Charts

Microsoft Excel can display data graphically in a chart. Excel displays values from
worksheet cells as bars, lines, columns, pie slices, or other shapes in a chart.
When you create a chart, the values from the worksheet are automatically
represented in the chart. Presenting data in a chart can make it easier to read and
more interesting to interpret. Charts can also help you evaluate your data and make
comparisons between different values.

$14,000.00
$12,000.00
$10,000.00
Equipment
$8,000.00
Furniture
$6,000.00
Office Supplies
$4,000.00 Travel
$2,000.00
$-
FY2009 FY2010 FY2011 FY2012

A. Enter Data

The following exercise will create a simple spreadsheet that will provide the data
from which a chart will be created.

1. Click on the Copy sheet tab.

2. Type the information in the cells as shown below:

B. Create a Chart

To create a chart, select the cells that contain the data and text that you want to
appear in the chart.

1. Select the cell range A1:E5.

2. Select the Insert tab, then in the Charts group, click on the Chart button of
your choose. The chart sub-types will appear which will provide you more
chart options to select from. To view all chart types, click on the dialog box
on the Charts group. The Insert Chart window will appear with all chart
types.

3. Select the All Charts tab.

4. Click on the first Column button in the window.

5. Click on the OK button.

6. Your chart selection will appear on the spreadsheet.

Legend

Y -Axis: Value

Data Labels

X -Axis: Category

7. When the chart appears on the spreadsheet it will have a selection boarder
around it. Charts are similar to graphical images which can be moved and
resized.

8. Practice selecting and unselecting the chart. Click any cell in the
spreadsheet to deselect the chart. Single click anywhere inside the chart
border to select the chart area.

9. Move the chart. With the chart object selected, point inside of the object
border

. Click and drag to move the chart to a new location (the mouse pointer
changes to a four-way arrow).

10. Resize the chart. With the chart object selected, position the mouse pointer
on any handle and drag in the direction indicated by the double arrow pointer
.
C. Chart Tools

Microsoft Excel provides numerous editing options for your chart. When your chart
is selected, the Chart Tools tab will appear on the Ribbon. This enables you to edit
your chart with a variety of designs, layouts, and formats.

1. Click on the Design tab.

a. The Design ribbon allows you to change your chart type, layout, and
style. By selecting the appropriate ribbon button you can change your
chart Layout, Style, and Type.

2. Click on the Format tab.

a. The Format ribbon allows you to edit the format of your chart. By
selecting Shape Styles and WordArt Styles you can apply a variety
of formatting options within the chart labels and axes groups.
D. Add Chart Title

When a chart is created from the spreadsheet data the text Chart Title will appear
above your chart data.

1. Click on the Chart Title text box.

2. Select or delete text.

3. Type your desired title. For this class exercise, type Fiscal Year
Comparisons.

E. Change Data Values

Charts are linked to the worksheet data and are updated when you change the
worksheet data.

1. Click in cell D5, change the Travel expense to 1000, and press the Enter
key.

2. Review the change on your chart.

F. Create Pie Chart

Noncontiguous cell ranges can be selected from your spreadsheet to view specific
data groupings.

1. Select A1:A5, and while compress the Ctrl key, select D1:D5.

2. Click on the Insert tab, click on the Pie button location in the Chart group, and
then select the first 2-D Pie button from the options panel.

3. Your created Pie chart will appear on the spreadsheet.

FY2011

Equipment Furniture Office Supplies Travel

G. Print Chart

If a chart is not selected on the spreadsheet, then both the spreadsheet data and
chart will print. If a chart is selected on the spreadsheet, then only the chart will
print. Click on the File tab, select the Print option, and then click on the Print
button.

VI. Sort and Filter

A. Sort Data

The sorting feature in Excel allows you to place records in order alphabetically or
numerically. You may specify up to three sort levels (e.g. sort first by state, then by
city, then by last name). Sorts may be ascending (A-Z or 0-9) or descending (Z-A
or 9-0). You should always save the workbook before you sort.

Use the Sort A to Z (ascending) or Sort Z to A (descending) buttons to sort the

records, so that the highest or lowest values are at the top of the column.

Click on the Invoice sheet tab.

1. Click on any cell within the Department column, and then click on the Sort &
Filter button, located on the Home ribbon in the Editing group.

2. Click on the Sort A to Z button, to view data in ascending order.

3. Click on the Sort Z to A button, to view data in ascending order.

B. AutoFilter

The spreadsheet AutoFilter allows you to view and quickly locate data that meet
specific criteria. This feature is faster and more productive than scroll through your
entire spreadsheet to find specific data criteria. Once the information is filtered, you
can printout the displayed data. Once filtering is turned on, click arrows in the
column header to choose a filter for the column.

1. Click on any cell in the database.

2. Click on the Sort & Filter button, located on the Home ribbon in the Editing
group, and then select the Filter from the options window.

3. Drop-down arrows are placed next to each column field name.

4. Click on the Department drop-down arrow. In the Search display window,
deselect the Select All option, and then select Biology.

5. Click on the OK button. Now, only records from the Biology department are
listed. Two records should display.

6. Click on the Filter button next to Department, then deselect Biology and
select Law. Four records should display.

7. Turn off Filter, click on the Filter button next to Department again, and
select the Select All option. All records in the database display.

8. Click on the Subcode drop-down arrow. In the Search display window,

deselect the Select All option, and then select 521.

9. Click on the OK button. Now, only records from the 521 Subcode are listed.
Three records should display.

10. Turn off Filter, click on the Filter button next to Subcode, then deselect
521 and select the Select All option. All records in the spreadsheet
database display.

You can choose one item from many different fields to narrow down a search. For
example, to display all of the Smiths who work in the Law department, filter both of
these fields set to the desired criteria.
C. Custom Filter

When you need more flexibility in choosing records, use the Custom Filter option.
The Custom option provides the ability to use math operators such as “less than,”
“greater than,” and “does not equal.” You can also select two conditions using the
And or Or options. And will find records that meet both criteria, while Or will find
records that meet either criteria.

1. Click on the Cost drop-down arrow, click on the Number Filters option, and
then select Custom Filter option.

2. The Custom AutoFilter window will appear.

3. Create a custom filter that will display records that have a cost that is greater
than 100. Select is greater than from the first operator drop-down arrow in
the Show rows where: section.

4. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Show rows where: box. Scroll
through the numbers and select 100.

5. Click on the OK button. 17 records should appear.

6. Turn off AutoFilter.

VII. Additional Features

A. Auto Fill

Excel has an Auto Fill feature that automatically completes data in a series. This
data includes numbers, formulas, sequential dates, week days, months, and years.
To use Auto Fill to copy data, place the mouse pointer on the small solid square (fill
handle) on lower right corner of the cell you desire to copy, when the mouse pointer
changes to a plus (+) sign, then hold down the right mouse button and drag the
mouse across the cell/s to copy data in series desired.

1. Click in a blank cell (with plenty of blank cells to the right or below).

2. Type the word Monday.

3. Position the cursor over the fill handle.

4. Hold the mouse button down as you drag across or down to complete a
series such as Monday - Friday.

5. Release the mouse button.

B. Named Ranges

When cell or range names become tedious to memorize in a spreadsheet, use the
Named Ranges feature. Named Ranges provide a word method of referring to cell
addresses. For example, you may frequently need to print a range that is difficult to
type or remember. Use the Name Box to create a name for a range.

1. When a cell range is selected the first cell location will appear in the Name
box.

2. Click on the cell location that appears in the Name box. The cell location will
appear selected.

3. Type your desired name, example: Supply and press the Enter key.

4. Select a cell anywhere on spreadsheet.

5. Click on the Name box drop down arrow, the name you entered will appear
on a menu list. Select your desired name and the cell range associated with
the name will appear.

Note: Guidelines for naming ranges

• The first character of a name must be a letter or an underscore character.
Remaining characters in the name can be letters, numbers, periods, and
underscore characters.
 • Names cannot be the same as a cell reference, such as FY99, Z$100 or
R1C1.
• Spaces are not allowed. Underscore characters and periods may be used as
word separators; for example, First.Quarter or Sales_Tax.
• A name can contain up to 255 characters.
• Names are not case sensitive in Excel. For example, if you have created the
name Sales and then create another name called SALES in the same
workbook, the second name will replace the first one.

C. Freeze Panes

Freeze Panes is an Excel feature that allows you to keep row or column titles on the
screen while you scroll through long lists on a worksheet. Freezing panes on a
worksheet does not affect printing.

1. To freeze panes, click the cell where you want to freeze the rows and/or
columns (to the immediate right of the desired column and/or below the desired
row).

2. Select the View tab, click on the drop-down arrow next to the Freeze Panes
button, and then select the Freeze Panes option.

3. To remove these panes, Select the View tab, click on the drop-down arrow
next To the Freeze Panes button, and then select the Unfreeze Panes option.

D. Auto Format

Excel includes numerous pre-defined formats you can quickly apply to the design of
your spreadsheet.
1. Select your desired cell range of data.

2. On the Home ribbon in the Styles group, click on the drop-down arrow next
to Format as Table button, and then select your desire format design
from the Table Format panel.

Page Setup

Excel allows you to setup the page layout of your spreadsheet to be viewed on
screen or printout. Click on the Page Layout ribbon, and then click on the Page
Setup dialog box button to setup the best way to layout your data for your printout.

1. Page tab
a) Orientation section: Click on the Landscape button to change from Portrait,
and then click on the OK button.

b) Scaling section: Click on the Adjust to: button, and type a number smaller than
100 (e.g., type 85 to have Excel reduce the fonts and size of your data to 85% of
the original amount). Click on the Fit to: button, and type in the number of pages
that you want your data to print on (e.g., wide represents pages going
horizontally across your spreadsheet and tall represents pages going vertically
down your spreadsheet); Excel will automatically determine the scaling
percentage needed. Click on the drop down arrow on the Paper Size window to
change to legal.
2. Margins tab

Because scaling is flexible, it is not very common to change the margins of the
spreadsheet. However, the Center on Page (Horizontally and Vertically) feature is
nice, especially if you are printing data that does not take up the entire printed page.
a) In the Center on page, click on the Horizontally and/or Vertically button to
center your document horizontally and/or vertically.

b) Click on the OK button.

3. Header/Footer tab

A Header is information that prints at the top of each page in the printout, while a
Footer is information that prints at the bottom of each page in the printout. Both
Headers and Footers are divided into three text placement areas: left, center and
right. These three areas allow you to separate and align the information. Excel’s
default Header and Footer are blank.
a) To add information in the Header or Footer, click on the Custom Header or
Custom Footer button, and then type your desired text in the box provided.

b) Click on the OK button.

4. Sheet tab

The Sheet tab contains items like print areas, print titles, print items and page order.
Use Print area will set a specific range of cells to print as the default. Print titles
section will place rows and/or columns of data that print at the top of each page.
The Print section on the Sheet tab is helpful for turning Gridlines on or off (gridlines
are the thin lines which surround each cell). Page order section will control the
order in which data is numbered and printed when it does not fit on one page.
F. Page Breaks

When a spreadsheet is printed or previewed for the first time, Excel defines the print
area and determines page breaks as necessary. A page break occurs when data
cannot fit on one page. These automatic page breaks appear as dashed lines in the
worksheet. If the pages are not separated at the location you desire, then you can
insert both vertical and horizontal manual page breaks. Excel provides a Page
Break Preview for managing page breaks.
1. Select View tab, and click on the Page Break Preview button.

2. The Page Break Preview window will appear. Thick blue lines indicate Page
breaks and page numbers are illustrated by watermark gray text.

3. To move the page break to your desired location, position the mouse pointer
on the blue line, hold the right mouse button down, and then drag to the
desired location.

4. To return to the normal spreadsheet view.

5. Click on the Normal button, located on the View ribbon.

G. Display Formulas

At times you may want to display the contents of cells containing formulas since
formulas only appear when they are being typed or edited. A printout of the
spreadsheet with the formulas displayed may be helpful for backup or formula
troubleshooting purposes.
1. Select the Formulas ribbon, click on the Show Formulas button, located on
the Formula Auditing group. The formulas will appear on your spreadsheet
as seen in the figure above. Use this same command sequence to turn off
the display of formulas.

Note: The keyboard shortcut for this feature is Ctrl and ` (accent mark character, to
the left of the number 1 key on the alphabetic keyboard).
H. Range Finder

Range Finder makes it easy to trace, modify, and understand which figures make up
a formula.

1. Double click on cell that contains an equation (or click on the cell and press F2).
Each part of the equation is highlighted with its own color so you can see the
pieces of the formula at a glance. The Range Finder also works with data
used in a chart. For example, if you click on a data series on a bar chart, the
range in your original data is highlighted. Range Finder also allows you to
use drag and drop to modify your formula or chart range.