Part II:

Excel 101

Basic Excel Handbook Page 8

Excel Window Overview

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program written and distributed by Microsoft for computers using
the Microsoft Windows operating system and for Apple Macintosh computers. It features an intuitive
interface and capable calculation and graphing tools. It is used to analyze business, personal, or
financial data and create reports in a table format consisting of rows and columns.
1. Title Bar
2. Menu Bar
3. Standard Toolbar
4. Formatting Toolbar

7. Active Cell
5. Vertical Scroll Bar

8. Sheet Tabs

6. Horizontal Scroll Bar

9. Tab Scrolling
Buttons

10. Status Bar

Item
1

2
3&4

5&6

7
8
9
10

Description
Title Bar shows the name of the application, document, group, directory or file. If more than
one window is open, the title bar for the active window (the one in which you are working) has
a color or intensity different from other title bars.
Menu Bar contains the available menus from which you can choose commands.
Standard & Formatting Toolbar provide a quick method of working with various parts of the
worksheet. Toolbars can be customized and multiple toolbars can be displayed at the same
time.
Vertical & Horizontal Scroll Bars enable you to move through a spreadsheet when the entire
spreadsheet does not fit in the window or the allotted space. Click the scroll arrows with the
mouse to move through the spreadsheet or to see one line at a time.
Active Cell has a black border that appears around it.
Sheet Tabs are located at the bottom of the Excel window and allow you to change between
worksheets.
Tab Scrolling Buttons are used to display a particular worksheet tab.
Status Bar displays page number and progress of your print job.

Basic Excel Handbook y Page 9

What is a Cell?
A worksheet contains rows and columns that intersect to form cells. A black border appears around
the active cell. The name box, located on the left side of the Formula bar, displays the cell
reference (also known as the address) of the active cell (its column letter and row number).

Name Box
Excel highlights its column label (above
the worksheet) and row number (to the
left of the worksheet).

Active Cell

Basic Excel Handbook Page 10

What Is A Column and A Row?

A column in Excel is a vertical arrangement of data, and a row in Excel is a horizontal arrangement
of data.
There are 256 columns and 65,536 rows available in a worksheet, but you dont need to fill the
entire worksheet in order to use itjust type data into the cells you need.

Columns have alpha names. Excel highlights

its column label (above the worksheet).

Rows have numeric names.

Excel highlights its row number
(to the left of the worksheet).

Basic Excel Handbook Page 11

Insert a Column
You can insert or delete columns or rows when necessary to change the arrangement of the data on
the worksheet.
When you insert column(s) into a worksheet, existing columns shift their position to the right.
For example, if you select column C and then insert a column, the data that was in column C is
shifted to the right and becomes column D.
Follow the steps below to Insert a Column.

Complete Steps A-B as shown below.

Click anywhere in Column C.

From the Insert menu, choose Column.

Note the data that was in Column C is

shifted to the right and becomes
Column D.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 12

Delete a Column
When you delete a column, existing columns shift their positions to close the gap. Any existing
columns you select for deletion is erased. Data in existing columns is shifted back to the left to fill
the gap left by the deleted columns.
Follow the steps below to Delete a Column.

Complete Steps A-B as shown below.

A
B

Click the column you wish to

delete, in this case, Column C.

From the Edit menu, choose

Delete.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 13

Note Column D shifted

to the left to close the
gap.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 14

Insert a Row
When you insert rows into a worksheet, existing rows shift their position down.
For example, if you select row 3 and then insert a row, the data that was in row 3 is shifted down
and becomes row 4.

Follow the steps below to Insert a Row.

Complete Steps A-B as shown below.

Click in Cell A3.

From the Insert

menu, choose
Rows.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 15

Delete A Row?
When you delete a row, existing rows shift their positions to close the gap. Any existing rows you
select for deletion are erased. Data in existing rows is shifted up to fill the gap left by the deleted
rows.

Follow the steps below to Delete a Row.

Complete Steps A-B as shown below.

Click on the row you desire

to delete.

The cursor can be position anywhere on the

row you desire to delete.

From the Edit menu, choose

Delete.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 16

Note Row 6 moved up to

Row 5.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 17

Delete Multiple Rows?

Select the first line to be deleted, then press the Shift key and choose the last row to be deleted.
From the Edit menu you will choose Delete. Deleting multiple rows will save time.

Follow the step below to Delete Multiple Rows.

Complete Steps AC as shown below.

Click on the first numbered row you

desire to delete.

Press the Shift key and click on the last

numbered row you wish to delete.

From the Edit menu, choose Delete.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 18

Move Data Using Drag & Drop?

You can move data by the drag-and-drop feature. The drag-and-drop feature allows you to use the
mouse to copy or move a range of cells simply by dragging them. The drag-and-drop process works
like this: (1) select the range of cells to be moved, (2) click anywhere on the border surrounding the
range, (3) drag the data to a different location, (4) release the mouse button at your desired
location and the information is dropped there.

Follow the steps below to move data using the Drag-and-Drop Feature.
Complete Steps A-B as shown below.

Click and drag to

highlight the range of
cells you desire to
move.

Moving formulas may affect the formulas.

Check the formulas to be sure they are
correct.

You can use the sides, top

or bottom of the border to
move data.

Click anywhere on the border, and drag

to cell D18 (or desired location).

This light border is

displayed where data will
be dropped (cells D18D24).

Basic Excel Handbook Page 19

After the data in cells A8-A14

is dropped in cells D18-D24,
the column needs to be resized
(see page 37).

Basic Excel Handbook Page 20

Part III:
Making Your Report
Beautiful

Basic Excel Handbook Page 21

Select Fonts and Sizes

A font is a set of characters with a specific design and name. The font size of a set of characters is
based on its average height in points in Excel. One point is equal to 1/72 of an inch. By default,
data appears in Arial 10-point font.

Follow the steps below to generate different Font Styles and Font Sizes.
Complete Steps AB as shown below.

You can apply special

effectssuch as bold, italics,
or underlineto any font you
select.

From the Formatting toolbar, click on the

drop-down arrow to the right of the Font
box to choose the Font style.

From the Formatting toolbar,

click on the drop down arrow
to the right of the Font size
box to choose the Font size.

The Font sizes range from size 872. You

can also type any size you want.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 22

Color Fonts
You may want to change more than just the font style and font size: you may want to change the
font color.

Follow the step below to change the Font Color.

Complete Step A as shown below.

From the Formatting

toolbar, click the Font
color button and choose
your desired
color.

Highlight the data you

wish to color, and then
choose your desired
color.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 23

Shade or Put Patterns In Cell(s)

To focus attention on particular areas of the worksheet, such as the column or row labels or
important totals, fill the cell background with color and/or a pattern.

Follow the steps below to provide Shading or Patterns in a Cell.

Complete Steps A-F. Steps AD are shown below. Steps EF are shown on the following pages.
Click and move
the mouse over
the cells you wish
to color.

From the Formatting toolbar,

choose Cells.

In the Format Cells dialog box,

click the Patterns tab, and
then choose your desired color.

You can choose from a wider

variety of color fills in the
Format Cells dialog box.

In the Patterns tab, click the

Pattern drop-down arrow to
access patterns.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 24

Choose your desired Pattern.

Click OK.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 25

Note the filled cells, and the

Fill Color button has the
corresponding selected color.

Cells with shading and a pattern.

From the Formatting toolbar you can also

add color to a cell using the Fill Color
button.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 26

Print Gridlines
Gridlines mark the cell borders. The Sheet tab of the Page Setup dialog box provides an option for
printing gridlines with your data. You can also print your worksheet in black and white (even if it
includes color fills or graphics).

Follow the steps below to print Gridlines.

Complete Steps A-D. Step A is shown below. Steps BD are as shown on the following pages.

A
From the File menu, choose
Page Setup.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 27

From the Page Setup dialog

box, click the Sheet tab.

In the Print options click

Gridlines.

Click OK.

The next time you print the gridlines

will appear.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 28

Create Borders
By default, Excel applies a -pt. black solid line border around all table cells. Use the Borders
toolbar button to change the borders of table cells. You can select borders before you draw new
cells or apply them to selected cells.

Follow the steps below to Apply a Border.

Complete Steps A-F. Steps AB are shown below. Steps CF are shown on the following pages.
From the Formatting toolbar,
click the Borders button dropdown arrow to access the
Draw Borders toolbar.

Click the Draw Borders

toolbar.

The Draw Borders toolbar displays after

Step B.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 29

Click the Font drop-down arrow to

display the different styles and
thicknesses of lines.

Choose the line style you desire.

Click on the Erase button and the Line
Color button to turn on and off (like you
would a light switch).

From the Borders toolbar, click

the Erase button, then click the
line(s) you wish to delete.

From the Borders toolbar, click

the Line Color button, then choose
the colors(s) you desire.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 30

Delete a Border
The Draw Borders toolbar also contains the erase borders button. There are times you will want to
change the border styles or completely delete a border.

Follow the steps below to Delete a Border.

Complete Steps AC as shown below.

Highlight the table of cells that

have a border.

In the Formatting
toolbar, click the
Borders drop-down
arrow.

Choose the of the Erase option.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 31

Merge & Center Cells

The Merge and Center button is used to center information across a select range of cells. Typically,
the Merge and Center button is used to center the title on a worksheet.

Follow the steps below to Merge and Center Cells.

Complete Steps A-B as shown below.

Drag across the cell with

entry and adjacent cells
to select them.

From the Formatting toolbar, click

the Merge & Center button.

To unmerge the cells (and create

separate cells again), click the Merge &
Center button on the Formatting toolbar
to turn it off.

Data is centered within the selected range. You can also left-or
right-align data within the merged cell by clicking the Align Left or
Align Right buttons on the Formatting toolbar.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 32

Wrap Text
If you want text to appear on multiple lines in a cell, you can format the cell so that text wraps
automatically or you can enter a manual line break.

Follow the steps below to Text Wrap.

Complete Steps A-E. Steps AB are shown below. Steps CE are shown on the following pages.

Select text to appear on

multiple lines in a cell.

From the Format menu, choose Cells.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 33

In the Format Cells dialog box,

click the Alignment tab.

Under the Text control, click

Wrap text.

Click OK.

Note the result of

Wrap text.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 34

Vertical Text
Many times the label at the top of a column is much wider than the data stored in it. You can use the
Wrap text option (Format menu > Cells command > Alignment tab) to make a multiple-word label
narrower, but sometimes that's not enough. Vertical text is an option, but it can be difficult to read
and takes a lot of vertical space. You may want to try using rotated text and cell borders instead, as
shown in the following picture.

Follow the steps below to create Vertical Text.

Complete Steps AE. Steps AB are shown below. Steps CE are shown on the following pages.
Highlight text.

From the Format menu, choose

Cells.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 35

In the Format Cells dialog

box, click the Alignment
tab.

Under Orientation,
choose the degree of
orientation.

Click OK.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 36

Resize Columns
There are two ways to resize a column. To resize or change the width of a column, you can use the
Mouse or the Menu. On a worksheet, you can specify a column width of 0 (zero) to 255. This value
represents the number of characters that can be displayed in a cell that is formatted with the
standard font.
The standard font is the default text font for worksheets. The standard font determines the default
font for the Normal cell style. If the column width is set to 0, the column is hidden.

Follow the step below to Resize Columns Using the Mouse.

Complete Step A as shown below.

Position the cursor on the line

that separates Column A from
Column B, and then double
click.

You can also click and drag with the

mouse to customize the size of the
column.
Note the cell A1 cannot accommodate
the large of alpha data, and there is a
need to resize the cell.

The display in Cells A2 and A3 indicate there is more

numeric data than the cell can accommodate and the
cells should be resized.

Note the display after the

column width has been
resized.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 37

Part IV:
Saving Money and
Working Smart

Basic Excel Handbook Page 38

Cumulative Fall and Spring Grade Point

Averages Using the Average Function
A formula is a worksheet instruction that performs a calculation. The Average Function is used to find
the Fall and Spring grade point averages. The Average Function adds the grades in the Fall or Spring
grading period and divides by the number of grading periods.

Follow the steps below to find the Cumulative Fall and Spring Grade Point Averages.
Complete Steps AI. Steps AD are shown below. Steps EJ are shown on the following pages.

Click the Function (fx) button.

Click in the cell where the
Average formula will display. In
this example Cell G1.

Select the Average function

from the Insert Function dialog
box.

Click OK.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 39

Click and drag to

highlight the cells that
need to be averaged. In
this example click on
Cells D1 F1.

Note the Average formula displays in

both Cell G1 and the Functions
Arguments Average Number1.

Click on the blue

Function Arguments
title bar and drag the
Function Arguments
dialog box down so that
you can access the data
that needs to be
averaged.

The colon (:) represents through.

For example D1:F1 means Cells D1
through F1 are highlighted.

Click OK or press Enter.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 40

Important: It is important that the formula is always placed in the FIRST ROW in order to copy the
formula to all the cells in the desired column. Do not be alarmed that Cell G1 appears to have an error
message, #DIV/0!, displayed. This message occurs because the Header Rows that contain both alpha
and numeric information have been averaged.

Highlight Column G by
clicking on G.

Click EDIT > FILL > DOWN to

copy the Average formula to
all the cells in Column G.

Do not be alarmed that Cell G1

appears to have an error message
(#DIV/0!) displayed. This message
occurs because the Header Rows that
contain both alpha and numeric
information have been averaged.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 41

Delete the #DIV/0! message in Cell G1

and type in the appropriate Header Row
title. For example Fall Cumulative
GPAs.

Note that all of the formulas have

been successfully copied to all of the
cells in Column G.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 42

Sort Alpha Data

Rows can be sorted according to the data in any column. For example, in a table of names and
addresses, rows can be sorted alphabetically by name or by city. Excel rearranges the rows in the
table but does not rearrange the columns. You can sort text in Ascending order (A-Z) or Descending
order (Z-A).

Follow the steps below to Sort Alpha Data.

Complete Steps AD. AC are shown below. Step D is shown on the following page.

From the Data menu,

choose Sort.

Click Continue with

the current
selection.

Click Sort.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 43

Column A is the column you wish

to sort by.

Click OK.

The column will sort according to

the first name that appears in the
cell.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 44

Sort Numeric Data

You can sort numeric data in Ascending order (1-100) or Descending order (100-1).

Follow the steps below to Sort Numeric Data.

Complete Steps A-D. Steps AC are shown below. Step D is shown on the following page.

From the Data menu

item, choose Sort.

B
Click Continue with the
current selection.

Click Sort.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 45

Column C, the column you wish to

sort by, is displayed here.

Click OK.

The Numeric Sort is

completed, and Column C
displays the numeric data in
Ascending order.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 46

Insert Date at the Top of Worksheet

When you want to repeat the same information at the top of each page, create a header. You can
select a pre-designed header from those listed, or create customized ones. A customized header is
separated into three sections: Left (text is left aligned), Center (text is center aligned), and Right
(text is right aligned).
Flip open a novel and look at the facing pages. Most likely, at the top of one page you'll see the
author's name and at the top of the other page you'll see the book title. At the bottom will be
consecutive page numbers. These details are in the document's headers and footers.
Headers and footers in Excel have many benefits, one of the major ones being automatic
renumbering of pages if you add or delete content in your document.

Follow the steps below to create a Header.

Complete Steps AF. Step A is shown below. Steps BF are shown on the following pages.

From the File menu, choose

Page Setup.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 47

B
From the Page Setup dialog
box, click the Header/Footer
tab.

In the Header/Footer tab, click

Custom Header.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 48

In the Custom Header dialog

box, choose the Left section
and click the Date button.

You also have the option to

position the date at the Center
section or Right section.

In the Header/Footer tab, the

Header displays the date.

Click Print Preview.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 49

Print Preview displays the

header on the worksheet.

Click Print.

Note all the options in Print

Preview: Zoom, Print, Setup,
Margins, Page Break Preview,
Close and Help.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 50

Insert Page Number at the Bottom Page

When you want to repeat the same information at the bottom of each page, create a footer. You
can select a pre-designed header from those listed or create customized ones. A customized header
is separated into three sections: Left (text is left aligned), Center (text is center aligned), and Right
(text is right aligned).

Follow the steps below to create a Footer.

Complete Steps AH. Step A is shown below. Steps BH are shown on the following pages.

From the File

menu, choose Page
Setup.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 51

In the Page Setup dialog box,

click the Header/Footer tab.

Click the Custom

Footer button.

Click OK.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 52

In the Footer dialog box,

click in the Left section
and choose the Page
button.

You can choose other buttons

(date, time, file path, filename, or
tab name), or to locate the data in
the Center section or Right
section.

Click OK.

Click Print Preview.

In the Header/Footer
tab of the Page Setup
dialog box, the Footer
displays the Footer page
number (1).

Basic Excel Handbook Page 53

Click Print.

Note all the options in Print

Preview: Zoom, Print, Setup,
Margins, Page Break Preview,
Close and Help.

Print Preview displays the Footer page

number at the bottom of this page.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 54

Print the Top Row on Each Page

It is important to have the labels for the worksheet to carry over to other worksheets so that the
data makes sense.

Follow the steps below to Print To the Top Row on Each Page.

Complete Steps AF. Step A is shown below. Steps BF are shown on the following pages.

From the File menu,

choose Page Setup.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 55

In Print titles, click Rows to

repeat at top.

In the Page Setup dialog box,

click the Sheet tab.

Click the row you choose to

print on the top of each page
and press the Enter key.

Note the Page Setup Rows to repeat at top toolbar

displays after clicking the row to appear at the top of
each page.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 56

Click OK.

From the File

menu, click
Print Preview.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 57

Page 1

Page 2

The Print Preview displays the Column

Headings on all pages after completing Steps
AF.

The Print Preview displays the Column

Headings on all pages after completing Steps
AF.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 58

From the PageSetup dialog

box, click Page tab.

In the Page tab, click the

Landscape Orientation.

In the Page tab, click Print

Preview.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 60

In the Print Preview, you have the following options: see the next page
of the worksheet (Next), enlarge the view of the worksheet (Zoom),
Print, access Page Setup (Setup), change margins (Margins), adjust
where the page breaks are by clicking and dragging with your mouse
(Page Break Preview), Close, or Help.

Portrait
Orientation
(vertical) printout.

Click Print.

Landscape
Orientation
(horizontal)
printout.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 61

Print the Worksheet on One Page

Overview: To scale data, reduce or enlarge information, use the Adjust to % normal size option on
the Page Setup dialog box from the Page Setup or Print Preview commands on the File menu. Use
the Fit to pages option to compress worksheet data to fill a specific number of pages.

Follow the steps below to Reduce Data To One Page.

Complete Steps AE. Step A is shown below. Steps BE are on the following pages.

From the File menu, choose

Page Setup.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 62

In the Page Setup dialog box,

click the Page tab.

You may also want to change the page

Orientation from Portrait (vertical) to
Landscape (horizontal).

In the Scaling option, Adjust to

50%, rather than the default
100% normal size setting.

50

Click Print Preview.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 63

Before scaling the data, only Columns A-G

would fit on a page.

After reducing the data, there are more

columns included on the worksheet
printout (Columns A-N)

Click Print.

Basic Excel Handbook Page 64

Preview Worksheet Without Printing

Why use Print Preview before printing my worksheet? Print Preview permits you to view the output
before you print, and the use of this feature will save ink and paper.

Follow the step below to Preview You Worksheet(s).

Complete Step A as shown below.

In the Formatting toolbar,

click the Print Preview
button.

Basic Excel Page 65

In the Print Preview, you have the following options: see the next
page of the worksheet (Next), enlarge the view of the worksheet
(Zoom), Print, access Page Setup (Setup), change margins (Margins),
adjust where the page breaks are by clicking and dragging with your
mouse (Page Break Preview), Close, or Help.

Basic Excel Page 66