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Getting Started with Excel
Excel Files
The files that Excel stores spreadsheets in are
called workbooks. A workbook is made up of
individual worksheets. Each sheet is identified by a
sheet name which appears in the sheet tab at the
bottom. The current sheet displayed is called the
active sheet. The other worksheets in the
workbook are not visible; the sheet tabs for these
inactive sheets are gray. In the example shown, the
worksheet “DonationsData” is selected and,
therefore, is the active sheet. The “BalanceSheet”
and “Sheet3” worksheets are not selected and,
therefore, are the inactive sheets.
Referring to Cells in Excel
Each worksheet is made up of rows and columns. The column
headings are the letters along the top of the worksheet window
and identify the different columns. The row headings are the
numbers along the left side of the worksheet window that identify
the different rows in the worksheet. You can click a row heading
to select the entire worksheet row. Each intersection of a row and
column is a cell. Worksheet data is placed within separate cells.
The cell currently selected in the active worksheet is the active
cell. The active cell is outlined with a thick border and the
corresponding row and column headings are highlighted. In the
example shown, the cell B3 is selected.
Selecting cells is known as cell referencing. To reference multiple
cells, you must start with the top left cell that you want to
reference and end with the bottom right cell that you want to
reference. For example, if you want to select cell B3 through cell
F9, you should position yourself in cell B3, then drag your mouse
to F9 as shown. Another option for referencing the cells is simply
typing out the top left cell that you want to reference (B3), a
colon(“:”), and the bottom right cell that you want to
reference(F9).
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Excel Formatting
Formatting is the process of changing a workbook’s appearance by defining fonts, styles, colors, and
decorative features. Formatting changes only the appearance of data-it does not affect the data itself.
If the DonationsData worksheet were not formatted, it would look like the unformatted worksheet
below. It is simply more difficult to read the unformatted version, but the data is exactly the same as the
formatted version.
Unformatted DonationsData Worksheet:
Formatted DonationsData Worksheet:
The next sections describe various ways you can format data in Excel.
Formatting Numbers
You can format values using a number format, which displays the values in a way that makes it easy for
the displayed value for the reader to quickly understand and interpret them. You can change the
number format for the displayed value without affecting the underlying stored value. Excel formats
numbers by default in the General Number Format, which, for the most part, displays exactly as they are
typed by the user.
1. Select the range you want to format numbers in (e.g. B3:M25 in the BalanceSheet worksheet).
2. In the Number group on the Home tab, click the number format you want to choose(e.g. the
Accounting Number format).
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Formatting Dates and Times
You can apply different formats to dates and times without affecting the date and time value.
1. Select cell you want to format a date or time in (e.g. C3 in the DonationsData worksheet).
2. In the Number group on the Home tab, click the Number Format Arrow, and then click the date
format you desire (eg. Long Date Format). The date format changes to correspond with the date
format you choose.
Formatting Worksheet Cells
Merge and Center
This tool combines multiple cells into one cell and horizontally centers the content.
1. Select the range of cells you want to combine (e.g. the A1:M1 range in the BalanceSheet
worksheet).
2. In the Alignment group on the Home tab, click the Merge & Center button. The selected cell is
merged into one cell and that text is centered within the one cell.
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Adding Cell Borders
Sometimes you want to include lines along the edges of cells to emphasize and enhance readability of
data. One way to do this is by adding a border to a cell or range.
1. Select the range you want to place the border around (e.g. A1:M25 in the BalanceSheet
worksheet).
2. In Font group, click the Border button arrow, and then click the type of border you want to
appear (e.g. Thick Box Border).
BalanceSheet worksheet with border:
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Applying Cell Styles
A workbook often contains several cells that store the same type of data. It’s a good design practice to
apply the same format to worksheet cells that contain the same type of data. One way to ensure this is
with the use of styles.
A style is a selection of formatting options using a specific font and color from the current theme. If you
later revise the style, the appearance of any cell formatted with that style is updated automatically. This
saves you the time and effort of reformatting each cell individually.
Excel has a variety of built-in styles to format worksheet titles, column and row totals, and cells with
emphasis. A common use of styles is for headings and subheadings.
1. Select the cell you want to apply a cell style to (e.g. A1 in the DonationsData worksheet).
2. In the styles group on the Home tab, click the Cell Styles button. The Cell Styles gallery opens.
3. Click on the cell style you want to use in that cell.
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Excel Functions
Introduction ........................................................................................................................................ 2
TODAY Function .................................................................................................................................. 2
NOW Function ..................................................................................................................................... 3
SUM Function ...................................................................................................................................... 4
AVERAGE Function .............................................................................................................................. 5
IF Function........................................................................................................................................... 6
Vertical LOOKUP Function ................................................................................................................... 7
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Introduction
Functions in Excel are shortcuts for calculating different types of problems. They allow you to carry out
an action including inserting today’s date in a cell or solving a math problem without having to type out
the entire problem. Normally, this would require you to type out an entire formula, but functions allow
you to save time when completing your task. Each function must have an equals sign (“=”) in front of it.
TODAY Function
With the TODAY function, you can display the current date without having to type it out. Use of the
TODAY function saves time when you have spreadsheets such as daily reports that include the current
date, because you will not have to input that information each day.
Below, the TODAY function is used to show the last date data was updated in the DonationsData
worksheet.
1. Position yourself in the cell you want the date to appear in (cell C2 in our example).
2. Type an equals sign(“=”) with the word “TODAY” and open/closed parenthesis behind it “()”.
3. When you press enter, today’s date will appear in that cell. The date will automatically be in
MM/DD/YYYY format in the Today function. (NOTE: if the date does NOT appear in this format,
go to the Excel ribbon, in the Number group, and change the number format to “Short Date” or
another desired date format.)
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NOW Function
With the NOW function, you can display the current date AND time, without having to type it out.
1. Position yourself in the cell that you would like the date to appear in (cell C2 in our example).
2. Type an equals sign(“=”) with the word the “NOW” and open/closed parenthesis right after it.
3. The date will automatically be in MM/DD/YYYY format; the time will automatically use the 24hour clock. Even though the date and time format defaults, you can change the formatting as
described in step 3 of the previous section.
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SUM Function
With the SUM function, the total of cell values that you select can be found.
In the example below, the SUM function is used to calculate the total amount of donations each month
in the DonationsData worksheet.
1. Position yourself in the cell you want the total to appear in (cell E4 in our example).
2. Type an equals sign(“=”), the word “SUM”, followed by an open parenthesis, followed by the
range of cell addresses (starting cell and ending cell with a colon in the middle) for the cells you
want to total (e.g. B4:D4). Then type a closing parenthesis.
3. When you press enter, the total will be entered in that cell. Note that Excel will only sum
numeric values.
4. To complete our example, we copy the SUM function in cell E4 down to the other cells that we
want to display totals in.
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AVERAGE Function
With the AVERAGE function, you can display the mean or average value of a group of values without
having to manually total the values and then divide by the number of values.
In the example below, the AVERAGE function is used to calculate the average donation received by
donation type in the DonationsData worksheet.
1. Position yourself in the cell that you would like the average to appear in (cell B16 in our
example).
2. Type the equals sign (“=”) followed by the word AVERAGE, and within parentheses, the range of
cells you want to have Excel calculate the average for.
3. When you press enter, the average of the cells you referenced will appear in that cell.
4. To complete our example, we copy the AVERAGE function in cell B16 across to the other cells
that we want to display averages in.
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IF Function
Use the IF function to display different values based on whether a situation is true or false. For example,
you might want to display the word YES in the “Adequate?” column if total donations for the month
exceed 19,000, NO in the “Adequate?” column if total donations drop below 19,000.
1. In the cell you want your true or false statement to appear, enter the IF formula. The format is:
=IF(conditional statement, true statement, false statement)
a. The conditional statement is the statement that is being tested in the situation. This will be
typed after the “=IF” in parenthesis. For example, the test could be simply to display
whether a number is above or below $19,000. The conditional statement in this case would
be “E3>19000”.
b. The true statement is the next part of an IF function; it states what Excel will display if the
conditional statement is true. The true statement would be “YES” because this is what the
computer would output if the number in cell E3 is higher than $19,000.
c. The false statement is the final part of the IF function; it states what Excel will display if the
conditional statement is false. The false statement would be “NO” because this is what the
computer would output if the number in cell E3 is lower than $19,000.
2. When you press enter, either the true statement value or the false statement value will be
displayed in the cell.
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Vertical LOOKUP Function
With the Vertical Lookup (VLOOKUP) function, a value can be found based on another value. The vertical
lookup function is often used when you have a value that you want to translate into a different value,
but the different value is on another worksheet. VLOOKUP is vital to any type of business because it
saves a lot of time. Instead of having to copy information from one worksheet to another, the function
will find and copy the data for you. Also, if the original data changes, the VLOOKUP function will change
the “looked-up” values automatically.
For example, you may have a Balance Sheet on one worksheet (“BalanceSheet”) that needs to pull in
total donations for each month that are stored on another worksheet (“DonationsData”). Using
VLOOKUP, we can indicate to Excel that if the “Month” value on the DonationsData worksheet matches
the “Month” value on the BalanceSheet worksheet, then copy the Total Donations value for that month
on the DonationsData worksheet to the appropriate place on the BalanceSheet worksheet.
1.
In the cell you want to store the copied value, enter the VLOOKUP formula. The format is
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, range_lookup).
a. The lookup_value indicates the cell that you want to look up information for. This would
be the cell on our worksheet that contains the word “January” in our example (B2).
b. The table_array is either a name assigned to a table of data OR a range of cells
containing data. The table array in our example is cells A4:E15 on the DonationsData
worksheet because the data we want to match (i.e., “January”) and the data we want to
bring into our current worksheet (i.e., total donations) is contained in these cells.
c. The col_index_num is the column the information you want to “look up” is in. In this
example, the column index number is 5 because the column that the total donations is
in is the fifth one in the table.
d. The range_lookup value indicates whether you want to find an exact match on your
lookup_value, or whether you will accept the closest approximate match. “FALSE”
returns an exact match; “TRUE” returns an approximate match. This argument is
optional—if not entered, the default will be TRUE.
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2. When you press enter, the “looked-up” value appears.
NOTE: In our example above, we copied the VLOOKUP formula to the other cells in the row, in order to
get the total donations for the remaining months.
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Excel Charts
Why use charts?
Charts show trends or relations in data that are more difficult to see by simply looking at numbers. The
chart image can be copied into other Office programs for use in presentation.
What type of chart to use?
The type of chart you use depends on the type of information you are trying to display. The table below
gives some guidance on choosing charts types.
Type of Chart
Bar
Pie
Scatter
Line
Use
Displays the comparison between different items
Displays a part to whole relationship
Displays correlation between data points
Displays changes in data over time
Instructions
1. Open the workbook you have your data in.
2. Go to the worksheet that contains data you will use for your chart.
3. Select the range of cells you want to use for your chart (e.g. B3:D15 to make a chart about the
types of donations).
4. Click the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
5. In the Charts group, select the type of chart you want (e.g., 2-D pie).
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6. When selected, the chart is inserted in the DonationsData sheet.
Applying Formatting to the Chart
You can add labels such as a Chart Title and values on the data markers (e.g., the actual dollar amounts
on the pie slices) to the chart. You can also change the format of data on the chart.
1. Click the Chart Tools Layout tab on the Ribbon.
2. Click on the appropriate buttons in the Current Selection, Labels or Background groups to add or
change information on the chart. Some commonly-used options are shown below.
Applying a Different Chart Style
Once you have made your chart, you may realize you want to change the chart style. For example, you
may want your pie chart to be a bar chart. Excel allows you to change the chart style easily.
1. Click the Chart Tools Design tab on the Ribbon. The design options for charts appear on the
Ribbon.
2. In the Chart Styles group, click the More button to open the Chart Styles gallery then click the
style you want to use.
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Excel Instant Amortization Table
An amortization table displays each periodic payment on a loan so you can see the impact on your loan
balance over time. Excel allows you to instantly generate an amortization table.
1. Right click on any worksheet tab and choose Insert.
2. Navigate to the Spreadsheet Solutions tab and then double
click on Loan Amortization.
3. Fill in the information at the top left corner of the worksheet.
4. Hit Enter and a table of periodic payments will be
automatically generated.
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Excel Tips
Contents
Cell Referencing ................................................................................................................... 2
Recovering Unsaved Workbooks ......................................................................................... 6
Identifying Duplicate Values ................................................................................................ 8
Removing Duplicate Values ............................................................................................... 10
Switching Rows and Columns ............................................................................................ 12
Separating Columns ........................................................................................................... 14
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Cell Referencing
All data in Excel is stored in cells of worksheets. Worksheets are similar in concept to tables with
columns and rows. A cell is the point where a column and row meet. When referencing data in a “cell”
of a worksheet, you use a Cell Reference. A cell reference consists of a combination of the column letter
and row number that intersect to form the cell.
In Excel, there are two main types of cell references: relative cell references and absolute cell
references. Relative cell references identify the location of a cell by its column letter and row number
combination, with no added symbols. In the screenshot below, the currently selected cell would be
referenced as E4, which is a relative cell reference. Relative cell references are the default method of
referencing cells in Excel.
Absolute cell references also reference cells by a combination of column letter and row number, but
these references include a dollar symbol ($) before the column letter and before the row number. In
the screenshot above, the currently-selected cell would be referenced as $E$4 if I wanted to use an
absolute cell reference.
Using Relative vs. Absolute Cell Referencing
Cell references are frequently used in Excel formulas and functions. When relative cell references are
used in formulas or functions, if the formula/function is copied from the original cell to other cells, the
relative cell references will automatically change to reflect the new location of the formula/function.
When absolute cell references are used in formulas or functions, then if the formula/function is copied
from the original cell to other cells, the absolute cell references will not change—they will retain the
original cell reference. Note that a combination of relative and absolute references can be used in
formulas and functions.
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Relative Cell Referencing Example
In this example, we have a set of data for all the donations a company has received from private donors,
individual donors, and grants. We want to calculate the total donations each month and will use relative
referencing to do this.
1. In this example we want to total the donations from the private businesses, individuals, and
grants. To do this, we will enter the formula shown below in cell E4 to calculate the desired
value. Note that the references to B4, C4, and D4 are all relative cell references.
2. Click enter and the total donations for the month of January will be calculated and displayed in
cell E4. Notice that the formula we just entered can be viewed in the formula bar.
3. Now we want to copy this same formula down the column so that the remaining month’s totals
can be similarly calculated. To do so, locate the fill handle in the lower right corner of cell E4.
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4. Now click and drag the fill handle over the cells you wish to copy the formulas into. Once you
release your mouse, the cells you wished to “fill” will contain a copy of the formula using the
relative cell references. Notice how the cell references change to reflect the current row. This is
a result of using relative cell references.
Absolute Cell Referencing Example
Absolute referencing is when you do not want a cell reference to change and you want the specific
value in that cell to stay fixed. Unlike in a relative reference, when you use the fill handle or copy/paste
a formula that uses absolute references, the absolute cell references for that formula will not change.
For this example, we want to calculate the percent of total donations for each month and store these
percentages in column F. In order to do this we will have to create a formula that divides our total
monthly donations by our total donations for the year. The total donations for the year is currently
stored in cell E16, which shows the total to be $253,500.00.
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1. In our first month, January, we will enter a formula in F4 that divides January’s total donations
(stored in cell E4) by our total donations for the year (stored in cell E16). However, when we
subsequently copy this formula down the column to calculate the percentages for the other
months, we want the reference to the total donations for the year (in cell E16) to remain the
same. Therefore an absolute cell reference is used for the total donations for the year: $E$16.
2. Again, use the fill handle to repeat the formula for the next months. (See steps 3 and 4 in
previous example for how to use the fill handle.)
3. Notice how the reference for cell E16 has not been changed. This is a result of using an
absolute reference. Also note that we clicked the “%” button on the Excel ribbon in order to
format all the percentages to include the “%” sign.
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Recovering Unsaved Workbooks
It’s painful when you accidentally close a workbook without saving it, then regret it later. To avoid this
scenario, remember to save your changes often. However, you can sometimes recover your work.
1. Click on the File button
2. Choose Info on the left side of the page.
3. Click the Manage Versions button.
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4. Choose Recover Unsaved Workbooks.
5. You’ll be presented with a list of workbooks with changes that were unsaved. Choose the
workbook you want to recover and click open. Then you will be able to save the workbook.
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Identifying Duplicate Values
In worksheets with lots of data, you may have difficulty identifying duplicate values. Excel can search
data and highlight the duplicate values in a selected range.
1. Select a range of values you want to search.
2. Go to the Home tab on the ribbon and Click Conditional formatting. This will display the
Conditional formatting menu.
3. From the Conditional Formatting menu, select Highlight Cell Rules. Then, choose Duplicate
Values.
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4. Choose the type of formatting you would like to apply to the duplicate cells in the Duplicate
Values dialogue box. This dialogue box allows you to see a live preview, or displays what will
happen to the cells as you click on the different options.
5. Click OK on the Duplicate Values dialogue box. All the duplicate values are now formatted
differently than other values.
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Removing Duplicate Values
If you are using your Excel spreadsheet to organize data, you may want to identify duplicate values and
remove values that have already been repeated so your information will be as accurate as possible.
1. Select the range of cells that you want to check for duplicates. You can do this by clicking on the
letter or number corresponding to the column or row.
2. Go to the Data tab on the ribbon and click Remove Duplicates.
3.
Make sure that the columns containing potential duplicates are selected in the Remove Duplicates
screen; If so press OK. If not, you have the option to unselect rows or columns.
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4. A message pops up telling you how many duplicates, if any, were removed and how many unique
values remain.
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Switching Rows and Columns
Sometimes, you finish a worksheet and realize you want to re-organize the data. Excel allows you to
switch rows and columns easily.
1. Select the range of cells that you want to switch the arrangement of rows and columns.
2. From the Edit menu, select Copy.
3. At the bottom of the page, click the tab for the worksheet you want the range to appear in.
4. On the worksheet, click the cell that you want the values to start in.
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5. From the Edit menu, select Paste Special. The Paste Special dialogue box should appear.
6. Click the checkbox for Transpose in the Paste Special dialogue box.
7. Click OK. The data formerly presented down columns is now presented across rows and vice
versa.
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Separating Columns
If you want to separate content that is currently in a single cell, (i.e. address, city, state, zip), you will
want to use the Convert Text to Column feature so that each characteristic will have its own cell. All of
the data that you want to be separated into different columns should either be separated by tabs,
semicolons, commas, or spaces.
1. Assume you have a column of addresses that include the street address, town, state, and zip
code. You want to put each address component in separate columns on an Excel worksheet.
Highlight all of your data, then go to the Data ribbon and click the Texts to Column in the Data
Tools group.
2. On the first Convert Text to Columns Wizard screen, the Delimited file type should be selected.
Click Next to proceed.
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3. In this example, the address, city, state, and zip code are separated by commas. Deselect the
Tab delimiter and click the Comma delimiter. At the bottom of the Wizard screen, you can see a
preview of how your data will be separated. Click Finish to proceed.
4. All of your information will now be separated into individual cells.
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