Microsoft Excel 2007: Beginning Topics

Course Outline & Guide

1. Microsoft Excel 2007 – Overview.........................................................1

2. The new Office 2007 interface............................................................2
3. Creating and saving workbooks..........................................................3
4. Visual aids.........................................................................................4
5. Orientation........................................................................................5
6. Entering, modifying, and deleting data...............................................5
7. Fill data automatically........................................................................7
8. Cell data format.................................................................................8
9. Cell reference....................................................................................9
10. Formulas.........................................................................................10
11. Functions.........................................................................................11
12. Relative cell reference......................................................................11
13. Resize columns and rows..................................................................12
14. Formatting Text...............................................................................13
15. Format Painter.................................................................................14
16. Absolute cell reference.....................................................................14
17. Printing basics.................................................................................15
18. Open floor for Q&A...........................................................................15
19. Next week - Excel II – Intermediate Topics.........................................15
Next week - Excel II – Intermediate Topics

1. Microsoft Excel 2007 – Overview

a. What is it?
Excel 2007 is the latest and greatest spreadsheet
application from Microsoft. It is one of the many
software programs that make up MS Office 2007
which is available only for the Windows PC operating
system. Excel is a program which displays a table of
numbers and text in rows and columns, and used for
accounting, budgeting, financial analysis, scientific
applications, and other work with figures.
b. Previous versions:

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 i. Windows PC: Office 2003 – is compatible with 2007 if
the updated compatibility package is downloaded
and installed
http://office.microsoft.com/en-
us/products/HA101686761033.aspx
ii.Apple Mac: Office 2004 – still the latest version (2007
is not available for the Mac) and has no compatibility
with the Windows PC 2007 version. However, if a file
that is created using Excel 2007 is saved as a .xls
then it could be opened using Apple Office 2004
c. It is recommended that during the installation of Office
2007 you also uninstall your older version(s) of Office.
Although you can have multiple versions installed at the
same time you will encounter problems. The most
noteworthy issue is trying to open two versions of one
program. For instance, if you open both Word 2003 and
Word 2007, then restart your computer you will find that
Word will not open right away. In fact, your computer will
need to reinstall upon trying to open Word 2003 or Word
2007 taking a considerable amount of time

2. The new Office 2007 interface

a. What is this?
Known as a Graphical User Interface (GUI) it uses
windows, icons, pull-down menus, and the mouse to
make using the program easier to learn and work
with
b. Title bar
i. File name, format, mode, application
c. Quick Access Toolbar
i. Save, Undo, redo, and the toolbar is completely
customizable
d. The Office button
i. Similar to the Excel 2003 File menu
ii.New, Open, Save, and so on…
1. Those with arrows have additional commands
you can choose
iii.Buttons in bottom right
1. Excel Options
2. Exit Excel
e. The Excel Ribbon
i. Biggest interface change from previous versions
ii.Home, Insert, Page Layout, and so on…
iii.The Ribbon is context sensitive
1. It may change depending on what you do
iv.Each Tab has a number of groups
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 1. When you hover your mouse pointer over a
group item information will typically appear
v.In the bottom right of most group panels you’ll find a
little diagonal arrow
1. Hover to discover shortcut
2. Click to launch a new window for more options
and choices within that group
vi.The Help button (circle w/ a question mark inside) is
located above and to the right of the Ribbon
1. Once selected a new Excel Help window
appears
a. Help Categories
i. Select any Topic under Browse
Excel Help to find more helpful
Subtopics
b. Help Search
i. Click inside the textbox, type a
topic, and click Search
2. You can also navigate and find other helpful
options (like Home and Print) on the toolbar
located near the top of the Help window
a. Click on the button shaped like a closed
book to view the Table of Contents
3. A large number of help documents are located
on your computer. However, greater detail and
more topics are available if the computer is
connected to the internet.
vii.Keyboard shortcuts
1. The Alt key turns on all visible shortcuts
(numbers and letters)
2. Next, press the keyboard key with the letter or
number that represents what you want
3. Then you’ll see that the groups within that
choice now have shortcuts showing so you can
choose the specific option within
4. The Alt key turns off all visible shortcuts as
well
viii.Minimize/Maximize the Ribbon
1. Right-click on any tab or tab group and select
Minimize the Ribbon

3. Creating and saving workbooks

a. What is this?
A Microsoft Office Excel workbook is a file that
contains one or more worksheets (worksheet: The
primary document that you use in Excel to store and
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 work with data. Also called a spreadsheet. A
worksheet consists of cells that are organized into
columns and rows; a worksheet is always stored in a
workbook.) that you can use to organize various
kinds of related information. They need to be saved if
you want to work with them again
b. When opening Excel 2007 it automatically starts with a
new workbook
c. To close that workbook, select Office Button > Close
d. Creating a new workbook
i. To create a new workbook, select Office Button >
New
ii.In the top middle of the new window under Black
and recent click on Blank Workbook and then
select the Create button in the bottom right of the
window
iii.Every new workbook will have three worksheets
1. Located in the bottom left corner of the Excel
window
2. Tabs identify: Sheet 1, Sheet 2, Sheet 3
3. You can create more or delete the ones you
already have
e. Saving a workbook
i. Try to save your files when you begin to prevent the
possibility of losing your workbook later due to some
random computer failure. When you save in a
specific file format options not available for that
format will not be available while you are working on
the Workbook
ii.To save a workbook (file), select Office Button >
Save or Save As
1. This time, simply choose Save
2. Select My Documents as the location to save
a. This is the default location to save
b. This is the best choice to save all of your
files as it is easy to back up this folder
c. You can also make folders within the My
Documents folder for better
organization
3. Give the file a name, myexcelfile
4. Excel Workbook will save as an Excel 2007
document (.xlsx) and is not compatible with
older versions unless the compatibility package
was installed on the computer that tries to
open the file
iii.Keyboard shortcut: Ctrl+S

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 1. About every 15 minutes use Ctrl+S to save
your file
iv.To save as an older file format
1. Select Office Button > Save As > Excel 97-
2003 Workbook
a. This will save as a .xls. It is a good idea
to use this option if you will be sharing
the file.
2. In the Title bar it now shows the document is
a .xls and you are working in the
Compatibility Mode
a. This means that you will not have the
new Excel 2007 specific features
b. This also means your Excel 97-2003
document is compatible with the older
versions of Excel
v.Close this file, create a new Excel 2007 document
and save as a yourname.xlsx

4. Visual aids
a. What are these?
Visual aids help you with creating and editing your
workbook. They help with the layout and design in
getting you precise measurements and better ways
to view your data
b. Views
i. Can be found on the Ribbon and the Status Bar
(bottom right)
1. On the Ribbon, select the View tab > in the
Workbook Views group
2. Normal
a. This should be your primary working view
b. Columns – Identified by letters
c. Rows – Identified by numbers
3. Page Layout
a. What you see is what it will look like
when you print the document
4. Page Break Preview
a. Where pages will break when the
document is printed
c. Rulers
i. You must first be in Page Layout View
1. The ruler is not visible in Normal view
ii.On the Ribbon, select the View tab > in the
Show/Hide group > click Ruler

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 iii.The rulers, at the left and top measure the page by
inches
d. Zoom
i. Zoom Slider
1. Bottom right corner
ii.View Tab
1. Zoom
a. Zoom, 100%, and Zoom to Selection
iii.Keyboard Shortcut
1. Ctrl + [your mouse scroll]

5. Orientation
a. What is this?
Two different document layouts
b. On the Ribbon, select the Page Layout tab > in the
Page Setup group > click Orientation > Portrait or
Landscape

6. Entering, modifying, and deleting data

a. What is this?
Data is simply information. It can be entered, edited,
and manipulated a number of ways in Excel 2007
b. Enter data
i. Click once (select) on cell A1 and type, Computers
101. Then tap the Enter (return) key
c. Modify (edit) data
i. By clearing previous data first:
1. Click once on cell A1 and type, History 101
2. The previous data, Computers 101 was
erased
ii.By editing current data
1. Double click inside cell A1, with your arrow
keys move your insertion point (blinking
cursor) to the beginning of and delete 101
a. Edit text one letter at a time
i. Click just before or inside any word
and tap the Delete key on the
keyboard to delete the letter or
space to the right
ii.Click just after or inside any word
and tap the Back Space key on
the keyboard to delete the letter or
space to the left
2. Complete, History 202 and then tap the
Enter key to accept your change

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d. Correct a mistake
i. Go backward in time, Ctrl+Z
ii.Go forward in time (after going back), Ctrl+Y
iii.Also found on the Quick Access Toolbar – Undo
and Redo
e. Selecting
i. Highlight or select the text
1. Using your mouse
a. Double click inside cell A1
b. Move your mouse pointer to the
beginning of the word History and the
click and drag from beginning to end of
that word
c. Double click inside the word
2. Using the keyboard
a. Hold down the shift key on your
keyboard and use your arrow key(s) left
and right on the keyboard
b. Hold down Shif+Ctrl and then the
arrow key(s) left/right to select the
entire word
ii.Highlight or select cell(s)
1. Using your mouse
a. Move your mouse pointer into any cell
and click once
b. Move your mouse pointer into any cell,
click and drag
2. Using the keyboard
a. Hold down Shift+ARROW keys
b. Hold down Shift+Ctrl+ARROW keys
iii.Select row(s) and Column(s)
1. With your mouse pointer, click and drag
starting from the middle of any column or row
ID
iv.Select the entire Worksheet
1. Using your mouse
a. In the top-left of the worksheet, where
the column ID’s and row ID’s intersect
locate a square button which has a
diagonal arrow inside it.
b. Click once on the button to select the
entire worksheet
2. Using the keyboard
a. Keyboard shortcut, Ctrl+A
3. Click and drag in the margin to the left
throughout the area you wish to select

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 v.Select non-contiguous areas
1. Hold down Ctrl while using the mouse to select the
data.
f. Helpful toolbars
i. The mini toolbar
1. This appears when you type, select, and then
hover over or right-click inside the selected
text
2. Move your mouse into the mini toolbar to
select your option
3. Once you move your pointer into the Ribbon
you lose your mini toolbar option
4. You can click back into the document to get rid
of the mini toolbar
g. Continue to input data into Sheet 1 of yourname.xlsx
i. In cell A3 type:
1. Name
2. Tap the Tab key
ii.In cell B3 type:
1. Quiz 1 (Don’t press tab or enter for this
example)

7. Fill data automatically

a. What is this?
For fast data entry, you can have Excel automatically
repeat data or you can fill data in a series or pattern
automatically
b. Fill Handle
i. The Fill Handle replicates or continues data in a
series of numbers, number and text combinations,
dates, or time periods, based on a pattern that you
establish
ii.Use the Fill Handle
1. Make sure cell B3 is still selected
2. Move your mouse pointer to the bottom right
corner of the selected cell
a. Notice how the pointer changes from a
larger white cross or plus to a thinner
black cross or plus
b. The black plus is called the Fill Handle
c. It’s also different than the black cross
that is made up of arrows – that one is
used to move data
3. Click and drag to the right and move your
mouse pointer to cell F3 or until you see Quiz 5
appear, then let go of the mouse pointer
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 4. You should now see Quiz 1, Quiz 2, Quiz 3, Quiz
4, and Quiz 5
c. Continue entering data into Sheet 1 of yourname.xlsx
i. Edit Quiz 5
1. Change it to Quiz Avg.
2. Tap the Tab key
ii.In cell G3 type:
1. Exam
2. Tap the Tab key
iii.In cell H3 type:
1. Final Grade
iv.Starting in cell A4 type out the students names and
“Averages”, when finished with each tap the Enter
(return) key:
1. Kristine
2. John
3. Sierra
4. Tiffany
5. Averages

8. Cell data format

a. What is this?
By applying different formats, you can change the
appearance of data without changing the raw data. A
data format does not affect the actual cell value that
Excel uses to perform calculations and so on. The
actual value is displayed in the formula
bar (formula bar: A bar at the top of the Excel
window that you use to enter or edit values or
formulas in cells or charts. Displays the
constant value or formula stored in the active
cell.).
b. Format Cells for numbers
i. To format any cell you must select the cell or cell
range first
ii.Select the cell range from B4 to H8
1. Using your mouse
a. Move your mouse pointer inside cell B4,
click and drag to cell H8
b. Or, click once on cell B4, let go, then
hold down your Shift key on your
keyboard, and finally (still holding down
on the Shift key) click inside cell H8
2. Using your keyboard
a. Select cell B4, then hold down your
Shift key on your keyboard, and finally
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 (still holding down on the Shift key) use
your arrow keys to move to the right and
down and in the process select the cells
from B4 to H8
iii.Format the cells
1. With your mouse
a. Move your mouse pointer inside the
selected cells and right-click your mouse
b. From the menu select Format Cells...
2. Or, on the Ribbon, select the Home tab > in
the Cells group > click Format > Format
Cells...
iv.Format Cells window
1. There are a number of tabs at the top and
selecting any one will give you a variety of
choices to change the look and feel of the cells
you are formatting
2. Select the Number tab
a. Under Category:
i. Here you will find ways to create a
common look and feel for your data
ii.Select Number
iii.Change Decimal Places: to 0
iv.Select the OK button in the
bottom right
c. Continue inputting data into Sheet 1 of yourname.xlsx
i. Enter students scores along with the Tab key and
the Enter (return) key: Begin in cell B4
1. Kristine - Quiz 1-4
a. 98, (Tab) 93, (Tab) 96 (Tab), 91
(Enter)
2. John - Quiz 1-4
a. 88, 95, 76, 82
3. Sierra - Quiz 1-4
a. 72, 78, 88, 62
4. Tiffany - Quiz 1-4
a. 2, 12, 18, 7

9. Cell reference
a. What is this?
A cell reference refers to a cell or a range of cells on
a worksheet and tells Excel where to look for the
values or data that you want to use in a
formula (formula: A sequence of values, cell
references, names, functions, or operators in a cell
that together produce a new value. A formula always
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 begins with an equal sign (=).). With cell references,
you can use data that is contained in different parts
of a worksheet in one formula, or you can use the
value from one cell in several formulas
i. When to use a cell reference
1. Avoid using the values that appear in a cell to
perform a calculation use a cell reference
a. Example:
i. To calculate Kristine’s Quiz Avg. do
not use:
1. 98, 93, 96, and 91
ii.Use the cell references:
1. B4, C4, D4, and E4
2. When data values change in a cell
a. The cell reference will use the new value,
not the old
3. For work flow
a. To have data flow from one sheet or from
one file to another
4. For charts and graphs and many other more
advanced applications in Excel

10. Formulas
a. What are these?
Formulas typically refer to data that appear in a cell
to run a basic or complex calculation. It is best to
create and edit your formulas in the Formula Bar
b. Create a formula to calculate the Quiz Avg.
i. Select cell F4
ii.Click inside the Formula Bar
iii.Type:
1. =B
a. A drop down menu will appear. This is a
function window giving you functions
beginning with the letter B. Functions will
be covered shortly
2. =B4+C4+D4+E4
a. Notice how different color box’s appears
matching the cell reference you input
into your formula
3. =(B4+C4+D4+E4)/4
a. Simple mathematics will come into play
as this time we need to put parenthesis
( )’s around the cell references to sum
into one number before dividing by four
(the number of quizzes)
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 4. Tap the Enter (return) key
a. Always use this key when you are
finished working within the Formula Bar
iv.The result
1. Click on cell F4
2. In the foreground (the cell) you will see 95,
and this is what would print
3. In the background (the Formula Bar) you will
see the formula and this does not print

11. Functions
a. What are these?
Prewritten formulas that take a value or values,
perform an operation, and return a value. Use
functions to simplify and shorten formulas on a
worksheet, especially those that perform lengthy or
complex calculations. It is best to create and edit
your functions in the Formula Bar
b. Create a function to calculate the Quiz Avg.
i. Select cell F4 and delete the current contents
ii.On the Formula Bar, locate and click on the fx
(Insert Function) button
iii.In the new window
1. You can search for a function by typing a brief
description of what you want to do and then
click Go
2. Or, select a function Category
a. Select Statistical
3. Then, choose which function you want to use
and click OK
a. Select AVERAGE
iv.In the new window: Function Arguments
1. To the right of Number 1: you should see
B4:E4
a. This means you will average the contents
of the cells B4 through E4
2. Click the OK button in the bottom right
v.You new function, =AVERAGE(B4:E4) appears in
the Formula Bar
c. Use the Fill Handle to use the same function to calculate
the other student’s quiz averages
i. Select the cell that has the function
ii.Move your mouse pointer to the bottom right of the
cell, with the Fill Handle click and drag down from
F4 to F8

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 d. Excel will display an error when you divide by 0 (zero) or
empty cells
i. Error message: #DIV/0!
e. One the Ribbon
i. On the Ribbon, select the Formulas tab > in the
Function Library group
1. Function shortcuts and functions listed by
group

12. Relative cell reference

a. What is this?
In a formula, the address of a cell based on the
relative position of the cell that contains the formula
and the cell referred to. If you copy the formula, the
reference automatically adjusts
b. The current cell references used to calculate our
students average is a relative cell reference
i. Using the Fill Handle replicates the function and
uses a relative cell references so as to use the next
student’s scores to calculate their average
1. =AVERAGE(B4:E4), =AVERAGE(B5:E5), and
so on…
c. Class challenge
i. Try to calculate the average for each quiz from cells
B8 to E8
ii.Have them follow the same process using the
Average function and the Fill Handle
d. Show how formulas using cell references will adjust the
result when data changes
i. Change Kristine’s Quiz 1 score from a 98 to a 0
ii.The following changes
1. Her Quiz Avg. in cell E4
2. The Average score for Quiz 1 in cell B8
iii.Now change it back to a 98
e. Continue inputting data into Sheet 1 of yourname.xlsx
i. Enter the Exam scores for each student
1. For cell G4 input, 97
2. For cell G5 input, 82
3. For cell G6 input, 80
4. For cell G7 input, 44
ii.Demonstrate how to use the Fill Handle to calculate
the Exam average
1. Select, click, and drag cell F8 to G8

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13. Resize columns and rows
a. What is?
Sometimes data is too large not allowing you to view
it, or so small that it would be best to resize the
space. To provide the amount of space you need for
your data simply resize the columns and rows
b. Resizing columns and rows
i. This is done the same way for both columns and
rows
ii.Resize a column
1. Resize to exact measurement
a. Move your mouse pointer in between
column letter ID’s H and I until you see
you pointer turn into two black arrows
pointing left and right
b. Click and drag left of right to resize
2. Resize to fit the contents of one column
a. Move your mouse pointer in between
column letter ID’s G and H until you see
you pointer turn into two black arrows
pointing left and right
b. Double click
3. Resize to fit the column contents of the entire
worksheet
a. Move your mouse pointer to a button
where the column and row ID’s intersect
(toward the top left of your worksheet)
b. Click once to select the entire
worksheet
4. On the Ribbon, select the Home tab > in the
Cells group > click Format > AutoFit
Column Width
a. All columns will adjust to fit the contents

14. Formatting Text

a. What is this?
Formatted text has control codes indicating the
fonts, bold or italic type, margins, indents, columns,
tabs, headers and footers, and other attributes
b. Merge & Center
i. Select cells A1 through H1
ii.On the Ribbon, select the Home tab > in the
Alignment group > click Merge & Center

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 1. All selected cells are now merged and the data
in the first cell is centered
2. To unmerge the cells simply follow the same
process
c. Resize text
i. Select, History 101
1. On the Ribbon, select the Home tab > in the

Font group > click A or A

2. On the Ribbon, select the Home tab > in the
Font group > click on the down arrow to open
a menu of different sizes, then hover over
some of the sizes and watch how the text in
the document changes
ii.This process works if you select any letter, number,
word, sentence, cell, or cell range in your worksheet
d. Basic style changes
i. On the Ribbon, select the Home tab > in the Font
group > Hover over:
1. B for Bold
2. I for italics
3. U for Underline
a. There is also a dropdown menu for more
underline options
e. Background color
i. Select the cells from B3 to E3
1. On the Ribbon, select the Home tab > in the
Font group > click Fill Color (down arrow for
dropdown menu)
a. Choose Orange, Accent 6

15. Format Painter

a. What is it?
This tool gives you the ability to sample a format
somewhere in your document and then apply it
somewhere else
b. Format a cell using the Format Painter
i. Select any cell from B3 to E3
1. On the Ribbon, select the Home tab > in the
Clipboard group > click Format Painter
2. Select cell G3
3. The formatting of the cell has changed and the
Format Painter will be inactive until you
select it again
4. Note: if you double-click the Format Painter
button in the Ribbon then you can keep that
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 tool active and apply the formatting to multiple
areas within you document

16. Absolute cell reference

a. What is it?
In a formula, the exact address of a cell, regardless
of the position of the cell that contains the formula
b. Create two absolute values for reference
i. Continue inputting data into Sheet 1 of
yourname.xlsx
1. In cell A10 type, Quiz Weight
2. In cell A11 type, Exam Weight
3. Merge cells A10 & B10
4. Merge cells A11 & B11
5. Format cells C10 & C11 using category
Percentage with decimals: 0
6. In cell C10 type, 40
7. In cell C11 type, 60
c. Create a formula using an absolute cell reference
i. Select cell H4
ii.Click inside the Formula Bar
iii.Type:
1. =F4*C10+G4*C11
2. Tap the Enter (return) key
iv.Use the Fill Handle to carry the formula from
1. Select cell H4
2. Click and drag using the Fill Handle from cell
H4 to H8
3. Notice how the results do not match their
previous grades
4. Explain again how a relative cell reference
works
v.Use the $ to make the reference absolute
1. Select cell H4
2. Click inside the formula bar
3. Change the formula to
a. =F4*$C$10+G4*$C$11
b. Tap the Enter (return) key
4. Use the Fill Handle to carry the formula from
a. Select cell H4
b. Click and drag using the Fill Handle
from cell H4 to H8
5. Notice how the results do match their previous
grades

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17. Printing basics
a. What is this?
Printing is simply that, printing all or part of your
spreadsheet on a hard copy like letter sized paper
b. Always save your workbook first, Ctrl+S
c. Select, Office Button > Print > Print Preview
d. Click on the page to Zoom in or out
e. Review the Ribbon as it has many options in Print
Preview
f. If you were satisfied with the way it would print then you
would select Print or if you wanted to continue to edit the
worksheet then you would select the Close Print Preview
button

18. Open floor for Q&A

19. Next week - Excel II – Intermediate Topics

a. Fonts, Quick Access, Headers and Footers, more Functions,
Grouping, Macros, Buttons, Vlookup, and much more!

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