Exploring the Excel Interface

When you first open Microsoft Excel, the window displays

a new, blank worksheet, in which you can enter, format,
and analyze data using the various commands available in
the menu bar. Toolbars provide easy access to common
commands, as do shortcut menus, which you access by
right-clicking the cells in the worksheet.

You enter formulas into the formula bar, which is located

below the toolbars. The formula bar also provides access to
all the functions available in Excel; these functions let you
perform a variety of simple and complex calculations on
the data contained in your worksheets.
The horizontal and vertical scroll bars at the right and
bottom of the Microsoft Excel window let you navigate to
parts of the worksheet outside the visible area.
Menu Options
The Microsoft Excel menu bar contains all the commands
required to create, work with, print, and save workbooks.
To access these commands, click the name of the menu to
open it, and then click the command you want to access.

Each menu groups together related commands, sometimes

using submenus to further group commands:
• File - Create, open, save, print, and close workbooks.
• Edit - Perform editing functions on your workbook,
including copying, cutting, and pasting data and
objects, moving to various locations in a workbook,
and undoing and redoing actions.
• View - Change the workbook's display size and style.
• Insert - Insert new worksheets, or additional space,
such as new cells, columns, or rows; also insert charts,
comments, functions, hyperlinks and other objects into
your workbooks.
• Format - Apply formatting to worksheets and their
contents.
• Tools - Use Excel's tools, such as the spell and
grammar checker, macro recorder, and protection and
collaboration features, and set your Microsoft Excel
preferences.
• Data - Sort, filter, and otherwise arrange the data on
your worksheets.
• Window - Switch between open workbook windows ,
or split the window of the current workbook.
• Help - Access Microsoft Excel's online help.
 Note:
Additional menus may appear when you install a program
that includes a Microsoft Excel plug-in.
To access a menu command, click the main menu to open
it, and then select (click) the command. Excel hides those
commands you don't use frequently, so if you don't see a
command, click the double arrows at the bottom of the
menu to expand it. Excel then displays all the available
commands. Once you select a command, Excel includes it
with the others you commonly use.
Toolbars
The Microsoft Excel toolbars group together shortcuts to
common commands; these shortcuts take the form of
buttons. You can click a toolbar button to quickly apply
formatting, save or print a workbook, copy or paste data, or
accomplish another of a variety of tasks.

To show or hide a toolbar, open the View menu, select

Toolbars, and then select the toolbar you want to show or
hide. You can also access the toolbar menu by right-
clicking anywhere on a visible toolbar.
The most frequently used toolbars are the Standard toolbar
and the Formatting toolbar.
The Standard toolbar contains buttons for opening, saving,
printing, and editing workbooks.

The Formatting toolbar contains drop-down menus and

buttons for applying formatting to worksheets.

By default, these two toolbars appear next to each other,

just below the menu bar.
Other toolbars available in Excel are:
• Chart - Create and work with charts.
 • Clipboard - View and select the contents of the
clipboard.
• Control Toolbox - Insert ActiveX controls into a
form.
• Drawing - Insert and format drawing objects.
• External Data - Work with data imported from
external sources.
• Forms - Insert form objects.
• Picture - Insert and format pictures.
• Pivot Table - Create and work with pivot tables,
interactive tables for large amounts of data.
• Reviewing - Insert, edit, and delete comments for or
by reviewers.
• Visual Basic - Record and run macros, and work with
Microsoft Word Visual Basic code.
• Web - Navigate a Web document.
• WordArt - Insert and format WordArt.
You can customize any of these toolbars by adding and
removing buttons, or you can create your own toolbars to
group your favorite commands: Just right-click one of the
visible toolbars, select Customize from the menu that
appears, and, in the Customize dialog, select the
Commands tab to add or remove commands.
Each of Excel's toolbars can be moved simply by clicking
and dragging the title bar (if the toolbar is floating) or the
move handle (if the toolbar is docked).
The move handle is located at the left edge of the toolbar.
When you move the mouse over it, the pointer changes to
horizontal and vertical arrows, indicating you can drag the
toolbar.

1. Drag the toolbar off the row. The toolbar changes

from docked to floating.

2. Click the title bar and drag the toolbar back into place.
If you drag a toolbar to a full row, the surrounding toolbars
will shrink to make room for it. To access a button that's no
longer visible, click the chevrons at the right edge of the
toolbar.

Tip:
To quickly remove buttons you don't use, or add new
buttons, select Add or Remove Buttons. In the menu,
uncheck the buttons you don't need, or select new buttons
to add. Select Customize to choose from all the available
commands.
Formula Bar
The formula bar displays the contents of the active, or
selected, cell. If the cell contains a formula, the formula
will appear in the formula bar, while the value resulting
from the formula is displayed in the cell itself.

You also use the formula to enter formulas. Clicking the

Edit Formula button next to the formula bar opens the
Formula Palette, which helps you select and construct
functions. Functions are formulas that are built into
Microsoft Excel, and allow you to perform a variety of
calculations.
The name box to the left of the formula bar displays the
current location of your cursor. If a cell is selected, the cell
is displayed here. If you're in the process of selecting a
range of cells, the name box displays the range (for
example, A1 X C9), and changes as the selection changes.
Status Bar
The status bar at the bottom of the Microsoft Excel window
displays the current status of operations being performed on
the open workbook, such as the progress as the workbook
is saved.
It also includes the AutoCalculate feature, which displays
a selected calculation for any range (or set) of cells you
select, automatically. By default, it displays the sum of the
values found in the cells.
You can select a different type of calculation by right-
clicking the AutoCalculate feature in the status bar and
selecting a different type of calculation from the menu.

Section Review
In this section, you learned:
• The Excel interface
• Menu options
• Toolbars
• The formula bar
• The status bar

Splitting the Window

You can view different parts of the same worksheet at the
same time by splitting the window. Splitting the window
can be useful when you want to compare data in different
locations, or copy date from one place to another.
You can split the window both horizontally and vertically:
 1. To split the window horizontally, move the mouse
over the split handle , the box at the top of the
vertical scroll bar.
To split the window vertically, move the mouse over the
split handle at the right of the horizontal scroll bar
2. When the mouse pointer changes to a double
horizontal line with arrows, click and drag the split
handle to the middle of the screen.

You can also split the window by selecting Split from the
Window menu. This splits the window into four quadrants.
To adjust the size of each of the panes, click and drag the
border (split handle) separating them.

To return to a single window, double-click each of the split

handles, or select Remove Split from the Window menu.
Freezing Portions of the Window
When you're comparing a lot of data, it's often helpful to
freeze one portion of the worksheet, while you scroll
through another portion. You can freeze a horizontal pane,
a vertical pane, or both:
 1. Select the row below, or the column to the right, of the
place where you want the split to appear.

2. From the Window menu, select Freeze Panes.

A thin line appears along the row or column, representing
the split.

In the illustration above, the left pane is frozen. The

horizontal scroll bar can be used to scroll through the right
pane.
The contents visible on the left stay the same, while the
contents visible on the right change as you scroll.
Tip:
You can freeze both a horizontal and a vertical pane by
selecting the cell below and to the right of where you want
the split.

This is useful if you have both row and column labels. You
can freeze the labels while you scroll through the data.

To unfreeze the pane(s), select Unfreeze Panes from the

Window menu.
Hiding Rows and Columns
Instead of freezing portions of the window, you can hide
rows or columns:
1. Select the row or column.

2. From the Format menu, select Row or Column, and

then select Hide.
The selection disappears.

Tip:
You can also hide entire worksheets by selecting
Worksheet from the Format menu instead.
To show the selection again, select Unhide from the same
menu.
Changing the Display Size
To zoom into or out of areas of your worksheet, use the
Zoom menu, located on the Standard toolbar.

To select a custom display size, select Zoom from the

View menu and, in the Zoom dialog, enter a value into the
Custom field.

Section Review
In this section, you learned:
 • How to split the Excel window
• Freezing portions of the window
• Hiding rows and columns
• Changing the display size (zoom)

Understanding Workbooks and Worksheets

A workbook is the Microsoft Excel file that stores
your data. A workbook can contain many
worksheets, which you use to enter and work with
your data. You can enter and display data in multiple
worksheets in a workbook, and perform calculations
using data found across all the different worksheets.
Worksheets are composed of cells, active areas in
which you input data or formulas for calculation.
Cells are aligned along columns, labeled with the
letters A through IV, and rows, labeled with the
numbers 1 through 65536.

When a cell is selected, its location appears in the

name box, located to the left of the formula bar.
In Excel, this location is called a reference, and is
used to point to values you want to use in a formula.
References let you calculate data contained in
different parts of your workbook, or in different
workbooks altogether.
References are indicated using the cell's column and
row headings. Cell B2, shown in the name box
above, refers to the cell in column B, row 2.
Entering Text and Numbers
To enter data into a cell, you must first select, or
activate, the cell. To do this, you click the cell with
your mouse, or move the cursor into the cell using the
arrow keys on your keyboard. Once a cell is selected,
type your data and press Enter (or Tab, if you want
to move to the adjacent cell).
Note:
Among Excel's options is the ability to turn on and
off editing in cells. When this option is turned on,
you can double-click a cell and type directly into it.
You can also double-click a cell and then select all or
part of the data contained in the cell-if you want to
format it, for example.
When editing in cells is turned off, you must use the
formula bar to enter and edit data: Select the cell,
type the data in the formula bar (or highlight the data
in the formula bar, to edit it), and then press Enter.
If you're having trouble editing directly in a cell, or
wish to turn this option on or off:
1. Select Options from the Tools menu.
The Options dialog opens.
2. Select the Edit tab.

3. Under Settings, check or uncheck the box

labeled Edit directly in cell, as appropriate.
Working with Ranges
In Excel, you can work with multiple cells at once
(called a range). To select a range, click the first cell
and, holding down the mouse button, drag the mouse
to the last cell. All the cells in the range you defined
are selected.

Alternatively, you can select the first cell, hold down

the Shift key, and then select the last cell in the
range; this selects adjacent cells, as shown in the
illustration above. If, instead, you want to select
several cells that aren't adjacent, hold down the Ctrl
key on your keyboard while you click each cell you
want to select.

To quickly select an entire row or column, click the

row or column heading, respectively. You can select
multiple rows or columns by clicking on the first row
or column heading in the range, holding down the
mouse button, and dragging to the last row or column
heading in the range.

Tip:
To select the entire contents of a worksheet, click the
box in the upper left corner of the worksheet, where
the first row and first column intersect:

Working with Ranges (Continued)

Ranges in Excel are used in a variety of ways. You
can select a range to apply the same formatting to all
the cells (such as font, size, color, borders, and
shading), or you can enter the same data into each of
the cells in the range using the Ctrl + Enter shortcut:
1. Select the range.
 2. Type the data.

3. Press Ctrl + Enter.

Ranges are also used in performing calculations.

When you enter a formula in the formula bar, you
designate a range by typing the first cell in the range,
followed by a colon (:), followed by the last cell in
the range. For example:
A1:F20
The range above includes cells A1 through A20, B1
through B20, C1 through C20, and so on through cell
F20.
Inserting Cells
Use the Insert command to insert a row, a column, or
a blank cell into a worksheet.
To insert a row or column:
1. Select the row below, or the column to the right,
of the location where you want the new row or
column inserted.
2. Select Rows or Columns from the Insert menu,
as appropriate. Or, right-click the row or column
and select Insert from the shortcut menu.

A new, blank row or column is inserted. Note that it

assumes the size and formatting of the adjacent row
or column.
To insert a blank cell:
1. Select the cell adjacent to the location where you
want to insert the new cell.
2. Select Cells from the Insert menu. Or, right-
click the current cell and select Insert from the
shortcut menu.

The Insert dialog opens.

 3. Choose how you want to shift the existing cells
to accommodate the new one.
4. Click OK.

Deleting Cells
To delete cells:
1. Select the cell, the range, or the row or column
you want to delete.
2. From the Edit menu, select Delete. Or, right-
click the selection and select Delete from the
shortcut menu.
Moving and Copying Data
To move data from one cell to another:
1. Select the cell whose contents you want to move.
2. Point to the edge of the cell.

3. When the mouse pointer becomes an arrow,

click and drag the cell to the new location.

4. Release the mouse button.

You can drag and drop entire ranges of cells:

You can also use Excel's drag and drop functionality
to copy cells; simply hold down the Ctrl key on your
keyboard as you drag. Alternatively, you can use the
Copy and Paste functions:
1. Select the cell whose contents you want to
copy.
2. From the Edit menu, select Copy. Or, right-
click the cell and select Copy from the shortcut
menu. (You can also use the Ctrl+c keyboard
shortcut.)
A blinking dashed border appears around the cell.

3. Select the cell where you want the data to be

copied.
4. From the Edit menu, select Paste. Or, right-
click the new cell and select Paste from the shortcut
menu. (You can also use the Ctrl+v keyboard
shortcut.)
5. The data is pasted into the new cell.
You can continue to paste the same data into as many
cells as you like.
Tip:
If you're only copying the data to one cell, you can
press Enter as soon as you select the new cell. Excel
will automatically paste the data.
6. To finish pasting and remove the dashed outline
from the original cell, press Enter.
Tip:
To quickly copy a data to an adjacent cell:
1. Select the cell containing the data.
The fill handle is displayed as a small black square in
the bottom right corner of the cell outline.

2. Click on the fill handle and, holding down your

mouse button, drag to the adjacent cell. When
that cell is highlighted, release the mouse button.

The data is copied to the adjacent cell.

This is useful when you need to fill many cells with

the same data, since you can drag the fill handle
across an entire range:
The data is copied to all the cells in the selected
range.

In the illustration above, the cell being copied

contained a formula that adds the values from the
cells above. When the cell was copied, the formula
was pasted across a range of cells-not the value
displayed in the original cell.
Excel adjusted the cell references in the formula for
each new column, so that the values entered in the
cells above were totaled. When you copy a formula,
Excel adjusts the cell references by the number of
rows and columns the formula was moved. So, for
example, you can enter one formula that totals the
values in a column, and copy the formula to many
different columns without having to change the cell
references for each column-Excel does it
automatically. This is explained in more detail in
Absolute and Relative Cell References.
Note:
Excel does not change the references when you move
a formula.
 Section Review
In this section, you learned:
• The differences between workbooks and
worksheets
• Entering text and numbers
• Working with ranges of cells
• Inserting cells
• Deleting cells
• Moving and copying data

Formatting Cells
Formatting Numbers
Numbers in Excel can be formatted in a variety of
ways: as whole numbers, as decimals, as percentages,
and even as currency. By default, numbers use the
General format-this displays numbers exactly as you
enter them (although Excel rounds the numbers using
decimals or scientific notation if the cells are too
narrow to accommodate what you've entered).
To apply a different number format to the contents of
a cell:
 1. Select the cell.

2. From the Format menu, select Cells.

The Format Cells dialog opens.
3. Select the Number tab.

4. All the available number formats are listed under

Category. Select a category, such as Currency.
 5. Formatting options for that category appear on
the right side of the dialog. Select the options
you want, such as the number of decimal places
to use.
6. Click OK.
7. The formatting is applied to the selected cell (or
range of cells).

Note:
It isn't necessary to apply formatting to basic date and
time entries. When you separate numbers with a slash
(/) or a hyphen (-), Excel interprets the number as a
date. You can also enter a time, such as 12:00,
followed by an a or a p to indicate morning or
evening (for example, 12:00 p). If you don't specify
morning or evening, Excel assumes the default a
(morning).
Changing the Appearance of Cells
Use the Formatting toolbar to apply basic formatting
to cells, such as font face, size, color, bold or italics:
1. Select the cell you want to format. Alternatively,
you can select the contents of the cell, or a part
of the contents, by double-clicking inside the cell
and highlighting the contents you want to format
(or selecting the contents in the formula bar).

2. Use the buttons and drop-down menus on the

Formatting toolbar to apply formatting. For
example:
a. Select a new size from the Font Size drop-
down menu.
The font size is applied to the contents of the cell.

b. Next, click the Bold button to apply bold

formatting.

c. Use the color picker to apply a color to the

contents of the cell.

For example, select the red swatch to make the text in

the cell red.
Additional font options are available in the Format
Cells dialog:
1. Select the cell whose contents you want to
format.
2. From the Format menu, select Cells. You can
also right-click the cell (or range of cells) and select
Format Cells from the shortcut menu.
The Format Cells dialog opens.
3. Select the Font tab.
Here, you can see a sample of the options you select
in the Preview pane.
You can also use the Format Cells dialog to change
the alignment and orientation of the contents of cells.
For example, you can rotate the contents of cells
containing your column headings:
1. Select the cell whose contents you want to
rotate.
2. From the Format menu, select Cells.
The Format Cells dialog opens.
3. Select the Alignment tab.
4. To change the orientation of your cell's
contents, enter a new orientation, in degrees, into the
Degrees field. You can also click and drag the red
point in the text pane to a new location indicating the
orientation you want. The number in the Degrees
field changes as you drag the pointer.

5. Click OK to apply the changes.

Applying Borders and Shading

To apply a simple border to a cell (or range of cells),
use the Borders button on the Formatting
toolbar:
1. Select the cell(s) you want to apply a border to.

2. On the Formatting toolbar, click the arrow next

to the Borders button to view available border
styles.

3. Select a border style to apply it to your cell(s).

For example, select Outside Borders to place a
border around the outside of a range of cells.
The border appears only around the outside of the
range; no border appears between the individual
cells.

To apply borders to each of the cells, choose All

Borders instead.

Notice that the borders are rotated to match the

orientation that was applied to the cell contents.
Additional line styles are available in the Format
Cells dialog:
1. With your cells selected, select Cells from the
Format menu.
The Format Cells dialog opens.
2. Select the Border tab.
 3. Under Style, select a line style. You can also
select a color for the border using the Color
drop-down menu.
4. Click OK to apply the border.
Similarly, you can apply a fill color to cells using the
Fill Color button on the Formatting toolbar:
1. Select the cells.
2. On the Formatting toolbar, click the arrow next
to the Fill Color button and select a color
swatch.
The color is applied to the selected cells.

To apply a pattern to the cells, use the Format Cells

dialog:
1. Select the cells.
2. Select Cells from the Format menu.

The Format Cells dialog opens.

3. Select the Patterns tab.
4. The swatches under Color let you choose a fill
color for the cells, just as the Fill Color button
on the Formatting toolbar does. If necessary,
select a fill color.
5. Select a pattern from the Pattern drop-down
menu. The patterns are shown in swatches above
the color swatches.
 6. You can apply a color to the pattern by selecting
one of the color swatches from the menu. If you
don't select a color, the pattern will be black (for
example, black dots).
7. Click OK to apply the pattern to the cells.

Using Format Painter

You can quickly copy formatting from one cell to
another using the Format Painter:
1. Select a cell containing the format you want to
copy.

2. Click the Format Painter button on the

Standard toolbar.
A blinking dashed border appears around the cell
whose format is being copied.
3. Select the cell you want to apply the formatting
to.

The formatting of the original cell is copied to the

new cell.
 Section Review
In this section, you learned:
• How to format cells
• Formatting numbers
• Changing the appearance of cells
• How to apply borders and shading
• Using the format painter

Workbooks
Creating a New Workbook
To create a new workbook:
1. From the File menu, select New.
The New dialog opens.
 2. Make sure the General tab is selected, and then
double-click Workbook.
A new blank workbook opens.
Tip:
To quickly create a new workbook from the default
template, click the New button on the Standard
toolbar.
Excel also provides a number of custom templates
you can use. These are available on the Spreadsheet
Solutions tab in the New dialog.
Saving a Workbook
To save your current (open) workbook, select Save
from the File menu, or click the Save button on
the Standard toolbar.
If this is the first time you've save the workbook, the
Save As dialog opens, prompting you to enter a file
name and select a location for the file.

To save changes to your open workbook, click the

Save button again. Excel saves the file in its
current location.
Tip:
To save a copy of your workbook under a new file
name, use the Save As command again. In the Save
As dialog, enter a new name for the workbook file.
Selecting Worksheets
Use the sheet tabs at the bottom of the Excel window
to switch between sheets in a workbook. Simply click
on the tab for the sheet you want to activate.
Note:
The active worksheet is the worksheet that's currently
selected; its contents are visible in the Microsoft
Excel window. You activate a worksheet in order to
work in it.

The scroll buttons to the left of the sheet tabs let you
display tabs that may be hidden.

Click the left and right scroll buttons to scroll through

the tabs.
You can click the first and last scroll buttons to move
to the first and last tabs, respectively.

To see a list of all the available sheets, right-click one

of the scroll buttons. Then select a sheet from the
shortcut menu to activate it.

Tabs might be hidden if the split bar is positioned

far to the left. You can click and drag the split bar to
view a larger number of tabs.

Once you've repositioned the split bar, use the scroll

buttons to scroll back through the tabs. The tabs will
appear in the new space you've created.

To select multiple sheets in a workbook, click a sheet

tab and then hold down the Ctrl (Control) key while
clicking each additional sheet tab you want to select.
If you're selecting adjacent sheet tabs, you can click
the first tab and then hold down the Shift key while
clicking the last tab in the range you want to select.
To select all the sheets in a workbook, right-click one
of the sheet tabs and select Select All Sheets from
the shortcut menu.
When you select multiple worksheets, the changes
you make are applied to all the sheets in the selection.
Inserting a Worksheet
To insert a new worksheet into the open workbook,
select Worksheet from the Insert menu, or right-
click a sheet tab and select Insert from the shortcut
menu.

When the new sheet is inserted, you can name it and,

if necessary, move it to the desired location in the
workbook.
Naming Worksheets
It's helpful to name the individual worksheets in a
workbook, especially when the workbook contains a
number of sheets. The easiest way to do this is to
double-click the sheet tab for the worksheet you want
to name, and then type the new name and press
Enter.

You can also right-click the sheet tab and select

Rename from the shortcut menu. This highlights the
current name, allowing you to type over it with a new
name. Press Enter when you've finished.

Moving and Copying Worksheets

To move a worksheet to a new location in the current
workbook, use your mouse to drag and drop the sheet
tab:
1. Press and hold the mouse button over the sheet
tab for the worksheet you want to move.
2. Holding down the mouse button, drag the mouse
to the new location.
 3. Release the mouse button.
The sheet tab for the worksheet appears in the new
location.

You can also copy the worksheet to a new location

by holding down Ctrl key while you drag the sheet
tab. To copy multiple sheets, press Ctrl while you
select each sheet and then release the Ctrl key. Then
press the Ctrl key again and, holding it down, drag
the group of sheet tabs to the new location.

Finally, release the mouse button, and then release

the Ctrl key. The sheets are copied to the new
location.

To move or copy worksheets to a different

workbook:
 1. Open both workbooks-the one that currently
contains the worksheets and the one that you
want to move or copy the worksheets to.
2. Activate the workbook that currently contains
the worksheets by clicking its button on the
Windows taskbar.

3. Select the sheets you want to move or copy.

4. From the Edit menu, select Move or Copy
Sheet, or right-click the appropriate sheet tab (or
group of selected tabs) and select Move or Copy
from the shortcut menu.
The Move or Copy dialog opens.

5. From the To book drop-down menu, select the

workbook you want to move or copy the
worksheet(s) to.
 Tip:
You can move or copy the sheets to a new workbook
by selecting (new book) instead.
6. Under Before sheet, select the location in the
workbook where you want to move or copy the
sheets. The sheets will appear before the
worksheet you select here.
7. To copy the worksheets to the new location,
check the Create a copy checkbox, and then
click OK.
To move the worksheets, leave the box unchecked
and simply click OK.
Deleting Worksheets
To delete sheets from a workbook, select the sheets
and then select Delete Sheet from the Edit menu.
You can also right-click the sheet tab (or group of
tabs) and select Delete from the shortcut menu.
Keep in mind that when you delete a worksheet, you
delete all the data and functions that the sheet
contains.
Click OK to confirm the deletion.
Printing a Workbook
To print your workbook, the current worksheet, or a
selection within the active worksheet, select Print
from the File menu, or click the Print button on
the Standard toolbar. This opens the Print dialog.

Under Print what:

• Select Entire workbook to print all the sheets in
the workbook.
 • Select Active sheet(s) to print only the active
worksheet.
To print multiple worksheets (but not the entire
workbook), select the worksheets by Ctrl + clicking
the sheet tabs for the sheets you want to print, and
then, in the Print dialog, select Active sheet(s).
• Select Selection to print only the selected cells.
For example, to print cells A1 through G10 in
the active worksheet, select the cells with your
mouse, click the Print button, and then select
Selection.
When you've defined the print settings, click OK to
print.
Defining a Print Area
You can also define a specific print area within a
worksheet so that only that area is printed. For
example, you may want to print a chart without
printing the values you used to create that chart.
To define a print area:
1. Select the cells that comprise the area you want
to print.
2. From the File menu, select Print Area, and then
Set Print Area from the submenu.
 3. To print the contents of the print area, click the
Print button and, under Print what, leave
Active sheet(s) selected.
Excel prints only the area you've defined.
To clear the print area, select Clear Print Area from
the Print Area submenu.
Even when you've defined a print area, you can still
print other cells in the active worksheet. To do so,
simply select the cells you want to print, click the
Print button, and, under Print what, select
Selection.
Closing a Workbook
To close the current workbook, select Close from the
File menu, or simply click the Close Window
button in the upper right corner of the Excel
workbook window.
To close all Excel, along with all open workbooks,
click the Close button in the upper right corner of
the Excel window.
If you have outstanding (unsaved) changes, Excel
will ask you if want to save them before closing.
Click Yes to save the changes, or No to close the
window and discard the changes.

Section Review
In this section, you learned:
• Creating a new workbook
• Saving a workbook
• Selecting worksheets
• Inserting a worksheet
• Naming worksheets
• Moving and copying worksheets
• Deleting worksheets
 • Printing a workbook
• Closing a workbook

Excel Worksheets
Basic Formulas
A formula is an equation that calculates a value for a
cell or a range of cells. You enter a formula into the
formula bar preceded by an equal (=) sign. This tells
Excel to calculate a value for what you've entered,
rather than treating your entry as plain text. Formulas
can be very simple-such as addition or subtraction-or
very complex, performing multiple calculations and
referencing additional formulas in numerous cells.
Formulas remain behind the scenes; that is, cells
display the resulting values of the formulas you've
entered, rather than the formulas themselves. Because
formulas can refer to other cells in a worksheet, other
worksheets, or even other workbooks, the value of a
cell containing a formula will change as the contents
of the referenced cells change.
For example, if you want to calculate the total
number of widgets you sell in the year 2004, and for
each month of the year you have a cell containing the
total number of sales that month, you can enter a
formula into a "Total Annual Sales" cell to add
together the sales for each month. By the end of June,
you may have only sold 715 widgets:

But by the end of the year, as new figures are added

for the remaining months, your total widget sales
may climb to over 1,300:

As you can see, Excel automatically updates this total

as figures are entered into the cells for monthly sales
totals.
Note that in the example above the formula that
calculates the value for the total annual sales actually
refers to cells containing formulas of their own. Cell
B6 adds together the contents of cells B2 through B4;
cell C6 adds together the contents of cells C2 through
C4; and so on. Cell C9, which calculates the total
annual sales, adds together the values of cells B6
through M6. Thus, Excel can calculate values that are
then used to calculate new values for other cells.
Constructing a Basic Formula
To enter a formula into a cell:
1. Select the cell.
2. In the formula bar, enter an equal (=) sign, and
then type the formula.
3. Press Enter.

Similarly, you can view a formula contained in a cell

by clicking the cell. When the cell is selected, the
formula is displayed in the formula bar.

To edit the formula, you simply change it in the

formula bar and press Enter.
The simplest formulas can use familiar operators,
such as:
• The plus sign (+) for addition
• The minus sign (-) for subtraction
• The asterisk (*) for multiplication
• The backslash (/) for division
Excel calculates formulas using standard
mathematical rules; specifically, values are calculated
from left to right, with any operations contained in
parenthesis performed first.
For example, if you want to calculate the average
sales among all three widgets for the month of
January, you might enter the following formula into a
new cell below the monthly total:
=(B2+B3+B4)/3
In this formula, "B2" refers to the value contained in
cell B2; "B3" refers to the value contained in cell B3;
and "B4" refers to the value contained in cell B4. If
you later change the value of one of those cells-for
example, you find 46 units of Widget 1 were sold,
and not 45-Excel will update the total.
The number "3" in the formula is a constant-a value
that doesn't change, unlike the cell references, whose
values can change if you edit the data in the cells.
When you press Enter, Excel calculates the value
and displays it in the cell.

In the example above, it isn't necessary to include the

parentheses in the formula, since Excel calculates the
values from left to right. However, using parentheses
to indicate a combined value (in this case, the total of
three cells) is often helpful, particularly in more
complex formulas.
The formula can be further simplified by replacing
the three referenced cells with a single reference to
the cell containing the formula that calculates
January's total sales, cell B6:
=B6/3
Excel Functions
Excel provides many built-in formulas, called
functions, which make it much simpler to perform
calculations. In the last section, the following formula
was used:
=(B2+B3+B4)/3
"B2", "B3", and "B4" represented the number of
widgets sold in the month of January. "B2"
represented Widget 1 sales, "B3" Widget 2 sales, and
"B4" Widget 3 sales, as shown in the sample
spreadsheet below:

To calculate the total number of sales for the month

of January, you could enter the formula =B2+B3+B4
into cell B6 (next to Total). However, it's easier to
use the SUM function, particularly when you're
adding together a large number of cells in a range:
=SUM(B2:B4)
Functions begin with the name of the function (for
example, "SUM") followed by parentheses enclosing
the specific values being calculated (called
arguments). These values can be constants, cells
references, or even text you want to combine. To
refer to a range of cells, type the first cell in the
range, then a colon (:), and then the last cell in the
range (for example, "B2:B4").
You enter a formula that uses a function the same
way you'd enter any other formula: select the cell,
type an equal sign (=) and then the formula, with its
function, in the formula bar, and press Enter.

Excel calculates the value and displays it in the cell.

Functions simplify formulas by telling Excel to use a
predefined method of calculating values. Microsoft
Excel includes functions for calculating averages,
statistics, dates, and much more. In many cases, you
need only supply simple data, such as the range of
cells to be used in the calculation.
Using the Formula Palette
Excel's Formula Palette can help you construct
formulas that contain functions by displaying a list of
the built-in functions and the arguments used for
each. To access the Formula Palette:
1. Select the cell in which you want to enter the
formula.
2. Click the Edit Formula button in the formula
bar.
3. The Formula Palette opens.

4. From the Functions drop-down menu, select a

function that describes the type of calculation
you want to perform.
 Tip:
Select More Functions to see additional functions.
When you select a function, the Formula Palette
displays fields in which you can enter the arguments
(the values to be calculated), as well as a description
of the function and the current result of the
calculation.

In the example above, the AVERAGE function has

been selected. The AVERAGE function adds
together the values (called arguments) you supply
and then divides this total by the number of values
that were added, which Excel calculates for you. In
this function, you only need supply the values whose
average you want to calculate.
5. Enter the values you want calculated into the
Number 1 field.
By default, Excel has assumed you want to use the
values of the range of cells above the cell containing
the formula (B2:B6). This range can be deleted and
another one can be entered, and the formula
displayed in the formula bar will change accordingly.
Alternatively, you can enter constants separated by
commas, such as "3,5,7,9", in which case Excel will
calculate the average of the numbers 3, 5, 7, and 9.
Below, "B6" has been changed to "B4" so Excel will
calculate the average of the values in cells B2
through B4.

Tip:
If you like, you can hide the Formula Palette and use
your mouse to select the range of cells whose values
you want Excel to use in the formula:
a. Click the button to the right of the Number
1 field .
The Formula Palette disappears, leaving only the
field.

b. If necessary, delete the existing contents of

the field. Then select the range of cells you
want to use in the formula.

As you select the cells, Excel enters the range into the
field, updating it as you move your mouse.
c. Click the button to the right of the field to
display the Formula Palette again.
 6. When you've finished entering the values for
your function, click OK to close the Formula
Palette.
Excel calculates the value and displays it in the cell.

Absolute and Relative Cell References

By default, Excel uses relative cell references.
Relative cell references are those whose locations
Excel calculates based on the location of the formula.
This means that when you insert a new row or
column into a range included in a formula, Excel
automatically includes the new data in its
calculations, and edits the formula accordingly.
Similarly, when you copy a formula from one cell to
another, Excel adjusts the cell references.
For example, you can copy the formula in cell B6
below (which adds together the values in the range
B2:B4) to cell C6, and Excel will adjust the formula
to add together the values in the range C2:C4.
This is because the cell range used in the original
formula is relative-it tells Excel to use the values in
the cells 4, 3, and 2 rows above the formula. The
copy of the formula, in cell C6, also looks for values
4, 3, and 2 rows above-in the range C2:C4.
As another example, suppose the International
Widget Company decided to include the sales of
widget accessories in the January monthly total. A
new row is inserted below row 4 (which contains the
monthly values for Widget 3). This moves the row
containing the formula down one row, to B7.
In the new row, total sales are entered for the widget
accessories. As soon as a value is entered into cell
B5, Excel changes the formula in cell B7 (formerly
B6) from =SUM(B2:B4) to =SUM(B2:B5), and
updates the resulting value:
In contrast, absolute cell references are references
that refer to a specific location. These are indicated
by a dollar sign ($) preceding the part of the reference
that should be absolute-that is, before the row
reference, before the column reference, or before
each, to make the entire cell reference absolute:
• $B4 indicates that column B is absolute, but
row 4 is relative.
• B$4 indicates that column B is relative, but
row 4 is absolute.
• $B$4 indicates that the entire reference-to cell
B4-is absolute.
When you use an absolute reference, Excel will not
adjust formulas when they're copied to new locations.
Note:
If you include in your formula a range that uses
absolute cell references (for example,
=SUM($B$2:$B$4)) and then insert a row or column
that produces a new cell located within that range (for
example, you insert a new row before row 4), Excel
will adjust the range in the formula, just as it would if
you'd used relative references. This is because Excel
assumes that you still want your calculation to
include the first and last cells you initially specified.
However, if you insert a new below row 4 (as we did
when we added Widget Accessories), Excel will not
adjust the range in the formula, and cell B5 (newly
inserted) will not be included in the calculation.
Absolute references should be used when you want to
use the same calculated value in different locations in
a workbook (for example, if you want to include total
annual sales, calculated on the first sheet of a
workbook, in subsequent worksheets).

Tip:
To quickly change a cell reference from relative to
absolute (or vice versa), select the cell and press F4
on your keyboard. This toggles the references
through the various combinations of absolute and
relative columns and rows.
 Protecting a worksheet
When you protect a worksheet, you prevent users
from viewing or making changes to the contents,
depending on the protection options you use:
• If you want to prevent users from viewing
certain rows or columns, hide them before you
protect the worksheet using the Hide command
in the Format Rows or Columns submenu.
• If you want to prevent users from viewing
formulas in particular cells:
1. Select the cells whose formulas you want to
hide.
2. From the Format menu, select Cells.

The Format Cells dialog opens.

3. Select the Protection tab.
 4. Check the Hidden checkbox.
5. Click OK.
• If you want users to be able to enter or edit data
into certain cells, but not others, you must
unlock those cells you want them to be able to
use before you protect the worksheet:
1. Select the cells you want users to be able to
edit.
2. From the Format menu, select Cells.

The Format Cells dialog opens.

3. Select the Protection tab.
 4. Uncheck the Locked checkbox.
5. Click OK.
Once you've set the properties you want for the
individual rows, columns, and cells in the worksheet,
you can protect the worksheet. To do so:
1. From the Tools menu, select Protection, and
then select Protect Sheet from the submenu.
The Protect Sheet dialog opens.
 2. To protect the contents of the worksheet, with
the exception of any cells you unlocked, make
sure the Contents checkbox is checked.
3. Selecting Objects protects graphics, charts, and
comments in the worksheet.
4. Selecting Scenarios prevents users from
changing and deleting scenarios.
5. To password-protect the worksheet, enter a
password into the Password field.
You'll be prompted to re-enter the password. Do so to
confirm the password and click OK.
6. Click OK.
To remove protection from a worksheet, select
Protection and then Unprotect Sheet from the Tools
menu. If you entered a password when you protected
the sheet, you'll be prompted to re-enter it now. Do
so, and then click OK.
 Section Review
In this section, you learned:
• How to work with worksheets
• Basic formulas
• Constructing a formula
• Excel functions
• Using the formula palette
• Absolute and relative cell references
• Protecting a worksheet

Formatting Worksheets
Using Styles
Styles are collections of formatting choices that you
can apply to the data in your cells, or to entire cells,
ranges, or worksheets. Later, you can quickly change
the formatting of all the cells that use a particular
style, simply by changing the formatting of the style.
Microsoft Excel includes built-in styles to format
numbers as currency, percentages, and whole
numbers with commas. You can modify these styles
to suit the needs of your worksheets, or you can
create your own custom styles.
Applying a Style
The common number styles can be applied using the
buttons on the Formatting toolbar:
• Click to apply the currency style.

• Click to apply the percent style.

• Click to apply the comma style.

Additional options are available from the Style

dialog:
1. With the cell(s) selected, select Style from the
Format menu.
The Style dialog opens.
 2. Select a style from the Style name drop-down
menu. The features of the style appear below,
under Style includes.
3. Click OK.
Modifying an Existing Style
To modify an existing style:
1. From the Format menu, select Style.
The Style dialog opens.
 2. Select the style you want to modify from the
Style name drop-down menu.
3. Click the Modify button.
The Format Cells dialog opens.
 4. Use the options on the various tabs to select the
formatting you want the style to use.
5. Click OK to close the Format Cells dialog.
6. If necessary, check (select) or uncheck any
formatting options under Style includes.
7. Click Add.
8. To apply the style to the selected cell(s), click
OK. Otherwise, click Close to close the Style
dialog.
Creating a New Style
To create a new style:
1. From the Format menu, select Style.
The Style dialog opens.
2. Enter a name for the new style into the Style
name field.
 3. Click the Modify button.
The Format Cells dialog opens.
4. Use the options on the various tabs to select the
formatting you want the style to use, and then
click OK.
5. Check (select) or uncheck any formatting options
under Style includes.

6. Click Add.
7. To apply the new style to the selected cell(s),
click OK. Otherwise, click Close to close the
Style dialog.
Copying Styles from Other Workbooks
Excel also lets you copy styles contained in other
workbooks:
 1. Open both workbooks-the one containing the
styles you want to copy and the one you want to
copy the styles into.
2. In the workbook that will receive the styles,
select Style from the Format menu.
The Style dialog opens.

3. Click the Merge button.

The Merge Styles dialog opens.
 4. Select the workbook that contains the styles you
want to copy and click OK.
5. If both workbooks contain styles with the same
names (for example, the default number styles),
confirm that you want to replace the existing
styles in the current workbook.
If you don't want to replace the existing styles, click
No when prompted. Only new styles will be added to
the current workbook.

Using AutoFormats
The AutoFormat feature lets you quickly format a
range of cells using one of a variety of built-in
formatting combinations. When you add columns or
rows to a range that's been AutoFormatted, the new
cells automatically assume the AutoFormat's
properties.
To apply an AutoFormat:
1. Select the cells you want to format.
 2. From the Format menu, select AutoFormat.
The AutoFormat dialog opens.

3. Scroll through the list to view the available

formatting combinations. Select a format by
clicking on it.
4. You can choose to use only some of the
properties of the selected format by clicking the
Options button.
 5. Uncheck any of the properties you don't want to
use.
6. Click OK.

The formatting is applied to the selected cells.

To remove an AutoFormat, simply select the cells,
open the AutoFormat dialog, and select None,
located at the end of the list.

Section Review
In this section, you learned:
• Formatting worksheets
• Using styles
• Modifying styles
• Creating a new style
• Copying styles from other workbooks
• Using autoformats