Basic Spreadsheets
with Excel
Skills and Operative Competence
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Learning objectives
Learning
Objectives
Learning objectives
By the end of this unit you should:
Understand how to enter data into a
spreadsheet.
Know some of the common data types
that spreadsheets use.
Understand simple functions and
formulae.
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Spreadsheets
Spreadsheet software, if used correctly, can be one of the
most useful programs found on a computer.
Spreadsheets can help
you in your DiDA project
in many ways, whether it
be to carry out
calculations, display
records, or to log results.
There is no doubt that spreadsheets are powerful, but to make
full use of them you need to be aware of all of the features you
can find in such a package.
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Entering data
All data is entered into a spreadsheet by clicking on
a cell and typing:
The data
is entered
here…
…and appears
in the selected
cell here.
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Copying and pasting
The contents of any cell can be cut or copied and then
pasted into another cell. This is very useful if you want to
replicate or move large chunks of data.
Select the data you want
and then select Copy
either by right-clicking,
or from the Edit menu.
Then chose the location you want to
paste into and select Paste from the
Edit menu, or by right-clicking.
You don’t have to paste into the same worksheet and
you can even transfer data between programs.
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Data types
As with a database, you need to select suitable data types for
the data you input into a spreadsheet. Defining data types will
change the way data is formatted when it is input.
In Excel, you can change the data type by:
Going to the Format menu.
Selecting Cells.
Changing the Category under the Number tab.
Most of these should be self-explanatory but be
aware when using the Number data type that it is
meant for mathematical numbers.
Numbers, like telephone numbers, which start with a leading
zero will lose the zero unless you put them down as text.
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Data types
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Formatting cells
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Inserting columns and rows
Sometimes you will find you need to add in an extra row or
column. To do this:
Select the nearest row or column
to where you wish to insert.
Open the Insert menu.
Select Row or Column.
In this case, the new column will
appear to the left of the selected
column. On newer versions of
Excel you can then use the
Format Painter
to choose how
you want to format the new column.
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Deleting columns and rows
Deleting columns and rows is even
simpler. To do this:
Select the column or row you wish
to delete.
Go to the Edit menu.
Select Delete.
Alternatively, you can select a
column or row, right-click on it and
select Delete from the pop-up menu.
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Entering formulae
At first glance, spreadsheets may just look like one big table.
However, when you begin to add formulae to your
datasheets, you begin to see the wide-ranging uses that
spreadsheets have.
In this example, a formula has been entered into cell L2 to add
up the total points scored by each pupil on a sports day.
The formula in this case is: =E2+G2+I2+K2
Note that a formula should always start with =
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Using operators
The arithmetic operators that are used within formulae are:
+
*
used for addition
used for multiplication
/
used for subtraction
used for division.
You may find it useful to use the right
hand side keypad when entering
formula. This part of the keyboard will
only work if NumLock is on.
After typing in your formula, press
enter to see the result. If you see
#VALUE! in the cell it means there is a
mistake in your formula.
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Replicating formulae
Formulae can take some time to enter. To speed things up,
you can copy and paste the formula into the required cells.
To do this:
Select the cell with the formula.
Click and drag the right hand
corner of the box until you
have selected all the cells you
wish to add the formula to.
You can also use the normal copy and paste commands if
necessary. Excel will automatically change the cell
references so that:
changes to:
This is called a relative cell reference.
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Simple functions
Typing out a formula like
would eventually be tiresome, especially if lots more cells
needed to be added into the equation.
To make this easier Excel has functions which will help make
writing formulae easier.
Sum
Average
Max
Min
adds together a series of numbers
works out the average of a series of numbers
works out the largest of a series of numbers
works out the smallest of a series of numbers.
Functions also use the colon (:) to stand for all the cells in
between two cells. So that
becomes
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Functions
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Summary quiz
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Glossary
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