INTRODUCTION TO MS EXCEL

SPREADSHEET
A spreadsheet or worksheet is a file made of rows and columns that help sort data,
arrange data easily, and calculate numerical data. What makes a
spreadsheet software program unique is its ability to calculate values using
mathematical formulas and the data in cells.

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, mac OS, Android
and iOS. It features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macro programming
language called Visual Basic for Applications.

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FEATURES OF MS-EXCEL
 You Can Insert a New Worksheets at Will
 Time Saving Shortcut Keys

 Get Quick Sum of Numbers

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 CREATING A WORKSHEET
WORKSHEET
A worksheet is a collection of cells where you keep and manipulate the data.
Each Excel workbook can contain multiple worksheets.

Step 1: Open MS Excel.

Step 2: Go to Menu and select New >> Click on the Blank workbook to create a simple
worksheet.

OR – Press Ctrl + N: To create a new spreadsheet.

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Step 3: By default, Sheet 1 will be created as a worksheet in the spreadsheet. The

spreadsheet’s name will be Book 1 if you open it for the first time.

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 FILTERING THE DATA
Filter your Excel data if you only want to display records that meet certain criteria.
Step1. Click any single cell inside a data set.

Step 2. On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Filter.

Arrows in the column headers appear.

Step 3. Click the arrow next to Country.

Step 4. Click on Select All to clear all the check boxes, and click the check box next to
USA.

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Step 5. Click OK.

Result. Excel only displays the sales in the USA.

Step 6. Click the arrow next to Quarter.

Step 7. Click on Select All to clear all the check boxes, and click the check box next to
Qtr 4.

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Step 8. Click OK.

Result. Excel only displays the sales in the USA in Qtr 4.

Step To remove the filter, on the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Clear. To
remove the filter and the arrows, click Filter.

There's a quicker way to filter Excel data.

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Step 10. Select a cell.

Step 11. Right click, and then click Filter, Filter by Selected Cell's Value.

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Result. Excel only displays the sales in the USA.

Note: simply select another cell in another column to further filter this data set.

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 CREATING A BASIC FORMULA IN EXCEL
Formulas are the backbone of Excel analysis and financial models. At Training The
Street, we are big believers in keeping formulas as clean and simple as possible, but
sometimes formulas can become longer if there are cell references to other sheets /
files or if the task is more complex.

It’s important to be efficient in creating formulas in Excel. Otherwise, the work can
become long and feel tedious. Here are some tips for creating basic formulas:

1. Always start with an = sign. This is how Excel knows you are about to type a formula.
2. When linking various cells in your formula, NEVER manually type the cell reference (ie.
C12 or Sheet1!B3) – even if the formula is a simple link to another cell. Manually typing
in cell references is tedious and creates a high likelihood of making a mistake.
3. Instead, use either the keyboard (preferable) or the mouse to select the cells that you
want to reference.
4. Always hit the Enter key to finish your formula.
Step 1 .In the destination cell, type an = sign

Step 2.Hit the ↑ twice or click with the mouse on cell C3

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Step 3.Type a “–” sign

Step 4.Hit the ↑ once or click with the mouse on cell C4

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Step 5 .Hit the Enter key to finish

If you enjoyed reading this article and want to improve your Excel Skills further, then
why not try our Excel Best Practices for PC Self-Study Course. You can also browse
our other range of Self-Study Courses here

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Training The Street also offers a more advanced In-Person/Virtual Public Course
called, Applied Excel. Where you can gain the skills needed for parsing, analyzing, and
presenting information from large data sets

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 VLOOK UP

The VLOOKUP (Vertical lookup) function looks for a value in the leftmost column of a
table, and then returns a value in the same row from another column you specify.

Step1. Insert the VLOOKUP function shown below.

Explanation: the VLOOKUP function looks for the ID (104) in the leftmost column of the
range $E$4:$G$7 and returns the value in the same row from the third column (third
argument is set to 3). The fourth argument is set to FALSE to return an exact match or a
#N/A error if not found.

Step2. Drag the VLOOKUP function in cell B2 down to cell B11.

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Note: when we drag the VLOOKUP function down, the absolute reference ($E$4:$G$7)
stays the same, while the relative reference (A2) changes to A3, A4, A5, etc. Visit our
page about the VLOOKUP function for much more information and many examples.

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 WORKING WITH MULTIPLE SHEET

Every workbook contains at least one worksheet by default. When working with a large
amount of data, you can create multiple worksheets to help organize your workbook
and make it easier to find content. You can also group worksheets to quickly add
information to multiple worksheets at the same time.

To insert a new worksheet

Step1.Locate and select the New sheet button near the bottom-right corner of
the Excel window.

Step2.A new blank worksheet will appear.

By default, any new workbook you create in Excel will contain one worksheet,
called Sheet1. To change the default number of worksheets, navigate to Backstage

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view, click Options, then choose the desired number of worksheets to include in each
new workbook.

To copy a worksheet:

If you need to duplicate the content of one worksheet to another, Excel allows you
to copy an existing worksheet.

Step1.Right-click the worksheet you want to copy, then select Move or

Copy from the worksheet menu.

Step2.The Move or Copy dialog box will appear. Choose where the sheet will
appear in the Before sheet: field. In our example, we'll choose (move to end) to
place the worksheet to the right of the existing worksheet.

Step3.Check the box next to Create a copy, then click OK.

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To rename a worksheet:
Step 1.Right-click the worksheet you want to rename, then
select Rename from the worksheet menu.

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 Step2.Type the desired name for the worksheet.
Step3.Click anywhere outside the worksheet tab, or press Enter on your
keyboard. The worksheet will be renamed.

To move a worksheet:
Step1.Click and drag the worksheet you want to move until a small black
arrow appears above the desired location.

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 Step2,.Release the mouse. The worksheet will be moved.

To change the worksheet tab color:

Step1.Right-click the desired worksheet tab, and hover the mouse over Tab
Color. The Color menu will appear.
Step2.Select the desired color.

Step3.The worksheet tab color will be changed.

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The worksheet tab color is considerably less noticeable when the worksheet is
selected. Select another worksheet to see how the color will appear when the
worksheet is not selected.

To delete a worksheet:
Step1.Right-click the worksheet you want to delete, then select Delete from
the worksheet menu.

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Step2.The worksheet will be deleted from your workbook.

If you want to prevent specific worksheets from being edited or deleted, you
can protect them by right-clicking the desired worksheet and selecting Protect
Sheet from the worksheet menu.

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Switching between worksheets

If you want to view a different worksheet, you can simply click the tab to switch to that
worksheet. However, with larger workbooks this can sometimes become tedious, as it
may require scrolling through all of the tabs to find the one you want. Instead, you can
simply right-click the scroll arrows in the lower-left corner, as shown below.

A dialog box will appear with a list of all of the sheets in your workbook. You can
then double-click the sheet you want to jump to.

Watch the video below to see this shortcut in action.

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 CREATING AND MANAGING CHARTS

Step 1 - Enter data into Excel

Chances are, you’re not creating a chart just for the sake of creating a chart. Your data is
probably already entered in a tabular format on an Excel worksheet, and you want to
highlight some aspect of that data.
The most important task at this stage is to check the validity and accuracy of your data.
This includes data headings, as they will be used to automatically generate labels for your
chart.

Step 2 - Decide what story you want to tell

This may seem like a given, but doing this step will directly affect the type of chart you
choose. Your story might be about changes over time. Or perhaps you’re comparing
variables. Another important factor is whether or not your audience is familiar with the
subject. How well will they be able to read and understand the message you are trying to
convey with your chart without relying on your words?
Don’t make the mistake of trying to impress people with your Excel knowledge but fail to
add value. Your chart should enhance, not detract from, your message. A good chart
requires little explanation.

Step 3 - Highlight your data and 'Insert' your desired chart

Whenever you’re selecting cells to be used as source data, there may be instances
where your data is non-contiguous. Remember, Excel puts (or tries to put) everything
that’s highlighted on your chart. So select only what you need by holding down the
Control key between selections.

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Pick a chart from the Insert tab. With its Recommended Charts option, Excel takes the
guesswork out of choosing a graph. Excel determines this by looking at your data
selection and offering a preview of what your data will look like with each recommended
option. This is a good starting point if you don’t know what type of chart options work best
with your data.

Step 3b - Customize chart elements (optional)

To edit any chart element within Excel, you must select the chart. Two contextual menu
sets will appear next to the other ribbon tabs - Design and Format.
From the Design tab, you can add or remove specific elements (e.g., a legend, axis titles,
data labels) by using the Add Chart Element menu item. Each element has an arrow
that expands into more specific options, like choosing where and how you want the data
values to be displayed.

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 Alternativ
ely, click on the green plus sign to add chart elements individually.

You may find it more convenient to use the Quick Layout menu item instead of Add
Chart Element. It offers layouts with common chart element combinations, which might
save you from having to add them one by one.

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 CREATING PIVOT TABLES

Pivot tables are one of Excel's most powerful features. A pivot table allows you to
extract the significance from a large, detailed data set.
Our data set consists of 213 records and 6 fields. Order ID, Product, Category, Amount,
Date and Country.

Insert a Pivot Table

To insert a pivot table, execute the following steps.

Step1. Click any single cell inside the data set.

Step2. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click PivotTable.

The following dialog box appears. Excel automatically selects the data for you. The
default location for a new pivot table is New Worksheet.

Step3. Click OK.

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Drag fields
The PivotTable Fields pane appears. To get the total amount exported of each product,
drag the following fields to the different areas.
Step1. Product field to the Rows area.

Step2. Amount field to the Values area.

Step3. Country field to the Filters area.

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Below you can find the pivot table. Bananas are our main export product. That's how
easy pivot tables can be!

Sort
To get Banana at the top of the list, sort the pivot table.

Step1. Click any cell inside the Sum of Amount column.

Step2. Right click and click on Sort, Sort Largest to Smallest.

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Filter
Because we added the Country field to the Filters area, we can filter this pivot table by
Country. For example, which products do we export the most to France?

Step1. Click the filter drop-down and select France.

Result. Apples are our main export product to France.

Note: you can use the standard filter (triangle next to Row Labels) to only show the
amounts of specific products.
Change Summary Calculation
By default, Excel summarizes your data by either summing or counting the items. To
change the type of calculation that you want to use, execute the following steps.

Step1. Click any cell inside the Sum of Amount column.

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Step2. Right click and click on Value Field Settings.

Step3. Choose the type of calculation you want to use. For example, click Count.

Step4. Click OK.

Result. 16 out of the 28 orders to France were 'Apple' orders.

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Two-dimensional Pivot Table
If you drag a field to the Rows area and Columns area, you can create a two-
dimensional pivot table. First, insert a pivot table. Next, to get the total amount exported
to each country, of each product, drag the following fields to the different areas.
1. Country field to the Rows area.

2. Product field to the Columns area.

3. Amount field to the Values area.

4. Category field to the Filters area.

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Below you can find the two-dimensional pivot table.

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To easily compare these numbers, create a pivot chart and apply a filter. Maybe this is
one step too far for you at this stage, but it shows you one of the many other powerful
pivot table features Excel has to offer.

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 Data Validation

Use data validation in Excel to make sure that users enter certain values into a cell.
Data Validation Example
In this example, we restrict users to enter a whole number between 0 and 10.

Create Data Validation Rule

To create the data validation rule, execute the following steps.
Step1. Select cell C2.

Step2. On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Data Validation.

On the Settings tab:

Step3. In the Allow list, click Whole number.

Step4. In the Data list, click between.

Step5. Enter the Minimum and Maximum values.

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Input Message
Input messages appear when the user selects the cell and tell the user what to enter.

On the Input Message tab:

Step1. Check 'Show input message when cell is selected'.

Step2. Enter a title.

Step3. Enter an input message.

Error Alert
If users ignore the input message and enter a number that is not valid, you can show
them an error alert.

On the Error Alert tab:

Step1. Check 'Show error alert after invalid data is entered'.

Step2. Enter a title.

Step3. Enter an error message.

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Step4. Click OK.
Data Validation Result
Step1. Select cell C2.

Step2. Try to enter a number higher than 10.

Note: to remove data validation from a cell, select the cell, on the Data tab, in the Data
Tools group, click Data Validation, and then click Clear All. You can use Excel's Go To
Special feature to quickly select all cells with data validation.

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 SUM FUNCTION
Let us look at a basic SUM excel function example to understand better how to use the
SUM formula:

The image below depicts a series of numbers 10 to 100. We will try to sum up the
numbers with the SUM function.

In the table, the data is reflected as below:

 Column B shows Numbers – 10, 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, 100
 Cell B12 calculates the sum

The steps to use SUM() Excel Function to add the given numbers are as follows:

Step1.First, we will choose the cell where we want the result to show up. Cell B12
would be the cell in this case.

Step2.Next, we will enter the SUM formula in cell B12.

Step3.Select the array which ranges from the starting cell address to the ending cell
address of the table, i.e., cell references, “B2:B11”.

=SUM(B2:B11)

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1. After entering each value in the preceding step, press the “Enter” key. The results
are shown in cell B12 as 550 in the image below.

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 PROTECTING CELLS

You can lock cells in Excel if you want to protect cells from being edited.
Lock All Cells
By default, all cells are locked. However, locking cells has no effect until you protect the
worksheet.
Step1. Select all cells.

Step2. Right click, and then click Format Cells (or press CTRL + 1).

Step3. On the Protection tab, you can verify that all cells are locked by default.

Step4. Click OK or Cancel.

Step5. Protect the sheet.

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All cells are locked now. To unprotect a worksheet, right click on the worksheet tab and
click Unprotect Sheet. The password for the downloadable Excel file is "easy".

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 GOAL SEEK

If you know the result you want from a formula, use Goal Seek in Excel to find the input
value that produces this formula result.
Goal Seek Example 1
Use Goal Seek in Excel to find the grade on the fourth exam that produces a final grade
of 70.

Step1. The formula in cell B7 calculates the final grade.

Step2. The grade on the fourth exam in cell B5 is the input cell.

Step3. On the Data tab, in the Forecast group, click What-If Analysis.

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Step4. Click Goal Seek.

The Goal Seek dialog box appears.

Step5. Select cell B7.

Step6. Click in the 'To value' box and type 70.

Step7. Click in the 'By changing cell' box and select cell B5.

Step8. Click OK.

Result. A grade of 90 on the fourth exam produces a final grade of 70.

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