INTRODUCTION TO

COMPUTER
APPLICATIONS

CERTIFICATE IN COMPUTER APPLICATIONS STUDY

NOTES

BY BAKUNZI DANIEL (B.Sc. CS, MUK)

TEL 0774487052
 (CCA)

1.0 INTRODUCTION TO COMPUTERS AND COMPUTER SYSTEMS

1.1 Definition of computers
Computers are electronic devices (machines) which are capable of receiving data
as input and manipulating (processing) it to output it in a meaningful form as
information. Data is the raw facts input by a user (person operating a computer)
into the computer whereas Information is the processed facts output by the
computer to the user for the purpose of decision-making or record keeping.
1.2 Characteristics of computers
Speed: Computers work at very high speeds and are much faster than humans. A second
is very a large time period time for computer. A computer can perform billions of
calculations in a second. The time used by a computer to perform an operation is called
the processing speed. Computer speed is measured in Mega Hertz (MHz).
Storage: A computer can store a large amount of data permanently. User can use this
data at any time. We can store any type of data in a computer. Text, graphic, pictures,
audio and video files can be stored easily. The storage capacity of the computer is
increasing rapidly.
Processing: A computer can process the given instructions. It can perform different types
of processing like addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. It can also perform
logical functions like comparing two numbers to decide which one is the bigger etc.
Accuracy: Accuracy means to provide results without any error. Computers can process
large amount of data and generate error-free results. A modern computer performs
millions of operations in one second without any error.
Communication: Most computers today have the capability of communicating with
other computers. We can connect two or more computers by a communication device
such as modem. These computers can share data, instructions, and information. When
two or more computers are connected, they form a network.

Versatility: Computers can do computations with all kinds of data including alphabets,
pictures, sound images, voice, e.t.c.

Automation: Computers work automatically, i.e. they do not need any supervision to do
programmed routines.

Diligence: Computers are diligent i.e. they have ability to perform the same task “over
and over” without getting tired e.g. in industrial robotics, like those in Car assembly lines.

Artificial Intelligence: Computers can respond to requests given to them and provide
solutions.

1.3 Uses of computers

Computers are used in Schools/Institutions, hospitals, police stations, weather stations, airports,
cargo terminals, research centers and businesses among other places. Some of the common uses
of computers are listed below:

Research and Educational uses:

 The internet allows access to hundreds of online research materials

 Computers can be used as a teaching aid.
 Allows colleagues to correspond quickly about an ongoing research.
 Online classes.
 Doing assignments/course work, e.t.c
Entertainment use:

 Listening to music
 Watch movies and videos
 Playing games
 Reading a book/article online.
Business uses
  Computers allow companies to keep large amounts of information at hand
(databases)
 Shoping online.
 Makes ordering and tracking resources quick and easy.
 Allows people to have meetings from different locations.
 Advertising products through websites.
 Analysis of profits and loses.
Communication uses:

 Computers allow people across the world to communicate easily through e-mails,
chat rooms, sms, e.t.c.
Personal and home uses.

 Playing children’s games

 Typing letters and other documents
 Keeping a record of home earnings and expenses
 Home owners can access bank accounts through Automated Teller machines as
well as Internet.
 Home leisure activities e.g. playing music or watching videos.
1.4 The Computer systems
A computer is a machine that carries out instructions. The set of instructions,
which tell a computer to execute a series of specific tasks, is called a program. A
computer is more accurately referred to as a computer system consisting of hardware, the
physical components, and software, the programs that control it.
A computer system can be defined as a complete and working computer. It
consists of mainly: Hardware, Software, Users (people) and Data or Information.
1.4.1 Hardware
This refers to the physical tangible parts of a computer (parts you can see and touch). The major hardware
components of a computer system are:

 The Processor: This is the "brain" of the computer system. It does the fundamental
computing within the system, and directly or indirectly controls all the other components.
 The processor is sometimes called the Central Processing Unit or CPU. A particular
computer will have a particular type of processor, such as a Pentium. The CPU is made
up of three different parts: the processor/Control Unit, arithmetic logic unit (ALU) and
internal memory. The processing unit or processor controls all the other parts of the
computer. It accepts inputs and stores it in the memory and it interprets the instructions in
a computer program. The arithmetic logic unit (ALU) performs various operations, such
as addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, as well as others. The processor and the
ALU use a small amount of the internal memory; most data are stored in external
memory devices using hard or floppy disk drives that are attached to the processor.
 Main memory: Main memory is where programs and data are kept when the processor is
actively using them. When programs and data become active, they are copied from secondary
memory into main memory where the processor can interact with them. A copy remains in
secondary memory. Main memory is intimately connected to the processor, so moving
instructions from the program and data into and out of the processor is very fast. Main memory
is sometimes called RAM (Random Access Memory).
 Secondary memory/Storage devices: This is where programs and data are kept on a
long-term basis. Common secondary storage devices are the hard disk, floppy disks,
flash disks, Compact discs, Magnetic tapes, e.t.c.
 Input devices: An input device is used to bring data into the system. Some input
devices include:

 Keyboard
 Mouse
 Microphone
 Bar code reader
 Graphics tablet
 Scanner,
 Trackballs
 Light pen
 Joysticks
 Touch screen
  Output devices: An output device is used to send data out of the system. Some output
devices are:

 Monitor
 Printer
 Speaker
 Projector
 Plotter

Note: Input and output devices allow the computer system to interact with the outside world by moving
data into and out of the system. Input/output devices are usually called I/O devices. They are directly
connected to an electronic module inside the systems unit called a device controller.

1.4.2 Software
This refers to programs/instructions that tell the computer what to do. Software is subdivided into System
and Application Software.

System software refers to those programs that monitor, control and coordinate the operations of the
computer hardware. They are an interface between the hardware, the Application software and the User
and works as a supervisor or executive manager of all activities taking place in a computer. The basic
example of system software is an Operating System (OS) for example windows, Unix, Linux, Macintosh
among others. Windows is the most common operating system and is in many versions ranging from
Windows 95, 98, 2000, Millennium Edition, Windows NT, Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Application Software refers to those programs written to satisfy a specific user requirement. These are
commonly called packages for example word processors like Microsoft Word, spreadsheets like
Microsoft Excel, and DTP (desktop publishing) packages like Adobe PageMaker among others.

1.4.3 Data and information.

Data is a collection of raw and unprocessed facts, figures, numbers, characters, images and symbols.

Information is data that is organized, meaningful and useful. The process of transforming data (facts) into
information is called data processing.

1.4.4 People/ users

A User is any person skilled in operating a computer. They include medical personnel, programmers,
managers, teachers, students, research officers, soldiers, I.T. trainers among others.
 1.5 Booting a computer system
When a computer is started up, the hardware will automatically load the operating system and
start it running. This process is called booting. It can be of the two forms
The Basic Input Output System (BIOS) is the program that gets run when a computer is first
turned on. It is responsible for putting all the messages up on the screen before the Microsoft
windows Logo comes up. It is responsible for checking that the components of the computer
such as disk drives, hard disk drives e.t.c. are working and then for finding and loading the
operating system.
1.5.1 Warm booting:
This is restarting a computer that is already turned on via the Operating system. It is necessary
when a program encounters an error (CTRL +ALT+DEL).
1.5.2 Cold boot:
Turning on a computer from a powered-down/off state.
Note: Before you start the system, ensure that the major components, i.e. keyboard, mouse, monitor are
connected to the system unit.

Key Board:

Monitor:

Mouse:
System unit:

1.6 The windows Desktop

The Windows operating system screen is called a desktop. It consists of the following
elements.
Task bar – This lists currently open windows and the start button.
Icons- Images used to represent information within the computer. They can represent
short cuts, folders, or an application.
Shortcuts- These provide easy access to an application.
Background - The screen provides an access interface to computer applications.
Start button- An ever present button at the left of our desk top containing a number of
options.
The Start Button
This button located on the Task Bar. To get started, click on the Start button.
When the “start button” is clicked the “start menu” appears just by it.
A menu: Is a series of options that the user can choose from. Some of these are sub-
menus containing new options. The options on the main start menu include:
Programs- Option to start the application programs that have been installed on this
computer.
Documents- A list of documents (from any application) that have been opened.
Settings- Options to configure the computer, including the control panel etc.
Find- Options to find files or documents on your computer, as well as other computers or
people on the network or Internet.
Help- Documents that tell you how to use Windows. You can open the help system so as
to access suitable help.
 Run- Allows you to run a program by typing in the filename and extra information that
program need to run correctly.
Note: Information in a computer is kept in files:
A file: is a collection of related information.
Related files can be grouped together in folders and subfolders
A folder: is a collection of several files or subfolders.
Files and folders must be named.
Files and folders are stored on disks.
Files are created by respective applications, e.g doc for Microsoft word files, .ppt for
Microsoft power point, .xls for Microsoft excel, etc. while folders are created using
operating systems such as Ms windows.
Shortcuts
Within the folders, applications are represented by application shortcuts. These are used to start
the applications.
Documents Icons
These represent minimized document windows. They appear at the bottom of the application
workspace and can be moved anywhere within it but not outside the application window borders.
1.7 Managing/controlling the computer system.
The Control Panel is a part of the Microsoft Windows graphical user interface which allows
users to view and manipulate basic system settings and controls, such as adding hardware,
adding and removing software, controlling user accounts, setting for the appearance of your
desktop, mouse, date and time, changing accessibility options and many other settings on your
computer. To access the control panel, Click Start then Control panel.

1.8 A Computer Keyboard:

This is an input device that resembles a typewriter in terms of key arrangement only that it has
more keys and advanced functions than a typewriter. A standard keyboard has four types of keys:
Alphabetical/character keys: These are keys on the main typing area having alphabetical
letters i.e. keys marked from A – Z and are basically used for keying words.
Numeric keys: These are keys representing numerals. They are marked from (zero) 0 – 9
and are used for keying numbers. They are in two sets; a line of them runs just above the
 alphabetical keys and another collection on the far right on an area called the Numeric
Key Pad that sometimes works as an adding machine.
Function keys: These run across the top of a keyboard and are marked F1 – F12. They
have different functions in different applications.
Special keys:
Enter (Return) key - Confirms to the computer whatever is typed i.e. when a command is
issued it can only be executed after pressing the Enter key.
Backspace key- Erases the character to the left of the cursor and moves the cursor one
position to the left.
Escape (ESC): It has many uses, but is most commonly used to cancel an action that is
being undertaken.
Functional Keys: The functional keys at the top of the keyboard have different uses in different
programs e.g F1 is normally used to get help.
Control (Ctrl): Used in combination with the rest of the alphabetical key pad to issue commands
Alt: Alt is normally used to open application menus
Caps Lock Key - For turning to Uppercase (Capital Letters) or to Lowercase (Small Letters)
Shift Key -It performs two functions:
1. Turning to Uppercase or Lowercase depending on the keyboard case mode. Holding down the
shift key when and pressing any letter from Aa to Zz turns that particular letter to the opposite
case mode as that currently on the keyboard.
2. Activating characters on top of buttons with two characters in the typewriter area e.g. to for
typing characters such as ~, !, @, #, $, %, ^, &, *, (, ), _, +, ?, <, >, “, :, etc.
Note: In all the above two functions, hold down the shift key and press the button in question.
Space Bar- This is the longest button on the keyboard. It is used for inserting spaces between
words and characters.
Num Lock Key- For activating numbers (0 through 9) in the Numeric Keypad.
NOTE:
-When entering data into your computers, you should be aware that Zero (0) and letter O are not
interchangeable.
-Number one (1) and small letter l
Back slash (\), Full colon (:), Forward slash (/), Asterisk (*), Period (.) and Query (?)
 1.9 The Mouse:
The mouse is a pointing device that acts as an electronic finger. It is used for selecting and
issuing commands in windows and software application packages. It is represented on the screen
by an arrow called a mouse pointer. Physically, a mouse has two buttons on the top i.e. the left
and right hand buttons and a rubber ball at the bottom which rolls when a mouse is dragged on a
smooth surface and hence moving the pointer on the screen. A left button is used for 4 basic
functions:
 Pointing: Move the mouse until the mouse pointer is positioned on the desired object or
spot on the screen.
 Clicking: This means pressing and releasing a mouse button one time. Clicking is
basically used for selecting items and/or commands.
 Double Clicking: This means clicking twice in a rapid succession i.e. pressing and
releasing the mouse button twice but very fast. Double clicking is used for launching
actions like opening icons.
 Dragging: This means moving an item on the screen i.e. moving an item from one
position to another on the screen. The item can be an icon or even a window.
Microsoft Word Training
This Microsoft Word training is free and online. After completing this training you will be
proficient in Microsoft Word.

Lesson 1: Getting Familiar with Microsoft Word 2007 for

Windows
Microsoft Word is a word processing software package. You can use it to type letters, reports,
and other documents. It gives you the ability to use your computer for desktop publishing. This
tutorial teaches Microsoft Word 2007 basics. Although this tutorial was created for the computer
novice, because Microsoft Word 2007 is so different from previous versions of Microsoft Word,
even experienced users may find it useful. This lesson will introduce you to the Word window.
You use this window to interact with Word.

 The Microsoft Office Button

 The Quick Access Toolbar
 The Title Bar
 The Ribbon
 The Ruler
 The Text Area
 The Vertical and Horizontal Scroll Bars
 The Status Bar
 Understanding Document Views
 Click
 Understanding Nonprinting Characters
 Create Sample Data and Select Text
 Place the Cursor
 Execute Commands with Keyboard Shortcuts
 Start a New Paragraph
 Exit Word
Note: Your screen will probably not look exactly like the screen shown. In Word 2007, how a
window displays depends on the size of your window, the size of your monitor, and the
resolution to which your monitor is set. Resolution determines how much information your
computer monitor can display. If you use a low resolution, less information fits on your screen,
but the size of your text and images are larger. If you use a high resolution, more information fits
on your screen, but the size of the text and images are smaller. Also, Word 2007, Windows
Vista, and Windows XP have settings that allow you to change the color and style of your
windows.

The Microsoft Office Button

In the upper-left corner of the Word 2007 window is the Microsoft Office button. When you
click the button, a menu appears. You can use the menu to create a new file, open an existing
file, save a file, and perform many other tasks.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Next to the Microsoft Office button is the Quick Access toolbar. The Quick Access toolbar
provides you with access to commands you frequently use. By default Save, Undo, and Redo
appear on the Quick Access toolbar. You can use Save to save your file, Undo to rollback an
action you have taken, and Redo to reapply an action you have rolled back.
The Title Bar

Next to the Quick Access toolbar is the Title bar. The Title bar displays the title of the document
on which you are currently working. Word names the first new document you open Document1.
As you open additional new documents, Word names them sequentially. When you save your
document, you assign the document a new name.

The Ribbon

You use commands to tell Microsoft Word what to do. In Microsoft Word 2007, you use the
Ribbon to issue commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the screen, below the Quick
Access toolbar. At the top of the Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays several related
command groups. Within each group are related command buttons. You click buttons to issue
commands or to access menus and dialog boxes. You may also find a dialog box launcher in the
bottom-right corner of a group. Clicking the dialog box launcher gives you access to additional
commands via a dialog box.

The Ruler

The ruler is found below the Ribbon.

You can use the ruler to change the format of your document quickly. If your ruler is not visible,
follow the steps listed here:
 1. Click the View tab to choose it.
2. Click the check box next to Ruler in the Show/Hide group. The ruler appears below the
Ribbon.

The Text Area

Just below the ruler is a large area called the text area. You type your document in the text area.
The blinking vertical line in the upper-left corner of the text area is the cursor. It marks the
insertion point. As you type, your text displays at the cursor location. The horizontal line next to
the cursor marks the end of the document.

The Vertical and Horizontal and Vertical Scroll Bars

The vertical and horizontal scroll bars enable you to move up, down, and across your window
simply by dragging the icon located on the scroll bar. The vertical scroll bar is located along the
right side of the screen. The horizontal scroll bar is located just above the status bar. To move up
and down your document, click and drag the vertical scroll bar up and down. To move back and
forth across your document, click and drag the horizontal scroll bar back and forth. You won't
see a horizontal scroll bar if the width of your document fits on your screen.

The Status Bar

The Status bar appears at the very bottom of your window and provides such information as the
current page and the number of words in your document. You can change what displays on the
Status bar by right-clicking on the Status bar and selecting the options you want from the
Customize Status Bar menu. You click a menu item to select it. You click it again to deselect it.
A check mark next to an item means it is selected.

Understanding Document Views

In Word 2007, you can display your document in one of five views: Draft, Web Layout, Print
Layout, Full Screen Reading, or Online Layout.

Draft View
Draft view is the most frequently used view. You use Draft view to quickly edit your
document.
Web Layout
Web Layout view enables you to see your document as it would appear in a browser such
as Internet Explorer.
Print Layout
 The Print Layout view shows the document as it will look when it is printed.
Reading Layout
Reading Layout view formats your screen to make reading your document more
comfortable.
Outline View
Outline view displays the document in outline form. You can display headings without
the text. If you move a heading, the accompanying text moves with it.

You should use Draft view for these lessons. Before moving ahead, make sure you are in Draft
view:

1. Click the View tab.

2. Click Draft in the Document Views group. When the Draft option is selected it appears in
a contrasting color.

Click

During the lessons that follow, you will be asked to "click" items and to choose tabs. When
asked to click:

1. Point to the item.

2. Press your left mouse button once.

If you are asked to double-click an item:

1. Point to the item.

2. Quickly press your left mouse button twice.

If you are asked to right-click:

1. Point to the item.

2. Press your right mouse button.

If you are asked to choose a tab, click the tab.

Understanding Nonprinting Characters

Certain characters, called nonprinting characters, do not print and will not appear in your printed
document but do affect your document layout. You can elect to see these characters on the screen
as you type or you can elect to have them remain invisible. For these lessons, opt to see them
onscreen. This table describes most of them:

Character Denotes
A tab

. A space
¶ The end of a paragraph
Hidden text

To view nonprinting characters:

1. Choose the Home tab.

2. Click the Show/Hide button in the Paragraph group . The Show/Hide button appears
in a contrasting color, when it is selected.

Create Sample Data and Select Text

If you type =rand() in your Word document and then press Enter, Word creates three paragraphs.
You can use these paragraphs to practice what you learn. Throughout these lessons, you will be
asked to select text. The following exercise teaches you how to create data and how to select
data. You can select by using the arrow keys or by clicking and dragging. When using the arrow
keys, use the up arrow to move up, the down arrow to move down, the left arrow to move left,
and the right arrow to move right. When using the mouse, press the left mouse button and then
drag in the direction you want to move.
EXERCISE 1

Create Sample Data

1. Type =rand().
2. Press Enter. Three paragraphs appear in your document.

Select with the Shift and Arrow Keys

1. Place your cursor before the word "On" in the first paragraph.
2. Press and hold down the Shift key, which serves as an "anchor" showing where text you
wish to select begins or ends.
3. Press the right arrow key until the first line of text is highlighted.
4. Press the down arrow key until the first paragraph is highlighted.
5. Click anywhere outside the highlighted area to remove the highlighting.

Select with the Mouse

1. Place your cursor before the word "You" in the second paragraph.
2. Press and hold down the left mouse button.
3. Drag the mouse until you have highlighted the second paragraph.
4. Click anywhere outside the highlighted area to remove the highlighting.

Place the Cursor

During the lessons, you will often be asked to place the cursor at a specific location (the insertion
point) on the screen. You place the cursor by moving the cursor to the specified location and
pressing the left mouse button or by using the arrow keys to move to the specified location.

EXERCISE 2

The Arrow Keys

1. Use the down arrow key to move down your document.

2. Use the right arrow key to move to the right.
3. Use the up arrow key to move up.
4. Use the left arrow key to move to the left.

Cursor

1. Move around you document by using you mouse and clicking in a variety of location.
2. Click in a location and type. Note what happens.
Execute Commands with Keyboard Shortcuts

There are many methods you can use to accomplish tasks when using Word. Generally, you
choose an option by clicking the option on the Ribbon. However, you can also use shortcut keys.
A key name followed by a plus and a letter means to hold down the key while pressing the letter.
For example, Ctrl+b means you should hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "b." A shorthand
notation of the above would read as follows:

Press Ctrl+b

Typists who are slowed down by using a mouse usually prefer using keys.

Start a New Paragraph

When you type in Microsoft Word, you do not need to press a key to move to a new line. To start
a new paragraph, press the Enter key.

Exit Word

You have completed Lesson One. Typically, you save your work before exiting.

EXERCISE 3

Close and Save—Windows Vista

 1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.
2. Click Exit Word, which you can find in the bottom-right corner.

3. You are prompted: "Do you want to save changes to Document1?" To save your changes,
click Yes. Otherwise, click No. If you click Yes, the Save As dialog box appears.

4. Move to the correct folder.

5. Name your file by typing Lesson One.doc in the File Name field.
6. Click Save. Word saves your file.

Close and Save—Windows XP

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Click Exit Word, which is in the bottom-right corner.
3. You will be prompted: "Do you want to save changes to Document1?" To save your
changes, click Yes. Otherwise, click No. If you click Yes, the Save As dialog box
appears.
4. Specify the correct folder in the Save In box.
5. Name your file by typing Lesson One.doc in the File Name field.
6. Click Save. Word saves your file.
Lesson 2: Microsoft Word 2007 Basic Features
Lesson 1 familiarized you with the Microsoft Word window. You are now ready to learn how to
create a Word document. This lesson covers typing, using the Backspace key, using the Delete
key, inserting text, bolding, underlining, and italicizing.

 Type, Backspace, and Delete

 Insert and Overtype
 Bold, Italicize, and Underline
 Save a File and Close Word

Type, Backspace, and Delete

In Microsoft Word, you create documents by typing them. For example, if you want to create a
report, you open Microsoft Word and then begin typing. You do not have to do anything when
your text reaches the end of a line and you want to move to a new line—Microsoft Word
automatically moves your text to a new line. If you want to start a new paragraph, press Enter.
Microsoft word creates a blank line to indicate the start of a new paragraph. To capitalize, hold
down the Shift key while typing the letter you want to capitalize. If you make a mistake, you can
delete what you typed and then type your correction.

You can use the Backspace key to delete. Each time you press the Backspace key, Microsoft
Word deletes the character that precedes the insertion point. The insertion point is the point at
which your mouse pointer is located. You can also delete text by using the Delete key. First, you
select the text you want to delete; then you press the Delete key.

EXERCISE 1

Type and Backspace

1. Type the following sentence:

Joe has a very large house.
2. Delete the word "house." Using either the arrow keys or the mouse, place the cursor
between the period and the "e" in "house."
3. Press the Backspace key until the word "house" is deleted.
4. Type boat. The sentence should now read:
"Joe has a very large boat."

Delete

Delete the word "very" from the sentence you just typed.
 1. Select the word "very." You can place the cursor before the "v" in the word "very," press
and hold down the Shift key, and then press the right arrow key until the word "very" is
highlighted.
2. Press the Delete key. The sentence should now read:
"Joe has a large boat."

Insert and Overtype

While creating your document, you may find you need to insert text—place new text between
existing text. Suppose, you type the sentence, "Joe has a large boat." After typing it, you decide
you want to change the sentence to "Joe has a large blue boat." With Microsoft Word, inserting
a word, phrase, or even several paragraphs is easy.

Alternatively, you may want to overtype text—replace old text with new text. For example,
suppose you type the sentence, "Joe has a large blue boat." After typing it, you decide you want
to change the sentence to "Joe has a large gray boat." With Microsoft Word, overtyping the
word blue with the word gray is also easy. Before you attempt to insert or overtype, you should
check the mode you are in—Insert or Overtype. You right-click the Status bar and then use the
Customize Status Bar menu to place the Insert/Overtype button on the Status bar. You can then
use the Insert/Overtype button to switch between Insert and Overtype mode. When you are in
Insert mode, you can insert text. When you are in Overtype mode, you can overtype text. By
default, Microsoft Word is in the Insert mode.

EXERCISE 2

Placing the Insert/Overtype button on the Status bar

1. Right-click the Status bar. The Customize Status Bar menu appears.
2. Click Overtype. The Insert/Overtype button appears on the Status bar.
3. If the word Insert appears on the Status bar, you are in Insert mode.
4. If the word Overtype appears on the Status bar, click the word Overtype and it will
change to Insert, thereby changing Word to Insert mode.

Insert

Make sure you are in Insert mode before proceeding. You are going to insert the word "blue"
between the words "large" and "boat."

1. Place the cursor after the space between the words "large" and "boat."
2. Type the word blue.
3. Press the spacebar to add a space.
4. The sentence should now read:
"Joe has a large blue boat."
Overtype

You can type over the current text (replace the current text with new text) in the Overtype mode.
Do the following to change to the Overtype mode.

 Click "Insert" on the Status bar. The word Insert changes to Overtype.

Change the word "blue" to "gray."

1. Place the cursor before the letter "b" in "blue."

2. Type the word gray.
3. The sentence should now read:
"Joe has a large gray boat."

Note: You can overtype text without changing to Overtype mode by selecting the text you want
to overtype and then typing.

Bold, Italicize, and Underline

When creating a document, you may need to emphasize particular words or phrases by bolding,
underlining, or italicizing. Also, certain grammatical constructs require that you bold, underline,
or italicize. You can bold, underline, and italicize when using Word. You also can combine
these features—in other words, you can bold, underline, and italicize a single piece of text.

When you need to perform a task in Microsoft Word, you can usually choose from several
methods. The exercises that follow show you how to bold, underline, or italicize using four
different methods: using the launcher, the Ribbon, the Mini-toolbar/context menu, and the
keyboard.

EXERCISE 3

Type the following exactly as shown. Remember, pressing the Enter key starts a new paragraph.
Press the Enter key at the end of each of the following lines to start a new paragraph.

Launcher: Bold Italicize Underline these words. All three Regular

Ribbon: Bold Italicize Underline these words. All three Regular

Mini Toolbar: Bold Italicize Regular

Keys: Bold Italicize Underline these words. All three Regular

 Your screen should look similar to the one shown here.

Bold with the Dialog Box Launcher

1. On the line that begins with Launcher, select the word "Bold." You can place the cursor
before the letter "B" in "Bold." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until
the entire word is highlighted.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the dialog box launcher in the Font group. The Font dialog box appears.
 4. Click Bold in the Font Style box.
Note: You can see the effect of your action in the Preview window. To remove the bold,
click Regular.
5. Click OK to close the dialog box.
6. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting. You have bolded the word
bold.

Alternate Method—Bold with the Ribbon

 1. On the line that begins with "Ribbon," select the word "Bold." You can place the cursor
before the letter "B" in "Bold." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until
the entire word is highlighted.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Bold button in the Font group. You have bolded the word bold.
Note: To remove the bold, you can select the text and then click the Bold button
again.
4. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Alternate Method - Bold with the Mini Toolbar

1. On the line that begins with "Mini Toolbar," select the word "Bold." You can place the
cursor before the letter "B" in "Bold."Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key
until the entire word is highlighted.
2. Right-click. The Mini toolbar appears.
3. Click the Bold button . You have bolded the word bold.

Alternate Method—Bold with Keys

1. On the line that begins with "Keys," select the word "Bold." You can place the cursor
before the letter "B" in "Bold." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until
the entire word is highlighted.
2. Press Ctrl+b (hold down the Ctrl key while pressing b).
Note: To remove the Bold, press Ctrl+b again. You can also remove formatting by
pressing Ctrl+spacebar.
3. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Italicize with the Dialog Box Launcher

1. On the line that begins with Launcher, select the word "Italicize." You can place the
cursor before the letter "I" in "Italicize." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow
key until the entire word is highlighted.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the dialog box launcher in the Font group. The Font dialog box appears.
 4. Click Italic in the Font Style box.
Note: You can see the effect of your selection in the Preview window. To remove the
italics, click Regular in the Font Style box.
5. Click OK to close the Font dialog box.
6. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting. You have italicized the word
Italicize.

Alternate Method—Italicize with the Ribbon

1. On the line that begins with "Ribbon," select the word "Italicize." You can place the
cursor before the letter "I" in "Italicize." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow
key until the entire word is highlighted.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Italic button on the Ribbon. You have italicized the word Italicize.
Note: To remove the italics, select the text and click the Italicize button again.
4. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Alternate Method—Italicize with the Mini Toolbar

 1. On the line that begins with "Mini Toolbar," select the word "Italicize." You can place
the cursor before the letter "I" in "Italicize." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow
key until the entire word is highlighted.
2. Right-click. The Mini toolbar appears.
3. Click the Italic button . You have italicized the word Italicize.

Alternate Method—Italicize with Keys

1. On the line that begins with "Keys," select the word "Italicize." You can place the cursor
before the letter "I" in "Italicize." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until
the entire word is highlighted.
2. Press Ctrl+i (hold down the Ctrl key while pressing i).
Note: To remove italics, press Ctrl+i again. You can also remove formatting by pressing
Ctrl+spacebar.
3. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting. You have italicized the word
Italicize.

Underline with the Dialog Box Launcher

You can underline when using Word. Word provides you with many types of underlines from
which to choose. The following are some of the underlines that are available if you use the dialog
box launcher:
The following illustrates underlining with the dialog box launcher:

1. On the line that begins with "Launcher," select the words "Underline these words."
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the dialog box launcher in the Font group. The Font dialog box appears.
 4. In the Underline Style box, click the down arrow to open the pull-down menu.
5. Click the type of underline you wish to use.
Note: To remove an underline, you select None from the pull-down menu.
6. Click OK to close the dialog box. The underline you selected appears under the words.
7. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Alternate Method—Underline with the Ribbon

1. On the line that begins with "Ribbon," select the words "Underline these words."
 2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Underline button in the Font group . Alternatively, you can press the down
arrow next to the underline button and click to choose the type of underline you
want.
Note: To remove the underlining, click the Underline button again.
4. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Alternate Method—Underline with Keys

1. On the line that begins with "Keys," select the words "Underline these words."
2. Press Ctrl+u (hold down the Ctrl key while pressing u).
Note: To remove the underlining, press Ctrl+u again.
3. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

All Three with the Dialog Box Launcher

1. On the line that begins with "Launcher," select the words "All three."
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the dialog box launcher in the Font group. The Font dialog box appears.
4. In the Font Style box, click Bold Italic.
Note: You can see the effect of your selection in the preview window. To turn off the
Bold Italic, click Regular.
5. In the Underline box, click to open the pull-down menu. Click the type of underline you
want to use.
Note: To remove an underline, select None from the pull-down menu.
6. Click OK to close the dialog box.
7. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Alternate Method—All Three with the Ribbon

1. On the line that begins with "Ribbon," select the words "All three."
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Bold button in the Font group.
4. Click the Italic button in the Font group.
5. Click the Underline button in the Font group.
6. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Alternate Method—All Three with Keys

1. On the line that begins with "Keys," select the words "All three."
2. Press Ctrl+b (bold).
3. Press Ctrl+i (italicize).
4. Press Ctrl+u (underline).
Note: You can remove formatting by highlighting the text and pressing Ctrl+spacebar.
5. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.
Save a File and Close Word

You must save your documents if you wish to recall them later. You can use the Save option on
the Microsoft Office menu, to save a document. You can also save a document by typing Ctrl+s.
The first time you save a document, the Save As dialog box appears. Use the Save As dialog
box to locate the folder in which you want to save your document and to give your document a
name. After you have saved your document at least once, you can save any changes you make to
your document simply by clicking the Save after you click the Microsoft Office button.

The following exercise shows you how to save the file you just created and close Word. You will
name your file Lesson Two.

EXERCISE 4

Save a File—Windows Vista:

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Click Save. The Save As dialog box appears, if you are saving your document for the first
time.
 3. Use the Address bar to locate the folder in which you want to save your file.
4. Name your file by typing Lesson Two.docx in the File Name box.
5. Click Save.
6. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.
7. Click Exit Word, which is located in the bottom-right corner of the window. Word closes.

Save a File—Windows XP

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Click Save. The Save As dialog box appears if you are saving your document for the first
time.
3. Specify the correct folder in the Save In box.
4. Name your document by typing Lesson Two in the File Name box.
5. Click Save.
6. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.
7. Click Exit Word, which is located in the bottom-right corner of the window. Word closes.

Every time you save your document, you overwrite the previous version of your document. For
example, you create a document and save it. Later you delete several passages from the
document and then save your changes. The passages from the first draft of the document no
longer exist. If you want to save both the original draft of your document and the revised
document, you must save the second draft of the document using a different name. To save the
document using a different name, click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Save
As. The Save As dialog box appears. Use the File Name box to give your document a new name.

Lesson 3: More Basic Features

The features in Word 2007 can make your work easier, make your documents more attractive,
and/or enable you to work more efficiently. This Microsoft Word lesson teaches you how to
open a file, cut, copy, paste, use AutoText, use spell check, use Find and Replace, and change
fonts. All of these features either make your work easier or make your document more attractive.

 Open a File
 Cut and Paste
 Copy and Paste
 Use the Clipboard
 Create AutoText
 Use Spell Check
 Find and Replace
 Change the Font Size
 Change the Font
 Save Your File

Open a File

When you do not have time to complete your work or when you finish your work, you can save
and close your file. After saving a file, you can later open it to revise or finish it. You learned
how to save a file in Lesson 2. In the exercise that follows, you learn how to open the file you
saved.

EXERCISE 1

Open a File with Windows Vista

If you are using Windows Vista:

1. Open Word 2007.

2. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.
3. Click Open. The Open dialog box appears.
4. Locate the folder in which you saved the file. The file is named Lesson Two.docx.
5. Click Lesson Two.docx.
6. Click Open. The file you created during the previous lesson appears.

Open a File with Windows XP

If you are using Windows XP:

1. Open Word 2007.

2. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.
3. Click Open. The Open dialog box appears.
4. Use the Look In field to move to the folder in which you saved the file. The file is named
Lesson Two.docx.
5. Click Lesson Two.docx.
6. Click Open. The file you created during the previous lesson appears.

Alternate Method—Opening a File with Keys

1. Open Word 2007.

2. Press Ctrl+o.
3. Locate the folder in which you saved your file. The file is named Lesson Two.docx
4. Click Lesson Two.docx.
5. Click Open. The file you created during the previous lesson appears.

Cut and Paste

You can use Word's Cut feature to remove information from a document. The you can use the
Paste feature to place the information you cut anywhere in the same or another document. In
other words, you can move information from one place in a document to another place in the
same or different document by using the Cut and Paste features. The Office Clipboard is a
storage area. When you cut, Word stores the data you cut on the Clipboard. You can paste the
information that is stored on the Clipboard as often as you like.

EXERCISE 2

Cut with the Ribbon

 1. Type the following:
I want to move. I am content where I am.
2. Select "I want to move. "
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the Cut button in the Clipboard group. Word cuts the text you selected and
places it on the Clipboard. Your text should now read:
"I am content where I am."

Paste with the Ribbon

 1. Place the cursor after the period in the sentence "I am content where I am."
2. Press the spacebar to leave a space.
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the Paste button in the Clipboard group. Word pastes the text on the Clipboard.
Your text should now read:
"I am content where I am. I want to move."

Alternate Method—Cut with a Context Menu

1. Type the following:

I want to move. I am content where I am.
2. Select "I want to move. "
3. Right-click. The Mini toolbar and a context menu appear.
4. Click Cut on the menu. Your text should now read:
"I am content where I am."

Alternate Method—Paste with a Context Menu

 1. Place the cursor after the period in the sentence
"I am content where I am."
2. Press the spacebar to leave a space.
3. Right-click. A Mini toolbar and a context menu appear.
4. Click Paste. Your text should now read:
"I am content where I am. I want to move."

Alternate Method—Cut with Keys

1. Type the following:

I want to move. I am content where I am.
2. Select "I want to move."
3. Press Ctrl+x.
4. Your text should now read:
" I am content where I am."

Alternate Method—Paste with Keys

1. Place the cursor after the period in the sentence: "I am content where I am."
2. Press the spacebar to leave a space.
3. Press Ctrl+v.
4. Your text should now read:
"I am content where I am. I want to move."

Copy and Paste

In Microsoft Word, you can copy information from one area of a document and place the
information you copied anywhere in the same or another document. In other words, after you
type information into a document, if you want to place the same information somewhere else,
you do not have to retype the information. You simple copy it and then paste it in the new
location. As with cut data, Word stores copied data on the Clipboard.

EXERCISE 3

Copy with the Ribbon

1. Type the following:

You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need.
2. Select "You will want to copy me."
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the Copy button in the Clipboard group. Word copies the data you selected to
the Clipboard.

Paste with the Ribbon

 1. Place the cursor after the period in the sentence: "One of me is all you need."
2. Press the spacebar to leave a space.
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the Paste button in the Clipboard group. Word places the data you copied at the
insertion point. Your text should now read: "You will want to copy me. One of me is all
you need. You will want to copy me."

Alternate Method—Copy with a Context Menu

1. Type the following:

You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need.
2. Select "You will want to copy me."
3. Right-click. A Mini toolbar and a context menu appear.
4. Click Copy. Word places the data you copied at the insertion point. Your text should now
read: "You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need. You will want to copy me."

Alternate Method—Paste with a Context Menu

 1. Place the cursor after the period in the sentence: "One of me is all you need."
2. Press the spacebar to leave a space.
3. Right-click. A context menu appears.
4. Click Paste. Word pastes the information on the Clipboard into the document.

Alternate Method—Copy with Keys

1. Type the following:

You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need.
2. Select "You will want to copy me. "
3. Press Ctrl+c. Word copies the information you selected to the Clipboard.

Alternate Method—Paste with Keys

1. Place the cursor after the period in the sentence "One of me is all you need."
2. Press the spacebar to leave a space.
3. Press Ctrl+v.
4. Your text should now read:
"You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need. You will want to copy me."

Use the Clipboard

As you cut or copy, Word can store the information you have cut or copied on the Clipboard in a
hierarchy. Then each time you cut or copy, the data you just cut or copied moves to the top of the
Clipboard hierarchy and the data previously at the top moves down one level. When you choose
Paste, the item at the top of the hierarchy is the item Word pastes into your document. The
Clipboard can store up to 24 items. You can paste any item on the Clipboard into your document
by placing your cursor at the insertion point, displaying the Clipboard pane, and then clicking the
item.

The Clipboard pane includes an Options button. You can click the Options button to set the
Clipboard options described in the following table.

Option Description
Show Office Clipboard Automatically Shows the Clipboard automatically when you
copy items.
 Show Office Clipboard When Ctrl+c Shows the Clipboard when you press Ctrl+c
Pressed Twice twice.
Collect Without Showing Office Copies to the Clipboard without displaying the
Clipboard Clipboard pane.
Show Office Clipboard Icon on Displays the Clipboard icon on your system
Taskbar taskbar.
Show Status Near Taskbar When Displays the number of items copied on the
Copying taskbar when copying.

EXERCISE 4

Use the Clipboard

1. Place the cursor at the point at which you want to insert your text.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Clipboard dialog box launcher to open the Clipboard.
4. Click the item on the clipboard you want to insert into your document. Word pastes the
Clipboard item into your document at the insertion point.

Create AutoText
Cut and Copy both store information on the Clipboard. Information you store on the Clipboard is
eventually lost. If you want to store information permanently for reuse, use AutoText. AutoText
permanently stores information for future use.

EXERCISE 5

Create AutoText

1. Type the following:

AutoText information is stored permanently.
2. Select "AutoText information is stored permanently."
3. Choose the Insert tab.
4. Click Quick Parts in the Text group. A menu appears.
5. Click Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. The Create New Building Block dialog box
appears.

6. Microsoft Word suggests a name. Change the name by typing AT in the Name field.
7. Click OK. The dialog box closes.
8. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.
9. Place the cursor between the period in the sentence you just typed and the paragraph
marker (¶).
 10. Press the spacebar to leave a blank space.
11. Type AT.
12. Press F3. Your text should now read:
"AutoText information is stored permanently. AutoText information is stored
permanently."

Note: Whenever you need the text, simply type the name (AT) and then press F3.

Use Spell Check

Word checks your spelling and grammar as you type. Spelling errors display with a red wavy
line under the word. Grammar errors display with a green wavy line under the error. In Word
2007, you can use the Review tab's Spelling & Grammar button to initiate a spell and grammar
check of your document.

EXERCISE 6

Use Spell Check

1. Type the following exactly as shown. Include all errors.

Open thr door for Mayrala. She is a teacher from the town of Ridgemont.
2. Select: "Open thr door for Mayrala. She is a teacher from the town of Ridgemont."
3. Choose the Review tab.
4. Click the Spelling & Grammar button. The Spelling and Grammar dialog box appears.
 6. "The" is misspelled, so it is highlighted on the screen and noted in the Not in Dictionary
box. Word suggests correct spellings. These suggestions are found in the Suggestions
box.
7. Click "the" in the Suggestions box.
8. Click Change.
Note: If the word is misspelled in several places, click Change All to correct all
misspellings.
9. The name "Mayrala" is not in the dictionary, but it is correct. Click Ignore Once to leave
"Mayrala" in the document with its current spelling.
Note: If a word appears in several places in the document, click Ignore All so you are not
prompted to correct the spelling for each occurrence.
10. "Ridgemont" is not found in the dictionary. If you frequently use a word not found in the
dictionary, you might want to add that word to the dictionary by clicking the Add to
Dictionary button. Word will then recognize the word the next time it appears. Click Add
to Dictionary.
11. The following should appear on your screen: "Word finished checking the selection. Do
you want to continue checking the remainder of the document?"
12. Click No. If you wanted Word to spell-check the entire document, you would have
clicked Yes.

Note: You can also press F7 to initiate a spelling and grammar check. If you don't have anything
selected, Word checks the entire document.

Find and Replace

If you need to find a particular word or phrase in your document, you can use the Find command.
This command is especially useful when you are working with large files. If you want to search
the entire document, simply execute the Find command. If you want to limit your search to a
selected area, select that area and then execute the Find command.
After you find the word or phrase you are searching for, you can replace it with new text by
executing the Replace command.

EXERCISE 7

Use Find with the Ribbon

1. Type the following:

Monica is from Easton. She lives on the east side of town. Her daughter attends
Eastern High School.
2. Select: "Monica is from Easton. She lives on the east side of town. Her daughter attends
Eastern High School."
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click Find in the Editing group. A menu appears.

5. Click the Find option on the menu. The Find and Replace dialog box appears.

6. Type east in the Find What field.

7. Click Find Next.
Note that the "East" in Easton is highlighted.
 8. Click Find Next again.
Note that "east" is highlighted.
9. Click Find Next again.
Note that the "East" in Eastern is highlighted.
10. Click Find Next. The following message should appear: "Word has finished searching the
selection. Do you want to search the remainder of the document?"
11. Click No.
12. Click Cancel.

Alternate Method—Find with Keys

1. Select: "Monica is from Easton. She lives on the east side of town. Her daughter attends
Eastern High School."
2. Press Ctrl+f.
3. Follow steps 6 through 12 in the preceding section.

Use Replace with the Ribbon

1. Select "Monica is from Easton. She lives on the east side of town. Her daughter attends
Eastern High School."
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click Replace in the Editing group. The Find and Replace dialog box appears.
 4. Type east in the Find What box.
5. Type west in the Replace With box.
6. Click Find Next. The East in Easton is highlighted.
7. Click Replace. Word replaces the "East" in "Easton" with "West" and then highlights the
word "east."
8. Click Replace. Word replaces the word "east" with "west" and then highlights the word
"Eastern."
9. Click Close. Do not replace the "East" in "Eastern" with "West."
10. Your text should now read,
"Monica is from Weston. She lives on the west side of town. Her daughter attends
Eastern High School."

Alternate Method—Replace with Keys

1. Select "Monica is from Easton. She lives on the west side of town. Her daughter attends
Western High School."
2. Press Ctrl+h.
3. Follow steps 4 through 11 in the preceding section.

Change the Font Size

A font is a set of characters (text) represented in a single typeface. Each character within a font is
created by using the same basic style. In Microsoft Word, you can change the size of your font.
The following exercise illustrates changing the font size.

EXERCISE 8

Change the Font Size

 1. Type the following:
I can be any size you want me to be.
2. Select "I can be any size you want me to be."
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. In the Font group, click the down arrow next to the Font Size box. A menu of font sizes
appears.
5. Move your cursor over the menu of font sizes. As you do, Word 2007 provides a live
preview of the effect of applying each font size.
6. Click 36 to select it as your font size.

Note: If you know the font size you want, you can type it in the Font Size field.

Alternate Method—Change the Font Size with Grow Font and Shrink Font

You can also change the size of your font by clicking the Grow Font and Shrink Font buttons.
Selecting text and then clicking the Grow Font button makes your font larger. Selecting text and
then clicking the Shrink Font button makes your font smaller.
 1. Type the following:
Grow Shrink
2. Select "Grow"
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the Grow Font button several times. You font becomes larger.
5. Select Shrink.
6. Click the Shrink Font button several times. Your font becomes smaller.

Change the Font

In Microsoft Word, you can change the font (the "family" of type you use for your text). This
feature is illustrated in the following exercise:

EXERCISE 9

Change the Font with the Ribbon

 1. Type the following:
Changing fonts
2. Select "Changing fonts."
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the down arrow next to the Font field. A menu of fonts appears.
5. Move the cursor over the list of fonts. Word 2007 provides a live preview of what the
font will look like if you select it.
6. Click the font name to select the font you want.

Alternate Method—Change the Font with the Mini Toolbar

1. Select "Changing fonts."

 2. Right-click. The Mini toolbar and a menu appears.
3. Move to the Mini toolbar.
4. Click the down arrow next to the Font field. A menu of fonts appears.
5. Click the name of the font you want.

Save Your File

Lesson 4: Formatting Paragraphs and Working with Styles

When you type information into Microsoft Word, each time you press the Enter key Word
creates a new paragraph. You can format paragraphs. For example, you can indent the first line
of a paragraph, you can set the amount of space that separates paragraphs, and you can align a
paragraph left, right, center, or flush with both margins. Styles are a set of formats you can
quickly apply to a paragraph. For example, by applying a style, you can set the font, set the font
size, and align a paragraph all at once. In this lesson, you will learn about the various formats
you can apply to a paragraph and about styles.

 Open a Blank Document

 Add Sample Text
 Add Space Before or After Paragraphs
 Change Line Spacing
 Create a First-Line Indent
 Indent Paragraphs
 Align Paragraphs
 Create a Hanging Indent
 Choose a Style Set
 Apply a Style
 Change Style Sets

Open a Blank Document

To begin a new Word project, you start by opening a new document.To begin this lesson, open a
blank document in Microsoft Word.
EXERCISE 1

Open a Blank Document

1. Open Word 2007.

2. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.
3. Click New. The New Document dialog box appears.

4. Click Blank Document.

5. Click Create. A new blank document opens.
Add Sample Text

This lesson uses sample text provided by Microsoft for training and demonstration purposes.
You can type the text; however, there is a quicker way. You can use the rand function.

Functions are used to obtain information. You tell the function what you want and the function
returns that information to you. By default, in Word, when you type the rand function, Word
returns three paragraphs. When working with functions, you use arguments to be specific about
what you want the function to return. There are two arguments you can use with the rand
function. The first one tells Word how many paragraphs you want, and the second one tells Word
how many sentences you want in a paragraph. You place arguments between the parentheses and
you separate them with a comma. For example, if you type =rand() and then press Enter, word
returns three paragraphs. To tell Word you want two paragraphs with three sentences in each
paragraph, you type =rand(2,3).

EXERCISE 2

Add Sample Text

1. Type =rand().
2. Press the Enter key. The following text appears:

On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with
the overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables,
headers, footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When
you create pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current
document look. ¶

You can easily change the formatting of selected text in the document text by
choosing a look for the selected text from the Quick Styles gallery on the Home
tab. You can also format text directly by using the other controls on the Home
tab. Most controls offer a choice of using the look from the current theme or using
a format that you specify directly. ¶

To change the overall look of your document, choose new Theme elements on the
Page Layout tab. To change the looks available in the Quick Style gallery, use the
Change Current Quick Style Set command. Both the Themes gallery and the
Quick Styles gallery provide reset commands so that you can always restore the
look of your document to the original contained in your current template. ¶
Add Space Before or After Paragraphs

When creating a document, space is often used to clearly identify where each paragraph begins
and ends. By default, Word may place slightly more space between paragraphs than it does
between lines in a paragraph. You can increase or decrease the amount of space that appears
before and after paragraphs by entering amounts in the Before and After fields in the Paragraph
section of the Page Layout tab. Use the up arrows next to the Before and After fields to increase
the amount of space before or after each paragraph; use the down arrows to decrease the amount
of space before or after each paragraph. The following illustrates:

EXERCISE 3

Add Space Before or After Paragraphs

1. Place your cursor anywhere in the second paragraph of the sample text you created in
Exercise 2.
2. Choose the Page Layout tab. The default spacing appears in the Spacing Before field.
3. Click the up arrow next to the Spacing Before field to increase the space before the
paragraph.
4. Click the up arrow next to the Spacing After field to increase the amount of space after
the paragraph.

Note: You can click the down arrows next to the Spacing Before and the Spacing After fields to
decrease the amount of space before or after a paragraph. You can also type the amount of space
you want to use directly into the fields. Space is measured in points. There are 72 points to an
inch.

Change Line Spacing

Line spacing sets the amount of space between lines within a paragraph. The spacing for each
line is set to accommodate the largest font on that line. If the lines include smaller fonts, there
will appear to be extra space between lines where the smaller fonts are located. At 1.5, the line
spacing is set to one-and-a-half times the single-space amount. At 2.0, the line spacing is set to
two times the single-space amount (double space).

EXERCISE 4

Change Line Spacing

1. Place your cursor anywhere in the first paragraph of the sample text you created in
Exercise 2.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Line Spacing button in the Paragraph group. A menu of options appears.
4. Click 2.0 to double-space the first paragraph.

Create a First-Line Indent

Some people and organizations delineate the start of a new paragraph by indenting the first line.
If you want to indent the first line of your paragraphs, you can use the Paragraph dialog box to
set the amount by which you want to indent. In the Special Field of the Paragraph dialog box,
you tell Word you want to indent the first line by choosing First Line from the menu options. In
the By field, you tell Word the amount, in inches by which you want to indent.
 EXAMPLE: First-line Indent

On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate
with the overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables,
headers, footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you
create pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document
look.

EXERCISE 5

Create a First-line Indent

1. Place your cursor anywhere within the first paragraph of the sample text you created in
Exercise 2.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. In the Paragraphs group, click the launcher. The Paragraph dialog box appears.
 4. Choose the Indents and Spacing tab.
5. Click to open the drop-down menu on the Special field.
6. Click First Line.
7. Enter 0.5" in the By field.
8. Click OK. The first line of your paragraph is now indented half an inch.

Special Note: To remove the first line indent:

1. Place the cursor anywhere in the paragraph.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. In the Paragraphs group, click the launcher. The Paragraph dialog box opens.
4. Choose the Indents and Spacing tab.
5. Click the down arrow next to the Special field and then click None.
6. Click OK.

Indent Paragraphs

Indentation allows you to indent your paragraph from the left and/or right margin. You may find
this necessary when you are quoting a large block of text. The following exercise shows you how
to indent a paragraph 1 inch from each side.

EXAMPLE: Indentation
 On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the
overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers,
footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create
pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look.

You can easily change the formatting of selected text in

the document text by choosing a look for the selected text
from the Quick Styles gallery on the Home tab. You can
also format text directly by using the other controls on the
Home tab. Most controls offer a choice of using the look
from the current theme or using a format that you specify
directly.

EXERCISE 6

Indent Paragraphs

1. Place your cursor anywhere in the second paragraph of the sample text you created in
Exercise 2.
2. Choose the Page Layout tab.
3. Type 1" in the Indent Left field or use the up or down arrows to set the field value to 1".
 4. Type 1" in the Indent Right field or use the up or down arrows to set the field value to 1".
Your paragraph is now indented one inch from both the left and right margins, as in the
example.

Align Paragraphs

Microsoft Word gives you a choice of several types of alignments. Left-aligned text is flush with
the left margin of your document and is the default setting. Right-aligned text is flush with the
right margin of your document, centered text is centered between the left and right margins, and
Justified text is flush with both the left and right margins.

EXAMPLE: Left-Aligned

Sample Paragraph

On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the
overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers,
footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create
pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look.

EXAMPLE: Right-aligned

Sample Paragraph

On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the
overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers,
footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create
pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look.

EXAMPLE: Centered

Sample Paragraph

On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the
overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers,
footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create
pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look.

EXAMPLE: Justified

Sample Paragraph

On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the
 overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers,
footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create
pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look.

The following exercises demonstrate how to justify text.

EXERCISE 7

Create the Paragraphs

1. Type Sample Paragraph.

2. Press Enter.
3. Type =rand(1) to create a paragraph.
4. Press Enter.

Right-align

1. Select the paragraphs you created.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Align-right button in the Paragraph group. Word right-aligns your
paragraphs.

Left-align

1. Select the paragraphs you created.

2. Choose the Home tab.
 3. Click the Align-left button in the Paragraph group. Word left-aligns your paragraph.

Center

1. Selected the paragraphs you created.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Center button in the Paragraph group. Word centers your paragraph.

Justify

1. Select the paragraphs you created.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Justify button in the Paragraph group. Word justifies your paragraph.

Alternate Method—Right-Justify with Keys

1. Select the paragraphs you created.

2. Press Ctrl+r. The paragraph is now right-aligned.

Alternate Method—Left-Justify with Keys

1. Select the paragraphs you created.

2. Press Ctrl+l. The paragraph is now left-aligned.

Alternate Method—Center with Keys

1. Select the paragraphs you created.

2. Press Ctrl+e. The paragraph is now centered.

Alternate Method—Justify with Keys

1. Select the paragraphs you created.

2. Press Ctrl+j. The paragraph is now justified.

Create a Hanging Indent

The hanging indent feature indents each line except the first line by the amount specified in the
By field, as shown in the example.

EXAMPLE:Hanging Indent

Hanging Indent: The hanging indent feature indents the first line of
the paragraph from the margin by the amount
specified in the Left field. The amount in the Left
field plus the amount specified in the By field
 indent all subsequent lines.

EXERCISE 8

Create a Hanging Indent

1. Type the following:

Hanging Indent: The hanging indent feature indents the first line by the amount specified
in the Left field. Subsequent lines are indented by the amount specified in the Left field
plus the amount specified in the By field.
2. Select the paragraph you just typed.
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the launcher in the Paragraph group. The Paragraph dialog box appears.
 5. Choose the Indents and Spacing tab.
6. In the Special field, click to open the pull-down menu.
7. Click Hanging.
8. In the By box, type 2".
9. Click OK.
10. Place the cursor after the colon following "Hanging Indent."
11. Press the Tab key. Notice that the indentation changes.

Choose a Style Set

When working with Word, you can use styles to quickly format your documents. A style is a set
of formats consisting of such things as fonts, font colors, font sizes, and paragraph formats.
Word 2007 supplies you with predesigned style sets that contain styles for titles, subtitles,
quotes, headings, lists and more. The sections that follow all show you how to work with styles.
The exercises are based on a file you must download. Right click here to download the file. Click
Save Target As from the menu that appears, and save the linked file to a directory on your
computer.

The file will download as a zip file. A zip file is a file that is compressed. Compressed files are
smaller and easier to download. To open the file:

1. Open the folder you downloaded the file to.

2. Right-click on the file name.
 3. Click Extract All on the menu that appears. The Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders
dialog box appears.
4. Enter the folder you want to put the file in or except to suggested location.
5. Click Extract. Windows Explorer extracts the file.
6. You can use Microsoft Word to open the file.

EXERCISE 9

Choose a Style Set

1. Choose the Home tab.

2. Click Change Styles in the Styles group. A menu appears.
3. Click Style Set. A menu appears. You can choose from any of the styles listed on the
menu.
4. Click Simple. Word 2007 reformats all of the paragraphs into the Simple style by
applying the Normal format to each paragraph.

Apply a Style

You can see of all the styles available to you in the style set by clicking the launcher in the Styles
group and opening the Styles pane. You can leave the Styles pane open and available for use by
docking it. To dock the Styles pane, click the top of the pane and drag it to the left or right edge
of the Word window.
You do not need to select an entire paragraph to apply a style. If the cursor is anywhere in the
paragraph, when you click on the style, Word formats the entire paragraph.

EXERCISE 10

Apply the Title Style

1. Choose the Home tab.

2. Click the launcher in the Styles Group. The Styles pane appears. You can drag it to the
side of the Word window to dock it. To close the Styles pane, click the Close button in
the upper right corner of the pane .
3. Click anywhere in the paragraph "Single-Parent Family—Career Help."
4. Click Title in the Styles pane. Word 2007 applies the Title style to the paragraph.

Headings and subheadings mark major topics within your document. With Word 2007, you can
easily format the headings and subheadings in your document.

Apply Headings

1. Click anywhere in the paragraph "The Nature of Single Parenthood."

2. In the Style box, click Heading 1. Word reformats the paragraph.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 in the following paragraphs:

 Types of Single Parents

 Career Development Needs of Single Parents
  Career Development Programs

Apply Subheadings

1. Click anywhere in the paragraph "Displaced Homemakers"

2. In the Style box, click Heading 2. Word reformats the paragraph.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the following paragraphs:

 Displaced Homemakers
 Adolescent Mothers
 Single Fathers
 High School Dropout Prevention
 Established Education Sites

Alternate Method -- Apply Styles with the Ribbon

You can also choose styles by selecting the option you want from the Styles group on the
Ribbon. First you must place your cursor in the paragraph to which you want to apply the style.
Then you click the More button in the Styles group to see all of the styles in the currently
selected set. As you roll your cursor over each of the styles listed, Word 2007 provides you with
a live preview of how the style will appear when applied.

1. Select the paragraphs "Emotional Support" through "Parenthood Education" (they are
probably on page two).
2. Click the More button in the Styles group.
3. Locate and click the List Paragraph style. Word applies the List Paragraph style to the
paragraphs you selected.

Change Style Sets

Once you have applied styles, changing to another style set is easy. You simply open the Style
Set gallery. As you move your cursor down the menu, Word 2007 provides you with a live
preview of the effect of applying the style set. To choose a style set, you click it.

EXERCISE 11

Change Style Sets

1. Click Change Styles in the Styles group. A menu appears.

2. Click Style Set. A menu appears. As you move your cursor down the menu Word 2007
provides you with a live preview of the effect of applying the Style set to your document.
3. Click Formal. Word 2007 reformats all of the paragraphs into the Formal style applying
the appropriate format to each paragraph.
Lesson 5: Adding Bullets and Numbers, Undoing and
Redoing, Setting Page Layouts and Printing Documents
If you have lists of data, you may want to bullet or number them. When using Microsoft Word,
bulleting and numbering are easy. The first part of this lesson teaches you to bullet and number.
After you have completed your document, you may want to share it with others. One way to
share your document is to print and distribute it. However, before you print you may want to add
page numbers and tell Word such things as the page orientation, the paper size, and the margin
setting you want to use. In this lesson you will learn how to layout and how to print your
documents.

 Add Bullets and Numbers

 Undo and Redo
 Set the Orientation
 Set the Page Size
 Set the Margins
 Add Page Numbers
 Insert Page Breaks
 Preview and Print Documents

Add Bullets and Numbers

In Microsoft Word, you can easily create bulleted or numbered lists of items. Several bulleting
and numbering styles are available, as shown in the examples. You can select the one you wish
to use.

EXAMPLES: Numbering

EXAMPLES: Bulleting
EXERCISE 1

Bullets

1. Type the following list as shown:

Apple
Orange
Grape
Mango
Cherry
2. Select the words you just typed.
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. In the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to the Bullets button . The Bullet
Library appears.
 5. Click to select the type of bullet you want to use. Word adds bullets to your list.
Note: As you move your cursor over the various bullet styles, Word displays the bullet
style onscreen.

To remove the bulleting:

1. Select the list again.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. In the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to the Bullets icon. The Bullet dialog
box appears.
4. Click None. Word removes the bullets from your list.

Numbers

1. Type the following list as shown:

Apple
Orange
Grape
Mango
Cherry
2. Select the words you just typed.
3. Choose the Home tab.
 4. In the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to the Numbering button . The
Numbering Library appears.
5. Click to select the type of numbering you want to use. Word numbers your list.
Note: As you move your cursor over the various number styles, Word displays the
number style onscreen.

To remove the numbering:

1. Select the list again.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. In the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next yo the Numbering icon. The Number
dialog box appears.
4. Click None. Word removes the numbering from your list.

Undo and Redo

You can quickly reverse most commands you execute by using Undo. If you then change your
mind again, and want to reapply a command, you can use Redo.

EXERCISE 2

Undo and Redo

1. Type Undo example.

2. Click the Undo button on the Quick Access menu. The typing disappears.
3. Click the Redo button on the Quick Access menu. The typing reappears.
4. Select "Undo example."
5. Press Ctrl+b to bold. Word bolds the text.
6. Press Ctrl+i. Word italicizes the text.
7. Press Ctrl+u Word underlines the text.
 8. Click the down arrow next to the Undo icon. You will see the actions you performed
listed. To undo the underline, click Underline; to undo the underline and italic, click
Underline Italic; to undo the underline, italic, and bold click Bold etc.
9. To redo, click the Redo icon several times.

Alternate Method -- Undo & Redo by Using Keys

1. Type Undo example.

2. Press Ctrl+z. The typing disappears.
3. Press Ctrl+y. The typing reappears.
4. Select "Undo example."
5. Press Ctrl+u to underline.
6. Press Ctrl+z. The underline is removed.
7. Press Ctrl+y. The underline reappears.

Set the Orientation

Before you print your document, you may want to change the orientation of your pages. There
are two orientations you can use: portrait and landscape. Paper, such as paper sized 8 1/2 by 11,
is longer on one edge than it is on the other. If you print in Portrait, the shortest edge of the paper
becomes the top of the page. Portrait is the default option. If you print Landscape, the longest
edge of the paper becomes the top of the page.

Portrait

Landscape

The exercises that follow use a file named SamplePrint.docx. Right click here to download the
file. Click Save Target As from the menu that appears, and save the linked file to a directory on
your computer. The file will download as a zip file. A zip file is a file that is compressed.
Compressed files are smaller and easier to download. To open the file:

1. Open the folder you downloaded the file to.

2. Right-click on the file name.
 3. Click Extract All on the menu that appears. The Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders
dialog box appears.
4. Enter the folder you want to put the file in or except to suggested location.
5. Click Extract. Windows Explorer extracts the file.
6. You can use Microsoft Word to open the file.

EXERCISE 3

Set the Orientation

1. Choose the Page Layout tab.

2. Click Orientation in the Page Setup group. A menu appears.
3. Click Portrait. Word sets your page orientation to Portrait.

Set the Page Size

Paper comes in a variety of sizes. Most business correspondence uses 8 1/2 by 11 paper which is
the default page size in Word. If you are not using 8 1/2 by 11 paper, you can use the Size option
in the Page Setup group of the Page Layout tab to change the Size setting.

EXERCISE 4

Set the Page Size

 1. Choose the Page Layout tab.
2. Click Size in the Page Setup group. A menu appears.
3. Click Letter 8.5 x 11in. Word sets your page size.

Set the Margins

Margins define the amount of white space that appears at the top, bottom, left, and right edges of
your document. The Margin option in the Page Setup group of the Page Layout tab provides
several standard margin sizes from which you can choose.

EXERCISE 5

Set the Margins

 1. Choose the Page Layout tab.
2. Click Margins in the Page Setup group. A menu appears.
3. Click Moderate. Word sets your margins to the Moderate settings.

Add Page Numbers

Page numbers help you keep your document organized and enable readers to find information
quickly. You can add page numbers to the top, bottom, or margins of your pages, and you can
choose where the numbers appear. For example, numbers can appear at the top of the page, on
the left, right, or center of the page. Word also offers several number styles from which you can
choose.

EXERCISE 6

Add Page Numbers

 1. Choose the Insert tab.
2. Click the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group. A menu appears.
3. Click Bottom of Page.
4. Click the right-side option.

Insert Page Breaks

As you learned in Lesson 1, you can display your document in any of five views: Draft, Web
Layout, Print Layout, Full Screen Reading, or Online Layout. In Print Layout view you see your
document as it will appear when you print it. You can clearly see where each page ends and a
new page begins.

As you review your document, you may find that you want to change the point at which a new
page begins. You do this by inserting a page break. For example, if a page heading appears on
one page and the first paragraph under the heading appears on the next page, you may want to
inser a page break before the heading to keep the heading and the first paragraph together.

EXERCISE 7

Change to Print View

 1. Choose the View tab.
2. Click Print Layout in the Document Views group. Your document changes to the Print
Layout view.

Insert Page Breaks

1. Place your cursor before the D in "Displaced Homemakers"

2. Choose the Insert tab.
3. Click Page Break. Word places a page break in your document.

To delete a page break, you select the page break and then press the Delete key.

Preview and Print Documents

When you have your margins, tabs, and so on the way you want them, you are ready to print. In
Word, You can preview your document before you print. In the Preview mode, you can review
each page, view multiple pages at the same time, zoom in on a page, and access the Size,
Orientation, and Margin options.

If you press the Zoom button while you are in Preview mode, the Zoom dialog box appears. In
the Zoom dialog box you can set the sizes of the pages that display as well as the number of
pages that display.

When you are ready to print, you use the Print dialog box. In the Print Range area, choose All to
print every page of your document, choose Current Page to print the page you are currently on,
or choose Pages to enter the specific pages you want to print. Type the pages you want to print in
the Pages field. Separate individual pages with commas (1,3, 13); specify a range by using a dash
(4-9).

EXERCISE 8

Print Preview

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Highlight the Print option. The Preview and Print the Document menu appears.
3. Click Print Preview. The Preview window appears, with your document in the window.
4. Click One Page to view one page at a time. Click Two Pages to view two pages at a time.
5. To view your document in normal size, click 100%.
6. Click the Zoom Button. The Zoom dialog box appears.
7. Select an option and then click OK. Perform this task for each option and note the results.

Note: As you review your document, if you see changes you would like to make to the layout,
use the Margin, Orientation, or Page Size options to make the changes. If you want to make other
types of changes to your document, click the Close Print Preview button, to return to your
document. Once you are satisfied with your document, you are ready to print.

Print

1. Click the Print button. The Print dialog box appears.

2. Click the down arrow next to the Name field and select the printer to which you want to
print.
3. Choose All as the page range.
4. Click OK. Word prints your document.
Lesson 1: Entering Text and Numbers
Microsoft Excel is an electronic spreadsheet that runs on a personal computer. You can use it to
organize your data into rows and columns. You can also use it to perform mathematical
calculations quickly. This tutorial teaches Microsoft Excel basics. Although knowledge of how
to navigate in a Windows environment is helpful, this tutorial was created for the computer
novice. This lesson will introduce you to the Excel window. You use the window to interact with
Excel.

 The Microsoft Excel Window

 The Microsoft Office Button
 The Quick Access Toolbar
 The Title Bar
 The Ribbon
 Worksheets
 The Formula Bar
 The Status Bar
 Move Around a Worksheet
 Go To Cells Quickly
 Select Cells
 Enter Data
 Edit a Cell
 Wrap Text
 Delete a Cell Entry
 Save a File
 Close Excel

The Microsoft Excel Window

Microsoft Excel is an electronic spreadsheet. You can use it to organize your data into rows and
columns. You can also use it to perform mathematical calculations quickly. This tutorial teaches
Microsoft Excel basics. Although knowledge of how to navigate in a Windows environment is
helpful, this tutorial was created for the computer novice.

This lesson will introduce you to the Excel window. You use the window to interact with Excel.
To begin this lesson, start Microsoft Excel 2007. The Microsoft Excel window appears and your
screen looks similar to the one shown here.
Note: Your screen will probably not look exactly like the screen shown. In Excel 2007, how a
window displays depends on the size of your window, the size of your monitor, and the
resolution to which your monitor is set. Resolution determines how much information your
computer monitor can display. If you use a low resolution, less information fits on your screen,
but the size of your text and images are larger. If you use a high resolution, more information fits
on your screen, but the size of the text and images are smaller. Also, settings in Excel 2007,
Windows Vista, and Windows XP allow you to change the color and style of your windows.

The Microsoft Office Button

In the upper-left corner of the Excel 2007 window is the Microsoft Office button. When you
click the button, a menu appears. You can use the menu to create a new file, open an existing
file, save a file, and perform many other tasks.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Next to the Microsoft Office button is the Quick Access toolbar. The Quick Access toolbar gives
you with access to commands you frequently use. By default, Save, Undo, and Redo appear on
the Quick Access toolbar. You can use Save to save your file, Undo to roll back an action you
have taken, and Redo to reapply an action you have rolled back.

The Title Bar

Next to the Quick Access toolbar is the Title bar. On the Title bar, Microsoft Excel displays the
name of the workbook you are currently using. At the top of the Excel window, you should see
"Microsoft Excel - Book1" or a similar name.

The Ribbon

You use commands to tell Microsoft Excel what to do. In Microsoft Excel 2007, you use the
Ribbon to issue commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the Excel window, below the
Quick Access toolbar. At the top of the Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays several
related command groups. Within each group are related command buttons. You click buttons to
issue commands or to access menus and dialog boxes. You may also find a dialog box launcher
in the bottom-right corner of a group. When you click the dialog box launcher, a dialog box
makes additional commands available.

Worksheets
Microsoft Excel consists of worksheets. Each worksheet contains columns and rows. The
columns are lettered A to Z and then continuing with AA, AB, AC and so on; the rows are
numbered 1 to 1,048,576. The number of columns and rows you can have in a worksheet is
limited by your computer memory and your system resources.

The combination of a column coordinate and a row coordinate make up a cell address. For
example, the cell located in the upper-left corner of the worksheet is cell A1, meaning column A,
row 1. Cell E10 is located under column E on row 10. You enter your data into the cells on the
worksheet.

The Formula Bar

Formula Bar

If the Formula bar is turned on, the cell address of the cell you are in displays in the Name box
which is located on the left side of the Formula bar. Cell entries display on the right side of the
Formula bar. If you do not see the Formula bar in your window, perform the following steps:

1. Choose the View tab.

2. Click Formula Bar in the Show/Hide group. The Formula bar appears.

Note: The current cell address displays on the left side of the Formula bar.
The Status Bar

The Status bar appears at the very bottom of the Excel window and provides such information as
the sum, average, minimum, and maximum value of selected numbers. You can change what
displays on the Status bar by right-clicking on the Status bar and selecting the options you want
from the Customize Status Bar menu. You click a menu item to select it. You click it again to
deselect it. A check mark next to an item means the item is selected.

Move Around a Worksheet

By using the arrow keys, you can move around your worksheet. You can use the down arrow key
to move downward one cell at a time. You can use the up arrow key to move upward one cell at
a time. You can use the Tab key to move across the page to the right, one cell at a time. You can
hold down the Shift key and then press the Tab key to move to the left, one cell at a time. You
can use the right and left arrow keys to move right or left one cell at a time. The Page Up and
Page Down keys move up and down one page at a time. If you hold down the Ctrl key and then
press the Home key, you move to the beginning of the worksheet.

EXERCISE 1

Move Around the Worksheet

The Down Arrow Key

 Press the down arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves downward one cell at
a time.

The Up Arrow Key

 Press the up arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves upward one cell at a
time.

The Tab Key

1. Move to cell A1.

2. Press the Tab key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the right one cell at a time.

The Shift+Tab Keys

 Hold down the Shift key and then press Tab. Note that the cursor moves to the left one
cell at a time.

The Right and Left Arrow Keys

1. Press the right arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the right.
2. Press the left arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the left.

Page Up and Page Down

1. Press the Page Down key. Note that the cursor moves down one page.
2. Press the Page Up key. Note that the cursor moves up one page.

The Ctrl-Home Key

1. Move the cursor to column J.

2. Stay in column J and move the cursor to row 20.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press the Home key. Excel moves to cell A1.

Go To Cells Quickly

The following are shortcuts for moving quickly from one cell in a worksheet to a cell in a
different part of the worksheet.

EXERCISE 2

Go to -- F5
The F5 function key is the "Go To" key. If you press the F5 key, you are prompted for the cell to
which you wish to go. Enter the cell address, and the cursor jumps to that cell.

1. Press F5. The Go To dialog box opens.

2. Type J3 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell J3.

Go to -- Ctrl+G

You can also use Ctrl+G to go to a specific cell.

1. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "g" (Ctrl+g). The Go To dialog box opens.
2. Type C4 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell C4.

The Name Box

You can also use the Name box to go to a specific cell. Just type the cell you want to go to in the
Name box and then press Enter.

1. Type B10 in the Name box.

2. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell B10.

Select Cells
If you wish to perform a function on a group of cells, you must first select those cells by
highlighting them. The exercises that follow teach you how to select.

EXERCISE 3

Select Cells

To select cells A1 to E1:

1. Go to cell A1.
2. Press the F8 key. This anchors the cursor.
3. Note that "Extend Selection" appears on the Status bar in the lower-left corner of the
window. You are in the Extend mode.
4. Click in cell E7. Excel highlights cells A1 to E7.
5. Press Esc and click anywhere on the worksheet to clear the highlighting.

Alternative Method: Select Cells by Dragging

You can also select an area by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse over
the area. In addition, you can select noncontiguous areas of the worksheet by doing the
following:
 1. Go to cell A1.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key. You won't release it until step 9. Holding down the Ctrl key
enables you to select noncontiguous areas of the worksheet.
3. Press the left mouse button.
4. While holding down the left mouse button, use the mouse to move from cell A1 to C5.
5. Continue to hold down the Ctrl key, but release the left mouse button.
6. Using the mouse, place the cursor in cell D7.
7. Press the left mouse button.
8. While holding down the left mouse button, move to cell F10. Release the left mouse
button.
9. Release the Ctrl key. Cells A1 to C5 and cells D7 to F10 are selected.
10. Press Esc and click anywhere on the worksheet to remove the highlighting.

Enter Data

In this section, you will learn how to enter data into your worksheet. First, place the cursor in the
cell in which you want to start entering data. Type some data, and then press Enter. If you need
to delete, press the Backspace key to delete one character at a time.

EXERCISE 4

Enter Data
 1. Place the cursor in cell A1.
2. Type John Jordan. Do not press Enter at this time.

Delete Data

The Backspace key erases one character at a time.

1. Press the Backspace key until Jordan is erased.

2. Press Enter. The name "John" appears in cell A1.

Edit a Cell

After you enter data into a cell, you can edit the data by pressing F2 while you are in the cell you
wish to edit.
EXERCISE 5

Edit a Cell

Change "John" to "Jones."

1. Move to cell A1.

2. Press F2.
3. Use the Backspace key to delete the "n" and the "h."
4. Type nes.
5. Press Enter.

Alternate Method: Editing a Cell by Using the Formula Bar

You can also edit the cell by using the Formula bar. You change "Jones" to "Joker" in the
following exercise.

1. Move the cursor to cell A1.

2. Click in the formula area of the Formula bar.
 3. Use the backspace key to erase the "s," "e," and "n."
4. Type ker.
5. Press Enter.

Alternate Method: Edit a Cell by Double-Clicking in the Cell

You can change "Joker" to "Johnson" as follows:

1. Move to cell A1.

2. Double-click in cell A1.
3. Press the End key. Your cursor is now at the end of your text.
 3. Use the Backspace key to erase "r," "e," and "k."
4. Type hnson.
5. Press Enter.

Change a Cell Entry

Typing in a cell replaces the old cell entry with the new information you type.

1. Move the cursor to cell A1.

2. Type Cathy.
3. Press Enter. The name "Cathy" replaces "Johnson."

Wrap Text

When you type text that is too long to fit in the cell, the text overlaps the next cell. If you do not
want it to overlap the next cell, you can wrap the text.
EXERCISE 6

Wrap Text

1. Move to cell A2.

2. Type Text too long to fit.
3. Press Enter.

4. Return to cell A2.

5. Choose the Home tab.
6. Click the Wrap Text button . Excel wraps the text in the cell.

Delete a Cell Entry

To delete an entry in a cell or a group of cells, you place the cursor in the cell or select the group
of cells and press Delete.

EXERCISE 7

Delete a Cell Entry

1. Select cells A1 to A2.

2. Press the Delete key.

Save a File

Lesson 2: Entering Excel Formulas and Formatting Data

Lesson 1 familiarized you with the Excel 2007 window, taught you how to move around the
window, and how to enter data. A major strength of Excel is that you can perform mathematical
calculations and format your data. In this lesson, you learn how to perform basic mathematical
calculations and how to format text and numerical data.

 Set the Enter Key Direction

 Perform Mathematical Calculations
 AutoSum
 Perform Automatic Calculations
 Align Cell Entries
 Perform Advanced Mathematical Calculations
 Copy, Cut, Paste, and Cell Addressing
 Insert and Delete Columns and Rows
 Create Borders
 Merge and Center
 Add Background Color
 Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color
 Move to a New Worksheet
 Bold, Italicize, and Underline
 Work with Long Text
 Change a Column's Width
 Format Numbers

Set the Enter Key Direction

In Microsoft Excel, you can specify the direction the cursor moves when you press the Enter key.
In the exercises that follow, the cursor must move down one cell when you press Enter. You can
use the Direction box in the Excel Options pane to set the cursor to move up, down, left, right, or
not at all. Perform the steps that follow to set the cursor to move down when you press the Enter
key.

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Click Excel Options in the lower-right corner. The Excel Options pane appears.
 3. Click Advanced.
4. If the check box next to After Pressing Enter Move Selection is not checked, click the
box to check it.
5. If Down does not appear in the Direction box, click the down arrow next to the Direction
box and then click Down.
6. Click OK. Excel sets the Enter direction to down.

Perform Mathematical Calculations

In Microsoft Excel, you can enter numbers and mathematical formulas into cells. Whether you
enter a number or a formula, you can reference the cell when you perform mathematical
calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. When entering a
mathematical formula, precede the formula with an equal sign. Use the following to indicate the
type of calculation you wish to perform:

+ Addition

- Subtraction

* Multiplication

/ Division

^ Exponential
In the following exercises, you practice some of the methods you can use to move around a
worksheet and you learn how to perform mathematical calculations. Refer to Lesson 1 to learn
more about moving around a worksheet.

EXERCISE 1

Addition

1. Type Add in cell A1.

2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
3. Type 1 in cell A2.
4. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
5. Type 1 in cell A3.
6. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
7. Type =A2+A3 in cell A4.
8. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel adds cell A1 to cell A2 and displays the
result in cell A4. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

Note: Clicking the check mark on the Formula bar is similar to pressing Enter. Excel records
your entry but does not move to the next cell.

Subtraction
1. Press F5. The Go To dialog box appears.
2. Type B1 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell B1.

4. Type Subtract.
5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
6. Type 6 in cell B2.
7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
8. Type 3 in cell B3.
9. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
10. Type =B2-B3 in cell B4.
11. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel subtracts cell B3 from cell B2 and the
result displays in cell B4. The formula displays on the Formula bar.
Multiplication

1. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "g" (Ctrl+g). The Go To dialog box appears.
2. Type C1 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell C1
4. Type Multiply.
5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
6. Type 2 in cell C2.
7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
8. Type 3 in cell C3.
9. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
10. Type =C2*C3 in cell C4.
11. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel multiplies C1 by cell C2 and displays the
result in cell C3. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

Division

1. Press F5.
2. Type D1 in the Reference field.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell D1.
4. Type Divide.
5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
6. Type 6 in cell D2.
7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
8. Type 3 in cell D3.
9. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
10. Type =D2/D3 in cell D4.
11. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel divides cell D2 by cell D3 and displays
the result in cell D4. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

When creating formulas, you can reference cells and include numbers. All of the following
formulas are valid:

=A2/B2

=A1+12-B3

=A2*B2+12

=24+53

AutoSum

You can use the AutoSum button on the Home tab to automatically add a column or row of
numbers. When you press the AutoSum button , Excel selects the numbers it thinks you want
to add. If you then click the check mark on the Formula bar or press the Enter key, Excel adds
the numbers. If Excel's guess as to which numbers you want to add is wrong, you can select the
cells you want.

EXERCISE 2

AutoSum

The following illustrates AutoSum:

1. Go to cell F1.
2. Type 3.
3. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
4. Type 3.
5. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
6. Type 3.
7. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell to cell F4.
8. Choose the Home tab.
9. Click the AutoSum button in the Editing group. Excel selects cells F1 through F3 and
enters a formula in cell F4.
 10. Press Enter. Excel adds cells F1 through F3 and displays the result in cell F4.

Perform Automatic Calculations

By default, Microsoft Excel recalculates the worksheet as you change cell entries. This makes it
easy for you to correct mistakes and analyze a variety of scenarios.

EXERCISE 3

Automatic Calculation

Make the changes described below and note how Microsoft Excel automatically recalculates.

1. Move to cell A2.

2. Type 2.
3. Press the right arrow key. Excel changes the result in cell A4. Excel adds cell A2 to cell
A3 and the new result appears in cell A4.
4. Move to cell B2.
5. Type 8.
 6. Press the right arrow key. Excel subtracts cell B3 from cell B3 and the new result
appears in cell B4.
7. Move to cell C2.
8. Type 4.
9. Press the right arrow key. Excel multiplies cell C2 by cell C3 and the new result appears
in cell C4.
10. Move to cell D2.
11. Type 12.
12. Press the Enter key. Excel divides cell D2 by cell D3 and the new result appears in cell
D4.

Align Cell Entries

When you type text into a cell, by default your entry aligns with the left side of the cell. When
you type numbers into a cell, by default your entry aligns with the right side of the cell. You can
change the cell alignment. You can center, left-align, or right-align any cell entry. Look at cells
A1 to D1. Note that they are aligned with the left side of the cell.

EXERCISE 4

Center

To center cells A1 to D1:

1. Select cells A1 to D1.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Center button in the Alignment group. Excel centers each cell's content.
Left-Align

To left-align cells A1 to D1:

1. Select cells A1 to D1.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Align Text Left button in the Alignment group. Excel left-aligns each cell's
content.

Right-Align

To right-align cells A1 to D1:

1. Select cells A1 to D1. Click in cell A1.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Align Text Right button. Excel right-aligns the cell's content.
4. Click anywhere on your worksheet to clear the highlighting.
Note: You can also change the alignment of cells with numbers in them by using the alignment
buttons.

Perform Advanced Mathematical Calculations

When you perform mathematical calculations in Excel, be careful of precedence. Calculations

are performed from left to right, with multiplication and division performed before addition and
subtraction.

EXERCISE 5

Advanced Calculations

1. Move to cell A7.

2. Type =3+3+12/2*4.
3. Press Enter.

Note: Microsoft Excel divides 12 by 2, multiplies the answer by 4, adds 3, and then adds another
3. The answer, 30, displays in cell A7.

To change the order of calculation, use parentheses. Microsoft Excel calculates the information
in parentheses first.

1. Double-click in cell A7.

2. Edit the cell to read =(3+3+12)/2*4.
3. Press Enter.

Note: Microsoft Excel adds 3 plus 3 plus 12, divides the answer by 2, and then multiplies the
result by 4. The answer, 36, displays in cell A7.

Copy, Cut, Paste, and Cell Addressing

In Excel, you can copy data from one area of a worksheet and place the data you copied
anywhere in the same or another worksheet. In other words, after you type information into a
worksheet, if you want to place the same information somewhere else, you do not have to retype
the information. You simple copy it and then paste it in the new location.

You can use Excel's Cut feature to remove information from a worksheet. Then you can use the
Paste feature to place the information you cut anywhere in the same or another worksheet. In
other words, you can move information from one place in a worksheet to another place in the
same or different worksheet by using the Cut and Paste features.

Microsoft Excel records cell addresses in formulas in three different ways, called absolute,
relative, and mixed. The way a formula is recorded is important when you copy it. With relative
cell addressing, when you copy a formula from one area of the worksheet to another, Excel
records the position of the cell relative to the cell that originally contained the formula. With
absolute cell addressing, when you copy a formula from one area of the worksheet to another,
Excel references the same cells, no matter where you copy the formula. You can use mixed cell
addressing to keep the row constant while the column changes, or vice versa. The following
exercises demonstrate.

EXERCISE 6

Copy, Cut, Paste, and Cell Addressing

1. Move to cell A9.

2. Type 1. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
3. Type 1. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
4. Type 1. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
5. Move to cell B9.
6. Type 2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
7. Type 2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.
8. Type 2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.

In addition to typing a formula as you did in Lesson 1, you can also enter formulas by using
Point mode. When you are in Point mode, you can enter a formula either by clicking on a cell or
by using the arrow keys.

1. Move to cell A12.

2. Type =.
3. Use the up arrow key to move to cell A9.
4. Type +.
5. Use the up arrow key to move to cell A10.
6. Type +.
7. Use the up arrow key to move to cell A11.
8. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Look at the Formula bar. Note that the formula
you entered is displayed there.
Copy with the Ribbon

To copy the formula you just entered, follow these steps:

1. You should be in cell A12.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Copy button in the Clipboard group. Excel copies the formula in cell A12.
 4. Press the right arrow key once to move to cell B12.
5. Click the Paste button in the Clipboard group. Excel pastes the formula in cell A12
into cell B12.
6. Press the Esc key to exit the Copy mode.

Compare the formula in cell A12 with the formula in cell B12 (while in the respective cell, look
at the Formula bar). The formulas are the same except that the formula in cell A12 sums the
entries in column A and the formula in cell B12 sums the entries in column B. The formula was
copied in a relative fashion.

Before proceeding with the next part of the exercise, you must copy the information in cells A7
to B9 to cells C7 to D9. This time you will copy by using the Mini toolbar.

Copy with the Mini Toolbar

1. Select cells A9 to B11. Move to cell A9. Press the Shift key. While holding down the
Shift key, press the down arrow key twice. Press the right arrow key once. Excel
highlights A9 to B11.
2. Right-click. A context menu and a Mini toolbar appear.
3. Click Copy, which is located on the context menu. Excel copies the information in cells
A9 to B11.

4. Move to cell C9.

5. Right-click. A context menu appears.
6. Click Paste. Excel copies the contents of cells A9 to B11 to cells C9 to C11.

7. Press Esc to exit Copy mode.

Absolute Cell Addressing

You make a cell address an absolute cell address by placing a dollar sign in front of the row and
column identifiers. You can do this automatically by using the F4 key. To illustrate:

1. Move to cell C12.

2. Type =.
3. Click cell C9.
4. Press F4. Dollar signs appear before the C and the 9.
5. Type +.
6. Click cell C10.
7. Press F4. Dollar signs appear before the C and the 10.
8. Type +.
9. Click cell C11.
10. Press F4. Dollar signs appear before the C and the 11.
11. Click the check mark on the formula bar. Excel records the formula in cell C12.

Copy and Paste with Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that enable you to perform tasks by using the
keyboard. Generally, you press and hold down a key while pressing a letter. For example, Ctrl+c
means you should press and hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "c." This tutorial notates key
combinations as follows:

Press Ctrl+c.

Now copy the formula from C12 to D12. This time, copy by using keyboard shortcuts.

1. Move to cell C12.

2. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "c" (Ctrl+c). Excel copies the contents of cell
C12.
3. Press the right arrow once. Excel moves to D12.
4. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "v" (Ctrl+v). Excel pastes the contents of cell
C12 into cell D12.
5. Press Esc to exit the Copy mode.
Compare the formula in cell C12 with the formula in cell D12 (while in the respective cell, look
at the Formula bar). The formulas are exactly the same. Excel copied the formula from cell C12
to cell D12. Excel copied the formula in an absolute fashion. Both formulas sum column C.

Mixed Cell Addressing

You use mixed cell addressing to reference a cell when you want to copy part of it absolute and
part relative. For example, the row can be absolute and the column relative. You can use the F4
key to create a mixed cell reference.

1. Move to cell E1.

2. Type =.
3. Press the up arrow key once.
4. Press F4.
5. Press F4 again. Note that the column is relative and the row is absolute.
6. Press F4 again. Note that the column is absolute and the row is relative.
7. Press Esc.

Cut and Paste

You can move data from one area of a worksheet to another.

1. Select cells D9 to D12
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Cut button.
4. Move to cell G1.
 5. Click the Paste button . Excel moves the contents of cells D9 to D12 to cells G1 to
G4.

The keyboard shortcut for Cut is Ctrl+x. The steps for cutting and pasting with a keyboard
shortcut are:

1. Select the cells you want to cut and paste.

2. Press Ctrl+x.
3. Move to the upper-left corner of the block of cells into which you want to paste.
4. Press Ctrl+v. Excel cuts and pastes the cells you selected.

Insert and Delete Columns and Rows

You can insert and delete columns and rows. When you delete a column, you delete everything
in the column from the top of the worksheet to the bottom of the worksheet. When you delete a
row, you delete the entire row from left to right. Inserting a column or row inserts a completely
new column or row.

EXERCISE 7

Insert and Delete Columns and Rows

To delete columns F and G:

1. Click the column F indicator and drag to column G.

 2. Click the down arrow next to Delete in the Cells group. A menu appears.
3. Click Delete Sheet Columns. Excel deletes the columns you selected.
4. Click anywhere on the worksheet to remove your selection.

To delete rows 7 through 12:

1. Click the row 7 indicator and drag to row 12.

2. Click the down arrow next to Delete in the Cells group. A menu appears.
3. Click Delete Sheet Rows. Excel deletes the rows you selected.
4. Click anywhere on the worksheet to remove your selection.

To insert a column:

1. Click on A to select column A.

2. Click the down arrow next to Insert in the Cells group. A menu appears.
3. Click Insert Sheet Columns. Excel inserts a new column.
4. Click anywhere on the worksheet to remove your selection.

To insert rows:

1. Click on 1 and then drag down to 2 to select rows 1 and 2.

2. Click the down arrow next to Insert in the Cells group. A menu appears.
3. Click Insert Sheet Rows. Excel inserts two new rows.
4. Click anywhere on the worksheet to remove your selection.

Your worksheet should look like the one shown here.

Create Borders

You can use borders to make entries in your Excel worksheet stand out. You can choose from
several types of borders. When you press the down arrow next to the Border button ,a
menu appears. By making the proper selection from the menu, you can place a border on the top,
bottom, left, or right side of the selected cells; on all sides; or around the outside border. You can
have a thick outside border or a border with a single-line top and a double-line bottom.
Accountants usually place a single underline above a final number and a double underline below.
The following illustrates:

EXERCISE 8

Create Borders

1. Select cells B6 to E6.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down arrow next to the Borders button . A menu appears.
4. Click Top and Double Bottom Border. Excel adds the border you chose to the selected
cells.
Merge and Center

Sometimes, particularly when you give a title to a section of your worksheet, you will want to
center a piece of text over several columns or rows. The following example shows you how.

EXERCISE 9

Merge and Center

1. Go to cell B2.
2. Type Sample Worksheet.
3. Click the check mark on the Formula bar.
4. Select cells B2 to E2.
5. Choose the Home tab.
6. Click the Merge and Center button in the Alignment group. Excel merges cells B2,
C2, D2, and E2 and then centers the content.
Note: To unmerge cells:

1. Select the cell you want to unmerge.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down arrow next to the Merge and Center button. A menu appears.
4. Click Unmerge Cells. Excel unmerges the cells.

Add Background Color

To make a section of your worksheet stand out, you can add background color to a cell or group
of cells.

EXERCISE 10

Add Background Color

1. Select cells B2 to E3.

 2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down arrow next to the Fill Color button .
4. Click the color dark blue. Excel places a dark blue background in the cells you selected.

Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color

A font is a set of characters represented in a single typeface. Each character within a font is
created by using the same basic style. Excel provides many different fonts from which you can
choose. The size of a font is measured in points. There are 72 points to an inch. The number of
points assigned to a font is based on the distance from the top to the bottom of its longest
character. You can change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color of the data you enter into Excel.

EXERCISE 11

Change the Font

 1. Select cells B2 to E3.

2. Choose the Home tab.

3. Click the down arrow next to the Font box. A list of fonts appears. As you scroll down
the list of fonts, Excel provides a preview of the font in the cell you selected.
4. Find and click Times New Roman in the Font box. Note: If Times New Roman is your
default font, click another font. Excel changes the font in the selected cells.

Change the Font Size

 1. Select cell B2.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down arrow next to the Font Size box. A list of font sizes appears. As you scroll
up or down the list of font sizes, Excel provides a preview of the font size in the cell you
selected.
4. Click 26. Excel changes the font size in cell B2 to 26.

Change the Font Color

 1. Select cells B2 to E3.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down arrow next to the Font Color button .
4. Click on the color white. Your font color changes to white.

Your worksheet should look like the one shown here.

Move to a New Worksheet

In Microsoft Excel, each workbook is made up of several worksheets. Each worksheet has a tab.
By default, a workbook has three sheets and they are named sequentially, starting with Sheet1.
The name of the worksheet appears on the tab. Before moving to the next topic, move to a new
worksheet. The exercise that follows shows you how.
EXERCISE 12

Move to a New Worksheet

 Click Sheet2 in the lower-left corner of the screen. Excel moves to Sheet2.

Bold, Italicize, and Underline

When creating an Excel worksheet, you may want to emphasize the contents of cells by bolding,
italicizing, and/or underlining. You can easily bold, italicize, or underline text with Microsoft
Excel. You can also combine these features—in other words, you can bold, italicize, and
underline a single piece of text.

In the exercises that follow, you will learn different methods you can use to bold, italicize, and
underline.

EXERCISE 13

Bold with the Ribbon

1. Type Bold in cell A1.

2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the Bold button . Excel bolds the contents of the cell.
 5. Click the Bold button again if you wish to remove the bold.

Italicize with the Ribbon

1. Type Italic in cell B1.

2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the Italic button . Excel italicizes the contents of the cell.
5. Click the Italic button again if you wish to remove the italic.

Underline with the Ribbon

Microsoft Excel provides two types of underlines. The exercises that follow illustrate them.

Single Underline:
 1. Type Underline in cell C1.
2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the Underline button . Excel underlines the contents of the cell.
5. Click the Underline button again if you wish to remove the underline.

Double Underline

1. Type Underline in cell D1.

2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the down arrow next to the Underline button and then click Double Underline.
Excel double-underlines the contents of the cell. Note that the Underline button changes
to the button shown here , a D with a double underline under it. Then next time you
click the Underline button, you will get a double underline. If you want a single
underline, click the down arrow next to the Double Underline button and then
choose Underline.
5. Click the double underline button again if you wish to remove the double underline.

Bold, Underline, and Italicize

1. Type All three in cell E1.

2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Choose the Home tab.
4. Click the Bold button . Excel bolds the cell contents.
5. Click the Italic button . Excel italicizes the cell contents.
6. Click the Underline button . Excel underlines the cell contents.

Alternate Method: Bold with Shortcut Keys

 1. Type Bold in cell A2.
2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "b" (Ctrl+b). Excel bolds the contents of the cell.
4. Press Ctrl+b again if you wish to remove the bolding.

Alternate Method: Italicize with Shortcut Keys

1. Type Italic in cell B2. Note: Because you previously entered the word Italic in column
B, Excel may enter the word in the cell automatically after you type the letter I. Excel
does this to speed up your data entry.
2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "i" (Ctrl+i). Excel italicizes the contents of the
cell.
4. Press Ctrl+i again if you wish to remove the italic formatting.

Alternate Method: Underline with Shortcut Keys

1. Type Underline in cell C2.

2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "u" (Ctrl+u). Excel applies a single underline to
the cell contents.
4. Press Ctrl+u again if you wish to remove the underline.

Bold, Italicize, and Underline with Shortcut Keys

1. Type All three in cell D2.

2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar.
3. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "b" (Ctrl+b). Excel bolds the cell contents.
4. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "i" (Ctrl+i). Excel italicizes the cell contents.
5. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "u" (Ctrl+u). Excel applies a single underline to
the cell contents.

Work with Long Text

Whenever you type text that is too long to fit into a cell, Microsoft Excel attempts to display all
the text. It left-aligns the text regardless of the alignment you have assigned to it, and it borrows
space from the blank cells to the right. However, a long text entry will never write over cells that
already contain entries—instead, the cells that contain entries cut off the long text. The following
exercise illustrates this.

EXERCISE 14

Work with Long Text

 1. Move to cell A6.
2. Type Now is the time for all good men to go to the aid of their army.
3. Press Enter. Everything that does not fit into cell A6 spills over into the adjacent cell.

4. Move to cell B6.

5. Type Test.
6. Press Enter. Excel cuts off the entry in cell A6.

7. Move to cell A6.

8. Look at the Formula bar. The text is still in the cell.

Change A Column's Width

You can increase column widths. Increasing the column width enables you to see the long text.

EXERCISE 15

Change Column Width

 1. Make sure you are in any cell under column A.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down arrow next to Format in the Cells group.
4. Click Column Width. The Column Width dialog box appears.
5. Type 55 in the Column Width field.
6. Click OK. Column A is set to a width of 55. You should now be able to see all of the text.

Change a Column Width by Dragging

You can also change the column width with the cursor.

1. Place the mouse pointer on the line between the B and C column headings. The mouse
pointer should look like the one displayed here , with two arrows.
2. Move your mouse to the right while holding down the left mouse button. The width
indicator appears on the screen.
3. Release the left mouse button when the width indicator shows approximately 20. Excel
increases the column width to 20.

Format Numbers
You can format the numbers you enter into Microsoft Excel. For example, you can add commas
to separate thousands, specify the number of decimal places, place a dollar sign in front of a
number, or display a number as a percent.

EXERCISE 16

Format Numbers

1. Move to cell B8.

2. Type 1234567.
3. Click the check mark on the Formula bar.

4. Choose the Home tab.

5. Click the down arrow next to the Number Format box. A menu appears.
6. Click Number. Excel adds two decimal places to the number you typed.
 7. Click the Comma Style button . Excel separates thousands with a comma.
8. Click the Accounting Number Format button . Excel adds a dollar sign to your
number.
9. Click twice on the Increase Decimal button to change the number format to four
decimal places.
10. Click the Decrease Decimal button if you wish to decrease the number of decimal
places.

Change a decimal to a percent.

1. Move to cell B9.

2. Type .35 (note the decimal point).
3. Click the check mark on the formula bar.
 4. Choose the Home tab.
5. Click the Percent Style button . Excel turns the decimal to a percent.

Lesson 3: Creating Excel Functions, Filling Cells, and

Printing
By using functions, you can quickly and easily make many useful calculations, such as finding
an average, the highest number, the lowest number, and a count of the number of items in a list.
Microsoft Excel has many functions you can use. You can also use Microsoft Excel to fill cells
automatically with a series.For example, you can have Excel automatically fill your worksheet
with days of the week, months of the year, years, or other types of series.

A header is text that appears at the top of every page of your printed worksheet. A footer is text
that appears at the bottom of every page of your printed worksheet. You can use a header or
footer to display among other things titles, page numbers, or logos. Once you have completed
your Excel worksheet, you may want to print it. This lesson teaches you how to use functions,
how to create a series, how to create headers and footers, and how to print.

 Using Reference Operators

 Understanding Functions
 Fill Cells Automatically
 Create Headers and Footers
 Set Print Options
 Print

Using Reference Operators

To use functions, you need to understand reference operators. Reference operators refer to a cell
or a group of cells. There are two types of reference operators: range and union.

A range reference refers to all the cells between and including the reference. A range reference
consists of two cell addresses separated by a colon. The reference A1:A3 includes cells A1, A2,
and A3. The reference A1:C3 includes cells A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and C3.

A union reference includes two or more references. A union reference consists of two or more
numbers, range references, or cell addresses separated by a comma. The reference
A7,B8:B10,C9,10 refers to cells A7, B8 to B10, C9 and the number 10.

Understanding Functions

Functions are prewritten formulas. Functions differ from regular formulas in that you supply the
value but not the operators, such as +, -, *, or /. For example, you can use the SUM function to
add. When using a function, remember the following:

Use an equal sign to begin a formula.

Specify the function name.

Enclose arguments within parentheses. Arguments are values on which you want to perform the
calculation. For example, arguments specify the numbers or cells you want to add.

Use a comma to separate arguments.

Here is an example of a function:

=SUM(2,13,A1,B2:C7)

In this function:

The equal sign begins the function.

SUM is the name of the function.

2, 13, A1, and B2:C7 are the arguments.

Parentheses enclose the arguments.

Commas separate the arguments.

After you type the first letter of a function name, the AutoComplete list appears. You can
double-click on an item in the AutoComplete list to complete your entry quickly. Excel will
complete the function name and enter the first parenthesis.
EXERCISE 1

Functions

The SUM function adds argument values.

1. Open Microsoft Excel.

2. Type 12 in cell B1.
3. Press Enter.
4. Type 27 in cell B2.
5. Press Enter.
6. Type 24 in cell B3.
7. Press Enter.
8. Type =SUM(B1:B3) in cell A4.
9. Press Enter. The sum of cells B1 to B3, which is 63, appears.

Alternate Method: Enter a Function with the Ribbon

1. Type 150 in cell C1.

 2. Press Enter.
3. Type 85 in cell C2.
4. Press Enter.
5. Type 65 in cell C3.
6. Choose the Formulas tab.
7. Click the Insert Function button. The Insert Function dialog box appears.
8. Choose Math & Trig in the Or Select A Category box.
9. Click Sum in the Select A Function box.
10. Click OK. The Function Arguments dialog box appears.

12. Type C1:C3 in the Number1 field, if it does not automatically appear.
13. Click OK. The sum of cells C1 to C3, which is 300, appears.

Format worksheet

1. Move to cell A4.

2. Type the word Sum.
3. Select cells B4 to C4.
4. Choose the Home tab.
5. Click the down arrow next to the Borders button .
6. Click Top and Double Bottom Border.

As you learned in Lesson 2, you can also calculate a sum by using the AutoSum button .

Calculate an Average
You can use the AVERAGE function to calculate the average of a series of numbers.

1. Move to cell A6.

2. Type Average. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B6.
3. Type =AVERAGE(B1:B3).
4. Press Enter. The average of cells B1 to B3, which is 21, appears.

Calculate an Average with the AutoSum Button

In Microsoft Excel, you can use the AutoSum button to calculate an average.

1. Move to cell C6.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down arrow next to the AutoSum button .
4. Click Average.
 5. Select cells C1 to C3.
6. Press Enter. The average of cells C1 to C3, which is 100, appears.

Find the Lowest Number

You can use the MIN function to find the lowest number in a series of numbers.

1. Move to cell A7.

2. Type Min.
3. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B7.
4. Type = MIN(B1:B3).
5. Press Enter. The lowest number in the series, which is 12, appears.

Note: You can also use the drop-down button next to the AutoSum button to calculate
minimums, maximums, and counts.

Find the Highest Number

You can use the MAX function to find the highest number in a series of numbers.
 .

1. Move to cell A8.

2. Type Max.
3. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B8.
4. Type = MAX(B1:B3).
5. Press Enter. The highest number in the series, which is 27, appears.

Count the Numbers in a Series of Numbers

You can use the count function to count the number of numbers in a series.

1. Move to cell A9.

2. Type Count.
3. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B9.
4. Choose the Home tab.
5. Click the down arrow next to the AutoSum button .
6. Click Count Numbers. Excel places the count function in cell C9 and takes a guess at
which cells you want to count. The guess is incorrect, so you must select the proper cells.
 7. Select B1 to B3.
8. Press Enter. The number of items in the series, which is 3, appears.

Fill Cells Automatically

You can use Microsoft Excel to fill cells automatically with a series. For example, you can have
Excel automatically fill your worksheet with days of the week, months of the year, years, or
other types of series.

EXERCISE 2

Fill Cells Automatically

The following demonstrates filling the days of the week:

1. Click the Sheet2 tab. Excel moves to Sheet2.
2. Move to cell A1.
3. Type Sun.
4. Move to cell B1.
5. Type Sunday.
6. Select cells A1 to B1.
7. Choose the Home tab.
8. Click the Bold button . Excel bolds cells A1 to B1.
9. Find the small black square in the lower-right corner of the selected area. The small black
square is called the fill handle.
10. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to fill cells A1 to B14. Note how the days
of the week fill the cells in a series. Also, note that the Auto Fill Options button appears.
Copy Cells

1. Click the Auto Fill Options button. The Auto Fill Options menu appears.
2. Choose the Copy Cells radio button. The entry in cells A1 and B1 are copied to all the
highlighted cells.
 3. Click the Auto Fill Options button again.
4. Choose the Fill Series radio button. The cells fill as a series from Sunday to Saturday
again.
5. Click the Auto Fill Options button again.
6. Choose the Fill Without Formatting radio button. The cells fill as a series from Sunday to
Saturday, but the entries are not bolded.
7. Click the Auto Fill Options button again.
8. Choose the Fill Weekdays radio button. The cells fill as a series from Monday to Friday.

Adjust Column Width

Some of the entries in column B are too long to fit in the column. You can quickly adjust the
column width to fit the longest entry.

1. Move your mouse pointer over the line that separates column B and C. The Width
Indicator appears.

2. Double-click. The Column adjusts to fit the longest entry.

After you complete the remainder of the exercise, your worksheet will look like the one shown
here.

Fill Times
The following demonstrates filling time:

1. Type 1:00 into cell C1.

2. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells C1 to C14. Note that
each cell fills, using military time.
3. Press Esc and then click anywhere on the worksheet to remove the highlighting.

To change the format of the time:

1. Select cells C1 to C14.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the down arrow next to the number format box . A menu appears.
4. Click Time. Excel changes the format of the time.

Fill Numbers

You can also fill numbers.

Type a 1 in cell D1.

1. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells D1 to D14. The number
1 fills each cell.
2. Click the Auto Fill Options button.
3. Choose the Fill Series radio button. The cells fill as a series, starting with 1, 2, 3.

Here is another interesting fill feature.

1. Go to cell E1.
2. Type Lesson 1.
3. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells E1 to E14. The cells fill
in as a series: Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, and so on.

Create Headers and Footers

You can use the Header & Footer button on the Insert tab to create headers and footers. A header
is text that appears at the top of every page of your printed worksheet. A footer is text that
appears at the bottom of every page of your printed worksheet. When you click the Header &
Footer button, the Design context tab appears and Excel changes to Page Layout view. A context
tab is a tab that only appears when you need it. Page Layout view structures your worksheet so
that you can easily change the format of your document. You usually work in Normal view.

You can type in your header or footer or you can use predefined headers and footers. To find
predefined headers and footers, click the Header or Footer button or use the Header & Footer
Elements group's buttons. When you choose a header or footer by clicking the Header or Footer
button, Excel centers your choice. The table shown here describes each of the Header & Footer
Elements group button options.
 Header & Footer Elements
Button Purpose
Page Number Inserts the page number.
Number of Pages Inserts the number of pages in the document.
Current Time Inserts the current time.
File Path Inserts the path to the document.
File Name Inserts the file name.
Sheet Name Inserts the name of the worksheet.
Picture Enables you to insert a picture.

Both the header and footer areas are divided into three sections: left, right, and center. When you
choose a Header or Footer from the Header & Footer Elements group, where you place your
information determines whether it appears on the left, right, or center of the printed page. You
use the Go To Header and Go To Footer buttons on the Design tab to move between the header
and footer areas of your worksheet.

EXERCISE 3

Insert Headers and Footers

1. Choose the Insert tab.

2. Click the Header & Footer button in the Text group. Your worksheet changes to Page
Layout view and the Design context tab appears. Note that your cursor is located in the
center section of the header area.
 3. Click the right side of the header area.
4. Click Page Number in the Header & Footer Elements group. When you print your
document, Excel will place the page number in the upper-right corner.
5. Click the left side of the Header area.
6. Type your name. When you print your document, Excel will place your name in the
upper-left corner.
7. Click the Go To Footer button. Excel moves to the footer area.

8. Click the Footer button. A menu appears.

9. Click the path to your document. Excel will place the path to your document at the
bottom of every printed page.

Return to Normal View

To return to Normal view:

 1. Choose the View tab.
2. Click the Normal button in the Workbook Views group.

Set Print Options

There are many print options. You set print options on the Page Layout tab. Among other things,
you can set your margins, set your page orientation, and select your paper size.

Margins define the amount of white space that appears on the top, bottom, left, and right edges of
your document. The Margin option on the Page Layout tab provides several standard margin
sizes from which you can choose.

There are two page orientations: portrait and landscape. Paper, such as paper sized 8 1/2 by 11, is
longer on one edge than it is on the other. If you print in Portrait, the shortest edge of the paper
becomes the top of the page. Portrait is the default option. If you print in Landscape, the longest
edge of the paper becomes the top of the page.

Portrait

Landscape

Paper comes in a variety of sizes. Most business correspondence uses 8 1/2 by 11 paper, which is
the default page size in Excel. If you are not using 8 1/2 by 11 paper, you can use the Size option
on the Page Layout tab to change the Size setting.

EXERCISE 4

Set the Page Layout

 1. Choose the Page Layout tab.
2. Click Margins in the Page Setup group. A menu appears.
3. Click Wide. Word sets your margins to the Wide settings.

Set the Page Orientation

1. Choose the Page Layout tab.

2. Click Orientation in the Page Setup group. A menu appears.
3. Click Landscape. Excel sets your page orientation to landscape.

Set the Paper Size

 1. Choose the Page Layout tab.
2. Click Size in the Page Setup group. A menu appears.
3. Click the paper size you are using. Excel sets your page size.

Print

The simplest way to print is to click the Office button, highlight Print on the menu that appears,
and then click Quick Print in the Preview and Print the Document pane. Dotted lines appear on
your screen, and your document prints. The dotted lines indicate the right, left, top, and bottom
edges of your printed pages.

You can also use the Print Preview option to print. When using Print Preview, you can see
onscreen how your printed document will look when you print it. If you click the Page Setup
button while in Print Preview mode, you can set page settings such as centering your data on the
page.

If your document is several pages long, you can use the Next Page and Previous Page buttons to
move forward and backward through your document. If you check the Show Margins check box,
you will see margin lines on your document. You can click and drag the margin markers to
increase or decrease the size of your margins. To return to Excel, click the Close Print Preview
button.

You click the Print button when you are ready to print. The Print dialog box appears. You can
choose to print the entire worksheet or specific pages. If you want to print specific pages, enter
the page numbers in the From and To fields. You can enter the number of copies you want to
print in the Number of Copies field.

EXERCISE 5

Open Print Preview

1. Click the Office button. A menu appears.

2. Highlight Print. The Preview and Print The Document pane appears.
3. Click Print Preview. The Print Preview window appears, with your document in the
center.

Center Your Document

 1. Click the Page Setup button in the Print group. The Page Setup dialog box appears.
2. Choose the Margins tab.
3. Click the Horizontally check box. Excel centers your data horizontally.
4. Click the Vertically check box. Excel centers your data vertically.
5. Click OK. The Page Setup dialog box closes.

Print

1. Click the Print button. The Print dialog box appears.

 2. Click the down arrow next to the name field and select the printer to which you want to
print.
3. Click OK. Excel sends your worksheet to the printer.

This is the end of Lesson 3. You can save and close your file.

Lesson 4: Creating Charts

In Microsoft Excel, you can represent numbers in a chart. On the Insert tab, you can choose from
a variety of chart types, including column, line, pie, bar, area, and scatter. The basic procedure
for creating a chart is the same no matter what type of chart you choose. As you change your
data, your chart will automatically Update. This lesson teaches you how to create a chart in
Excel.

 Create a Chart
 Apply a Chart Layout
 Add Labels
 Switch Data
 Change the Style of a Chart
 Change the Size and Position of a Chart
 Move A Chart to a Chart Sheet
 Change the Chart Type

Create a Chart
To create the column chart shown above, start by creating the worksheet below exactly as
shown.

After you have created the worksheet, you are ready to create your chart.

EXERCISE 1

Create a Column Chart

1. Select cells A3 to D6. You must select all the cells containing the data you want in your
chart. You should also include the data labels.
2. Choose the Insert tab.
3. Click the Column button in the Charts group. A list of column chart sub-types types
appears.
4. Click the Clustered Column chart sub-type. Excel creates a Clustered Column chart and
the Chart Tools context tabs appear.

Apply a Chart Layout

Context tabs are tabs that only appear when you need them. Called Chart Tools, there are three
chart context tabs: Design, Layout, and Format. The tabs become available when you create a
new chart or when you click on a chart. You can use these tabs to customize your chart.

You can determine what your chart displays by choosing a layout. For example, the layout you
choose determines whether your chart displays a title, where the title displays, whether your
chart has a legend, where the legend displays, whether the chart has axis labels and so on. Excel
provides several layouts from which you can choose.

EXERCISE 2

Apply a Chart Layout

1. Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available.

2. Choose the Design tab.
3. Click the Quick Layout button in the Chart Layout group. A list of chart layouts appears.
4. Click Layout 5. Excel applies the layout to your chart.

Add Labels

When you apply a layout, Excel may create areas where you can insert labels. You use labels to
give your chart a title or to label your axes. When you applied layout 5, Excel created label areas
for a title and for the vertical axis.

EXERCISE 3

Add labels
 Before After

1. Select Chart Title. Click on Chart Title and then place your cursor before the C in Chart
and hold down the Shift key while you use the right arrow key to highlight the words
Chart Title.
2. Type Toy Sales. Excel adds your title.
3. Select Axis Title. Click on Axis Title. Place your cursor before the A in Axis. Hold down
the Shift key while you use the right arrow key to highlight the words Axis Title.
4. Type Sales. Excel labels the axis.
5. Click anywhere on the chart to end your entry.

Switch Data

If you want to change what displays in your chart, you can switch from row data to column data
and vice versa.

EXERCISE 4

Switch Data

Before After

1. Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available.

2. Choose the Design tab.
3. Click the Switch Row/Column button in the Data group. Excel changes the data in your
chart.
Change the Style of a Chart

A style is a set of formatting options. You can use a style to change the color and format of your
chart. Excel 2007 has several predefined styles that you can use. They are numbered from left to
right, starting with 1, which is located in the upper-left corner.

EXERCISE 5

Change the Style of a Chart

1. Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available.

2. Choose the Design tab.
3. Click the More button in the Chart Styles group. The chart styles appear.
 4. Click Style 42. Excel applies the style to your chart.

Change the Size and Position of a Chart

When you click a chart, handles appear on the right and left sides, the top and bottom, and the
corners of the chart. You can drag the handles on the top and bottom of the chart to increase or
decrease the height of the chart. You can drag the handles on the left and right sides to increase
or decrease the width of the chart. You can drag the handles on the corners to increase or
decrease the size of the chart proportionally. You can change the position of a chart by clicking
on an unused area of the chart and dragging.

EXERCISE 6

Change the Size and Position of a Chart

1. Use the handles to adjust the size of your chart.

2. Click an unused portion of the chart and drag to position the chart beside the data.

Move a Chart to a Chart Sheet

By default, when you create a chart, Excel embeds the chart in the active worksheet. However,
you can move a chart to another worksheet or to a chart sheet. A chart sheet is a sheet dedicated
to a particular chart. By default Excel names each chart sheet sequentially, starting with Chart1.
You can change the name.

EXERCISE 7

Move a Chart to a Chart Sheet

 1. Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available.
2. Choose the Design tab.
3. Click the Move Chart button in the Location group. The Move Chart dialog box appears.

4. Click the New Sheet radio button.

5. Type Toy Sales to name the chart sheet. Excel creates a chart sheet named Toy Sales and
places your chart on it.

Change the Chart Type

Any change you can make to a chart that is embedded in a worksheet, you can also make to a
chart sheet. For example, you can change the chart type from a column chart to a bar chart.

EXERCISE 8

Change the Chart Type

 1. Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available.
2. Choose the Design tab.
3. Click Change Chart Type in the Type group. The Chart Type dialog box appears.
4. Click Bar.
5. Click Clustered Horizontal Cylinder.
6. Click OK. Excel changes your chart type.

You have reached the end of Lesson 4. You can save and close your file.
Lesson 1: The PowerPoint Window
PowerPoint is a presentation software package. With PowerPoint, you can easily create slide
shows. Trainers and other presenters use slide shows to illustrate their presentations. This tutorial
teaches PowerPoint basics. This lesson introduces you to the PowerPoint window. You use the
window to interact with PowerPoint.

 The Microsoft Office Button

 The Quick Access Toolbar
 The Title Bar
 The Ribbon
 Rulers
 Slides, Placeholders, and Notes
 Status Bar, Tabs, View Buttons, and More

ote: Your screen will probably not look exactly like the screen shown. In PowerPoint 2007, how
a window displays depends on the size of the window, the size of your monitor, and the
resolution to which your monitor is set. Resolution determines how much information your
computer monitor can display. If you use a low resolution, less information fits on your screen,
but the size of your text and images are larger. If you use a high resolution, more information fits
on your screen, but the size of the text and images are smaller. Also, settings in PowerPoint
2007, Windows Vista, and Windows XP allow you to change the color and style of your
windows.
The Microsoft Office Button

In the upper-left corner is the Microsoft Office button. When you click the button, a menu
appears. You can use the menu to create a new file, open an existing file, save a file, and perform
many other tasks.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Next to the Microsoft Office button is the Quick Access toolbar. The Quick Access toolbar
provides you with access to commands you frequently use. By default, Save, Undo, and Redo
appear on the Quick Access toolbar. You use Save to save your file, Undo to rollback an action
you have taken, and Redo to reapply an action you have rolled back.

The Title Bar

The Title bar is located at the top in the center of the PowerPoint window. The Title bar displays
the name of the presentation on which you are currently working. By default, PowerPoint names
presentations sequentially, starting with Presentation1. When you save your file, you can change
the name of your presentation.

The Ribbon

1 Tabs
2 Command Group
3 Command Buttons
 4 Launcher

You use commands to tell PowerPoint what to do. In PowerPoint 2007, you use the Ribbon to
issue commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the PowerPoint window, below the Quick
Access toolbar. At the top of the Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays several related
command groups. Within each group are related command buttons. You click buttons to issue
commands or to access menus and dialog boxes. You may also find a dialog box launcher in the
bottom-right corner of a group. When you click the dialog box launcher, a dialog box makes
additional commands available.

Rulers

Rulers are vertical and horizontal guides. You use them to determine where you want to place an
object. If the rulers do not display in your PowerPoint window:

1. Click the View tab.

2. Click Ruler in the Show/Hide group. The rulers appear.

Slides, Placeholders, and Notes

1 Slide
2 Placeholders
 3 Notes

Slides appear in the center of the window. You create your presentation on slides.

Placeholders hold the objects in your slide. You can use placeholders to hold text, clip art, charts,
and more.

You can use the notes area to creates notes to yourself. You can refer to these notes as you give
your presentation.

Status Bar, Tabs, View Buttons, and More

Status Bar 6 Vertical & Horizontal

1
Splitter Bars
2 Outline Tab 7 Minimize Button
3 Slides Tab 8 Maximize/Restore
Button
4 View Buttons 9 Close Button
5 Zoom
The Status bar generally appears at the bottom of the window. The Status bar displays the
number of the slide that is currently displayed, the total number of slides, and the name of the
design template in use or the name of the background.

The Outline tab displays the text contained in your presentation. The Slides tab displays a
thumbnail of all your slides. You click the thumbnail to view the slide in the Slide pane.

The View buttons appear near the bottom of the screen. You use the View buttons to change
between Normal view, Slider Sorter view, and the Slide Show view.

Normal View
Normal view splits your screen into three major sections: the Outline and Slides tabs, the
Slide pane, and the Notes area. The Outline and Slides tabs are on the left side of your
window. They enable you to shift between two different ways of viewing your slides. The
Slides tab shows thumbnails of your slides. The Outline tab shows the text on your slides.
The Slide pane is located in the center of your window. The Slide pane shows a large
view of the slide on which you are currently working. The Notes area appears below the
Slide pane. You can type notes to yourself on the Notes area.

Slide Sorter View

Slide Sorter view shows thumbnails of all your slides. In Slide Sorter view, you can
easily add, delete, or change their order of your slides.

Slide Show
Use the Slide Show view when you want to view your slides, as they will look in your
final presentation. When in Slide Show view:
Esc Returns you to the view you were using previously.

Left- Moves you to the next slide or animation effect.

clicking When you reach the last slide, you automatically
return to your previous view.

Right- Opens a pop-up menu. You can use this menu to

clicking navigate the slides, add speaker notes, select a
pointer, and mark your presentation.

Zoom allows you to zoom in and zoom out on the window. Zooming in
makes the window larger so you focus in on an object. Zooming out makes the window smaller
so you can see the entire window.

You can click and drag the vertical and horizontal splitter bars to change the size of your panes.

You use the Minimize button to remove a window from view. While a window is minimized,
its title appears on the taskbar. You click the Maximize button to cause a window to fill the
screen. After you maximize a window, clicking the Restore button returns the window to its
former smaller size. You click the Close button to exit the window and close the program.

Lesson 2: Creating Your First PowerPoint Presentation

You create your PowerPoint presentation on slides. You use layouts to organize the content on
each slide. PowerPoint has several slide layouts from which to choose. Themes are sets of colors,
fonts, and special effects. Backgrounds add a colored background to your slides. You can add
themes and backgrounds to your slides. After you complete your slides, you can run your
presentation. In this lesson you learn how to create slides, makes changes to slides, apply a
theme and run a slide show.

 Create a Title Slide

 Create New Slides
 Make Changes to Your Slides
 Apply a Theme
 Run Your PowerPoint Slide Show

Create a Title Slide

When you start PowerPoint, PowerPoint displays the title slide in the Slide pane. You can type
the title of your presentation and a subtitle on this slide. To enter text:

 Click and type the title of your presentation in the "Click to add title" area.
 Click and type a subtitle in the "Click to add subtitle" area.

If you do not wish to use the title slide, click the Delete Slide button in the Slides group on the
Home tab.

EXERCISE 1

Create a Title Slide

1. Open PowerPoint. You are presented with a title slide.

2. Enter the information shown here. Type College Scholarships and Financial Aid in the
Click to Add Title text box. Type Paying for College in the Click to Add Subtitle text
box.
Create New Slides

After completing your title slide, you can create additional slides. To create a new slide:

1. Choose the Home tab.

2. Click the New Slide button in the Slides group. The Office Theme dialog box
appears and displays several layout templates.
3. Click the layout you want. The layout appears in the Slide pane of the PowerPoint
window.

3. To add text, click inside the placeholder and type.

4. To add an additional slide to your presentation, do one of the following:

Right-click the slide layout. A menu appears. Click Layout and then click the
layout you want.

Choose the Home tab, click the New Slide button , and then choose the
slide layout you want.

EXERCISE 2

Create New Slides

1. Choose the Home tab.

2. Click the New Slide button in the Slides group. The Office Theme dialog box
appears.
3. Click the Title and Content Layout. The slide appears on the Slides tab.
 4. Enter the information shown here. Type Here is what to do: (including the colon) in the
Click to Add Title text box. Type the bulleted text in the Content text box.

Create an Outline

If you need to present the information in your slide in outline form, you can easily create an
outline by using the Increase List Level button to create a hierarchy.

1. Choose the Home tab.

2. Click the New Slide button in the Slides group. The Office Theme dialog box
appears.
3. Click the Title and Content layout.
4. Enter the information shown here. Click the Increase List Level button in the
Paragraph group to indent the bullets for Stafford Loans and PLUS Loans. If you ever
need to decrease an indent, use the Decrease List Level button in the Paragraph group.
Use Two-Column Text

You can also place text in two separate columns.

1. Choose the Home tab.

2. Click the New Slide button in the Slides group. The Office Theme dialog box
appears.
3. Click the Two Content layout.
4. Enter the information shown here.

Make Changes to Your Slides

After creating a slide, if you want to add text:

1. Place the mouse pointer at the point at which you would like to add text.
 2. Type the information you want to add.

If you would like to change text:

1. Select the text you want to change.

2. Type the new text.

You can use the Backspace key to delete text. You can also delete text by highlighting the text
and pressing the Delete key.

Apply a Theme

A theme is a set of colors, fonts, and special effects. Themes provide attractive backgrounds for
your PowerPoint slides.

To apply a theme to all of the slides in your presentation:

1. Choose the Design tab.

2. Click the More button in the Themes group.
3. Click the design you want.

To apply a theme to selected slides:

1. Click the Slides tab, located on the left side of the window.
2. Hold down the Ctrl key and then click to select the slides to which you want to apply a
theme.
3. Choose the Design tab.
4. Click the More button in the Themes group.
5. Right-click the theme you want to apply. A menu appears.
6. Click Apply to Selected Slides. Excel applies the theme to the slides you selected.

You can add a dramatic effect to your theme by applying a background.

1. Choose the Design tab.

2. Click the Background Styles button .
3. Click the background you want.

EXERCISE 3

Apply a Theme
 1. Choose the Design tab.
2. Click the More button in the Themes group.

3. Click the theme you want. PowerPoint applies the theme to all of the slides in your
presentation.

Add a Background

1. Choose the Design tab.

2. Click the Background Styles button .
3. Click the background you want. PowerPoint applies the background to your slides.

Run Your PowerPoint Slide Show

After you create your slides, you can run your slide show:

1. Do any one of the following:

o Press F5.
o Choose the Slide Show tab. Click the From Beginning button in the Start
Slide Show group.
o Click the Slide Show icon in the bottom-right corner of your screen.

Your slide show appears on your screen.

 Navigating the Slide Show
Task Procedure
Go to the next slide. Do one of the following:

 Press the Right Arrow key.

 Press the Enter key.
 Press the Page Down key.
 Left-click the slide.

Go to the previous slide. Do one of the following:

 Press the Left Arrow key.

 Press the Backspace key.
 Press the Page Up key.

End the slide show and return to Press the Esc key.
PowerPoint.

EXERCISE 4

Run Your Slide Show

1. Press F5 to run the slide show.

2. Use the arrow keys on your keyboard to move forward and backward through your slides.
3. Use the Esc key to return to Normal view.
Lesson 3: Animations, Transitions, Spell Check, Outline
Tab, Slides Tab, Sorter View, and Printing
Animations control how objects move onto, off of, and around your slides. Transitions control
how your presentation moves from one slide to the next. In this lesson you learn how to create
animations and transitions. You also learn how to spell-check your document, how to use the
Outline and Slides tabs, how to use Sorter view, and how to print.

 Add Animations
 Add Transitions
 Spell Check
 Use the Outline and Slides Tabs
 Use Slide Sorter View
 Print

Add Animations

You can animate the objects on your PowerPoint slides. PowerPoint provides four types of
animations: Entrance, Emphasis, Exit, and Motion Paths. An Entrance animation determines the
manner in which an object appears on a slide; for example, an object can move onto a slide. An
Emphasis animation does something to draw attention to an object; for example, the object can
become larger. An Exit animation determines the manner in which an object leaves a slide; for
example, an object can move off a slide. A Motion Paths animation determines how an object
moves around a slide; for example, an object can move from left to right.

After you add an animation, you can use the Custom Animation pane to modify it by choosing an
effect. Choosing an effect enables you to define what starts the animation, its properties (such the
direction from which an object moves onto the slide), and control the speed of the animation. In
addition, you can have an animation start when you click the mouse, start along with the
previous animation, or start at a specified time after the previous animation.

If the Auto Preview box is checked on the Custom Animation pane, PowerPoint provides you
with preview of your animation after you create it and each time you modify it. You can also use
the Play button on the Custom Animation pane to preview an animation.

To choose an effect:

1. Select the object you want to animate.

2. Choose the Animations tab.
3. Click the Custom Animation button . The Custom Animation pane
appears.
4. Click the Add Effect button . A menu appears.
5. Choose the type of effect you want. A submenu appears.
6. Click the effect you want. PowerPoint applies the effect.
To modify an effect:

1. Click the down arrow next to the Start field on the Custom Animations pane and then
select the start method you want.
2. Click the down arrow next to the Property field on the Custom Animations pane and the
select the property you want. The Property field might be labeled Direction, Size, or
some other property.
3. Click the down arrow next to the Speed field on the Custom Animations pane and then
select the speed you want to apply to your animation.

To preview the animation, click the Play button on the Custom Animations pane.

EXERCISE 1

Add an Animation to a Slide

1. Click Slide 2 on the Slides tab.

2. Select "Start saving early."
3. Choose the Animations tab.
4. Click the Custom Animation button . The Custom Animation pane
appears.
5. Click the Add Effect button . A menu appears.
6. Choose Entrance. A submenu appears.
7. Click Fly In. PowerPoint applies the effect. If the Auto preview box is checked,
PowerPoint automatically provides you with a preview of the animation.
Modify the Effect

1. Click the down arrow next to the Start field and then select After Previous.
2. Click the down arrow next to the Direction field and then select From Bottom.
3. Click the down arrow next to the Speed field and then select Medium.

Add Another Animation

1. Select "Apply for financial aid."

2. Click the Add Effect button . A menu appears.
3. Choose Entrance. A submenu appears.
4. Click Fly In. PowerPoint applies the effect. If the Auto preview box is checked,
PowerPoint automatically provides you with a preview of the animation.
Modify the Animation

1. Click the down arrow next to the Start field and then select After Previous. The Apply for
Financial Aid field appears in the center of the Custom Animation pane.
2. Click the down arrow next to the Apply for Financial Aid field and then click Timing.
The Fly In dialog box appears.

3. Type 0.05 in the Delay text box.

4. Click OK.
 5. Click the down arrow next to the Direction field and then select From Bottom.
6. Click the down arrow next to the Speed field and then select Medium. If the Auto
preview box is checked, PowerPoint automatically provides you with a preview of the
animation. You can click the Play button on the Custom Animation pane at
anytime to preview an animation.

Add Transitions

Transitions determine how your presentations move from one slide to the next. For example, a
slide can move up onto the screen and replace the previous slide. PowerPoint provides several
transition methods. You can add sound to a transition and you can control its speed. You can
apply a transition to selected slides or to all of the slides in your presentation.

A transition can occur when the presenter clicks the mouse or after the amount of time you
specify.

To apply a transition to selected slides:

1. On the Slides tab, hold down the Ctrl key and then click the slides to which you want to
apply the transition.
2. Choose the Animations tab.
3. Click the More button in the Transition to this Slide group. A menu of transitions
appears.
4. Click the transition you want to apply. PowerPoint applies the transition. As you roll your
pointer over each transition, PowerPoint provides you with a live preview of the
transition.

To apply a transition to all slides:

1. Choose the Animations tab.

2. Click the More button in the Transition to this Slide group. A menu of transitions
appears.
3. Click the transition you want to apply. As you roll your pointer over each transition,
PowerPoint provides you with a live preview of the transition.
4. Click the Apply to All button in the Transition to This Slide group.
To add a sound to a transition:

1. Choose the Animations tab.

2. Click the down arrow next to the Transition Sound field and then click the sound you
want. As you roll your pointer over each sound, PowerPoint plays the sound.

To set the speed of a transition:

1. Choose the Animations tab.

2. Click the down arrow next to the Transition Speed field and then click the speed you
want.

If you want the transition to occur after the presenter clicks the mouse, check the On Mouse
Click check box. If you want a transition to occur after a specified period of time, check the
Automatically After check box and then specify the amount of time you want to elapse before
the transition occurs. The On Mouse Click check box and the Automatically After check box are
both located on the Animations tab in the Transition to This Slide group.

EXERCISE 2

Add Transitions

1. Choose the Animations tab.

2. Click the More button in the Transition to this Slide group. A menu of transitions
appears.
 s

3. Click the Push Up transition. As you roll your pointer over each transition, PowerPoint
provides you with a live preview of the transition.

Add Sound and Set the Speed

1. Click the down arrow next to the Transition Sound field and then click Click.
2. Click the down arrow next to the Transition Speed field and then click Slow.

Advance Slide

1. Check the On Mouse Click check box.

2. Click the Automatically After check box.
3. Type 00:07 in the Automatically After text box.
4. Click the Apply to All button . PowerPoint applies all of your changes to
all of the slides.
5. Click Slide 1 on the Slides tab.
6. Type 00:03 in the Automatically After text box. PowerPoint changes the timing for Slide
1.
Spell Check

PowerPoint checks your spelling as you type and displays errors with a red wavy line under the
misspelled word. You can right-click and then select the correct spelling from the list of
offerings on the menu that appears or select Spelling to open the Spelling dialog box. If you need
to, you can initiate a spell check anytime you like. To start a spell check, do one of the following:

 Press F7.
 Choose the Review tab and then click the Spelling button .

If the spell check finds a possible spelling error, the Spelling dialog box opens with the spelling
error highlighted. You can respond in several ways.

Response Procedure
Do not change spelling. Click Ignore.
Correct spelling. 1. Click the correct spelling in the
Suggestions box.
2. Click Change.

Add to dictionary. Click Add.

Word is correct. Do not change Click Ignore All.
presentation.
Word is incorrect. Change Click Change All.
entire presentation.

EXERCISE 3

Spell Check

1. Press F7
2. Correct any spelling errors PowerPoint finds. If PowerPoint does not find any errors, the
Spelling Check is Complete message box appears. Click OK.
Use the Outline and Slides Tabs

By default, the Outline and Slides tabs are located on the left side of your PowerPoint window.
The Outline tab displays the text contained in your presentation. The Slides tab displays a
thumbnail of all your slides. You click the thumbnail to view the slide in the Slide pane.

EXERCISE 4

Use the Outline and Slides Tabs

1. Choose the Slides tab to view thumbnails of your slides.

 2. Choose the Outline tab to view the text of your presentation as an outline.

Use Slide Sorter View

After you have created your PowerPoint slides, you can move, cut, copy, paste, duplicate,
navigate, and view them in Sorter view. To view the slides in Sorter view, do one of the
following:

 Choose the View tab and then click the Slide Sorter button in the Presentation Views
group.
 Click the Slide Sorter button in the bottom-right corner of the PowerPoint window.

Slide Sorter View

Task Procedure
Move to first slide. Use Ctrl+Home.
Move to last slide. Use Ctrl+End.
Move to next slide. Use the right arrow.
Move to previous slide. Use the left arrow.
Select a slide. Single-click the slide.
Open a slide in Normal view. Double-click the slide.
 Slide Sorter View
Task Procedure
Select slides. Select a single slide:

1. Click the slide you want to

select.

Select multiple slides:

1. Hold down the Ctrl key.

2. Click the slides you want to
select.

Delete a slide. 1. Select the slide or slides

you want to delete.
2. Press the Delete key.

1. Select the slide or slides

you want to delete.
2. Choose the Home tab and
then click the Delete button
.

Copy a slide. 1. Select the slide.

2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Copy button
in the Clipboard group.

1. Select the slide.

2. Press Ctrl+C.

Paste a slide. 1. Select the slide after which

you want the new slide or
slides to appear.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Paste button
in the Clipboard group.

1. Select the slide after which

 Slide Sorter View
Task Procedure
you want the new slide or
slides to appear.
2. Press Ctrl+V.

Cut a slide. 1. Select the slide or slides

you want to cut.
2. Choose the Home tab.
3. Click the Cut button in
the Clipboard group.

1. Select the slide or slides

you want to cut.
2. Press Ctrl+X.

Move a slide. 1. Select the slide (or slides)

you want to move.
2. Drag it to the new location.

Duplicate a slide. 1. Select the slide (or slides)

you want to duplicate.
2. Press Ctrl+D.

EXERCISE 5

Use Slide Sorter View

 1. Choose the View tab.
2. Click Slide Sorter in the Presentation Views group.
3. Double-click a slide to view it in Normal view.

Print

PowerPoint provides you with many printing options. You can print a large view of your slides
or you can print your slides as handouts with 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, or 9 slides per page. You can also print
your Notes pages or the Outline view of your slides.

To print:

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Choose Print.
3. Click Print Preview.
4. Click the down arrow next to the Print What field in the Page Setup group and then select
what you would like to print. A preview appears onscreen.
5. Click the Print . The Print dialog box appears.
6. Click the down arrow next to the Color/Grayscale field to select whether you want your
slides to print in color, grayscale, or black and white. If you are using a black and white
printer, choose black and white. You will use less ink or toner.
7. Click OK.

EXERCISE 6

Print an Outline
1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.
2. Choose Print.
3. Click Print Preview. The Print Preview tab appears.

4. Click the down arrow next to the Print What field in the Page Setup group and then select
Outline View.
 5. Click the Print button . The Print dialog box appears.

6. Click the down arrow next to the Color/Grayscale field to select whether you want your
slides to print in color, grayscale, or black and white. If you are using a black and white
printer, choose black and white. You will use less ink or toner.
7. Set the other print settings.
8. Click OK. Your outline prints.

Print Your Slides

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Choose Print.
3. Click Print Preview. The Print Preview tab appears.
4. Click the down arrow next to the Print What field in the Page Setup group and then select
Slides.
5. Click the Print button . The Print dialog box appears.
6. Click the down arrow next to the Color/Grayscale field to select whether you want your
slides to print in color, grayscale, or black and white. If you are using a black and white
printer, choose black and white. You will use less ink or toner.
7. Set the other print settings.
8. Click OK. Your slides print.

Print Your Slides as a Handout

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

 2. Choose Print.
3. Click Print Preview. The Print Preview tab appears.
4. Click the down arrow next to the Print What field in the Page Setup group and then select
Handouts (4 slides per page).
5. Click the Print button . The Print dialog box appears.
6. Click the down arrow next to the Color/Grayscale field to select whether you want your
slides to print in color, grayscale, or black and white. If you are using a black and white
printer, choose black and white. You will use less ink or toner.
7. Set the other print settings.
8. Click OK. Your handouts print.

Lesson 1: Getting Familiar with Microsoft Access 2007 for

Windows
Microsoft Access is a database software package. A database is an organized collection of
records. Telephone and address books are examples of paper databases. With Access, you can
create a computerized database. For example, you can use Access to organize the students who
attend a school, the courses they take, and the instructors who teach them. After you create an
Access database, you can search it, manipulate it, and extract information from it. This lesson
introduces you to Access windows and teaches you how to create a database.

 Getting Started
 Understanding Security
 The Navigation Pane
 The Microsoft Office Button
 The Quick Access Toolbar
 The Title Bar
 The Ribbon
 Access Objects
 Change Views
 Close a Database and Exit Access
 Create a Database
 Create a Blank Database

Getting Started

You use windows to interact with Access. To begin, start Access 2007. You screen will look
similar to the one shown here.
Northwind is a sample database you can download from the Microsoft website. I will use the
Northwind database to introduce you to Access windows. If the Northwind database is already
on your system, open it, otherwise download it and then open it.

To open Northwind:

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Click Open. The Open dialog box appears.
3. Locate the Northwind database.
4. Click the Open button. Access opens the Northwind database.

To download Northwind, connect to the Internet and then follow these steps:
 1. Click Sample. The Northwind 2007 icon appears in the center of the window.
2. Click the Northwind icon.
3. Click the Browse button. The File New Database window appears.
4. Locate the folder in which you want to save the Northwind database.
5. Click OK. The File New Database window closes.
6. Click Create. Access creates the Northwind database and opens it.

Understanding Security

It is possible for an Access database to contain malicious code, such as a computer virus. Access
has security settings that disable code and display a security warning when you open a database.
If you know a database is trustworthy, you can perform the following steps to enable it. You may
need to enable the Northwind database.

To enable a database:
 1. Click the Options button. The Microsoft Office Security Options dialog box appears.
2. Click Enable This Content.
3. Click OK. Access enables the content. If you are enabling the Northwind database, the
Login dialog box appears.

4. Click Login. Access opens the Northwind database.

If you know a database is safe, you can store it in a trusted location. Databases stored in trusted
locations do not require you to enable security.

To create a trusted location:

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Click Access Options in the bottom-right corner. The Access Options pane appears.
3. Click Trust Center.
4. Click Trust Center Settings.
 5. Click Trusted Locations.
6. Click Add New Locations. The Microsoft Office Trusted Location dialog box appears.
7. Enter the path to the location you want to trust, or click Browse to locate the folder.
8. If you want to trust subfolders, select The Subfolders Of This Location Are Also Trusted.
9. Click OK. The location is now a trusted location.
10. Click OK again.
11. Click OK. You have created a trusted location.

The Navigation Pane

The Access window used in this example has been set up to make it easier to explain. This
section shows you how to set up your window so that it matches the example. If you are not
already logged in to Northwind, click the Login button.

An Access database consists of the following objects: tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and
modules. The Navigation pane displays the objects in a database.

To manipulate the Navigation pane:

 Click the double right-arrows to open it. The arrows change to double left-arrows .
 Click the double left-arrows to close it. The arrows change to double right-arrows
.

In this example, the objects are organized by type, which is not the default setting. You may
want to organize the objects in your database by type also. You can use the down-arrow on the
top of the Navigation pane to change the manner in which objects are organized.
To organize objects by type:

1. Click the All Access Objects button on the Navigation pane. A menu appears.
2. Click Object Type. Access displays the objects in the database by type.

The Access window with the Northwind database open is shown here.

Note: Your window probably does not look exactly like the one shown. In Access
2007, the window display depends on the size of the window, the size of your monitor, and the
resolution to which your monitor is set. Resolution determines how much information your
computer monitor can display. If you use a low resolution, you can fit less information on your
screen, but the size of your text and images are larger. If you use a high resolution, you can fit
more information on your screen, but the size of the text and images are smaller. Also, you can
use settings in Access 2007, Windows Vista, and Windows XP to change the color and style of
your windows.

The Microsoft Office Button

In the upper-left corner of the Access window is the Microsoft Office button. When you click the
button, a menu appears. You can use the menu to create a new file, open an existing file, save a
file, and perform many other tasks.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Next to the Microsoft Office button is the Quick Access toolbar. The Quick Access toolbar
provides you with access to commands you frequently use. By default, Save, Undo, and Redo
appear on the Quick Access toolbar. You use Save to save an object, Undo to roll back an action
you have taken, and Redo to reapply an action you have rolled back.

The Title Bar

The Title bar is located at the top in the center of the Access window. The Title bar displays the
name of the database on which you are currently working.

The Ribbon

You use commands to tell Access what to do. In Access 2007, you use the Ribbon to issue
commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the Access window, below the Quick Access
toolbar. At the top of the Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays related command
groups. Within each group are related command buttons. You click buttons to issue commands
or to access menus and dialog boxes. You may also find a dialog box launcher in the bottom-
right corner of a group. When you click the dialog box launcher , a dialog box makes
additional commands available.

Access Objects

To view or hide the objects on the Navigation pane:

  You click the double down-arrows to view objects. The double down-arrows change
to double up-arrows .
 You click the double up-arrows to hide objects. The double up-arrows change to
double down-arrows .

As stated earlier, the Navigation pane stores the objects in your database: tables, queries, forms,
reports, macros, and modules. Objects always display with an icon to the right. The icon tells you
the object type: table, query, form, report, macro, and module.

Objects
Tables In Access, data is stored in tables. A table is a set of columns and
rows, with each column referred to as a field. Each value in a field
represents a single type of data. Each row of a table is referred to
as a record.
Queries You use queries to retrieve specific data from your database and to
answer questions about your data. For example, you can use a
query to find the names of the employees in your database who
live in a particular state.
Forms Forms give you the ability to choose the format and arrangement
of fields. You can use a form to enter, edit, and display data.
Reports Reports organize or summarize your data so you can print it or
view it onscreen. You often use reports when you want to analyze
your data or present your data to others.
Macros Macros give you the ability to automate tasks. You can use a
macro to add functionality to a form, report, or control.
Modules Like macros, modules give you the ability to automate tasks and
add functionality to a form, report, or control. Macros are created
by choosing from a list of macro actions, whereas modules are
written in Visual Basic for Applications.
You double-click an object to open the object. You right-click an object to view a menu of
options. You can use the menu to do such things as open objects, rename objects, and delete
objects.

Objects that are open appear on tabs. Right-click a tab to view a menu of options you can
perform, such as save the object, close the object, or change the view.

Change Views

A view is a way of looking at an object. For example, in Access, data is stored in tables. Two of
the possible ways you can view a table are Datasheet view and Design view. You can see the
data contained in a table in Datasheet view. You can see the design of a table in Design view.
When you open an object, buttons appear in the lower-right corner of the Access window. You
can use the View button on the Home tab to change views, or you can click the proper button in
the lower-right corner of the window.

Close a Database and Exit Access

This completes the introduction to Access using the Northwind database. The following
describes how you close a database and exit Access.

To close a database:
 1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.
2. Click Close Database. Access closes the database.

To exit Access:

1. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears.

2. Click Exit Access. You exit Access.

Create a Database

When you start Access, the Getting Started With Microsoft Office Access screen appears. You
can use this screen to create a database. Within a database, you can do such things as enter data,
create reports, and retrieve data. You can create a blank database or you can use one of the
templates provided by Microsoft. When you use a template, Access creates forms you can use to
enter data, reports you can use to retrieve data, and more. You can modify the forms, reports, and
other objects to suit your needs. This tutorial will teach you how.

The following templates are included with Access: Assets, Contacts, Events, Faculty, Issues,
Marketing Projects, Projects, Sales Pipeline, Students, and Tasks. Other templates are available
online. Each template creates a database related to the title. For example, the Faculty template
creates a faculty database that includes tables, queries, forms, and reports related to faculty. In
Access, you use tables to store data, queries to retrieve data, forms to enter data, and reports to
display data.

To use a template to create a database:

 1. Start Access. The Getting Started With Microsoft Office Access screen appears.
2. Click Local Templates. Icons representing local templates appear in the center of the
window.
3. Click the icon for the template you want to use.
4. Click the Browse button. The File New Database window appears.
5. Locate the folder in which you want to store your database.
6. Click OK.
7. Click Create. Access creates and opens your database.

8. Open the Navigation pane. Access displays the tables, queries, forms, reports and other
objects related to the database you selected. You may wish to display the objects by type.

How do I create a database based on the templates that are found online?

Online templates fall into the following categories: Business, Education, Personal, and Non-
profit. To create a database based on one of these templates:

1. Start Access. The Getting Started With Microsoft Office Access screen appears.
2. Make sure you are connected to the Internet.
3. Click the category for the template you want to create. Icons representing Internet
templates appear in the center of the window.
4. Click the icon for the template you want to use to create your database.
 5. Click the Browse button .
6. Locate the folder in which you want to store your database.
7. Click Download. Access prompts you.
8. Click Continue. Access downloads and opens your database.
9. Open the Navigation pane. Access displays the tables, queries, forms, reports, and other
objects related to your database.

How do I open an existing database?

1. Click the Office button. A menu appears.

2. Click Open.
3. Locate the folder in which you stored your database.
4. Click the database name.
5. Click Open. Access opens the database.

Tip: You can also open an existing database by pressing Ctrl-O and then following
steps 3 through 5.

Create a Blank Database

A blank database is a database with nothing in it. You must create all the tables, forms, reports,
queries, and so on. If you cannot find a template that suits your needs, create a blank database.
After you create the database, Access opens to a datasheet and makes available the tools you
need to create objects. Creating tables is the first step in building a database. You will learn more
about creating tables in the next lesson.

To create a blank database:

 1. Start Access.
2. Click Blank Database.
3. Type the name you want to give your database in the File Name field. Access will
automatically append .accdb to the name.
4. Click the Browse button. The File New Database window appears.
5. Locate the folder in which you want to store your database. Note that the name of the file
appears in the File Name field.
6. Click OK.
7. Click the Create button. Access creates the database and opens a datasheet with the Table
Tools available to you.

Note the Table Tools in the upper-right portion of the Ribbon.

What is a Datasheet?
In Access, data is stored in tables. A datasheet displays the information stored in a table in
columns and rows. The columns are called fields and the rows are called records. You can use a
datasheet to create a table, enter data, retrieve data, and perform other tasks.
Lesson 2: Creating Microsoft Access Tables
Tables are the foundation of an Access database. Access stores data in tables. This lesson teaches
you how to create a table, add fields to a table, assign data types to fields, and set field
properties.

 Understanding Tables
 Name and Save a Table
 Understanding Data Types
 Explicitly Assign Data Types and Formats
 Understanding Design View
 Create a Lookup Column

Understanding Tables

A table is a set of columns and rows. Each column is called a field. Within a table, each field
must be given a name and no two fields can have the same name. Each value in a field represents
a single category of data. For example, a table might have three fields: Last Name, First Name,
and Phone Number. The table consists of three columns: one for last name, one for first name,
and one for phone number. In every row of the table, the Last Name field contains the last name,
the First Name field contains the first name, and the Phone Number field contains the phone
number. Each row in a table is called a record.

All of the data in a table should refer to the same subject. For example, all of the data in the
Employees table should refer to employees, all of the data in the Students table should refer to
students, and all of the data in the Courses table should refer to courses.

You can view an Access database as a collection of related tables. For example, in a database
that contains tables for Employees, Students, and Courses, the Employees table lists the
employees, the Students table lists students, and the Courses table lists the courses students can
take.

After Access creates a blank database, it opens in Datasheet view and makes available the tools
you need to create a table. Datasheet view displays a table as a set of columns and rows. When
you view a blank database for the first time in Datasheet view, you see a column named ID. This
column is by default the primary key field.

A primary key is a field or combination of fields that uniquely identify each record in a table. No
two records in a table should have the same values in every field. For example, the following
should not occur in a table.

Last Name First Name City

Smith John Jonestown
Smith John Jonestown

In the real world, it is possible to have two people from the same city with the same first and last
name. In cases like this, you can use the ID field as the primary key field and use it to make each
record unique. The ID field has a data type of AutoNumber; as a result, Access automatically
creates a unique number for each record in the database. The resulting table will look like the one
shown here.

ID Last Name First Name City

1 Smith John Jonestown
2 Smith John Jonestown

Access provides several methods for creating a table. One method is to use the Rename option
with the Add New Field column label to give each column the field name you want it to have
and then to type or paste your data into the table. Field names can include letters, numbers, and
spaces and can be up to 64 characters long. When choosing a field name, try to keep it short.

When you save your table for the first time, Access gives you the opportunity to name your
table. Each table name must be unique; hence, two tables in the same database cannot have the
same name. The table name should describe the data in the table; can consist of letters, numbers,
and spaces; and can be up to 64 characters long. When choosing a table name, try to keep it
short.

You can save a table by clicking the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar or by right-
clicking the Tables tab and then choosing Save from the menu that appears.

To add fields to a table:

 1. Click the Add New Field column label.
2. Activate the Datasheet tab.
3. Click Rename in the Fields & Columns group.
4. Type the field name.
5. Press Enter. Access creates the field.
6. Type the next field name. Access creates the field. Continue until you have created all of
the fields in your table.
7. Press Enter without entering a field name to end your entries.

Or

1. Right-click the Add New Field column label. A menu appears.

2. Click Rename Column.
3. Type the field name.
4. Press Enter. Access creates the field.
5. Type the next field name. Access creates the field. Continue until you have created all of
the fields in your table.

Name and Save a Table

After you create a table, you must name and save it.

To name and save a table:

 1. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. The Save As dialog box appears.
2. Type the name you want to give your table.
3. Click OK. Access names your table.

Tip: You can use the Rename option at any time to rename any column. For example,
you can rename the ID column Employee ID.

Understanding Data Types

In Access, you use data types to specify the type of data each field can capture. A field with a
data type of text can store alphabetic characters and numbers. Generally speaking, you cannot
perform mathematical calculations by using a text field. For example, you can use a text field to
store a street address. Unless you do some manipulation, you cannot use the numbers in the street
address in mathematical calculations. You will not be able to sum or average the numbers in an
address field, which is fine, because you probably do not want to. Alternatively, you can assign a
Test Score field a data type of Number. You can enter numbers into the field and then average,
sum, or perform other calculations with the numbers. However, you cannot enter an alphabetic
character in a number field.

Data Types
Data Type Use Notes
Text Alphanumeric data. Use for .
text and for numbers that are
not used in mathematical
calculations. Use for names,
addresses, and other relatively
short pieces of text. Can store
up to 255 characters.
Memo Long text. Use for long pieces
of text, such as notes and long
descriptions. Can store up to
64,000 characters.
Number Numeric data. Use for If you are working
numbers you want to use in with currency, use
mathematical calculations. the currency type.
Date/Time Use for dates and times.
Currency Use for currency. Prevents rounding
during calculation.
AutoNumber Unique sequential numbers or
random numbers
 automatically inserted when
you create a record. Use to
create a primary key.
Yes/No Logical data. Use when only
one of two values is valid.
Yes/No, True/False, etc.
Hyperlink Use to store hyperlinks.
Attachment Use to store attachments.
OLE Object Use to attach an OLE object
such as a Word document,
Excel spreadsheet, or
PowerPoint presentation.

After you create the fields for a table, you can enter data by typing in each field. As you type,
Access assigns a data type to each field based on your entry.

Assigned Data Types

Sample Entry Data Type Assigned
Smith Text
http://www.website.com Hyperlink
10000 Number, Long Integer
10,000 Number, Long Integer
10,000.99 Number, Double
10000.999 Number, Double
01/01/2009 Date/Time
The date and time formats
recognized are those of your user
locale.
January 1, 2009 Date/Time
12:10:33 Date/Time
12:30 am Date/Time
16:50 Date/Time
100.50 Number, Double
25.00% Number, Double
1.23E+02 Number, Double
Explicitly Assign Data Types and Formats

You may want to change the data type Access assigned to a field, or you may want to explicitly
assign a data type to each field. You can do so by choosing the Datasheet tab and then selecting
the proper option in the Data Type field in the Data Type & Formatting group.

Some data types allow you to select the formatting you want. By formatting, you determine how
data in a field displays. For example, if you choose a data type of number and a format of Euro,
any number you enter will appear with a Euro sign in front.

Windows regional settings enable you to display information such as dates, times, and currency
that match the standards or language used in the country in which you live. For example, if you
live in the United States, the currency setting uses a dollar sign.

Regional Settings for English (United States)

Number 123,456,789.00
Currency $123,456,789.00
Time 3:39:44 PM
Short Date 7/28/2008
Long Date Monday, July 28, 2008

Use the Windows Control panel’s Regional and Language options to view or change regional
settings.

Data Types
Data Type Format How Numbers Display
Number General As typed.
Number
Currency Uses thousands separator. Follows
regional settings.
Euro Uses currency format with Euro
symbol.
Fixed Displays at least one digit. Follows
regional settings.
Standard Uses thousands separator. Follows
regional setting.
Percent Converts entry to percent.
Scientific Uses scientific notation.
 Currency General As typed.
Number
Currency Uses thousands separator. Follows
regional settings.
Euro Uses currency format with Euro
symbol.
Fixed Displays at least one digit. Follows
regional settings.
Standard Uses thousands separator. Follows
regional setting.
Percent Converts entry to percent.
Scientific Uses scientific notation.
Date/Time General Date Date values display as numbers and
time values as hours, minutes, and
seconds followed by AM or PM.
Follows regional settings.
Long Date Uses the Long Date format specified in
your Windows regional settings.
Medium Date Uses dd/mmm/yy, using the date
separator specified in your Windows
regional settings.
Short Date Uses the Short Date format specified in
your Windows regional settings.
Long Time Uses hours, minutes, and seconds
followed by AM or PM. Uses the
separator specified in the Time setting
in your Windows regional settings.
Medium Time Displays hours and minutes followed
by AM or PM. Uses the separator
specified in the Time setting in your
Windows regional settings.
Short Time Uses hours and minutes. Uses the
separator specified in the Time setting
in your Windows regional settings.
Yes/No Yes/No
True/False
On/Off

To explicitly assign a data type or format to a field:

 1. Click the field label for the field to which you want to assign a data type.
2. Activate the Datasheet tab.
3. Click the down-arrow next to the Data Type field and then choose a data type.
4. Click the down-arrow next to the Format field and then choose a format. Access assigns a
data type and format to the field you selected.

Tip: If you want every record in a field to be unique, check the Unique box on the
Datasheet tab in the Data Type & Formatting group. If you do not want the user to leave a field
blank, check the Is Required box.

Tip: In the Data Type & Formatting group, there are several formatting options you can
apply to numbers. If you want to use the Currency format, click the Currency button ; if you
want to use the Percent format, click the Percent button ; if you want to use a Comma number
format, click the Comma button ; or if you want to increase or decrease the number of
decimal place, click the Increase Decimal or Decrease Decimal button .

Tip: You can create a new table at any time by activating the Create tab and then
clicking Table.

Understanding Design View

Access provides several ways to view the objects in your database. You can use Design view to
create or modify an Access table. You can use the View button on the Home tab or the Table
Design button on the Create tab to change to Design view. Using Design view is the preferred
method for creating a table because it provides you with the most options and enables you to
precisely define your table. In addition to selecting a data type, you can set all of the following
options in Design view.
Design View Options
Field Property Data Type Comments
Field Size Text Enables you to restrict the number
of characters stored in a text field to
0 to 255 characters. The default is
255.
Number Enables you to select the type of
number stored in a field.
Number Types Values Stored
Byte 0 to 255. (No fractions)
Decimal –9.999... x 1027 through +9.999... x
1027
Integer –32,768 to +32,767 (No fractions)
Long Integer –2,147,483,648 to +2,147,483,647
Single –3.4 x 1038 to +3.4 x 1038 numeric
floating point values. Up to seven
significant digits.
Double –1.797 x 10308 to +1.797 x 10308
1038 numeric floating point values.
Up to fifteen significant digits.
Replication ID Globally Unique Identifier (GUID).
Used by Access to establish a
unique identifier for replication.
Format Number Determines how numbers display.
When you use the currency, fixed,
standard, and percent formats.
Access follows the settings
specified in Regional Settings in the
Windows Control Panel for
negative amounts, decimal and
currency symbols, and decimal
places.
Currency Number General Number Displays as typed.
Currency Uses thousands separator. Follows
regional setting.
Euro Uses currency format with Euro
symbol.
Fixed Displays one digit. Follows regional
 settings.
Standard Uses thousands separator. Follows
regional settings.
Percent Converts entry to percent.
Scientific Uses scientific notation.
Date/Time General Date Displays date and time.
Example: 01/02/99, 06:28:21 PM
Long Date Displays Day of Week and Date:
Example: Saturday, January 02,
1999
Medium Date Example: 02-Jan-99
Short Date Example: 01/02/99
Long Time Example: 6:28:21 PM
Medium Time Example: 6:28 PM
Short Time Example: 18:28
Text and Memo @ Text character required.
& Text character not required.
< Changes all characters to lowercase.
> Changes all characters to uppercase.
Yes/No Yes/No If the Lookup Display Control is a
text box, displays Yes/No.
True/False If the Lookup Display Control is a
text box, displays True/False.
On/Off If the Lookup Display Control is a
text box, displays On/Off.
Decimal Places Determines number of Auto. Number of decimals
decimal places Access displayed depends on the format
displays. setting.
0–15. Used with format property.
Determines the number of digits
that display to the right of the
decimal point.
Input Mask Special characters used to
control the values the user
can input.
Caption Field name displayed on
forms.
 Default Value Sets the value that appears
in the field by default
when a record is created.
Validation Rule Sets the requirements for
user input.
Validation Text Text for error messages
that are sent when
validation rules are broken.
Required Specifies whether the field Yes: Required
is required or not. No: Not Required
Allow Zero Length Determines whether a Yes: Is valid
zero-length field is a valid No: Not valid
entry.
Index Specifies whether an index Yes: Create index.
should be created in a No: Do not create index.
field. Indexes speed up
queries.

To use Design view to create a new table:

1. Activate the Create tab.

2. Click Table Design in the Tables group. Access changes to Design view and the Table
Tools become available.

3. Type the first field name in the Field Name field.

4. Press the Tab key.
 5. Click the down-arrow that appears when you click in the Data Type field and then select
a data type.
6. Click Primary Key if the column you created is a primary key. A small key appears next
to the field name.
7. Press the Tab key.
8. Type a description. The description is optional.
9. Press the Tab key. Access moves to the Field Name field.
10. Repeat steps 3 through 10 until you have created all of your fields.

To set field properties:

1. Click the field for which you want to set the field properties.
2. Activate the General tab in the Field Properties area.
3. Set the properties you want to set.
4. Repeat steps 1 through 3 until you have set all the properties for all fields.
You can use Design view to create or modify a table. After you finish the task, you must save the
table by clicking the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar.

1. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. Access saves the table unless you are
saving for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box
appears.
2. Type the name you want to give your table.
3. Click OK. Access saves the table. You can now access the table by using the Navigation
pane.

What are views?

Views are different ways of looking at the same object. Tables have four views: Datasheet view,
Pivot Table view, Pivot Chart view, and Design view. You use Datasheet view to create a table,
edit data, or view data; Pivot Table view to create a pivot table; Pivot Chart view to create a
pivot chart; and Design view to create a table or modify an existing table.

To change the view:

1. Activate the Home tab.

2. Click the down-arrow under the View button. A menu appears.
3. Click the view you want. Access changes to the view you chose.

Tip: You can also use a template to create a table. Access has several templates from
which you can choose. When using a template, you create the table and then modify it to suit
your needs.

1. Activate the Create tab.

2. Click the Table Templates button in the Tables group. A menu appears.
3. Click the template you want to use. Access creates a table based on the template.

Create a Lookup Column

If a field can contain a finite list of values, you can create a Lookup Column and users can select
the value they want from a list. For example, if the employees at a school can only work in one
of the following departments: Administration, Computer Science, English, History, or Math. You
can create a table Departments table that lists the departments and then use the list in the
Employee table to assign each employee to a department.

Departments
Department ID Department
 Primary Key
1 Administration
2 Computer Science
3 English
4 History
5 Math

Access has a wizard to help you create lookup columns. Creating a Lookup column creates a
relationship between two tables. See the section Create Relationships in Lesson 3 to learn more
about relationships.

To use the Lookup Wizard to create a lookup column:

Open the Lookup Wizard

1. Open the table to which you want to add a lookup column.

2. Click the field label for the field before which you want to add a lookup column.
3. Activate the Datasheet tab. (You must be in Datasheet view.)
4. Click the Lookup Column button in the Fields & Columns group. The Lookup Wizard
appears.
5. Make sure the radio button next to “I want the lookup column to look up the values in a
table or query.” is selected.
 6. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Select your table or query

A lookup column can be based on a table, a query, or a list of values you type. If you base your
lookup column on a table or query, you must create the table or query before creating the lookup
column. A query is a list of rows and columns based on one or more tables. A query only
displays the rows and columns you specify.

1. Click a radio button to select what you want to base your lookup column on. Choose
from Tables, Queries, or Both.
2. Click to select the table or query you want.
3. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Select fields

You choose the fields you want to appear in your lookup column. Be sure to include the primary
key.
 1. Click the field you want.
2. Click the single right-arrow button . Access places the field in the Selected Fields
column. Repeat this process to select additional fields. If you want all the fields in the
table, click the double right-arrow button . Note: Use the single left-arrow and the
double left-arrows to deselect fields.
3. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Sort fields

The Lookup Wizard allows you to sort the records in a lookup column. You can display records
in order, either ascending (alphabetical from A to Z, lowest number to highest number, earliest
date to latest date) or descending (alphabetical from Z to A, highest number to lowest number,
latest date to earliest date). You can also sort within a sort. For example, you can sort by state
and then within each state by city, and then within each city by street address. If you are creating
a sort within a sort, create the highest level sort on line one, the next level sort on line two, and
so on. In the state, city, and street address example, you create the state on line one, the city on
line two, and the street address on line three.
 1. Click the down-arrow and then select the field you want to sort by.
2. Click to select a sort direction (the button toggles between ascending and descending).
You can sort within a sort for up to four levels.
3. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Adjust column widths

A key column is the column that connects one table or query to another table or query. For
example, you can use the Department ID field in the Employees table and the Department ID
field in the Departments table to connect the two tables. You may, however, want to display the
name of the department when you view the table but not the department ID; if so, leave the Hide
Key Column box checked.

1. Deselect Hide Key Column, if you wish.

2. Adjust the column widths by dragging or double-clicking the right vertical border for the
column.
 3. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Specify the Key Field (if you deselected Hide Key Column)

A key field is a field that uniquely identifies a record. If you deselected Hide Key column, you
must tell Access which field is the key field.

1. Click the key field.

2. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Name the column

Field names appear at the top of each column. On this page of the Wizard you tell Access what
you want to name your lookup column. In Access 2007, multiple values can appear in a field;
click the Allow Multiple Values checkbox if you want to allow multiple values.

1. Type the name you want to give the column.

 2. Click if you want to allow multiple values in the field.
3. Click Finish. Access creates the lookup column.

How do I create a lookup column by typing a list?

1. Activate the Datasheet tab. (These instructions assume you are in the Datasheet view.)
2. Click the Lookup Column button in the Fields & Columns group. The Lookup Wizard
appears.
3. Click the radio button next to “I will type the values I want.”
4. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.
5. Type the number of Columns you want in the Number Of Columns field.
6. Type the values you want under the column heading.
7. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.
8. Type the column label you want.
9. Click Finish. Access creates a lookup column based on your list.

Lesson 3: Working with Microsoft Access Tables

After you create an Access table, you can modify it, enter data into it manually or import data
from somewhere else, such as Excel. This lesson teaches you how to modify a table and enter
data.

 Enter Records
 Import a Table into Access from Excel
 Modify a Table
 Move around a Table
 Select Columns and Rows
 Delete a Record
 Resize a Column or Row

Enter Records

After you have created a table, you can enter data into it.

To enter data into an AutoNumber field:

 Press the Tab key. When you make an entry into another field in the record, Access will
automatically make an entry into the AutoNumber field.

To enter data into fields that have a lookup list:

 1. Click the down-arrow that appears when you click in the field.
2. Click to select the entry you want.
3. Press the Tab key.

To enter data into a Yes/No field:

 Click the checkbox for Yes; leave the checkbox unchecked for No.

To add an attachment to an attachment field:

1. Double-click in the attachment field. The Attachments dialog box appears.

2. Click Add. The Choose File dialog box appears.
 3. Click the file you want to add.
4. Click Open. The Choose File dialog box closes.

5. Click OK. Access attaches the file.

Note: You can attach multiple files to a single attachment field.

To enter data into a date field:

 Type the date.

Or
  Select the date from the calendar that appears to the left of the field when you click in the field.
You click the calendar to open it. Use the left-arrow at the top of the calendar to move to the
previous month; use the right-arrow at the top of the calendar to move to the next month.
When you reach the proper month, click the proper date.

To add data to an OLE Object field:

An OLE object is an object such as a Word document or an Excel Spreadsheet.

1. Right-click in the field. A menu appears.

2. Click Insert Object. The Microsoft Office Access dialog box appears.

Create New:
 3. Click the Create New radio button if you want to create a new object.
a. Click the object type you want to create.
b. Click OK. Access opens the program for the object type you selected. You can create the
object.
c. Create the object and then close the program for the object type you selected. Access
links to the object.

Create From File:

3. Click the Create From File radio button if you want to use an existing file.
a. Type the path to the file or click the Browse button and locate the file.
b. Click OK. Access links to the object.

To add data to other field types:

For all other fields, type your entry and then press the Tab key.

Import a Table into Access from Excel

Excel organizes data into columns and rows. If you have data in Excel that you want to use in
Access, you can import those columns and rows into Access by using the Excel Spreadsheet
Wizard.

To import data from Excel:

Open the Excel Spreadsheet Wizard

1. Activate the External Data tab.

2. Click the Excel button in the Import group. The Get External Data – Excel Spreadsheet Wizard
appears.
3. Click the Browse button. The File Open window appears.
4. Locate the spreadsheet you want to import.
5. Click the Open button. The path to the file you selected appears in the File Name field.
6. Click OK. Access moves to the next page.

Choose the sheet or named range you want to import

When importing from Excel, you can import an entire worksheet or a named range. To import a
worksheet, click the Show Worksheets radio button and then click the worksheet you want. To
import a named range, click the Show Named Ranges radio button and then click the named
range you want.
 1. Click Show Worksheets to import a worksheet, or click Show Named Ranges to import a named
range.
2. Click the worksheet or named range you want to import.
3. Click Next. Access moves to the next page.

Make the first row your field names

When you create a worksheet in Excel, the first row can contain column headings. If this is the
case, click First Row Contains Column Headings, otherwise click Next.
 1. Click First Row Contains Column Headings if the first row of your Excel spreadsheet contains
column headings.
2. Click Next. Access moves to the next page.

Set data types

Access attempts to assign the correct data type to each column. You can view the assignment
made by Access and then make changes. An Index speeds up Access’s ability to search a
column. You can use the Indexed field to assign an index. The Yes (Duplicates OK) option
creates an index in which duplicate values in the field are allowed; the Yes (No Duplicates)
option creates an index in which duplicate values in the field are not allowed. The primary key
should be indexed and you should use the Yes (No Duplicates) option. You can also skip fields
you do not want to import.

1. Click a column heading to select a column.

 a. Type the Access table’s column heading in the Field Name field.
b. Choose a Data type.
c. Indicate if the field should be indexed and, if so, select the type of index.
d. Check the Do Not Import Field box for any column you do not want to import.
2. Click Next. Access moves to the next page.

Choose a primary key

You can let Access assign the primary key, choose the primary key yourself, or have no primary
key by selecting the correct option on this page.

1. Click to choose the proper radio button. If you want Access to add the primary key, click Let
Access Add Primary key. If you want to add the primary key, click Choose My Own Primary Key
and then click the down-arrow and select the field you want to use as the key field. If you do not
want to add a primary key, click No Primary Key.
2. Click Next. Access moves to the next page.
Name your table

1. Type the name you want to give your table.

2. Click Finish. Access moves to the next page.
3. Click Close. Access imports the table.

Modify a Table

After you create a table, you may need to modify it. You can delete columns, insert columns, or
move columns.

Delete Columns

The Delete option permanently deletes columns and all the data contained in them. You cannot
undo a column delete.

To delete columns:
 1. Click and drag to select the columns you want to delete.
2. Activate the Datasheet tab.
3. Click Delete in the Fields & Columns group. A prompt appears.
4. Click Yes. Access deletes the columns you selected.

Insert Columns

The Insert option inserts a column before the selected column.

To insert a column:

1. Click the column head of the column before which you want to insert a column.
 2. Activate the Datasheet tab.
3. Click Insert in the Fields & Columns group. Access inserts a new column.

Tip: If you right-click a column label, you can use the menu that appears to insert or
delete columns.

To delete a column:

1. Right-click the column head you want to delete. A menu appears.

2. Click Delete Column.

To insert a column:

1. Right-click the column head before which you want to insert a column. A menu appears.
2. Click Insert Column.

Move a Column
You can use the Move option to move a column from one location to another.

To move a column:

1. Move your mouse pointer over the horizontal line under the column label. Your mouse pointer
turns into a four sided arrow.
2. Press your left mouse button
3. Click and drag the field to the new location. A dark line appears at the new location.
4. Release you left mouse button. Access moves the column.

Move around a Table

Access provides several methods for moving around a table. On the Home tab, there is a Go To
button. When you click it, a menu of options appears. You can use the menu to go to the first,
last, previous, or next record in your table. You can click the New option to add a new record.
You can also use special keys and the navigation bar in Access to move around a table. The
navigation bar appears at the bottom of the table.

To use the Go To button to move around a table:

 1. Activate the Home tab.
2. Click the Go To button in the Find group. A menu appears.
3. Click First to go to the first record, Previous to go to the previous record, Next to go to the next
record, Last to go to the last record, or New to create a new record.

Tip: You can also create a new record by choosing the Home tab and then clicking
New in the Records group.

To use keys to move around a table:

Key to Press Action

Tab Moves to the next field to the right. If you are in the last field in a
record, moves you to the next record. If you are in the last record
in a table, creates a new record.

Left-Arrow Moves to the next field to the left. If you are in the first field in a
record, moves you to the previous record.

Shift+Tab Moves to the previous field. If you are in the first field in a record,
moves you to the previous record.

Right-Arrow Moves to the next field. If you are in the last field in a record,
moves you to the next record. If you are in the last record in a
 table, creates a new record.

Up-Arrow Moves you up one record.

Down-Arrow Moves you down one record.

Ctrl++ Creates a new record.

To use the Navigation bar to move around a table:

1 Go to First Record

2 Go to Previous Record

3 The Current Record

4 Go to Next Record

5 Go to Last Record

6 Create a New (Blank) Record

Select Columns and Rows

Before you can perform an operation on a column or row, you must select it. To select a column,
click the column head. To select several columns, click a column head and then drag. To select a
row, click the blank area to the left of the row. To select several rows, click the blank area to the
left of a row and then drag. To select the entire table, click the Select All button in the upper-
left corner of the table.
Delete a Record

If enter a record by error, you can delete it.

To delete a record:

1. Select the record you want to delete.

2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click Delete in the Records group. A prompt appears.
4. Click the Yes button.

Or

 Select the record you want to delete.

 Right-click. A menu appears.
 Click Delete Record. A prompt appears.
 Click the Yes button.

Resize a Column or Row

If all of the information in a column or row does not display, you may want to make the column
or row larger. If you want to fit more information on the screen, you may want to make a column
or row smaller. In either case, you can click and drag to increase or decrease column width or
row height.

To resize a column or row:

1. Place the cursor over the line that separates two columns or two rows. The cursor turns into a
double-sided arrow.
2. Hold down the left mouse button and drag to increase or decrease the width of a column or the
height of all of the rows.
Lesson 4: Sorting, Filtering, and Creating Relationships
You can sort Access data so you can view records in the order you want to view them, and you
can filter data so you only see the records you want to see. This lesson teaches you how to sort
and filter an Access table.

Access data is stored in multiple tables. Relationships join tables together so you can work with
the data from multiple tables. This lesson also teaches you how to create relationships.

 Sort a Table
 Filter a Table
 Apply a Specialized Filter
 Hide Columns
 Freeze Columns
 Format a Table
 Compute Totals
 Find and Replace
 Create Relationships

Sort a Table

By sorting, you can put a column of information in alphabetical, numerical, or date order. You
can sort in ascending order (alphabetical from A to Z, lowest number to highest number, earliest
date to latest date) or descending order (alphabetical from Z to A, highest number to lowest
number, latest date to earliest date). You can also sort within a sort. For example, you can sort by
state and then sort within each state by city. When sorting within a sort, perform the innermost
sort first. For example, if you are sorting by state and then city, sort the city first and then sort by
state.

To add a sort:

1. Click the column label for the column you want to sort.
2. Activate the Home tab.
 3. Click the Ascending or Descending button in the Sort & Filter group. Access
sorts the column in ascending or descending order.

To remove a sort:

1. Activate the Home tab.

2. Click the Clear All Sorts button in the Sort & Filter group. Access clears all of the
sorts you have applied.

Filter a Table

You can apply a filter to see only the records you want to see. For example, perhaps your
database contains students from the states of DE, NJ, and PA and you only want to see the
students from DE. You can filter your data so only DE students display.

Each time you apply a filter to a column, it replaces any previous filter you applied to that
column. For example, if you apply a filter so you only see students in DE, and later you apply a
filter so you only see students in NJ, Access clears the DE filter and then applies the NJ filter.

You can apply filters to multiple columns in the same table. For example, by applying a filter
first to the State field and then to the Last Name field, you can see all of the students in the state
of DE whose last names are Adams.

To apply a filter:
 1. Click the column label for the column you want to filter.
2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the Filter button. A menu appears.
4. Uncheck the items you do not want to appear, making sure only the items you want are
checked.
5. Click OK. Access filters your data and displays the word Filtered at the bottom of the
window.

To remove a filter:

1. Activate the Home tab.

2. Click Advanced in the Sort & Filter group. A menu appears.
3. Click Clear All Filters. Access clears all the filters you have applied.

Tip: After you apply a filter, you can use the Toggle Filter button to toggle the
application of the filter on and off.

Apply a Specialized Filter

In addition to simply searching for a specific value, you can apply several specialized filters. For
example, you can find all of the records that do not equal the value you specify or you can find
all of the records that fall between two dates. The following are lists of specialized filters.
 Text Filters
Equals Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value equals the value you enter.
Does Not Equal Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value does not equal the value you
enter.
Begins With Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value begins with the value you
enter.
Does Not Begin With Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value does not begin with the
value you enter.
Contains Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value contains the value you enter.
Does Not Contain Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value does not contain the value
you enter.
Ends With Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value ends with the value you
enter.
Does Not End With Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value does not end with the value
you enter.

Number Filters
Equals Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value equals the value you enter.
Does Not Equal Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value does not equal the value you
enter.
Less Than Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value is less than the value you
enter.
Greater Than Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value is greater than the value you
 enter.
Between Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value is between the values you
enter.

Date Filters
Equals Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value equals the date you enter.
Does Not Equal Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value does not equal the date you
enter.
Before Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value is before the date you enter.
Greater Than Finds every record in the table where the
field’s value is greater than (comes after)
the date you enter.
Between Finds every record in the table where the
field’s date is between the dates you
enter.
All Dates in a Period Finds every record in the table where the
field’s date is in the period you enter.
To apply a specialized filter:

1. Click the Last Name column label.

2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the Filter button. A menu appears.
4. Click the Text Filters option. A menu appears.
5. Click the option you want. A Custom Filter dialog box appears.

6. Enter the appropriate information.

7. Click OK. Access filters your data and displays the word Filtered at the bottom of the
window.

Hide Columns

There may be times when you may not want to display a certain column or set of columns. In
such cases, you can temporarily hide the column or columns from view. Later, if you want to
display them column again, you can unhide them.
To hide columns:

1. Select the columns you want to hide.

2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the More button in the Records group. A menu appears.
4. Click Hide Columns. Access hides the columns you selected.

In the figure, the Birth Date, Street Address, City, State, and Zip fields are hidden.

Or
 1. Select the columns you want to hide.
2. Right-click. A menu appears.
3. Click Hide Columns.

To unhide columns:

1. Activate the Home tab.

2. Click the More button in the Records group. A menu appears.
3. Click Unhide Columns. The Unique Columns dialog box appears.
4. Select the column you want to display.
5. Click Close. Access displays the columns you chose.

or

1. Right-click any column label. A menu appears.

2. Click Unhide columns.
3. Select the columns you want to display.
4. Click the Close button. Access displays the columns you selected.

Freeze Columns

If your table has a large number of columns, you may want to freeze columns so the frozen
columns stay in view as you scroll across the page. For example, if you have a Students table
and you want the Student Number, First Name, and Last Name to remain onscreen as you scroll
across the table, you can freeze the Student Number, First Name, and Last Name fields. When
you freeze a column, Access moves it to the far left side of your table. If you want it to remain
there, you must save the table.

To freeze columns:

1. Select the columns you want to freeze.

2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the More button in the Records group. A menu appears.
 4. Click Freeze. Access freezes the columns. As you scroll, the frozen columns remain
stationary.

To unfreeze columns:

1. Activate the Home tab.

2. Click the More button in the Records group. A menu appears.
3. Click Unfreeze. Access unfreezes the columns.

Format a Table

You can use the features in the Font group on the Home tab to apply a variety of formats to your
table.

Format a Table
Button Function
Apply a font to all of the data
in a table.
Apply a font size to all of the
data in a table.
Bold all of the data in a table.

Italicize all of the data in a

table.
Underline all of the data in a
table.
Left-align a column.
Right-align a column.

Center a column.
Change the font color.

Change the background color.

By default, the background
color is white.
Change the gridlines. Gridlines
separate columns and rows.
This option allows you to
display gridlines for columns
 only (vertical), gridlines for
rows only (horizontal),
gridlines for both columns and
rows, or no gridlines at all.
Change the alternating color.
For example, on a datasheet
you can have every other row
appear in an alternating color.

To bold, italicize, or underline:

1. Place the cursor anywhere within the table.

2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the button for the format you want to apply. Access applies the format.

To left-align, right-align, or center:

1. Place the cursor anywhere within the column you want to left-align, right-align, or center.
2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the button for the format you want to apply. Access applies the format.

To change the font, font size, or gridlines:

1. Place the cursor anywhere within the table.

2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the down-arrow to the right of the option you want to apply. A menu appears.
4. Select the option you want. Access changes the font, font size, or gridlines.

To change the font color, background color, or alternating color:

1. Place the cursor anywhere within the table.

2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the down-arrow to the right of the option you want to apply. A menu of colors
appears.
4. Select the color you want. Access changes the font color or the alternating color.

Compute Totals

On the Home tab, you can use the Total button in the Records group to compute the sum,
average, count, minimum, maximum, standard deviation, or variance of a number field; the
count, average, maximum, or minimum of a date field; or the count of a text field.

To compute totals:
 1. Open the table or query for which you want to compute totals.
2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the Totals button in the Records group. A Total line appears at the bottom of the
table or query.
4. Click on the Total line under the column you want to total. A down-arrow appears on the
left side of the field.
5. Click the down-arrow and then choose the function you want to perform. Access
performs the calculation and displays the results in the proper column on the Totals row.

Find and Replace

If you need to find a sequence of characters, a word, or a phrase in a table or field, you can use
the Find command. In Access, the Find command has three options: You can find all instances in
a table or field that match a sequence of characters, all instances that begin with a sequence of
characters, or all instances that contain a sequence of characters. For example, you can find all
students with the last name Smith, all students whose last name begins with S, or all instances of
08 anywhere in the field.

After you find the word, phrase, or sequence of characters you are searching for, you can replace
it with a new sequence of characters by executing the Replace command.

To do a Find:
 1. Place your cursor in the column you want to search.
2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the Find button in the Find group. The Find and Replace dialog box appears.

4. Activate the Find tab.

5. Type what you want to find in the Find What field.
6. Choose the name of the table you want to search in the Look In field if you want to
search the entire table or select the field you selected in step 1 if you want to search that
field. If you want to search another field, click in that field and then select it in the Look
In field.
7. Choose Any Part Of Field if you want to search for your entry anywhere within a field,
choose Whole Field if you want the field to match the sequence of characters you
entered, or choose Start Of Field if you want the field to begin with a sequence of
characters you entered.
8. Choose All in the Search field if you want to search the entire table, Up to search upward
from your current location, or Down to search downward from your current location.
9. Click Find Next to begin your search. Access finds the first entry that matches your find
criteria. Continue clicking Find Next to find additional matches.

Note: If you want to find and replace, open the Find and Replace dialog box (follow
steps 1 through 3) and then activate the Replace tab. In the Replace With field, enter the
sequence of characters you want to use to replace what you find. Complete the other fields on the
tab the same as you would if you were doing a Find. Click Find Next to find the first instance for
which you are searching. Click Replace to replace that instance. Click Replace All to replace
every instance.

Create Relationships

In Access, you store data in multiple tables and then use relationships to join the tables. After
you have created relationships, you can use data from all of the related tables in a query, form, or
report.
A primary key is a field or combination of fields that uniquely identify each record in a table. A
foreign key is a value in one table that must match the primary key in another table. You use
primary keys and foreign keys to join tables together—in other words, you use primary keys and
foreign keys to create relationships.

There are two valid types of relationships: one-to-one and one-to-many. In a one-to-one
relationship, for every occurrence of a value in table A, there can only be one matching
occurrence of that value in table B, and for every occurrence of a value in table B, there can only
be one matching occurrence of that value in table A. One-to-one relationships are rare because if
there is a one-to-one relationship, the data is usually stored in a single table. However, a one-to-
one relationship can occur when you want to store the information in a separate table for security
reasons, when tables have a large number of fields, or for other reasons. In a one-to-many
relationship, for every occurrence of a value in table A, there can be zero or more matching
occurrences in table B, and for every one occurrence in table B, there can only be one matching
occurrence in table A.

When tables have a one-to-many relationship, the table with the one value is called the primary
table and the table with the many values is called the related table. Referential integrity ensures
that the validity of the relationship between two tables remains intact. It prohibits changes to the
primary table that would invalidate an entry in the related table. For example, a school has
students. Each student can make several payments, but each payment can only be from one
student. The Students table is the primary table and the Payments table is the related table.

Students
Student ID Last Name First Name
Primary Key
1 John Smith
2 Mark Adams
3 Valerie Kilm

Payments
Payment ID Student ID Amount Due Amount Paid
Primary key Foreign key
1 1 500 500
2 2 700 300
3 3 500 250
4 2 400 300
5 3 250 250

If you delete Student ID 1 from the Students table, Student ID 1 is no longer valid in the
Payments table. Referential integrity prevents you from deleting Student ID 1 from the Students
table. Also, if the only valid Student IDs are 1, 2, and 3, referential integrity prevents you from
entering a value of 4 in the Student ID field in the Payments table. A foreign key without a
primary key reference is called an orphan. Referential integrity prevents you from creating
orphans.
To create relationships:

1. Close all tables and forms. (Right-click on the tab of any Object. A menu appears. Click
Close All.)

2. Activate the Database Tools tab.

3. Click the Relationships button in the Show/Hide group. The Relationships window
appears.

4. If anything appears in the relationships window, click the Clear Layout button in the
Tools group. If you are prompted, click Yes.
5. Click the Show Table button in the Relationships group. The Show Table dialog box
appears.
6. Activate the Tables tab if your relationships will be based on tables, activate the Queries
tab if your relationships will be based on queries, or activate the Both tab if your
relationships will be based on both.
7. Double-click each table or query you want to use to build a relationship. The tables
appear in the Relationships window.
8. Click the Close button to close the Show Table dialog box.

9. Drag the Primary table’s primary key over the related table’s foreign key. After you drag
the primary key to the related table’s box, the cursor changes to an arrow. Make sure the
arrow points to the foreign key. The Edit Relationships Dialog box appears.

10. Click the Enforce Referential Integrity checkbox.

11. Click Create. Access creates a one-to-many relationship between the tables.
 12. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar to save the relationship.

Tip: When you create a relationship, you can view the related table as a subdatasheet of
the primary table. Open the primary table and click the plus (+) in the far left column. The plus
sign turns into a minus (-) sign. If the Insert Subdatasheet dialog box opens, click the table you
want to view as a subdatasheet and then click OK. Access displays the subdatasheet each time
you click the plus sign in the far left column. Click the minus sign to hide the subdatasheet.

Tip: After a relationship has been created between two tables, you must delete the
relationship before you can make modifications to the fields on which the relationship is based.
To delete a relationship:

1. Click the line that connects the tables.

2. Press the Delete key.
Lesson 5: Creating Microsoft Access Queries
You can use a query to view a subset of your data or to answer questions about your data. For
example, if you want to view a list of student names and email addresses, but you do not want to
see addresses and other data, you can create a query that displays the student’s first name, last
name, and email address only. Alternatively, if you want to know which students live in DE, you
can restrict your list to those students. This lesson teaches you how to create a query.

 Open Tables or Queries in Query Design View

 Display All Records and All Fields
 Change from Datasheet View to Query Design View
 Retrieve a Single Column
 Retrieve Multiple Columns
 Sort a Query
 Sort Multiple Columns in a Query
 Retrieve Specific Records
 Apply Multiple Criteria
 Create a Query That Uses Two or More Tables
 Save a Query
 Modify a Query
 Use a Query to Make a Table
 Create a Parameter Query

Open Tables or Queries in Query Design View

A query can be based on tables or on other queries. To create a query, you open the tables or
queries on which you are going to base your query in Query Design view, and then use the
options in Design view to create your query. You then click the Run button to display the results.
You can save queries for later use.

To open tables or queries in Query Design view:

 1. Activate the Create tab.
2. Click the Query Design button in the Other group. The Show Table dialog box appears.
3. Activate the Tables tab if you want to base your query on tables, activate the Queries tab
if you want base your query on queries or activate the Both tab if you want to base your
query on both tables and queries.
4. Click to choose the table or query on which you want to base your query.
5. Click Add. The table appears in the window.
a. Click to choose the next table or query on which you want to base your query.
b. Continue clicking tables or queries until you have all the tables and queries you
plan to use.
6. Click Close. Access changes to Query Design view.

Display All Records and All Fields

In Query Design view, each table has an option that allows you to display all of the fields and all
of the records in a table. This option appears on the field line on the drop-down menu as the table
name followed by a period and an asterisk (tablename.*).

To display all records and all fields:

 1. Open a table or query in Query Design view.
2. Click the down-arrow in the first field on the Field row and then select the tablename.*
option. The table name appears on the table line.
3. Click the Run button. Access retrieves all of the fields and records for the table and
displays them in Datasheet view.

Change from Datasheet View to Query Design View

After you run a query, you can easily change back to Query Design view and make
modifications to your query or create a new query.

To change to Query Design view:

1. Activate the Home tab.

2. Click the down-arrow below View in the Views group. A menu appears.
3. Click Design View. Access changes to Query Design view. You can modify your query.

Tip: You can also click the Design button in the lower-right corner of the Access
window to change to Design view.

Retrieve a Single Column

You can use an Access query to retrieve a single column of data. Instead of choosing the
tablename.* option on the Field line in Query Design view, choose the name of the field you
want to retrieve.

To retrieve a single column:

 1. Open a table or query in Query Design view.
2. Choose the field name you want to display in the field line.
3. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the column you chose.

Retrieve Multiple Columns

You can use an Access query to retrieve multiple columns of data. On the Field line in Query
Design view, choose the field name of each field you want to retrieve in the order you want to
retrieve them.

To retrieve multiple columns:

1. Open a table or query in Query Design view.

2. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them.
3. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose.
Sort a Query

When creating a query, you can sort the rows you retrieve in ascending or descending order by
choosing the option you want on the Sort row in Query Design view.

To perform a sort:
1. Open a table or query in Query Design view.
2. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them.
3. Under the field you want to sort, click the down-arrow and then choose Ascending or
Descending.
4. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in
the order you specified.
Sort Multiple Columns in a Query

As you learned in the previous section, you can sort the rows your query returns. You can also
create sorts within a sort. For example, you can sort by state and then within a state, you can sort
by last name and then by first name. You specify the sort in the order you want the sort to occur.
If you want to sort by state and then by last name within a state and then by first name within last
name, you enter the sort in the following order: city, last name, first name. Your sort order may
not agree with the order in which you want to display fields. In such a case, you can use fields
that do not display to enter your sort order. To prevent a field from displaying, deselect the Show
box on the Show row.

To sort multiple columns:

1. Open a table or query in Query Design view.
2. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them.
3. Choose the field names you want to sort by in the order you want to sort.
4. Under the fields you want to sort by, choose Ascending or Descending.
5. Deselect the Show button for the columns you do not want to display.
6. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in
the order you specified.
Retrieve Specific Records

In the examples so far, you have been retrieving all of the records (rows) in your table. You can,
however, specify which records you wish to retrieve. For example, you can retrieve only those
students who live in DE, only the student whose student number is 5, or only those students
whose birth date is 2/16/88.

You use logical operators such as = (equal), <> (not equal), > (greater than), or < (less than) to
restrict the records you retrieve. For example, if you only want to display students who live in
DE, enter = "DE" in the State column on the Criteria line. Access will only retrieve records
where the value in the State column is equal to DE. Selection criteria are not case-sensitive, so
Access will retrieve records where the entry is DE, de, De, or dE.

Logical Operators
Operator Meaning Field Type Entry Format
= Equal to Character = "DE"
Number =5
Date = #2/16/88#
<> Not equal to Character <> "DE"
Number <> 5
Date <> #2/16/88#
> Greater than Character > "DE"
 Number >5
Date > #2/16/88#
>= Greater than or Character > = "DE"
equal to Number >=5
Date > = #2/16/88#
< Less than Character < "DE"
Number <5
Date < #2/16/88#
<= Less than or Character <= "DE"
equal to Number <= 5
Date <= #2/16/88#
In Equal to any Character In ("DE", "NJ")
item in a list Number In (5, 9, 17)
Date In (#2/16/88#, #2/3/90#,
#12/15/88#)
Not In Not equal to Character Not In ("DE", "NJ")
any item in a Number Not In (5, 9, 17)
list Date Not In (#2/16/88#, #2/3/90#,
#12/15/88#)
Between Between two Character Between "C" And "F"
values, Number Between 5 And 10
greater than or Date Between #1/1/88# And
equal to one #12/31/88#
and less than or
equal to the
other
Not Between Not between Character Not Between "C" And "F"
two values Number Not Between 5 And 10
Date Not Between #1/1/88# And
#12/31/88#
Is Null The value is Character Is Null
missing from Number Is Null
the field Date Is Null
Is Not Null The value is not Character Is Not Null
missing from Number Is Not Null
the field Date Is Not Null
Like Like a specified Character Like "S*"
pattern. Number Like "1*"
* means any Date Not Applicable
series of
characters.
? means any
single
character.
Not Like Not like a Character Like "S*"
 specified Number Like "1*"
pattern. Date Not Applicable
* means any
series of
characters.
? means many
single
character.

When using the Like and Not Like criteria, where you place the asterisk(*) or question mark (?)
determines the type of search Access performs. Like "Jo*" finds all records in the field that
begin with Jo. It would find Jones, Johnson, and Jordan. Like "*son" finds all records in the
field that end with son. It would find Stevenson, Jackson, and Peterson. Like "*456*" finds all
records that contain 456 anywhere in the field. It would find 456123789, 123456789, and
123789456. The sequence Like "?en" finds all three character field entries where the second
and third characters are en. It would find Ben, Len, and Jen. The sequence Like "Jo?" finds all
three character field entries where the first and second characters are Jo. It would return Joe, Joy,
and Jon. The sequence Like "T?m" finds all three character field entries where the first and
third characters are T and m. It would return Tim, Tom, and Tam.

To retrieve specific records:

1. Open a table or query in Query Design view.

2. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them.
3. Choose the field names you want to sort by in the order you want to sort.
 4. Under the fields you want to sort by, choose Ascending or Descending.
5. Deselect the Show button for columns you do not want to display.
6. Enter your selection criteria on the Criteria line.
7. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in
the order you specified.

Apply Multiple Criteria

You can apply multiple criteria to the same table. If you place two criteria on the same line,
Access will only retrieve records where both criteria are met. For example, if you want all
records where the State is equal to "DE" and the Last Name is equal to Smith, you would set the
State field to = "DE" and the Last Name field to = "Smith" and you would place both criteria on
the same line.

If you place one set of criteria on the Criteria line and the second set of criteria on the Or line,
Access will retrieve records if either criteria are met. For example, you want all records where
the State is equal to "DE" or the Last Name is equal to Smith. You would set the State field to =
"DE" and the Last Name field to = "Smith" and you would place one set of criteria on the
Criteria line and the other set of criteria on the Or line. Access will bring back all records where
the state equals DE and all records where the Last Name is equal to Smith no matter what the
State is. You can add additional and and or statements by using the lines below the Or line. For
And clauses, place the criteria on the same line; for Or clauses, place the criteria on separate
lines.

To apply multiple criteria:

 1. Open a table or query in Query Design view.
2. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them.
3. Choose the field names you want to sort by in the order you want to sort.
4. Under the fields you want to sort by, choose Ascending or Descending.
5. Enter your selection criteria on the Criteria line and the Or line, as needed.
6. Deselect the Show button for columns you do not want to display.
7. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in
the order you specified.

Create a Query That Uses Two or More Tables

If you want to view data from two or more tables or queries, you can create a query that pulls the
data from multiple tables or queries. The tables and queries from which you pull your data
should have a relationship.

To create a query that uses two or more tables:

1. Open the tables and/or queries you want to use in Query Design view.
2. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them.
3. Choose the field names you want to sort by in the order you want to sort. Under the fields
you want to sort by, choose Ascending or Descending.
4. Enter your selection criteria, if necessary (Not applicable in this example).
5. Deselect the Show button for columns you do not want to display (Not applicable in this
example).
6. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in
the order you specified.

Save a Query
After you create a query, you can save it. You can rerun a saved query at any time. If you change
the data on which the saved query is based, you will see the changes when you rerun the query.

To save a query:

1. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. Access saves the query unless you are
saving for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box
appears.
2. Type the name you want to give your query.
3. Click OK. Access saves the query. You can now access the query by using the
Navigation pane.

Tip: You can also save by right-clicking a query’s tab and then selecting Save from the
menu that appears. Access saves the query unless you are saving for the first time. If you are
saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box appears. Type the name you want to give the
query and then click OK. Access saves the query. You can now access the query by using the
Navigation pane.

Tip: After you have saved a query, you can run it by opening the Navigation pane and
then clicking the name of the query.

Modify a Query

Once created, a query can be modified. Simply open the query in Query Design view and make
the changes. You can add columns, change the sort order, change the criteria, and make other
changes.
In Query Design view, the Query Setup group offers several options that can assist you. Use the
Insert Rows button to insert a row in the criteria area. Click anywhere in the row before which
you want to insert a new row and then click the Insert Rows button.

Use the Insert Columns button to insert a column. Click anywhere in the column before
which you want to insert a column and then click the Insert Column button .

Use the Delete Rows button to delete a row in the criteria area. Click anywhere in the row
you want to delete and then click the Delete Row button.

Use the Delete Columns button to delete a column. Click anywhere in the column you want
to delete and then click the Delete Column button .

Use a Query to Make a Table

You can use a query to create a table. This is useful when you want to create a new table that
includes the fields and data from an existing table.

To create a table:

1. Open the table or query on which you want to base your new table on in Query Design
view.
 2. Enter the criteria on which you want to base your new table.
3. Click the Make Table button. The Make Table dialog box appears.
4. Type the name you want to give your new table.
5. Click OK.
6. Click Run. You see the following prompt.

7. Click Yes.
8. Close the query. (Right-click the query’s tab and then click Close.)
9. Double-click the new table’s name in the Navigation pane to view the new table.

Create a Parameter Query

If instead of entering predetermined criteria, you want to prompt users when a query runs, you
can create a parameter query. You create a parameter query by enclosing a question in square
brackets ([]). For example, if you want to create a parameter query that asks users which State
they want to use from the Student’s table, you would type [Which State?] on the Criteria line
under the State column. When the query runs, Access will prompt the user for the answer to your
question.

To create a parameter query:

1. Open a table or query in Query Design view.
2. Create your query.
3. On the Criteria line, type the prompt within square brackets.
4. Click the Run button. Access prompts you.

5. Respond to the prompt.

6. Click OK. Access displays the results of your query in Datasheet view.
 Note: If you want to make your user prompt more flexible, use one of the following
formats.

Returns all records that contain the value

Like "*" & [Prompt] & "*" you enter.
Example: If you enter ad, Access returns
all records that include the sequence ad
anywhere in the field.
Like "*" & [Prompt] Returns all records that end with the value
you enter.
Example: If you enter S, Access returns
all records that end with S.
Like [Prompt] & "*" Returns all records that begin with the
value you enter.
Example: If you enter S, Access returns
all records that begin with S.
> [Prompt] Find all records with a value greater than
the value you enter.
Example: If you enter 5, Access returns
all records that are greater than 5.

Note: You can also use < (less than) ,<=

(less than or equal to) >=, >= (greater than
or equal to), or <> (not equal)

Lesson 6: Creating Forms

Access forms are much like paper forms: you can use them to enter, edit, or display data. They
are based on tables. When using a form, you can choose the format, the arrangement, and which
fields you want to display. This lesson teaches you how to create forms.

 Using the Form Button

 Create a Split Form
 Create a Multiple Items Form
 Modify a Form
Using the Form Button

Access can automatically create several types of forms. For example, when you click the Form
button on the Create tab, Access places all fields in the selected table on a form. If the table has a
one-to-many relationship with one other table or query, Access creates a stacked form (the
records are displayed in a column) for the primary table and a datasheet for the related table. If
there are several tables with a one-to-many relationship, Access does not create the datasheet.

To create a form:

1. Open the Navigation pane.

2. Click the table or query on which you want to base your form.
3. Activate the Create tab.
4. Click Form in the Forms group. Access creates a form.
You can use the Navigation bars to move through the records on a form.

1 Go to First Record
2 Go to Previous Record
3 The Current Record
4 Go to Next Record
5 Go to Last Record
6 Create a New (Blank) Record

Tip: After you create a form, you can save it. You can open a saved form at any time.

To save a form:

1. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. Access saves the form unless you are
saving for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box
appears.
 2. Type the name you want to give the form.
3. Click OK. Access saves the form. You can now access the form by using the Navigation
pane.

You can also save by right-clicking a form’s tab and then selecting Save from the menu that
appears. Access saves the form unless you are saving for the first time. If you are saving for the
first time, the Save As dialog box appears. Type the name you want to give the form and then
click OK. Access saves the form. You can now access the form by using the Navigation pane.

Create a Split Form

A split form is a form in which the same data is displayed in two views simultaneously. One part
of the form displays in Form view (stacked fields), while the other part displays in Datasheet
view. The two views are synchronized, so as you select a field in one view, it is automatically
selected in the other view. You can add, change, or delete the data in either view. Using a split
form gives you the benefits of two types of forms in a single form. For example, you can use the
datasheet portion to locate records and the form portion to edit records.

To create a split form:

1. Open the Navigation pane.

 2. Click the table or query on which you want to base your form.
3. Activate the Create tab.
4. Click Split Form in the Forms group. Access creates a split form.

Create a Multiple Items Form

You can use the Multiple Items button on the Forms tab to create a form that displays multiple
records, one record per row.
To create a multiple items form:

1. Open the Navigation pane.

2. Click the table or query on which you want to base your form.
3. Activate the Create tab.
4. Click Multiple Items in the Forms group. Access creates a multiple items form.
 Tip: A view is a way of looking at an Access object. Forms have three views: Form
view, Layout view, and Design view. You can enter, edit, and view data in Form view. You can
modify a form in Layout view or Design view. In Layout view, you can see your data, and the
form you see closely resembles what your form will look like when you view it in Form view.
You can make most, but not all, changes to your form in Layout view. Design view displays the
structure of your form. In this view you cannot see the underlying data, but you can perform
some tasks in Design view that you cannot perform in Layout view. This tutorial focuses on
Layout view.

To change the view:

1. Open the form.

2. Activate the Format tab.
3. Click the down-arrow under the View button. A menu appears.
4. Click the view you want.

Modify a Form

After you create a form, it opens in Layout view, where you can modify it.

To change the size of a field:

1. Click a side of the field and drag to change the width of the field.
2. Click the top or bottom of a field and drag to change the height of a field.
To move a datasheet:

1. Click the datasheet to select it.

2. Click and drag the four-sided arrow in the upper-right corner to move the datasheet.

To resize a datasheet:

1. Click the datasheet to select it.

2. Click a side of the datasheet and drag to change the width.
3. Click the top or bottom of the datasheet and drag to change the height.

To apply an AutoFormat:

The AutoFormat option on the Format tab enables you to apply formats quickly, such as
background colors, field colors, field label colors, and fonts.

1. Activate the Format tab.

2. Click AutoFormat. The AutoFormat menu appears.
3. Click the format you want to apply.

To change a form title:

When you create a form, by default, Access uses the form name as the title. You can change the
title.

1. Activate the Format tab.

2. Click the Title button.
3. Type the new title.

To add the date and time:

You can easily add the date and time to your form.

1. Activate the Format tab.

2. Click the Date and Time button. The Date and Time dialog box appears. Select the date
and time format you want. The date and time appear on your form.

Change Fonts and Formats

You can use options on the Format tab to manually apply individual formats to your report.
However, before you can apply a format to a field or field label, you must select it. To select a
field or field label, click it. To select multiple items, hold down the Shift key and then click each
item you want to select. A box surrounds selected items.

Change Fonts and Formats

Button Shortcut Function
Key
Layout View—Format Tab, Font Group
Apply a font to the current selection.
Set the size of the font for the current
selection.
Ctrl-b Bold the current selection.
Ctrl-i Italicize the current selection.
Ctrl-u Underline the current selection.
Ctrl-l Left-align the selection.
Ctrl-r Right-align the selection.
Ctrl-e Center the selection.
Change the font color.
Change the background color.

Change the alternating color. For

example, you can have every other
row on a datasheet appear in an
alternating color.
Layout View—Format Tab, Formatting Group
Apply a Number format.
Use a currency symbol.
Change to percent.
Use thousand separators.
Increase decimal places.
Decrease decimal places.
Layout View—Format Tab, Gridlines Group
Add gridlines.

Change the weight of gridlines.

Change the style of gridlines.
Change the color of gridlines.
 Layout View—Format Tab, Controls Group
Add a logo.

Add or change a title.

Add a date and time.

Set line thickness.

Set line style.
Set line color.

Lesson 7: Creating Reports

Reports organize and summarize data for viewing online or for printing. A detail report displays
all of the selected records. You can include summary data such as totals, counts, and percentages
in a detail report. A summary report does not list the selected records but instead summarizes the
data and presents totals, counts, percentages, or other summary data only. Access has several
report generation tools that you can use to create both detail and summary reports quickly. This
lesson teaches you how to create reports.

 Use the Report Button

 Use the Report Wizard
 Modify a Report
 Create Mailing Labels
 Print a Report

Use the Report Button

The Report button creates a simple report that lists the records in the selected table or query in a
columnar format.

To use the Report button:

1. Open the Navigation pane.
2. Click the table or query on which you want to base your report.
3. Activate the Create tab.
4. Click the Report button in the Reports group. Access creates your report and displays your
report in Layout view. You can modify the report.

Tip: After you create a report, you can save it.

1. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. Access saves the report unless you are saving
for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box appears.
2. Type the name you want to give your report.
3. Click OK. Access saves the report. You can now access the report by using the Navigation pane.
As with other objects, you can also save a report by right-clicking the reports tab and selecting
Save. Saved reports appear in the Navigation pane.

Tip: Reports created by using the Report button are plain and simple. The Modify a
Report section of this lesson teaches you how to customize a report to meet your needs.

Tip: Access reports created simply by using the Report button have several sections.
They are detailed in the following table.

Sections of a Report

Report Header Appears at the top of the first page

and displays the report title.
Page Header Appears at the top of every page and
displays the headings (field labels)
for each column.
Page Footer Appears at the bottom of every page
and displays the page number and
total number of pages.
Detail Section Appears between the page header
and page footer and displays the
records from the table or query.
Report Footer This section is optional. Appears on
the last page of the report and
displays summary information such
as grand totals.
Use the Report Wizard

You can also use the Report Wizard to create a report. The Report Wizard provides you with
more flexibility than you get by using the Report button. You can choose the tables and fields,
group the data, sort the data, summarize the data, choose a layout and orientation, apply a style,
and title your report. Follow the steps shown here to create a report by using the Report Wizard:

To create a report by using the Report Wizard:

Open the Report Wizard

1. Activate the Create tab.

2. Click Report Wizard in the Reports group. The Report Wizard appears.

Select tables, queries and fields

When using the Report Wizard, you can use fields from multiple tables and/or queries if the
tables/queries have a relationship.
 1. Click the down-arrow next to the Table/Queries field and then click the table from which you
want to select fields.
2. Click a field and then click the single-right arrow to select a single field, click the double-right
arrows to select all fields, click a field and then click the single-left arrow to deselect a single
field, or click the double-left arrow to deselect all fields.
3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each table from which you want to select fields.
4. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Group

When using the Report Wizard, you can group data. Grouping puts all of the values in a field
into a group based on the field’s value. For example, if your data is grouped by the Department
field and the records in the Department field have values such as Administration, Computer
Science, and English. Access will group all of the data for the Administration department
together, all of the data for the Computer Science department together, and all of the data for the
English department together.
1. Click to select the field by which you want to group your data. You may not see this page of the
wizard if you are selecting data from a single table.
2. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.
 3. Click a field you want to group by.
4. Click the right-arrow to select a field; click a field and then click the left arrow to deselect a field.
Use the up- and down-arrows to change the order of the groupings. If you are only using one
table, this may be your first opportunity to select a field to group by.
5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each field you want to group by.
6. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Sort and summarize

By using the Report Wizard, you can create up to four levels of sort. Access sorts the first level,
and then sorts the second level within that sort, and so on. If you have grouped your data, you
can summarize it by displaying the sum, average, and minimum or maximum value for each
numeric field. You can choose to have your report display just the summary data or each detail
line and the summary data. There is also an option that allows you to display the percent the sum
of each group is of the grand total. All of the fields in your report may not fit on a single page.
You can have Access automatically adjust the size of the font so that every field fits.

1. Click the down-arrow and then select the field you want to sort by.
2. Click the button to choose ascending or descending order. Clicking the button toggles between
Ascending and Descending. You can sort up to four levels.
3. Click the Summary Options button. The Summary Options window appears.
 4. Click to select the summary data you want.
5. Click to select whether you want detail and summary data or if you want summary data only.
6. Click if you want to calculate the percent to the total for sums.
7. Click OK. The Summary Options window closes.
8. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Layout and orientation

You can choose the layout and orientation of your report. The layout determines where each field
appears on the page. Access provides three options to choose from: Stepped, Block, and Outline.
When you choose an option, the left side of the window displays a graphic of the layout.

Orientation determines whether Access creates the report in portrait or landscape. Most paper,
such as paper sized 8 1/2 by 11, is longer on one edge than it is on the other. If you print in
Portrait, the shortest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page. Portrait is the default option.
If you print Landscape, the longest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page.
 1. Click to select a layout.
2. Click to select a page orientation.
3. Choose the Adjust The Field Width So All Fields Fit On A Page option if you want all fields to fit
on a single page.
4. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Style

A style is a set of formats consisting of such things as background colors, fonts, font colors, and
font sizes. Access supplies predesigned styles that format titles, labels, and more. When you
choose a style, the left side of the window displays a preview.
 1. Click to select a style.
2. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Create a title

On the final page of the Report Wizard, you can title your report. The title appears at the top of
the report and on the Navigation pane.
1. Type the title you want to give the report.
2. Click Finish. Access creates, saves, and opens your report in Layout view.
 Tip: Reports created with the Report Wizard may have the following two sections in
addition to the sections found in reports created by using the Report button.

Sections of a Report

Group Header Appears before a group and displays

information about the group.
Group Footer Appears after a group and
summarizes the group data.

Modify a Report

After you create a report, you can modify it. You can add groups or sorts, add fields, change
labels, and perform many other tasks.

You can view a report in Report view, Layout view, Design view, and Print Preview. You can
modify a report in Layout view or Design view. In Layout view, you can see your data, and the
report you see closely resembles how your report will look when you print it. You can make
most, but not all, changes to your report in Layout view. Design view displays the structure of
your report. In this view you cannot see the underlying data, but you can perform some tasks in
Design view that you cannot perform in Layout view. This tutorial focuses on Layout view.

To change to Layout view:

1. Open your report.

2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the View button. A menu appears.
4. Click Layout View. Access changes to Layout view.

Change the Size of a Field or Label

If the data in a field or label seems crowded, if some of the data in the field or label does not
appear, or if the data appears as pound signs (####), the field or label is too small.
To change the size of a field or label:

1. Click the field or label. A border appears around it.

2. Click a side of the border and drag outward to increase the width. Click a side of the border and
drag inward to decrease the width.

Tip: Incidentally, if you want to change the height of records, click the top or bottom of
a field border and drag upward or downward.

Add a Group or Sort

When you create a report by clicking the Report button, you are not given options that enable
you to group or sort. You can use the Group & Sort button on the Format tab to create a group or
sort. When you create a report by using the Report Wizard, you can use the Group & Sort button
to add or modify a group or sort.

To Group or Sort:

Open the Group, Sort, and Total pane

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Activate the Format tab.
3. Click Group & Sort in the Grouping and Totals group. The Group, Sort, and Total pane appears.
Add a group

4. Click Add A Group and then select the field by which you want to group. Access groups and sorts
the field.

Add a sort

5. Click Add A Sort and then select the field on which you want to sort. Access sorts the field.

Groups and sorts display in the Group, Sort, and Total pane in levels. Access performs the
highest-level group or sort first, the second level next, and so on.
After you have added a group or sort, you can set several options by clicking the More button
and then clicking the down-arrow next to each option and making your choices.

Group, Sort, and Total Pane Options

Option Description
Sort order Use these options to choose
With A on top from ascending or descending
From smallest to largest order.
From oldest to newest
Group interval Set how you want to group. For
example, if you want to group
by the first letter of the last
name so that all As are together,
all Bs are together. etc., you can
select By First Character.
Totals Select the field you want to total
on and the type of total you
 want. Your total can be a sum,
average, count, etc. You can
also choose whether you want
to show a grand total, totals as a
percentage of a grand total,
display totals in the header, or
display totals in the footer.
Title Allows you to add or change the
field label.
With or without a header Group headers precede each
section group. This option allows you to
determine whether you want a
header section.
With or without a footer Group footers are printed at the
section bottom of each group. This
option allows you to determine
whether you want a footer
section.
Keep group together Use these options to determine
where a page break will occur
when you print:
Do not keep group together on
one page. This option allows
page breaks within a group.
Keep whole group together on
one page. This option prevents
page breaks within a group.
Keep header and first record
together on one page. This
option prevents a header from
printing at the bottom of a page
with no records.

There are three buttons on the right side of the Group, Sort, and Total pane. If you want to delete
a group or sort, click the group or sort you want to delete and then click the Delete button.
Groups and sorts execute in the order they are listed in the Group, Sort, and Total pane. If you
want to change the order of execution, click the group or sort you want to move up or down and
then click the Move Up or Move Down button to move a group or sort up or down a level.

To add a field:
1. Open your report in Layout view.
2. Activate the Format tab.
3. Click the Add Existing Fields button in the Controls group. The Field List pane appears.
4. Click Show All Tables if the field you want to add does not appear.

5. Click the field you want to add and drag it onto your report. A thick line appears on the report.
Access places the field before the line. If you want the field to appear in the detail area, be sure
to drag it to the detail area.
To delete a field:

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Click the field you want to delete.
3. Press the Delete key. Access deletes the field.

To move a column:

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Click the column label.
3. Drag the column to the new location. Access moves the column to the new location.

To change a title:

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Double-click in the Title field.
3. Click and drag to select the current title.
4. Type a new title.
5. Click anywhere outside the Title field. Access changes the title.

To change a field label:

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Double-click the field label.
3. Click and drag to select the label name.
4. Type the new label name.
5. Click anywhere outside the label. Access changes the field label.

To change the paper size:

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Activate the Page Setup tab.
3. Click the Size button in the Page Layout group. A menu appears.
4. Click the size of the paper you are going to print on.

To change paper orientation:

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Activate the Page Setup tab.
3. Click Portrait or Landscape to choose the orientation you want to use. Access changes the page
orientation.

To change margins:

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Activate the Page Setup tab.
3. Click the Margins button in the Page Layout group. A menu appears.
 4. Click the margin size you want. Access changes the page margin.

To add page numbers:

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Activate the Format tab.
3. Click the Insert Page Number button in the Controls group. The Page Numbers dialog box
appears.
4. Click a radio button to choose a format.
5. Click a radio button to choose a position.
6. Click the down-arrow in the Alignment field and then choose an alignment.
7. Deselect Show Number On First Page if you do not want the page number to appear on the first
page.
8. Click OK. Access places the page number in your report.

To add current date or time:

1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Activate the Format tab.

3. Click the Date and Time button in the Controls group. The Date and Time dialog box
appears.

4. Deselect the Include Date box if you do not wish to include the date.
5. Click to select a format if you are including the date.
6. Deselect the Include Time box if you do not wish to include the time.
7. Click to select a format if you are including the time.
8. Click OK. Access places the date and/or time in your report.
Apply an AutoFormat

You can use the AutoFormat option on the Format tab to apply formats such as background
colors, fonts, and font sizes quickly.

To apply an AutoFormat:

1. Activate the Format tab.

2. Click AutoFormat. The AutoFormat menu appears.
3. Click the format you want to apply.

Change Fonts and Formats

You can use options on the Format tab to manually apply formats to your report. However,
before you can apply a format to a field or field label, you must select the field or field label by
clicking it. To select multiple items, hold down the Shift key and then click each item you want
to select. A box surrounds selected items.

Change Fonts and Formats

Button Shortcut Function

Key
Layout View—Format Tab, Font Group
Apply a font to the current selection.
Set the size of the font for the current
selection.
Ctrl-b Bold the current selection.
Ctrl-i Italicize the current selection.
Ctrl-u Underline the current selection.
Ctrl-l Left-align the selection.
Ctrl-r Right-align the selection.
Ctrl-e Center the selection.
Change the font color.
Change the background color.

Change the alternating color. For

example, you can have every other row in
the detail area appear in alternating
colors.
Layout View—Format Tab, Formatting Group
 Apply a Number format.
Use a currency symbol.
Change to percent.
Use thousand separators.
Increase decimal places.
Decrease decimal places.
Layout View—Format Tab, Gridlines Group
Add gridlines.

Change the weight of gridlines.

Change the style of gridlines.
Change the color of gridlines.
Layout View—Format Tab, Controls Group
Add a logo.

Add a title.

Set line thickness.

Set line style.

Set line color.

Tip: After you modify your report, you must save it if you want to keep the changes.
To save, click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar or right-click the report’s tab and
then click Save.

Create Mailing Labels

In Access, the easiest way to create a mailing label is to use the Label Wizard. The Label Wizard
extracts name and address data from your database and formats it so you can print it on
commercially available labels.

Each time you view or print labels, the data are extracted from the database, so as you update
your database, Access updates your labels.
To create labels:

Open the Labels Wizard

1. Click the table or query you want to use to create a label.

2. Activate the Create tab.
3. Click Labels in the Reports group. The Labels Wizard appears.

Choose a product number

Most commercially available labels have a product number. You should be able to find the
number on the box. You use the product number to tell Access the dimensions of your labels and
the number of columns and rows that are on a page.

1. Click to select the Product Number in the Product Number field.

2. Click Next. The Label Wizard moves to the next page.
Choose a font, font size, font weight, and color

A font is a set of characters (text) represented in a single typeface. Each character within a font is
created by using the same basic style. The Label Wizard has options that allow you to select a
font, font size, weight, and color. You can also choose to italicize or underline the text in your
labels.

1. Click the down-arrow next to the Font Name field and then select the font. A preview appears in
the Sample box.
2. Click the down-arrow next to the Font Size field and then select the font size. A preview appears
in the Sample box.
3. Click the down-arrow next to the Font Weight field and then select the font weight. A preview
appears in the Sample box.
4. Click the button next to the Text Color field and then select a color you want your text to have. A
preview appears in the Sample box.
5. Click the Italic box if you want to italicize. A preview appears in the Sample box.
6. Click the Underline box if you want to underline. A preview appears in the Sample box.
7. Click Next. The Label Wizard moves to the next page.

Create a layout

You create the layout of your labels by selecting fields and placing them in the Prototype Label
box. You type any text or spaces that you want to appear on your label.
 1. Click a field name and then click the right-arrow to place the field on the prototype label.
2. Press the spacebar to leave spaces.
3. Press the Enter key to move to a new line.
4. Type any text you want to appear on the label.
5. Click Next. The Label Wizard moves to the next page.

Sort

When creating labels, you can sort on any field and you can have multiple levels of sort. For
example, you can sort by last name and then by first name.
 1. Click to choose the fields you want to sort by. Click the single right-arrow to select a single field,
click the double right-arrow to select all fields, click the single left-arrow to deselect a single
field, click the double left-arrow to deselect all fields.
2. Click Next. The Label Wizard moves to the next page.

Title the report

1. Type a title for your report. The title will appear in the Navigation pane.
2. Click Finish. Access displays the labels in Print Preview.
 Tip: When you complete your labels you may get the following message.

When printing mailing labels, you can usually ignore this message. Click the Show Help button
to read the following:

This message may be the result of using a report created with the
Label Wizard. This error message is commonly encountered when
printing to label pages that have three or more labels per row.
Usually this message can be ignored.
If you do need to change the layout, try one or both of the
following:

 Reduce the width of the controls on the report.

 Reduce the width of the report to make sure the report is not
wider than the printable area of the page.

Note that page size is dependent on the printer and the physical size
of the paper you are printing to. In some cases it is necessary to
rotate the page orientation from portrait to landscape to
accommodate the selected print width.
 Tip: When you view labels in Report view, they may appear in a single column. To see
how your labels will appear when printed, use Print Preview.

Print a Report

Often, the people who use Access data only see a printed report. In Print Preview, you can see
exactly how your report will look when printed, you can make changes to it, and you can print it.
To print, click the Print button in the Print group. The Print dialog box opens and you can select
your print options.

To change to Print Preview:

1. Open your report.

2. Activate the Home tab.
3. Click the down-arrow under the View button. A menu appears.
4. Click Print Preview. Access changes to Print Preview.

Several options are available to you in Print Preview.

Print Preview Options

Print Displays the Print dialog box. You

can select such options as the printer,
print range, and number of copies.
Use this option to print your report.
Size Click the Size button to set the size of
the paper you are going to print on.
Portrait Click the Portrait button to print with
the shortest side of the paper as the
top.
Landscape Click the Landscape button to print
with the longest side of the paper as
the top.
Margins Click the Margins button to select a
margin size of Normal, Wide, or
Narrow. Margins define the amount
of white space that surrounds your
report.
Print Data Only Prints the report data without other
elements such as titles, and labels.
Zoom Changes the cursor to a magnifying
 glass. When the magnifying glass
displays a minus sign (–), you can
zoom out. When the magnifying
glass displays a plus sign (+), you can
zoom in.
Click the down-arrow under the
Zoom button to display a menu and
choose a zoom level.
One Page Displays one page of the report in the
Access window.
Two Page Displays two pages of the report in
the Access window.
More Pages Displays a menu from which you can
choose the number of page you want
to display.