CHAPTER 1 ■ BECOMING ACQUAINTED WITH EXCEL

way. Click a folder and then, if need be, click a folder within that folder as you build the path
to where you want the file to be saved. The path is the drive and folders that you must go
through to get to the file. The workbook being saved in Figure 1-4 is set to be saved in the
Documents folder. You may want to store the file directly in the My Documents folder or you
may want to create a folder under your My Documents folder and then store your files in
it. The File name is Book1.xlsx by default. You should change the name to something more
relevant to what you are working on. The File name can be changed by dragging across the
word Book1 and then typing a new name.
6. Create the path to where you want your workbook saved by clicking on the folders
in the left pane of the Save As window until you are at the location where you want
to store your files.

Figure 1-4. Save As window

7. Change the File name from Book1 to MyFirstWorkbook. Excel adds an extension of
.xlsx to the file name. Make sure the Save as type is Excel Workbook(*.xlsx).
8. Click the Save button.
9. Enter any value you want in another cell then press Enter.

10. Click the Save button located on the QAT. Since you previously saved the file, the
Save As window doesn’t appear. Excel saves the file with all the changes you made to it.
11. Close Excel by clicking the X in the upper right corner.

7
CHAPTER 1 ■ BECOMING ACQUAINTED WITH EXCEL

This exercise showed you the basics of creating a workbook. Next, you’ll practice opening the same
workbook to continue working on it.

EXERCISE 1-2: OPEN A WORKBOOK AND CREATE A NEW ONE

In this exercise, we’ll open the file we created in the last exercise, make some changes, and then save
with a new name. This will create a new workbook.
1. Start Excel.

The window in Figure 1-5 displays with the MyFirstWorkbook file you created in the previous exercise
listed in the Recent list.

Figure 1-5. Open a recently used workbook

2. Click MyFirstWorkbook. The workbook opens.

Next, we will add additional cell values to this workbook and then save it under a different name.

Create Another Workbook Under a Different Name

1. Enter any value you want in a blank cell.
2. Click the Ribbon’s File tab.
8
 CHAPTER 1 ■ BECOMING ACQUAINTED WITH EXCEL

3. In the left pane click Save As.

4. Click Browse
5. You can save this file in the same Documents folder where you saved
MyFirstWorkbook. Change the name to MySecondWorkbook and click the Save button.

You now have two separate workbooks; one named MyFirstWorkbook and another named
MySecondWorkbook. MySecondWorkbook contains the same data as MyFirstWork plus the additional
cell value you added. Next, you’ll learn about the Ribbon. This feature gives you access to the editing and
customization options that allow you to make Excel meet your exact needs.

Getting to Know the Ribbon

Starting with Office 2007, Microsoft Office quit using drop-down menus in favor of a tab design called the
Ribbon. See Figure 1-6

Figure 1-6. Illustrates the Ribbons tabs and groups

The Ribbon consists of tabs, groups, and command buttons. The default Excel Ribbon contains the following
tabs: File, Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, View, and PowerPivot. Your Ribbon may include
additional tabs depending upon your setup. Each tab is broken up into groups. The buttons are organized within
those groups. Office 2016 lets you alter the Ribbon to meet your own needs. You can create your own tabs or add
new groups within your tabs. You can place the commands you use most often in your own groups.

Ribbon Contextual Tabs

In addition to the tabs that you see when you start Excel, there are many other tabs that appear and
disappear depending on what you are working on. These are called context-sensitive tabs because they
are displayed based on the context in which you are using them. These context-sensitive tabs will appear
when you are working on such things as charts, drawings, pictures, pivot tables and pivot charts, SmartArt
graphics, header or footers, etc. Contextual tabs have an additional label that appears above the tab. The
labels have different background colors. Figure 1-7 shows the contextual Format tab that appears when you
are working with pictures. It has a label of Picture Tools above it. Figure 1-8 shows the two additional tabs
that appear when you click a chart in your worksheet: a Design tab, and a Format tab.

9
CHAPTER 1 ■ BECOMING ACQUAINTED WITH EXCEL

Figure 1-7. Additional tab displayed when an image is selected

Figure 1-8. Additional tabs displayed when a chart is selected

These additional tabs appear under a Chart Tools label. These tabs appear only as long as the object
that caused them to appear is active. Clicking off the object to something else removes the tabs.

Resizing the Ribbon

Resizing the Excel window resizes the Ribbon. As you shrink the size of the window, the buttons start to align
vertically as shown in Figure 1-9.

Figure 1-9. Buttons aligning vertically

Shrinking the size of the Ribbon further as shown in Figure 1-10 makes the buttons disappear. Clicking
an arrow in the group will make that group’s buttons display below the Ribbon.

Figure 1-10. Resized Ribbon may not show buttons

10
 CHAPTER 1 ■ BECOMING ACQUAINTED WITH EXCEL

As you work, you may need to adjust the size of the Ribbon to accommodate your working space. The
next exercise shows you how.

EXERCISE 1-3: RESIZE THE EXCEL WINDOW AND RIBBON

If you see the Restore Down button (Figure 1-11) in the upper right-hand corner of your window that
means that your window is currently at its maximum size. You can’t shrink the size of the window while
your screen is maximized.

Figure 1-11. Restore Down button

1. If the Restore Down button is displayed click it.

2. Move your cursor to the right edge of the window. The cursor will change to a
double arrow. Drag the right edge toward the left to shrink the window. As you drag
the window notice how the buttons start aligning vertically and as you drag farther
to the left the buttons in the group start disappearing.
3. Click the Maximize button (Figure 1-12)

Figure 1-12. Maximize button

Your window should now be maximized and the Ribbon should be displaying all of its command buttons.

Using Dialog Box Launchers

At the bottom right corner of some Ribbon groups are boxed arrows. See Figure 1-13. They are called dialog
box launchers. Dialog box launchers present a set of options to select from. A dialog box is a window that has
options to select from, which you must respond to before you can return to another window. It usually has
an OK button and a Cancel button.

Figure 1-13. Dialog box launchers

11