MS Excel Overview

Andy Remedios
2015

Why Use Excel?

When You Need To:
Track accounting / financial
data
Expenses
Debit/credit tracking
Income tax calculations
Mortgage / refinance
calculations
Gas mileage

Use simple math formulae

Organize data into tables

Create lists
To-do lists
Check lists
Shopping lists
Party invitees & pot luck
dishes
Wedding logistics

Display graphs and pie

charts

Math & trigonometry

Date / time
Statistics
Et. al.

What Is Covered
Basic Features
Getting Help
Basic Definitions
Basic Functionality
Formatting
Text
Numbers

Cell References
Printing

Useful Tricks
Using the fill handle
Freezing headers
Using functions
Advanced Features
Macros
Importing / exporting data
Graphs / pie charts
Visual Basic

Basic Features

Getting Help
F1 Key (Help Key)
Internet
Microsoft:
http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/excel-help/

Google:
http://www.google.com

YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com

Basic Definitions

Cell most basic unit of Excel

Row horizontal collection of cells
Column vertical collection of cells
Worksheet a single page in an Excel file
Workbook a collection of worksheets (i.e. an
Excel file)

Basic Functionality
Entering text vs. numeric data
Selecting cells, rows, & columns
The clipboard: copying & pasting data
Ctrl-C (copy)
Ctrl-V (paste)
Ctrl-X (cut)

Paste special (see next page)

Paste Special
Transposing Data

Formatting Text Data

Font selection
Bold, italic, underline
Justification (Right, Left, Center)
Indentation
Wrap Text
Merge & Center
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Formatting Numbers

Currency
Date
Time
Phone numbers
Social Security numbers
10

Cell Referencing
Precede reference with = sign
Relative Cell References (default)
Access the cell relative to the current cell location
No use of $ to reference cell

Absolute Cell References

Always use the referenced cell, regardless of current cell location
Uses $ to reference cell

Refinancing example:

Relative

Absolute

11

Referencing Cells on Another

WorkSheet

Type = sign
Followed by worksheet name in single quotes ( )
Followed by exclamation point !
Followed by cell reference
Example: =Sheet1!A1

12

Sorting Data
Highlight the cells you wish to sort
Home
Sort & Filter

Data
Sort

13

Printing
File
Print
Ctrl-P (shortcut)

14

Useful Tricks

15

Fill Handle
Quick way to populate cells with data using a predictable pattern
1.
2.
3.

Numeric patterns
Days of the week
Months of the year

Procedure
Highlight a group of cells
Hover cursor over box in lower right corner
Drag to desired length

s1

16

Freezing Rows/Columns
Select row/column/cell where you would like
freezing to occur
View
Freeze Panes

17

Freezing Rows/Columns When Printing

Add Page Setup to Quick Access
Toolbar

File
Options
Quick Access Toolbar

Find Page Setup in left column

Press Add >> button to add it to right
column

Set Rows/Columns to Freeze in

Page Setup

Page Setup
Sheet

Rows to repeat at top

Columns to repeat at left

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Functions
Click on the fx

Formulas
Insert Function

Many different types of

functions in Excel

Basic arithmetic
Financial
Date & Time
Statistical
Lookup & Reference
Database
Text
Logical
Information
Engineering
Cube
Compatibility
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Advanced Features

20

Macros
1.

What is a macro?
a)

2.

Add Developer tab to the

ribbon
a)
b)

3.

File
Options
Customize

Ribbon
Main Tabs
Make sure Developer check box
is checked 

Used in other Excel files

Shared with others

Create a Macro
a)
b)
c)
d)

4.

A sequential set of instructions

Why use Macros?

Save time
Creates processes that can be
stored

Developer
Record Macro

Name your new Macro
Perform a task in Excel
Developer
Stop Recording

Use the Macro

a)
b)

Developer
Macros
Select the desired Macro from
the list
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Importing/Exporting Data

Enables users to exchange data with

other applications
Internet
Quicken
TurboTax

Export Data
File
Save As
Most common is .CSV format
(comma-separated values)

Import Data
Simply open the .CSV file in Excel

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Creating Graphs
Insert
Column
2-D Column

$120.00

Month
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

Sales
$ 31.00
$ 86.00
$ 51.00
$ 9.00
$ 39.00
$ 38.00
$ 9.00
$ 48.00
$ 72.00
$ 3.00
$ 58.00
$ 31.00

Expenses
$
47.00
$
63.00
$
77.00
$
98.00
$
17.00
$
72.00
$
95.00
$
51.00
$
39.00
$
25.00
$
87.00
$
79.00

$100.00
$80.00
Sales

$60.00

Expenses
$40.00
$20.00
$Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

23

Creating Pie Charts

Insert
Pie
3-D Pie

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

44.00
7.00
68.00
94.00
75.00
87.00
49.00
46.00
38.00
87.00
87.00
96.00

$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$
$

22.00
98.00
47.00
80.00
42.00
74.00
5.00
37.00
17.00
76.00
82.00
59.00

Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct

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Visual Basic
Powerful feature that allows users to create
customized forms and background processing
Add Developer tab to the ribbon
File
Options
Customize
Ribbon
Main Tabs
Make sure Developer check box is checked 

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And remember

numbers dont lie.

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