation,
all formulas in Microsoft Excel have one thing in common: They all begin
with equal sign (=). This doesn’t mean that you always have to type in equal
sign — although if you do, Excel expects that a formula of some type is to
follow. When building a formula that uses a built-in function, oftentimes, you
use Insert Function button on Formula bar to select and insert function, in
which case, Excel adds equal opening sign for you.
If you’re an old Lotus 1-2-3 user and you still want to type @ symbol to start
a function, Excel accepts at symbol and automatically converts it into an
equal sign moment that you complete formula entry. It does mean, however,
that each and every completed formula that appears on Formula bar starts
with equal sign.
When building your formulas, you can use constants that actually contain
number that you want to be used in calculation (such as “4.5%,” “$25.00,” or
“–78.35”), or you can use cell addresses between operators or as arguments
of functions. When you create a formula that uses cell addresses, Excel then
uses values that you’ve input in those cells in calculating formula. Unlike
when using constants in formulas, when you use cell addresses, Excel
automatically updates results calculated by a formula whenever you edit
values in cells to which it refers.
Formula building methods
You may either write in cell attributes or point to them in worksheet while
manually creating formulas. When supplying cell addresses for formulas,
using Pointing approach is much simpler and often a lot more foolproof
method; when typing in a cell address, you're less likely to find that you've
only designated incorrect cell than when referring directly to it. As a result,
when creating new formulas, stick to pointing instead of typing cell addresses
unless you have to change cell addresses in an equation, and referring to it is
either not possible or too much hassle.
Formulas and formatting
When defining a formula that uses operators or functions, Excel picks up
number formatting of cells that are referenced in formula. For example, if you
add cell A2 to B3, as in =A2+B3, and cell B3 is formatted with Currency
Style format, result will inherit this format and be displayed in its cell using
Currency Style.
When you use Pointing method to build a simple formula that defines a
sequence of operations, you stop and click cell or drag through cell range
after typing each operator in formula. When using method to build a formula
that uses a built-in function, you click cell or drag through cell range that you
want to be used when defining function’s arguments in Function Arguments
dialog box.
As with other types of cell entries, you must take some action to complete
formula and enter it into current cell (such as clicking Enter button on
Formula bar, pressing Enter key, or pressing an arrow key). Unlike when
entering numeric or text entries, however, you will want to stay clear of
clicking another cell to complete data entry. This is because when you click a
cell when building or editing a formula on Formula bar, more often than not,
you end up not only selecting new cell but also adding its address to
otherwise complete formula.
When you finish entering a calculation, Excel determines answer, which is
then shown within worksheet cell. (However, components of formula remain
clear on Formula bar while cell is active.)
If you create a formula mistake that prohibits Excel from calculating equation
at all, Excel shows an Alert dialogue box with instructions about how to
correct issue. If you create a mistake that stops Excel from calculating
formula and displaying a correct outcome, software shows an estimation
Error value instead of intended calculated value.
Editing formulas
As with numeric and text entries, you can edit contents of formulas either in
their cells or on Formula bar. To edit a formula in its cell, double-click cell or
press F2 to position insertion pointer in that cell.
(Double-clicking cell positions insertion pointer in middle of formula,
whereas pressing F2 positions it at end of formula — you can also double-
click at beginning or end of cell to position insertion pointer there.) To edit a
formula on Formula bar, use I-beam mouse to position insertion point at
place in formula that needs editing first.

3.2 Basic Formulas

A computerized spreadsheet called Microsoft Excel simplifies human computations needed for
bookkeeping and accounting.
When you enter fundamental text and numeric data into a spreadsheet column, Excel can do math
computations.
To execute computations in spreadsheet, you will understand how to design functions and formulas.
Formulas must not include any spaces. Additionally, you have option of typing cell address or selecting
it with mouse when generating formulae.
Make a formula
Using mathematical operators below, you may produce any form of arithmetic computation on your
own:

Symbol Meaning
= equals – for beginning a calculation
+ addition
- subtraction
* multiplication
/ division
 ^ exponentiation
( open parenthesis – for beginning a
grouping
) Close parenthesis – for closing a
grouping
Basic procedures for formula creation:

1) Select blank cell that will house formula by clicking there.

2) Enter equals (=) symbol.

3) You may either click cell containing initial number or type cell address.

4) Enter mathematical operators (+ - / * ^).

5) You may either click cell that holds next number or type cell's address

6) This process should be repeated till formula is finished.

7) For clarity, use parentheses and Hit Enter key.

Excel spreadsheet that will be prepared in exercise after this one is shown with a variety of formulae in
figure below:

AutoSum
Most frequent mathematical operation in Excel is addition. An AutoSum
function for addition may be found on Home ribbon. Shortcut for inputting
formulae is this button.

Using AutoSum: Basic Steps

1) Make your way to blank cell that will house formula.
2) Click on AutoSum button.
3) Verify formula provided by Excel and make any required changes.
4) Formula bar's check mark or Enter key should be used.
Select Budget sheet option once again.
 1) Click on AutoSum button, choose cell B12, & then hit Enter key.
2) Cells C12, D12, and E12 should also go through AutoSum procedure.
3) Modify $20 value in B4 to $50 by clicking there, then hit Enter key.
4) Finish AutoSum operation for column E. Click in E4.

5) To include Research costs for 3 semesters, click AutoSum option.

6) Hit Enter key.
7) Press Enter key after selecting B5:E5 range, then AutoSum button.
8) Auto Fill in cells E6 through E11 using this formula.
9) Use Auto Fill technique shown above to replicate this formula to range E6:E11. Pointer
switches to a plus sign in bottom right corner of E5, place mouse cursor there. To duplicate
formula, drag mouse down to designated cells (E6–E11) while holding down right button on
mouse.
Borders and Shading
To divide spreadsheet into several sections, use borders. One cell may have a border added to it, as can
a group of cells.
To add border styles, click Borders button on Home ribbon. Additionally, a range or cells' color or
shading may be added or removed using button Fill Color.
You may wish to print data without grids after adding borders to data in spreadsheet.
1) In Budget of Guest Speakers worksheet, a border may be used to draw attention to Total
row.
2) Choose A12:E12 range.
3) Select Box Border thick option by clicking on drop-down border arrow on Home ribbon.
4) To insert shading or color to this area, click on drop-down fill color arrow on Home ribbon.
5) Deselect range by clicking on any individual cell to see boundary.
6) Choose A12:E12 range once again.
Manual Formula
By entering values, position of cell, and mathematical operation in spreadsheet cell, you may manually
enter a mathematical formula.
 1) To compute 40percent of Fall promotional budget, select B14 and enter a formula (for
example, =.4*B6).

2) By utilizing Auto Fill technique shown above, copy this equation into range C14:E14.
When mouse pointer turns to a plus sign, click and hold right button on mouse while
dragging mouse across designated cells (C14:E14) to replicate formula. Place mouse cursor
on little solid square in bottom right edge of B14.
Formula Functions
Formulas for finance, time and date, trigonometry & math, statistical, reference and lookup, database,
logical, text , and informational purposes may all be created automatically using functions. Well over
200 functions may be found in Excel. For instance, particular functions to compute sums, averages,
loan payments, logarithms, as well as random numbers are offered. If you are familiar with syntax, you
may put functions directly into formula bar.
Similar formatting is used for all functions, such as = name of function (parameters). Function
determines how parameters change. You may use uppercase or lowercase letters when typing in
functions and cell addresses.
Sum
Most frequent operation in Excel is adding. Values are added via SUM function. In numbers variables,
enter values, specific cell addresses, and range addresses.
Formula =SUM (value1,value2,...)
1) Account sheet tab may be selected.
2) Choosing C12 & D12, then selecting AutoSum option.
3) C24 & D24 should be selected before selecting AutoSum button.
4) After choosing cells C36 & D36, select them both, click AutoSum button.
Formulae in cells of Account sheet wherein function techniques are inapplicable will be completed in
exercises that follow.

5) Choose cell E4, enter =C4-D4 in that cell, and afterward press Enter. Disparity between C4
& D4 will be calculated using this formula.
6) Auto Fill in cells E5 through E12 in this formula.
7) Enter =C20-D20 into cell E20 after selecting it, and then hit Enter. Disparity between C20
& D20 will be calculated using this formula.
8) Cells E21–E24 are auto-filled with this formula.
9) Enter value =C32-D32 in cell E32 after selecting cell. Disparity between C32 & D32 will be
calculated using this formula.
10) Cells E33 through E35 should be filled with this formula.
 11) Hit Enter key after typing =C12+C24+C36 in cell C43. This equation will provide overall
sum of all budget totals.
12) Auto Fill in cell D43 using this formula.
13) After choosing Cell E43 and entering =C43-D43, hit Enter. disparity among cells C43 &
D43 will be calculated using this formula.
Continue using this sheet for next illustration.
Insert Function
This option shows how to create a formula using Insert Function menu. For a list of Excel's more than
200 functions, click Insert Function or choose More Functions from drop-down AutoSum menu.
Function types from drop-down list are shown in Insert Function dialogue box. Function box below
will display function names.

Click OK button after choosing a category & a function name. It will display Function Arguments
palette.
Fill in necessary boxes with any numbers, ranges, cell addresses, or other parameters, then press OK
key to put finished formula in spreadsheet.
Average
By dividing total number of values by average, all values are added together.
In numbers variables, enter values, specific cell addresses, or range
addresses.
Syntax =AVERAGE (value1, value2,...)
Examples = Average (255, 15, 45)
=AVERAGE (B1:B12)
1) Verify that account's status is active.
2) Add a function to calculate average of Subcontractors'
and Services' budget items. Choose cell C14.
3) Click button "Insert Function."
4) Select Statistical category, and select Average function link.
5) Select OK.
6) It will display Function Arguments panel. List interval C4:C11.

7) Function Arguments panel could choose a cell range that is different

from what you intended.
 8) If so, alter palette as required before accepting defaults.
9) To finish task, click OK button.
10) To get average of budget items for Materials and Materials,
choose cell C26 & then select button for Insert Function.
11) In order to calculate average of Facilities Overhead's
budget items, first select C38 & then click button Insert Function.
Continue using this sheet for next example.
Maximum (MAX)
Maximum denotes highest value within given range of numbers.
Syntax =MAX (value1, value2,...)

1) To get max budget cost for Services and subcontractors, select C15
& click Insert Function.
2) To get max budget cost for Materials and Supplies, choose cell C27
& then select Insert Function.
3) To get max cost of budget of Facilities Overhead, choose cell C39
& then select Insert Function.

Minimum (MIN)
Word "minimum" designates lowest value in given list of integers.
Syntax =MIN
(value1, value2,...)
1) Click on Insert Function min budget cost for Services &
Subcontractors after selecting cell C16.
2) Click on Insert Function min budget cost for Materials and
supplies after selecting cell C28.
3) Click on Insert Function max budget cost for Overhead facilities after
selecting cell C40.
Absolute vs. Relative Cell Addresses
Excel automatically modifies portion of cell reference in formula, which
changes when you go down or to right as you move & copy formulae. For
instance, when you transfer a formula from cell into columns to right, Excel
just modifies formula's column letters and leaves row numbers alone.
Excel operates under presumption that everything is comparative; thus,
copied & relocated formulae will refer to data based on how many rows and
columns they have shifted.
Automatic cell reference adjustments may result in incorrect calculations.
This is especially case for percentage calculations where denominator should
be fixed. Address will be locked or made absolute if dollar sign is added
before column letter & row number (for example, $B$6).
1) Select tab "Percentage sheet."

2) To develop a formula to determine what proportion of overall cost

corresponds to Office Supplies, select C2, enter =B2/B6, & then
press Enter.

3) Auto Fill this across C3–C6 cell range. It should look like example
above. Take note of mistakes in C3–C6.
4) To see formula shown in formula bar, click on every cell separately.

5) Excel duplicated this formula anticipating relative references for

every calculation, which is why copied formula produced problems
(adjusting denominator in every cell). Verify that no formulas are
shown.
6) To remove these formulae, choose range C2 to C6, then click Delete.

7) Create formula to recalculate percentage by clicking in C2, typing

=B2/$B$6, & then clicking again. Address is locked or made
absolute by $ symbol.
8) Auto Fill in this formula across C3–C6. Sheet should look like this:
 9) To show/hide formulae, press Control & ` keys:

Payment (PMT)
monthly payment of annuity based on fixed payments, and a fixed interest
rate is returned as payment.
syntax = PMT (rate,nper,pv)
1) Click Loan sheet.
2) Choose cell B7. Determine Plan 1 payment amount.
3) Select "Insert Function" from menu.
4) After selecting financial category, select PMT as function name.
Select OK by clicking.
5) It will display Function panel.

6) Fill in dialogue box as indicated:

7) To finish task, click OK button.
 8) Calculating payment for Plan 2 requires selecting C7 & pressing
Insert Function.

9) Auto Fill in D7 using this formula.

Charts
Data may be shown visually in a chart using Microsoft Excel. Excel plots
worksheet cell data as bars, columns, pie slices, lines, or other forms. Values
from worksheet are automatically reflected in chart when one is created. Data
may be simpler to read & more fascinating to comprehend when presented in
a chart. You may assess data and compare various results using charts as
well.
Input Data
Next activity will produce a simple spreadsheet which will contain
information needed to produce a chart.
1) Select Copy Sheet tab.
2) Fill information as depicted below in cells:

Make a chart
1) Select cells which contain text and data you want to show in chart
before you can build one.

2) Choose A1:E5 cell range.

3) Choose Insert tab, and select desired Chart button under Charts
group. You will see sub-types of charts, giving you additional
possibilities for charts to choose from. Click dialogue box under
Charts group to see all available chart kinds. Several chart types will
be available in Chart window.
4) Choosing tab for All Charts.
5) Select window's initial Column button.
6) Select OK.
7) Spreadsheet will display chart you've chosen.
 8) Chart will have a border surrounding it when it shows on
spreadsheet. Charts may be scaled and moved, like graphical images.
9) Test your ability to pick and deselect charts. graphic may be
deselected by clicking any cell in spreadsheet. To pick chart region,
just click once within border of chart.
10) Adjust chart. Point within item's boundary when chart object
is chosen. To move chart to a different area, click and drag.
11) Resize chart. Place mouse cursor on any handle while chart
item is chosen, and then drag in direction shown by double pointer
arrow.
Chart Tools
For chart, Microsoft Excel offers a variety of modifying possibilities. Tools
tab for chart will show up on Ribbon after chart has been chosen. This gives
you option to update chart using a choice of styles, formats, & layouts.
1. Select Design tab
You may modify style, layout, and type of chart using Design ribbon. You
may modify Style, layout & Type of chart by choosing relevant ribbon
button.
 2. Select Format tab
You may change format of chart using Format ribbon. You may apply a
range of formatting choices inside chart labels & axis groups by choosing
Shape Styles & styles of WordArt.
Insert chart title
Text Chart Title will show above chart data once a chart is generated from
spreadsheet data.
1) Select text field for chart title.
2) Delete or select text.
3) Enter title you want. Enter Comparisons of fiscal year for this class
assignment.
Modify Data Values
Charts are connected to worksheet data & are updated whenever worksheet
data is changed.
1) To adjust Travel expenditure to $1,000, select cell D5 and then hit
Enter key.
2) Examine modification on chart.
Make pie chart
You may choose noncontiguous ranges of cells from spreadsheet to display
certain data groups.

1) Compress Control key after selecting A1:A5, then choose D1:D5.

 2) Select initial Pie button (2-D) from options panel after clicking Insert
tab, Pie button, & Chart group.
3) Spreadsheet will display pie chart you prepared.
Print a chart
Data from spreadsheet and chart will both print if a chart is not chosen
on spreadsheet. Only chart will print if a chart is chosen on spreadsheet.
1) Select Print option under File tab, and click Print button.
Filter & Sort
Sort Data
You may arrange data in Excel's sorting tool either numerically or
alphabetically. A maximum of 3 sort levels may be specified (For
example, sort by state first, then sort by city, and lastly by last name). Sorts
can be ascending (0-9 or A-Z) or descending (9-0 or Z-A). Before sorting,
you should save worksheets always. To arrange data so that greatest or lowest
values appear at head of column, use Sort A-Z (ascending) or Z-A
(descending) keys.

1) Select Tab for Invoice sheet.

2) Select on any cell in Department column, then choose Sort & Filter
option from editing group on Home ribbon.
3) To see statistics in ascending order, choose Sort A to Z.
4) To see statistics in ascending order, choose Sort Z to A.
AutoFilter
You may see and quickly identify data that meets specified criteria using
spreadsheet AutoFilter. When looking for certain data requirements, this
function is quicker and more efficient than scrolling through whole
spreadsheet. After data has been filtered, you may print results. When
filtering is enabled, select a filter for column by clicking arrows
inside column header.
1) Select any database cell by clicking it.
2) Select Filter option from options box after clicking filter &
sort button on Home ribbon of editing group.
3) Alongside names of columns, fields are drop-down buttons. Drop-
down department option should be selected. Deselect Select All
checkbox in window of Search display, then choose Biology.
4) Select OK by clicking. Now, list only includes records from Biology
department. 2 records ought to appear.
5) Deselect Biology, then choose Law by clicking Filter icon next to
Department. Four records ought to appear.
6) Switch off Filter before clicking Select All option by clicking Filter
icon once again beside Department. Database’s whole catalog is
visible.
7) Select drop-down subcode arrow should be clicked. Deselect Select
All checkbox in window of Search display, then choose 521.
8) Select OK by clicking. Presently, list only includes data for 521
Subcode. 3 records ought to appear.
9) Turn Filter off, select Filter button beside Subcode, uncheck 521, and
click Select All option. Spreadsheet database will display all of its
entries.
Custom Filter
Use option of Custom Filter if you want additional flexibility in your record
selections. Mathematical operators like "greater than," "less than," and
"doesn't equal" may be used using Custom option. Utilizing or/and choices,
you may also choose two criteria. Whereas “Or” will locate records that
satisfy either criterion and will discover records that satisfy both.
 1) Choose Custom Filter by selecting option of Number Filters after
clicking drop-down Cost arrow.
2) It will then display Custom window of AutoFilter.

3) Make a special filter that only shows records with costs more than
100. In section of Show rows where choose greater than from first
drop-down operator arrow.
4) To right of box of Show rows where click arrow drop-down. Choose
100 by scrolling through numbers.
5) Select OK by clicking. It should show 17 records.
6) Disable AutoFilter.
More Features
Auto Fill
Data in a series are automatically completed using Excel's Auto Fill function.
Numbers, consecutive dates, weekdays, formulas, months, & years are all
included in this data. Place mouse cursor on little solid square in cell's bottom
right corner. When mouse pointer turns into a plus (+) symbol, hold down
right mouse key and drag mouse across cells to copy necessary data in series.
1) Click within a cell that is empty (with many blank cells below or to
right).
2) Write Monday.
3) Place cursor over fill handle.
4) To finish a sequence, such as Monday through Friday, hold
down mouse button while dragging across or downward.
5) Move back on mouse button.
Ranges that are named
Use “Named Ranges” function in spreadsheet when remembering cells or
names of range becomes tiresome. Cell addresses may be mentioned using
words thanks to named ranges. You could regularly need to print a range, for
instance, that is challenging to write or recall. To give a range a name,
utilize Name Box.
1) Initial cell location will show up in Name box once cell range is
chosen.

2) Cell location which displays in Name box should be clicked. It will

look as though cell is chosen.
3) Enter required name (for instance, Supply).
4) Any cell in spreadsheet may be chosen.
5) Name that you supplied will show up on menu list when you click
arrow of drop-down in Name field. When you choose a name, cell
range related to that name will show up.
Freeze Panes
You may navigate through long lists on a worksheet using Excel function
known as "Freeze Panes," which keeps row or column names visible
on screen. Printing is unaffected by worksheet's frozen panes.

1) Click cell where you would like to freeze columns/rows to freeze

panes (next to desired column &/or underneath desired row)
2) Choose View tab, and select Freeze Panes from drop-down menu
next to button of Freeze Panes.
3) Select View tab, press arrow for drop-down next to button of Freeze
Panes, & then choose option of Unfreeze Panes to remove panes.
Auto Format
There are several pre-defined layouts in Excel that you may use to rapidly
construct your spreadsheet.
1) Select desired data.
2) On Home ribbon in Styles group, select on arrow of drop-down next
to table button Format, and then choose format design of choice from
Format panel.

Choose data range you prefer

Select desired format style from panel of Table Format by clicking arrow
for drop-down next to Format like Table button on Home ribbon in Styles
group.
Page Setup
Spreadsheet’s page layout may be configured in Excel to be seen on screen or
printed. To set up ideal manner to arrange data for printing, click ribbon
of Page Layout, followed by Page Setup dialogue box button.

Page tab

Configuration section: To switch from Portrait into Landscape, click

Landscape button, & click OK button.
Scaling section: When you click button for Adjust to, input a value less than
100 (for example, 85) to have Excel scale down font size & data to 85
percent of its original size. When you select button for Fit to and enter
number of pages that you want data to print on (for example, wide indicates
pages that run across spreadsheet horizontally & tall is for pages that
go vertically down), Excel will calculate necessary scaling factor
automatically. To switch to legal, select arrow for drop-down on Paper Size
box.
Margins tab
Since scaling varies, it is rare to change spreadsheet's margins.
However, Page Center (Vertically and horizontally) option is helpful if you
are printing content that does not occupy whole page.

Click vertically &/or horizontally button on page's Center to center document

either vertically or horizontally.
Click OK.
Header/footer tab
top of every page contains data which prints in header of a printout, whereas
bottom of page contains data in footer of printout. Center, left, and right text
arrangement zones are used in footers and headers. You may use these three
zones to split and orient material. In Excel, default Header & Footer are both
blank.

To add data to footer or Header, choose Custom footer or Header option, and
then type your desired material there.
Click OK.
Sheet tab
Print areas, print items, print titles & page order are all found on Sheet tab.
default printing range will be determined by Use print area. Data that prints in
rows &/or columns will be included in Print titles area at top of every page.
Turning Gridlines off or on is made easier by using Print section of Sheet tab.
When there is insufficient data to fill a page, section of page order will
determine numerical order in which data is printed.
Page Breaks
Excel establishes print area & decides if page breaks are required once a
spreadsheet is initially shown or printed. Page break is inserted when
information cannot fit on a single page. In spreadsheet, these automated page
breaks are represented by dashed lines. You may manually insert both
vertical & horizontal breaks if pages are not divided at desired point. For
controlling page breaks, Excel has a Break Preview.
 1) Click Preview button for break page under View tab.
2) It will then display Preview box. Page breaks are indicated by
thick lines of blue color, while page numbers are shown as
watermarked grey text.
3) Place mouse cursor on blue line while holding right button of mouse,
then move to desired area to shift page break.
4) To move to standard spreadsheet view.
5) Choose Normal button on view ribbon.
Display Formulas
Since formulae only show up while they are being written or changed, you
may sometimes wish to display contents of cells that include formulas. For
formula troubleshooting or backup, a printout of spreadsheet with formulae
shown may be useful.
Select Formulas ribbon, then select Formula Auditing group's Show
Formulas button. Spreadsheet will display formulas as seen in above
illustration. To disable formula display, use same command set.
Range Finder
With Range Finder, it's simple to see, change, and comprehend which
numbers go into a calculation.

Double-click on equation-containing cell (or select cell & press F2). To make
it easier to see components of equation at a glance, each element of equation
is illuminated with a different color. Data used in charts may also be utilized
with Range Finder. For instance, range in original data is outlined when you
click on series of data on a bar chart. Drag & drop may also be used in Range
Finder to change range or formula.
Advance Search
Tap on box of Advance search located in top-center of Excel window to get
assistance.
You may enter desired Excel function to bring up command window.
For instance, Insert Chart box will emerge to assist you in carrying out
activity if you enter in Chart.

3.3 Absolute References

Most of time, relative cell references are exactly what you need in formulas
that you build, thus allowing Excel to adjust row and/or column references as
required in copies that you make.
You will encounter some circumstances, but, where Excel shouldn’t adjust
single or multiple parts of cell reference inside copied formula.
This occurs, for example, whenever you want to use a cell value as a constant
in all copies that you make of a formula.
Figure 1-8 illustrates just such a situation. In this situation, you want to build
a formula in cell B9 that calculates what percentage of April’s part
production total (B7) is of total nine-month production (cell K7).
Normally, you would create following formula in cell B9 with all its relative
cell references:
=B7/K7
However, because you want to copy this formula across to range C9:J9 to
calculate percentages for eight months (May through December), you need to
alter relative cell references in last part of formula in cell K7 so that this cell
reference with nine-month production total remains unchanged in all your
copies.
You can start to understand problem caused by adjusting a relative cell
reference that should remain unchanged by just thinking about copying
original formula from cell B9 to C9 to calculate percentage for May. In this
cell, you want following formula that divides May production total in cell C7
by nine-month total in cell K7: =C7/K7
However, if you don’t indicate otherwise, Excel adjusts both parts of formula
in copies so that C9 incorrectly contains following formula: =C7/L7
Because cell L7 is currently blank and blank cells have equivalent of value 0,
this formula returns #DIV/0! Formula error as a result, thus indicating that
Excel can’t properly perform this arithmetic operation.
To indicate that you don’t want a particular cell reference (such as cell K7 in
example) to be adjusted in copies that you make of a formula, you change
cell reference from a relative cell reference to an absolute cell reference.
In A1 system of cell references, an absolute cell reference contains dollar
signs before column letter and row number, as in $K$7. In R1C1 notation,
you simply list actual row and column number in cell reference, as in R7C11,
without placing row and column numbers in square brackets.
If you realize that you need to convert a relative cell reference to an absolute
reference as you’re building original formula, you can convert relative
reference to absolute by selecting cell and then pressing F4. To get an idea of
how this works, follow along with these steps for creating correct formula
=B7/$K$7 in cell B9:
1) Click cell B9 to make it active.
2) Type = to start formula; then click cell B7 and type / (sign for
division).
3) Formula bar now reads =B7/.
4) Click K7 to select this cell and add it to formula.
5) Formula bar now reads =B7/K7.
6) Press F4 once to change cell reference from relative (K7) into
absolute ($K$7).
7) Formula bar now reads =B7/$K$7. You’re now ready to enter
 formula and then make copies.
8) Click Enter button on Formula bar and then drag fill handle to cell J9
before you release mouse button.
Like it or not, you won’t always anticipate need for an absolute value until
after you’ve built formula and copied it to a range. When this happens, you
have to edit original formula, change relative reference to absolute, and then
make copies again.
When editing cell reference in formula, you can change its reference by
positioning insertion point anywhere in its address and then pressing F4. You
can also do this by inserting dollar signs in front of column letter(s) and row
number when editing formula, although doing that isn’t nearly as easy as
pressing F4.
You can make an exact copy of formula in another cell without using
absolute references. To do this, make cell with formula that you want to copy
active one, use I-beam pointer to select entire formula in Formula bar by
dragging through it, and then click Copy command button on Home tab of
Ribbon (or press Control+C).
Next, click Cancel button to deactivate Formula bar, select cell where you
want exact copy to appear, and then click Paste command button on Home
tab (or press Control+V). Excel then pastes an exact duplicate of original
formula into active cell without adjusting any of its cell references (even if
they are all relative cell references). Keep in mind when using sum options
on Totals tab of a Quick Analysis tool’s palette (see “Totals and sums with a
Quick Analysis tool” earlier in this chapter for details) that all cell references
in total and sum formulas that Excel creates are relative references.
If you’re building formula that requires an absolute or some sort of mixed
cell reference (see following section) on a touchscreen device and using
Touch keyboard with no access to function keys, you need to add required
dollar sign(s) into formula on Formula bar by using dollar sign ($) key on
Touch keyboard. To access dollar sign key, tap Numeric key (&123) to
switch Touch keyboard out of QWERTY letter arrangement.
A mixed bag of references
Some formulas don’t require you to change entire cell reference from relative
to absolute in order to copy them correctly. In some situations, you need to
indicate only that column letter or row number remains unchanged in all
copies of original formula. A cell reference that is part relative and part
absolute is called a mixed cell reference.
In A1 notation, a mixed cell reference has a dollar sign just in front of
column letter or row number that should not be adjusted in copies. For
example, $C10 adjusts row 10 in copies down rows but leaves column C
unchanged in all copies across columns to its right. Another example is C$10,
which adjusts column C in copies to columns to right but leaves row 10
unchanged in all copies down rows. (For an example of using mixed cell
references in a master formula, refer to information on using PMT Function
in Book 3, Chapter 4.) To change cell reference that you select in a formula
(by clicking flashing insertion point somewhere in its column letter and row
number) from relative to mixed, continue to press F4 until type of mixed
reference appears on Formula bar. When Formula bar is active and insertion
point is somewhere in cell reference (either when building or editing
formula), clicking F4 cycles in each cell-reference possibility in following
order:
First time you press F4, Excel changes relative cell reference to
absolute (C10 to $C$10).
second time you press F4, Excel changes absolute reference to a
mixed reference where column is relative and row is absolute ($C$10
third time you select Reference command, Excel changes mixed
reference where column is relative, and row is absolute to a mixed
reference where row is relative, and column is absolute (C$10 to
$C10).
fourth time you press F4, Excel changes mixed reference where row
is relative, and column is absolute back to a relative reference ($C10
to C10).
Most spreadsheet tables employ an initial formula that you may transfer to
neighboring cells by utilizing relative cell references, as was previously
mentioned. In certain circumstances, you may construct original formula such
that Excel carries out required computation in every other cell that you would
typically duplicate formula to, in addition to active cell.
To do this, you create an array formula. A unique formula that works with a
variety of values is an array formula. It is referred to as an array range if a
cell range provides this range, which is often case. They are referred to as an
array constant if a list of numerical values is used to provide this range.
Although idea of an array may seem unfamiliar at first, you are really fairly
acquainted with them since Excel worksheet grid's column-and-row structure
spontaneously arranges your data ranges in 1 dimensional and 2 dimensional
arrays. (One-D arrays only occupy one row or column; Two-D arrays occupy
many rows and columns.) Two two-dimensional arrays containing numerical
entries of 2 different sizes are shown in Figure 1-9. A 3 into 2 array in cells
B2 to C4 makes up first array. Due to fact that it takes up three rows & two
columns, this array is a 3 into 2 array. A 2 into 3 array with cells F2 to H3
makes up second array. This array has two rows & three columns, making it a
2 x 3 array.

Initial 3 into 2 array's values would look like this in a formula if you listed
them as array constant:
{1, 4; 2, 5; 3, 6}
This list contains a number of significant items. A pair of braces () are first
used to encapsulate array constant. Secondly, rows inside array are divided
by semicolons (;), & columns inside every row are divided by commas (,). (;).
Third, array's constants are written across each row, then down each column,
rather than across each row and down each column.
Next 2 x 3 array has following values when written as an array constant: 7, 8,
9; 10, 11, 12.
Recall that you separated values in various columns with commas as well as
values in multiple rows with semicolons when you listed values across every
row and afterwards down every column.
Because array formulae may provide many outcomes throughout whole array
span in a single operation, using them can drastically minimize amount of
formula copying you need to perform in a worksheet. Additionally, compared
to ordinary formulae replicated in a range, array formulas utilize less
computer memory. When designing a big worksheet with several tables, this
might be crucial since it could be distinction between being able to fit all of
your calculations into a single worksheet & having to divide your model over
multiple worksheet files.

3.4 Editing an Array Formula

Editing array formulas differ somewhat from editing normal formulas. In
editing an array range, you must treat range as a single unit and edit it in one
operation (corresponding to way in which array formula was entered).
This means that you can’t edit, clear, move, insert, or delete individual cells
in array range. If you try, Excel will display an Alert dialog box stating, “You
cannot change part of an array.”
To edit contents of array formula, select cell in array range & then start Edit
mode by selecting formula or Formula bar or pressing F2. When you do this,
Excel displays contents of array formula without customary braces. program
also outlines ranges referred to in array formula in cells of worksheet in
different colors that match those assigned to range addresses in edited
formula on Formula bar.
After you make your changes to formula contents, you must remember to
press Control+Shift+Enter to enter your changes and have Excel enclose
array formula in braces once again.
If you want to convert results in an array range to their calculated values,
select array range and click Copy button on Ribbon’s Home tab or press
Control+C. Then, without changing selection, click Paste Values option from
drop-down menu Paste button. As soon as you convert an array range to its
calculated values, Excel no longer treats cell range as an array.

Range Names in Formulas

Thus far, all example formulas in this chapter have used a combination of
numerical constants and cell references (both relative and absolute and using
A1 and R1C1 notation). Although cell references provide a convenient
method for pointing out cell location in worksheet grid, they are not at all
descriptive of their function when used in formulas. Fortunately, Excel makes
it easy to assign descriptive names to cells, cell ranges, constants, and even
formulas that make their function in worksheet much more understandable.
To get an idea of how names can help to document purpose of a formula,
consider following formula for computing sale price of an item that uses
standard cell references:
=B4*B2
Now consider following formula that performs same calculation but, this
time, with use of range names:
=Retail Price*Discount Rate
Obviously, function of second formula is much more comprehensible, not
only to you as creator of worksheet but also to anyone else who has to use it.
Range names is useful not just for documenting function of formulas in
worksheet but for finding & selecting ranges of quickly & easily as well. This
is especially helpful in a large worksheet that you aren’t very familiar with or
only use intermittently. After you assign a name to a cell range, you can
locate and select all cells in that range with Go To dialog box.
Simply click option of Go To from drop-down menu of Find and Select
button on Home tab of Ribbon. Then double-click range name in Go-To list
box, or click range name and click OK or press Enter. Excel then selects
entire range and, if necessary, shifts worksheet display so that you can see
first cell in that range on screen.
If you’re using Excel 2023 on a Windows device such as a tablet without
benefit of a keyboard or mouse, you will definitely find it to your advantage
to assigning range names to often-used cell ranges in your spreadsheets. That
way, you can go to and select these ranges simply by tapping Name box
drop-down button followed by range name. That’s so much faster and easier
than manually finding and selecting range with your finger or stylus.

3.5 Defining Range Names

You can define a name for selected cell range or nonadjacent selection by
typing its range name into Name box on Formula bar and then pressing Enter.
You can also name a cell, cell range, or nonadjacent selection by clicking
Define Name command button on Ribbon’s Formulas tab or by pressing
Alt+MMD. Excel then opens New Name dialog box, where you can input
selection’s range name in Name text box. If Excel can identify a label in cell
immediately above or to left of active one, program inserts this label as
suggested name in Name text box. program also displays scope of range
name in drop-down Scope list box & cell reference of active cell or range
address of range or nonadjacent selection that is currently marked (by using
absolute references) in Refers To text box. You can do following:
To change scope from entire workbook to a particular worksheet in
workbook so that range name is only recognized on that sheet, select
sheet’s name from Scope drop-down list.
To change cell, range name refers to, select cells in worksheet.
Remember that you can collapse New Name dialog box to Refers To
text box by clicking its Collapse button.)
To accept suggested or edited name, scope, and cell selection, click OK
button, shown in Figure.

When naming a range in Name text box of New Name dialog box, you need
to follow same naming conventions as to when defining a name in Name box
on Formula bar. Basically, this means that name must begin with a letter
rather than a number, contain no spaces, and not duplicate any other name in
workbook.
Adding a new range name in New Name dialog box
If you want to assign same range name to similar ranges on different
worksheets in workbook, preface range name with sheet name followed by an
exclamation point and then descriptive name.
For example, if you want to give name Costs to cell range A2:A10 on both
Sheet1 and Sheet2, you name range Sheet1! Costs on Sheet1 and Sheet2!
Costs on Sheet2. If you have renamed worksheet to something more
descriptive than Sheet1, you need to enclose name in single quotes if it
contains a space when you enter range. For example, if you rename Sheet1 to
Inc. Statement 19, you enter range name including worksheet reference for
Costs cell range as follows:
'Inc. Statement 19’! Costs
When you preface a range name with sheet name as shown in this example,
you don’t have to use sheet name part of range name in formulas that you
create on same worksheet. In other words, if you create a SUM formula that
totals values in ‘Inc. Statement 16’! Costs range somewhere on Inc.
Statement 16 worksheet; you can enter formulas as follows:
=SUM (Costs)
However, if you were to create this formula on any other worksheet in
workbook, you would have to include full range name in formula, as in
=SUM ('Inc. Statement 16’! Costs)

3.6 Naming Constants and Formulas

In addition to naming cells in your worksheet, you can also assign range
names to constants and formulas that you use often. For example, if you are
creating a spreadsheet table that calculates sales prices, you can assign
discount percentage rate to range name discount rate. Then, you can supply
this range name as a constant in any formula that calculates sale discount
used in determining sale price for merchandise.
For example, to assign a constant value of 15% to range name discount rate,
you open New Name dialog box and then type discount rate in Name text box
and =15% as discount rate in Refers To text box before clicking OK. After
assigning this constant percentage rate to range name discount_ rate in this
manner, you can apply it to any formula by typing or pasting in name (see
“Using names in building formulas” section that follows in this chapter for
details). In addition to naming constants, you can also give a range name to a
formula that you use repeatedly. When building a formula in Refers To text
box of New Name dialog box (Alt+MMD), keep in mind that Excel
automatically applies absolute references to any cells that you point to in
worksheet. If you want to create a formula with relative cell references that
Excel adjusts when you enter or paste range name in a new cell, you must
press F4 to convert current cell reference to relative or type in cell address
without dollar signs. When creating constant in New Name dialog box, don’t
change Scope setting from Workbook to a particular sheet in workbook
unless you’re positive that you’ll never need to use that constant in a formula
on any other worksheet. If you limit scope to a particular worksheet, Excel
2023 does not let you use range name in a formula on any other worksheet
(you’ll get #NAME? error), and Scope is one aspect you can’t change when
editing a range name via Name Manager.
Using names in building formulas
After giving a cell or cell range in your worksheet a name, you may
utilize Use in drop-down list of Formula button on Ribbon's tab of formula to
copy name of range and paste it into formulas you create (Alt+MS). For
instance, after giving discount rate, range name, 15percent discount rate in
sample fall 2016 furniture sale chart depicted in Figure 1-13, you can develop
formulae that determine how much sale discount will be. To achieve this, use
Use in button for Formula command and multiply retail price of every item
by discount constant as shown below:
1) Make cell D3 active.
2) Type = (equal sign) to start formula.
3) Click cell C3 to select retail price for first item and then type *
(asterisk).
4) Formula on Formula bar now reads, =C3*.
5) Click Use in Formula button on FORMULAS tab or click Alt+MS.
6) This opens drop-down list on Use in Formula button where you can
choose \ range name for discount rate.
7) Choose discount rate from drop-down menu of Use in Formula
button.
8) Formula now looks like =C3* rate of discount on Formula bar.
9) Click Enter button on Formula bar to input formula in D3.
10) Original formula must now be copied along column D.
11) To replicate formula and figure out discount for full table,
drag fill handle from cell D3 down to cell D7 and then let go of
mouse button.
Pasting range name for discount rate constant into a formula.

3.7 Frequently Asked Questions

How can I delete hyperlinks in bulk in Excel?
 1) Select cells that have hyperlinks, or click Control+A to choose all
cells.
2) Right-click, & then press Remove Hyperlinks.
What are most useful shortcuts for Microsoft Excel?
Detail Keys

To create new workbook Control + N

To open existing workbook Control + O

To save workbook Control + S

To close current workbook Control + W

To shut Excel Control + F4

To go to next sheet Control + PageDown

To go to previous sheet Control + PageUp

To reach to Data tab Alt + A

To reach View tab Alt + W

To reach Formula tab Alt + M

To edit cell F2

To copy & paste cells Control and C, Control and V

To italicize & make font bold Control and I, Control and B

To make cell contents center align Alt and H and A and C

To add color Alt and H and H

To add border Alt and H and B

To delete outline border Control and Shift and _

To add outline to select cells Control and Shift and &

To move towards next cell Tab

To move towards previous cell Shift and Tab

Control and Shift and Right

To select right side cells
arrow

Control and Shift and Left

To select left side cells
Arrow

To select column from selected cell to Control and Shift and Down
end of table Arrow

Control and Shift and Up

To select cells above selected cell
Arrow

Control and Shift and Down

To select cells below selected cell
Arrow

To add comment to cell Shift and F2

To delete cell comment Shift and F10 and D

 To find display & replace Control and H

To insert current date Control and ;

Control and Shift and L

To activate filter
Alt and Down Arrow

To add current time Control and Shift and :

To add a hyperlink Control and k

To apply currency format Control and Shift and $

To apply percent format Control and Shift and %

How can I edit a combo box in Excel?
1) On Ribbon, select Developer tab.
2) Select command of Design Mode.
3) Press Insert, & under ActiveX, click on Combo box, to make tool
run. Click on empty area of worksheet in order to add combo box.
How do I set an index match in Excel?
1) Click cell where you like to add nested functions.
2) Select Formulas tab.
3) Select Lookup and Reference button in Function Library.
4) Click INDEX.
5) Click array argument in Select Arguments & click OK.
Chapter 4: Introduction to Pivot Tables
One of Excel's most useful features is its pivot tables. Pito Salas, who was
working at Lotus Corp at that time, created them in 1986. When Lotus
Improve was made available on the NeXT platform in 1991, it gained
significant notoriety in the early 1990s. It quickly rose to the top of Excel's
must-know features, particularly if you analyze massive data sets. It is
crucial to understand what pivot tables are before learning how to make them.

4.1 What is Pivot table?

A pivot table is primarily a tool for creating data summaries from data
sources. By just clicking & dragging information from one region of report to
another, you may quickly summarize data. It can turn thousands of columns
and rows of data into information that is useful. On every level of data, you
may choose to show subtotals. Interactivity of these tables is maybe their
greatest benefit. Information may be changed without any effort. Fact that
you may "pivot" data in any direction makes it clear why they are named
pivot tables.
Why Pivot Tables are used?
Why then should you use a pivot table? If you wish to condense a lot of data,
such a table should be employed. It will take more time to attempt to
summarize data using Excel formulae because you must manually create
calculations. You may need to change your calculations if you add new
information to data, which might take time. While manually constructed
tables with formulae might take longer to prepare, pivot tables can be simply
formatted to render them presentable and aesthetically pleasing. Using
formulae to summarize your data in a very big data collection with thousands
of columns and rows can prolong computation time in Excel. Algorithms will
take some time to recalculate every time you modify your data. You won't
have any issues with sluggish computation times while using pivot tables.
 4.2 Table Layout
Pivot table pane houses pivot table's four components. Connected with pivot
tables, Pivot Fields is function pane that by default sits on window’s right
side. pivot table's 4 elements are:
1) Filters
2) Rows
3) Columns
4) Values
In below screenshot, there are 5 fields (Area, Product, Month, Sales, Units).
These are column headings in source data. pivot table appearance &
information will be shown by what fields you add in 4 areas of table Fields.
Now I will explain each area in turn.

Filters
With the use of filters, you can only view the data you would like to see
while hiding the rest. You may then choose which field's items you wish to
view or not by marking or disabling boxes after moving a field to the Filters
section. They function similarly to a table filter. The area field in the example
below is filtered.

Rows
Each field item is shown in a distinct row in rows. One row makes up one
field item. They approach the table's left side from below. In the example
below, the Product area is in the Rows section, and each row displays items
from the Product field.
Columns
Every field item is shown across many columns in columns. The Month field
is in the Columns section in the sample below, & every item in the Month
field is in a different column.

Values
Values provide a summary of data. Sales field is in the Values section in the
sample below. The pivot table below provides a month-by-month breakdown
of sales by product. Excel provides a variety of summary options, including
COUNT, SUM, AVERAGE, MIN, MAX, and more. At least one field must
be filled out in the Values box. The same field may appear twice in the
Values box. For instance, you might use a pivot table to display the total sales
as well as the average sales by product and month.

Displaying Pivot table Fields Pane

Whenever you click on Pivot table, Pivot table Field pane will automatically
appear. If for any reason it doesn’t appear, then click any cell in Pivot table,
and from ribbon, click on Analyze tab. Under Show, group click on Field
List command button.

4.3 Structure of Data Source

In order to create Pivot table, you need to ensure that your data source is
structured correctly. This means your data must be rectangular in shape and
stored in a worksheet range or a table. In order to change your worksheet
range to a table, select a cell anywhere in data and then from ribbon, click
Insert tab and, under Tables group, select Table command button.

Data to create Pivot tables needs to contain two types of fields:

1) Data – This is usually a value to be summarized. For example, Sales field
is data field
2) Category – This describes data. For example, Product, Area, and Month
fields are category fields
It is also important to note that your data source must contain headings on all
columns; otherwise, you will get below message.

Updating Pivot Tables

Whenever you update data source, Pivot table will not update immediately
like with formulas. This is one of downsides of using pivot tables instead of
formulas.
When you create Pivot table, Excel stores that data in a Pivot Cache. Pivot
Cache is automatically generated whenever you create Pivot table.
It is like a container that stores data source. Whenever you make changes to
Pivot table, it doesn’t use data source but Pivot Cache instead.
So why is there a Pivot Cache? Well, Pivot Cache is there to optimize
functionality of Pivot table.
It helps Pivot table summarise information instantly whenever you drag and
drop fields in Filters, Rows, Columns, and Values areas in Pivot table Fields
pane.
This is reason why Pivot table will not update straight away when you change
source data.
In order to update Pivot table when source data has changed, you must
refresh Pivot table.

4.4 How to Create a Basic Pivot Table?

In this chapter, I will show you step-by-step instructions on how to create
Pivot table.
Specifying Source Data
First thing you need to do is to specify what data you want to use to create
Pivot table. To do this, follow these instructions:
1) Select any cell in data range. Click on INSERT tab in ribbon, and then
under Tables group, select PivotTable command button
2) Create PivotTable dialog box will appear. Excel will attempt to specify
correct range of data based on active cell. If for any reason,
3) Excel doesn’t specify correct range, then you can use your mouse to
select data range. In this example, I selected range
A1:F22. Data range will appear in Table/Range field
Specifying Location of Pivot table
Next step is to specify where you want Pivot table to be located. You can
specify whether to have Pivot table in a new worksheet or in existing
worksheet from Create PivotTable dialog box. In this example, I have
selected New Worksheet. Choose Existing Worksheet & then provide a cell's
location in Location form if you need a pivot table in an existing worksheet.
After doing this, press the OK button.

Adding Fields to Pivot table

You now need to build Pivot table by moving fields in Filters, Columns,
Rows, & Values area of Fields pane. In this example, I want to show sales by
product and sales person. You can move fields into one of four areas of Pivot
table pane by using one of following methods:
1) Clicking and dragging fields to one of four areas.
2) Right-click field name and choose one of four areas in shortcut
menu. You can select from Add to Labels in Row, Add to Labels
in Column, Add to Filter Report or to Values. You can also add a
field as a slicer.
 3) Select check box against appropriate field. Excel will do its best
to move it to correct area. Like, when I saw field of Sales Person,
it rightly moved it to Rows area. When you check box for field
that has values, Excel will then move it to Values area. If Excel
shifts field to area you do not want it to be in, then you can
simply do one of first two options to move it to correct area.

In the example, I have

made Pivot table that illustrates what items are sold by each Sales person
with amount for each item. There is also a subtotal which shows total sales
sold by each Sales person.
Sales person and Product fields are in Rows area, and Sales is in Values area
of Pivot table Fields pane.
Reorganizing Pivot table
Once you have created Pivot table, it is very easy to change it around to show
different information. By pivoting fields, you can answer different questions
and look at different trends and patterns. To move fields in another area in
Fields pane, click & drag field to some other area or right-click field and
select one of options in menu as described in previous section.
In this section, I will show you how easy it is to modify the pivot tables to
make another summary information.
Show Sales for East Area Only
In below example, I want to see all sales for East area only. For this, I put
Region field in Filters area of Pivot table Fields pane.
Filter will now display above Pivot table. I then just checked East check box
and unselected other check boxes, and then pressed OK button.

Pivot table now just displays information relating to East area only.
Show Total Sales by Furniture Item
In this example, I just want to see total sales for each furniture item. I
removed Sales Person field by clicking it and dragging it away.
Pivot table now displays total sales for each furniture item. You can make
this more meaningful by sorting sales in descending order so you can easily
see which furniture has made most sales through to which has made least
sales.
Show Sales by Area
In this example, I want to see what furniture items were sold in each area and
see total sales by area.
I have put Region field in Columns area of Pivot table Fields pane, so each
area is a column heading.
Product field is in area of Rows, so furniture items occupy a row. Sales is
Values area of Fields pane.
Show Total Sales Made by Sales Person
In this example, I want to see which Sales person has made most sales. Sales
person is in Rows area, and Sales is in Values area of Pivot table Fields pane.
Again, to make this more meaningful, you would normally sort this in
descending order of sales, so you get to see who top Sales person is through
to Sales person who has made least sales.

4.5 Refreshing Pivot table

As mentioned in previous chapter, if source data is updated, Pivot table will
not automatically update. You need to update Pivot table by refreshing it to
reflect new changes. There are two ways to do this:
Method 1
From ribbon, click Data tab, and under Connections group, click on Refresh
All command button.

Method 2
Right-click any cell in Pivot table, and in shortcut menu, select Refresh.
Changes to Data Source
If your data source has changed and you have inserted new columns at end,
then Pivot table will not use these new columns unless you re-define range.

To do this, follow these steps:

1) Click on Pivot table
2) In ribbon, click on Analyse tab, and under Data group, click Change
Data Source command button

3) Excel will take you back to data source, and Change PivotTable Data
Source dialog box will appear
4) You then select range again, including new columns in the
Table/Range field and then press OK button
5) Refresh Pivot table as described in previous section
6) three new fields are now included in Pivot table Fields pane
4.6 Changing Calculation in Pivot table
By default, Excel will summarize data in Pivot table by summing values. You
can change calculation to show count, average, maximum value, minimum
value, and so on. Here are steps to change calculation from Sum to Average:
1) Click any cell in Pivot table
2) Click on field in Values area of Pivot table Fields pane where you
want to change calculation. In this example, I click on Sales field.
From menu select
Value Field Settings
3) In Value Field Settings dialog box, select desired calculation under
Summarize value field. In this example, I select Average. Once you
have selected calculation, click OK button
Customizing Pivot table
Now that I have taken you through steps of how to create Pivot table, I will
now show you how to customize Pivot table so it looks more professional,
visually appealing, and easier to understand and interpret.
There are various ways to customize and format pivot tables, and this chapter
will explain how you can achieve this. I will use same pivot table I created in
previous chapter.
Changing Pivot Table Styles
Whenever you create Pivot table, Excel applies default pivot table style. This
looks dull and not very attractive to look at, especially if you are sending it to
your manager or customer. Excel has many pivot tables styles which you can
apply, so your pivot table stands out and looks more pleasing to eye.
Here are steps to apply Pivot table style:
1) Click a cell in Pivot table
2) Click Design tab from ribbon. In PivotTable Styles group, click on
down arrow at bottom right to see all available styles you can choose
from.
 3) If you hover your mouse over different pivot table styles, you can see
style being applied to Pivot table.
4) Once you are happy with a style, just click your left mouse button to
apply it to Pivot table. In this example, I have selected ‘Pivot Style
Medium 2’.

4.7 Create a New Pivot Table Style

If you don’t like any of Pivot table styles Excel has to offer, then you can
create your own. For this example, I want to create Pivot table style that
colors Pivot table grey and has a border around it.
Here are steps on how you can do this:
1) Select a cell in Pivot table
2) From ribbon, click Design tab. In PivotTable Styles, group click on
down arrow, which is located on bottom right

3) Select New PivotTable Style

4) New dialog style box for pivot table will appear. You can name
 your new custom pivot table style in Name field. I have called this
style ‘Example.’

5) I want to make whole pivot table grey and apply a border around it,
so I select Whole Table under Table Element and then select
Format button.
6) In Fill tab, I select a grey color

7) I then click on Border tab and select a line style under Line Style
section and apply it in Border section to all edges. I then select OK
 8) You will be taken back to New PivotTable Style dialog box. You
can see a preview of what Pivot table design will look like in the
Preview section. Once you are happy, select OK
 9) To apply this new custom pivot table style, click on Design tab in
ribbon, and under PivotTable Styles group, click on down arrow to
open up Pivot table styles as explained in step 2. Your newly
created pivot table style will be located under Custom heading.
Click your left mouse button to apply your custom style to Pivot
table

10) Repeat these steps to apply formatting to any other elements

Tip: If you want custom pivot table style to be default style, then just check
Choose as default style for document box in Modify dialog Style box.
4.8 Pivot Table Style Options
You can apply further pivot table style options in PivotTable Style Options
group. This is located in Design tab in ribbon.

There are four options to choose from:

1) Row Headers – This adds or removes shading to row headers depending
on whether you select this option or not
2) Column Headers – This adds or removes shading to column header
depending on if this option is selected or not.
3) Banded Rows – If this option is selected, then it applies a thick line
between each row
4) Banded Columns - If this option is selected, then it applies a thick line
between each column
Applying Number Formatting
To make your pivot tables more meaningful, you can apply number
formatting to values. For example, you can apply different currencies,
decimal places, date formats, percentages, and so on. Pivot table I have
created so far contains just values under Sales column. We don’t know what
these values actually mean. In this example, I will show you steps to change
values to US dollars.
1) Select a cell in Pivot table and right-click mouse
2) From shortcut menu, select Number Format

3) In Format Cells dialog box, select Currency under Category. Select a

currency symbol from drop-down menu in Symbol field. In this
example, I selected $ English (United States). You can also choose
how many decimal places you want in Decimal Places field. default is
2 decimal places, and in this example, I have left it at 2. Once you are
happy with your selections, then press OK button.
4) sales are now in US dollars
Move Field Position in Pivot table Field Pane
 You may want to change look of
your pivot table, so it shows information in a different way. You can move
fields up or down, so they are located in different positions. For example,
Pivot table below shows what furniture each Sales person has sold and sales
amount. Sales Person field is in first position, and Product field is in second
position in Rows area of Pivot table Fields pane.

I now want to move Product field in first position in Rows area, so it is above
Sales Person field. There are two ways to do this:
1) Clicking and dragging field and moving it to first position in Rows area.
In this example, I would click and drag Product field and move it above
Sales Person field
2) Clicking field and from shortcut menu select Move up. In this example, I
would click Product field and select Move up, which will move field
above Sales Person field
Notice dynamic of Pivot table has changed, and main row headers are
furniture items and not Sales people.

You can change field positions back again using same methods above.

Change Pivot Table Headings

 You may want to give your pivot table
headings more suitable names. By default, row headings are called ‘Row
Labels,’ column headings are called ‘Column Labels’, and value headings
start with ‘Sum of’ if calculation to summarise values is SUM. It would be
called ‘Count of’ if calculation is count, ‘Average of’ if an average is used as
calculation, and so on.

To change Pivot table’s headings is simple. Just select Pivot table heading
you want to change and, in Formula bar, type new heading name. In this
example, I have named row heading ‘Sales Person’ and values heading ‘Sales
by Sales Person.’
Tip: You cannot name Pivot table heading same name as a field name. For
example, if I tried to name values heading ‘Sales,’ I would get following
message because there is a field name in Values area already called ‘Sales.’

You can over-ride this by adding a space after heading name. Excel sees
space as a character, so it will see heading and field name as two different
names.
Changing Report Layout
A report layout is how Pivot table lays out information and how it looks.
When you create Pivot table, default setting is Compact Form. Excel offers
three different layouts; which you can choose from once you have created
Pivot table. I will explain each layout in more detail.
1) Compact Form – This is used when you want to save spreadsheet space
and reduce pivot table width. Each pivot table field in Row area of Pivot
table Fields pane is slightly indented from one above to differentiate
fields. field rows cannot be repeated.
2) Outline Form – This is used when you are not concerned about
spreadsheet space, and you want to display each field. Each field in Rows
area of Pivot table Fields pane are in separate columns. Row labels can
also be repeated.
3) Tabular Form – This is most common layout as it is easiest to read.
fields in Rows area of Pivot table Fields pane are in separate columns,
and row labels can be repeated. Subtotals are also in separate rows.
To change report layout, follow these steps:
1) Select a cell in Pivot table
2) Click Design tab from ribbon, and then under Layout group, click on
Report Layout command button
3) Select desired report layout from menu

4) In this example, I selected Tabular Form

Repeat Item Labels
When you select Outline or Tabular Form layout, you can repeat item labels.
This means item labels are repeated in each row. By default, they are not
repeated.
To repeat item labels, select a cell in Pivot table. From ribbon, click Design
tab, and under Layout group, click Report Layout command button. From
menu, select Repeat All Item Labels.
Item labels are now repeated.
If you do not want to repeat item labels, simply select Do Not Repeat Item
Labels.

Displaying Grand Totals

You can choose to display or turn off grand totals in your pivot table. There
are four settings to choose from:
1) Off for Rows and Columns - This turns off grand totals for each row
and column
2) On for Rows and Columns - This turns on grand totals for each row and
column
3) On for Rows Only – This displays grand totals for each row but not for
each column
4) On for Columns Only – This displays grand totals for each column but
not for each row
Here are steps to apply grand totals to Pivot table:
1) Select any cell in Pivot table
2) In ribbon, select Design tab, and under Layout, group select Grand
Totals command button

3) Choose from list of options in menu. In this example, I have chosen

On for Rows and Columns
Displaying Subtotals
Like with grand totals, you can also display or turn off subtotals. There are
three settings to choose from:
1) Do not Show Subtotals – This turns off subtotals
2) Show all Subtotals at bottom of Group – This displays all subtotals
at bottom of each group
3) Show all Subtotals at top of Group – This displays all subtotals at
top of each group
Here are steps to apply subtotals to Pivot table:
1) Select any cell in Pivot table
2) In ribbon, select Design tab, and under Layout, group select
Subtotals command button

3) Choose from list of options. In this example, I have chosen Show all
Subtotals at top of Group
4.9 Inserting Blank Rows in Pivot table
To make your pivot table more visually appealing and easier to read, you can
insert blank rows after each row item. Here are steps to insert blank rows:
1) Click on a cell in Pivot table
2) From ribbon, click Design tab, and under Layout, group select Blank
Rows command button

3) Select Insert Blank Line after Each Item from menu

 4) A blank line is now inserted after each row item

5) To remove blank rows, just repeat steps 1 and 2, but this time, select
Remove Blank Line after Each Item
Replace Blank Cells with Zeros in Pivot table
Whenever there is no data in a row or column in source data, by default,
Pivot table will show a blank cell. This can make Pivot table look incomplete
and messy. A nice tidy way to overcome this is to replace blank cells with
zeros in Pivot table. Now let’s look at how to do this. Cell C6 is therefore
blank in Pivot table as shown below. This means there is no record of sales
for desk by Jim. It is good practice to show any no sales as zero so that it
doesn’t look incomplete and is consistent with other cells in Pivot table as
they all contain numbers.
To show zeros instead of blank cells, follow these instructions:
1) Right-click any cell in Pivot table, and from shortcut menu, select
PivotTable Options
2) In PivotTable Options, dialog box selects Layout & Format tab.
3) Under Format, section make sure For empty cells show box is
checked and enter a 0 in field and then click OK button

4) Cell C6 now shows $0.00

Sorting, Filtering, and Grouping
Pivot tables offer additional features such as sorting, filtering, and grouping.
Sorting Pivot table helps you to visualize information easier, for example
sorting rows in alphabetical order or sorting values in descending or
ascending order. Filtering helps you to view certain information and hide
information you don’t want to see. Grouping helps you to organize your pivot
table better. For example, you can group dates by year and month.

Sorting Pivot table

You sort Pivot table in same way as sorting data in an Excel worksheet.
below pivot table shows total sales by each Sales person. As you can see,
Pivot table is not in any particular order. I want to sort this pivot table in
descending order of sales, so I know who top-performing Sales person is
through to Sales person who has sold least amount.
To sort Pivot table, follow these steps:
1) Click one of cells that contain subtotal. In this example, I select cell C4
2) In ribbon, click on Data tab, and under Sort & Filter group, click Sort Z
to A command button

3) Pivot table is now sorted by sales. You can see below that Lisa is top-
 performing Sales person.

4) If you want to sort sales of furniture from highest to lowest for each Sales
person, you just select a cell in Value column. In my example, I select
cell C7, for instance. You then just repeat step 2
5) Pivot table is now not only sorted by total sales by Sales person but also
by sales of furniture for each Sales person in descending order
Another way to sort is by using Sort command button. Let’s say I want to
sort Pivot table in alphabetical order of Sales person’s name. Here is how to
do this:
1) Select a cell in column in Pivot table you would like to sort. In this
example, I select cell A10
2) From ribbon, select Data tab and under Sort & Filter group, click
Sort command button
3) In Sort dialog box, choose whether you want to sort in ascending or
descending order, and then from appropriate field, select column you
want to sort from drop-down box. In this example, I want to sort in
ascending order, and I want to sort by Sales Person column

4) Pivot table is now sorted alphabetically by Sales person name

You can follow same process for values column, but instead of sorting
alphabetically, it will give you option to sort by value from smallest to largest
or largest to smallest.
4.10 Filtering Pivot table
Filtering allows you to view specific information in Pivot table. It works in
same way as filtering data in a worksheet. When you create Pivot table, filters
will already be in column headings by default. You do not need to apply
filters manually. In this example, I want to see information relating to a 3-
seater sofa and filing cabinet. Here are steps to do this:
1) Click on filter on column you want to filter. In this example, I click on
filter in Product column
2) In filter, uncheck boxes against items you don’t want to see and check
boxes against items you want to see. A quick way to do this is to click
Select All check box. This will uncheck all boxes. You can then check
boxes against items you want to see. In this example, I check 3-seater
sofa and filing cabinet boxes. Once done, click OK button
3) Pivot table now just shows data relating to 3-seater sofas and filing
cabinets
Advanced Filtering
You can perform advanced filtering to your pivot table. This provides further
flexibility to filtering Pivot table. Let’s say I only want to see information for
Sales people who have made total sales of over $3,000. Here are steps on
how to do this:
1) Click on a column filter. In this example, I clicked on Sales Person filter
2) Because I want to filter by sales, I select Value Filters, and then in
second menu, I select Greater Than
3) In Value Filter dialog box from first drop-down box, select field you want
to filter. In this example, I want to filter by sales. In second drop-down
box, select what condition you want to filter by. In this example, I
selected is greater than. Finally, in last field, enter value. In this
example, I want to see all Sales people who have sales over $3000, so I
enter 3000 in this field. Click OK button

4) Pivot table is now filtered to show only Sales people who have sales
greater than $3000
Clearing a Filter
If you want to clear any filters applied to your pivot table, then follow these
steps:
1) Select any cell in Pivot table
2) In ribbon, click Data tab, and under Sort & Filter group, click on
Clear command button

3) filters have now all cleared

An alternative way to clearing filters is to select column filter on column
which has been filtered, and from menu, click Clear Filter From

Grouping Pivot Table Items

 Grouping is a very useful
feature to make your pivot table look more organized. Grouping allows you
to group related items together. You can group row and column labels. Now I
will give you an example of how to group by date.
In Pivot table below, I have a list of sales by date. Date starts from 4th August
2023 through to 7th May 2020. I want to summarize sales by month and year.

These are steps to group by month and year:

1) Right-click any date and select Group from shortcut menu
2) In grouping dialog box, I select Months and Years as these are ones I
want to group by. Check that starting and ending dates are correct.
Once you are happy, select OK button
 3) Pivot table is now grouped by month and year

4.11 Calculated Fields and Calculated Items

You can utilize custom formulas with pivot tables by using calculated items
and calculated fields. These custom formulas are not standard formulas that
you can enter into cells. These are formulas you enter in dialog boxes and are
stored with data in Pivot table. Alternative to using calculated fields is to
create formulas in source data in separate columns. information can then be
used in Pivot table by dragging fields in Filters, Rows, Columns, or Values
area of Pivot table Fields pane. First, I will explain what calculated fields and
calculated items are.
What are Calculated Fields and Calculated Items?
Calculated fields and calculated items can often confuse pivot table users and,
as such, are not used as often as they could be. I will explain each one below:
Calculated Field – This is a new field that is created from other fields in
Pivot table. Number of other fields will be used in its estimation. A calculated
field must be in Values area of Pivot table Fields pane. You can’t use them in
Filters, Rows, or Columns section of Pivot table Fields pane.
Calculated Items – This uses contents of other items in field of Pivot table.
A calculated item must be in Filters, Rows, or Columns area of Pivot table
Fields pane. You can’t use calculated items in Values area of Pivot table
Fields pane.
How to Create a Calculated Field?
To conduct measurements on certain fields in Pivot table, use measured
fields. In Pivot table, you can’t insert new rows or columns and write
formulas in them like you can with a normal worksheet range. To overcome
this, you can create a measured field. Now let’s look at an example of how to
create a measured field. Below is Pivot table which shows sales by Sales
Person and what month and year they have made sales along with how many
units they have sold. My goal is to work out average sales per unit for each
row. Calculation will be =Sales / Units.
Here are steps to create calculated field:
1) Click any cell in Pivot table
2) In ribbon, click a Analyze tab, and under Calculations, field select
Calculated Field

3) In Insert, Calculated Field dialog box, enter a name for calculated field
in Name field. In this example, I have called it ‘Average Sales per
 Unit. In Formula field, you have to create formula. Formula for
average sales per unit is =Sales / Units. I first select ‘Sales’ field under
Fields section and then click Insert Field button. I want to use
division operator, so I enter a ‘/’ after Sales field. I then select ‘Units’
field and click Insert Field button

4) Once formula has been entered, press Add button and then OK

5) There is now a column at end of Pivot table which shows average sales
per unit. You can change name of column header as explained in
 chapter 4

How to Create a Calculated Item?

You can also use measure items to perform calculations in Pivot table. This is
equivalent to adding new rows to data source, i.e., rows which contain
formulas that refer to other rows.
Now I will show you how to create a calculated item. Below is Pivot table
that shows sales by year for each Salesperson. In this example, I want to
create two calculated items that show how much bonus each salesperson will
receive in 2023 and 2020. Bonus applied for each year are as follows:
2019 – 15% of 2023 sales
2020 – 20% of 2020 sales
Here are methods to make calculated items:
1) Select a cell in a Row or Column area of Pivot table. In this example, I
select a cell in a Year column
2) In ribbon, click a Analyze tab, and under Calculations, group select
Calculated Item

3) In Insert Calculated Item in dialog box, enter a name in Name field. In

this example, I entered ‘2023 Bonus’. In Formula, field enters desired
formula. I want to show a bonus of 15% for all sales in 2023, so I
entered formula =15%* ‘2023’. To insert year 2023 in formula, I
clicked on ‘Year’ field under Fields and then selected ‘2023’ under
Items, and then clicked Insert Item button
4) Click on Add button and then OK button
5) Repeat steps 1 to 4 to create bonus for 2020
6) 2023 and 2020 bonus will now appear for each Salesperson
Referencing Cells in Pivot table
You can create formulas outside Pivot table by simply clicking a cell or a
range of cells in Pivot table. You might expect a cell reference such as C5 but
what Excel will actually return is GETPIVOTDATA function.

4.12 What is GETPIVOTDATA Function?

GETPIVOTDATA function is designed to extract data from Pivot table. It is
used to ensure that formulas will reference desired cells even if Pivot table
has changed format.
Let’s look at an example. In previous chapter, I explained how to create a
calculated field that shows average sales per unit. Now I want to replicate this
formula outside Pivot table in cell E4. I used point and click method. When I
selected cell C4, Excel returned:
=GETPIVOTDATA ("Sales”, $A$3,"Sales Person","Jim","Units",2)
I then entered division operator and then clicked on cell B4. Notice second
part of formula refers to actual cell, i.e., B4. This is because Units field is in
Rows area of Pivot table and not Values area. I then just copied formula
down to cell E22.

Note: GETPIVOTDATA function can only retrieve data that is visible in

Pivot table; otherwise, it will return an error.
 You can manually type cell
references in if you do not want to see GETPIVOTDATA function in your
formulas. In below example, I typed in formula = C4/B4 in cell E4 and then
copied formula down to cell E22.

Turning off GETPIVOTDATA Function

If you prefer, you can turn off GETPIVOTDATA function if you would
rather have Excel use cell references instead. To turn setting off, click on
Analyze tab in ribbon, and under PivotTable group, click on drop-down
arrow from Options command button. Finally, click on Generate
GetPivotData.
4.13 Creating Pivot Charts

A pivot chart is similar to a

normal chart in Excel. It visualizes data in Pivot table so users can interpret
and analyze information more easily. Pivot charts and pivot tables are
connected with each other. A pivot chart comes into its own if there is a lot of
information in Pivot table, as you can see trends in a snapshot. great thing
about pivot charts is that you can easily chop and change information in Pivot
table, and pivot chart will change accordingly. For example, you can move a
field from Rows area to Columns area in Pivot table Fields pane, and pivot
chart will change accordingly.
How to Create a Pivot Chart?
I will now show you steps on how to create a pivot chart. I will use Pivot
table below, which shows sales of each furniture item made by a Sales person
to create a column chart. Sales Person and Product fields are in Rows area of
Pivot table Fields pane, and Sales is in Fields pane Values area.

1) Click any cell in Pivot table

2) In ribbon, click on Insert tab, and from Charts group, select from
range of charts that are available. In this example, I will choose
Column Chart

Note: You can also select a chart from Recommended Charts or

PivotChart command buttons. If you press Recommended Charts
command button, then Excel will recommend best chart to use based on
structure and data of Pivot table
 3) pivot chart is now created

Resizing Pivot Chart

You can resize pivot chart by clicking chart to make it active and then using
handles on each side to make it smaller or larger. If you click and drag top or
bottom handles, then it will make chart taller or smaller. If you click and drag
left or right side, then it will make it narrower or wider.

Formatting Pivot Chart

Like with formatting an Excel chart, you can also format a pivot chart in
same way. You first click on chart to make it active and then click on Chart
Elements button, which is located at top right of chart. You can then change
various elements of chart, such as changing chart title, changing Legend
name and position, whether to include axis titles, and so on.
In this example, I have renamed chart title ‘Sales by Sales Person. I have also
included axis titles on x and y-axis and named them, and also taken out
Legend.

You can also quickly change design of chart to make it more visually
attractive.
Just click on chart to make it active, and then click on Design tab in ribbon.
Under Chart Styles group, click on down arrow, which is located at bottom
right, to see all available chart styles.
Each chart style contains different fonts, colours, and designs.

In my example, I have chosen Style 3.

Changing Chart Type

If you decide you want a different chart instead, then you can change chart
type.
To do this, click on Design tab in ribbon, and under Type group, click
Change Chart Type command button.

You can then choose from list of available charts. Once you have chosen a
chart, click OK button.
Filtering Pivot Charts
You can filter a pivot chart, so it only displays information you want to see,
and it will hide rest. Let’s say I only want to see sales information for office
chair. Here are steps to do this:
1) Select field button on chart you want to filter. In this example, I want
to filter Product field as I only want to see sales information for office
chair
2) Check box or boxes against items you want to see and uncheck boxes
against items you don’t want to see. In this example, I have checked
office chair box and unchecked other checkboxes

3) You can now only see sales information for office chair in pivot chart.
Notice that Pivot table has also been filtered
 4) To clear filter, click field button that was filtered in pivot chart, and
then from menu, select Clear Filter From

5) pivot chart is now un-filtered

Changing Structure of Pivot Chart

You can easily change pivot chart to show information in a different way.
In previous sections, I created a pivot chart where Sales Person and Product
fields were in Rows area of Fields pane, as shown below.

Let’s see what happens if I move Product field from Rows area to Columns
area of Fields pane like this:
Pivot chart changes. Furniture items now become legend.
Chapter 5: Excel Tips and Tricks
Learning basic Excel TIPS & TRICKS is among the FASTEST methods to
learn program.
But rather than looking here and there, you must keep a database that you
may consult every day.

5.1 Simple Tips and Tricks

Sort Buttons
If there isn't already one, you should include a button on toolbar quick
access if you regularly work with data that has to be sorted.
All you have to do is choose "Sort Ascending" & "Sort Descending" by
clicking on down key on toolbar quick access. These buttons are added
to QAT.
Drop & Drag
How can data be transferred from one area of the spreadsheet to another?
You probably consider copying and pasting, but drag-and-drop is another
option. Just click on selection's boundary after selecting the range for which
you have information. Move to location where you have to put it while
holding it.
Status Bar
Although status bar is constantly there, we seldom ever make full use of it.
There are other choices available if you click on it.
Copy of Worksheet
Drag & drop is best method for making a duplicate of worksheet inside same
workbook.
Redo and Undo Buttons
Similar to sort keys, the QAT may also include undo & redo buttons.
The finest feature of such buttons is that you may use them to reverse up to a
certain action without repeatedly hitting shortcut key.

5.2 Advanced Tips and Tricks

Secure a workbook
Go to General Options Tools when you click on "Save As" dialogue
box while saving file.
 Click OK after adding a password in "Password Open."
Retype password & choose OK once again.
Save file at end.
Now, in order to open the file again, you will need to enter password.
Live Image
There are 2 alternative methods to produce a live picture in Excel,
& employing one will allow you to adjust a table to fit available area.
A camera tool is one, and a paste special choice is another. Here are
instructions for using camera tool; utilize the following procedures
specifically for pasting
Choose and copy range you wish to paste as picture.
Right-click on cell where you wish to put it. Select Linked Picture
options in Paste Special in Other Paste.
User form
Where entering the data, check to see whether you have a table
containing headings.
Next, choose any cell in table, then use the keyboard shortcut Alt Plus
D Plus O Plus O to bring up user form.
Custom Tab
Each of us has a few go-to selections or several that we utilize regularly. You
make a tab & add each of those choices to it so you can get them all at once.
Take these actions:
First, choose Customize Ribbon from the File Tab's Options menu.
Select "New Tab" now.
Then, select, give it a name, & then give group a title.
As a last step, we must add choices to tab. To perform this,
select "Select Commands From" & add each option one at a time. To
finish, click OK.
Your new tab in Excel ribbon now has all of your preferred settings.
Named Range
The simplest way to establish a named range is to choose the range. Use the
"Make from Selection" choice to create it. The steps are as follows:
Decide column/row you wish to create a range for.
Use the right-click menu to choose "Define name."
Click OK after selecting the name-adding option for specified range.
Conclusion
Excel has a computer language called VBA [Visual Basic for Applications]
associated with it. Really good exponents of Excel use VBA all time. If you
wish to master it, you must know basics of formulas and functions inside and
out.
This book has thoroughly covered many of those basics. Before you proceed
further with formulas and functions, you must master material in book to
extent that you can do problems in every chapter.
Once you have mastered material in this book, you are ready for all other
things that can be done with EXCEL.