Computer Application [ COM 113]

by Sir Raymond Trinidad

Introduction

Excel is a spreadsheet program that allows you to store, organize, and analyze information. In this lesson, you
will learn your way around the Excel 2010 environment, including the new Backstage view, which replaces the
Microsoft Office button menu from Excel 2007.

We will show you how to use and modify the Ribbon and the Quick Access toolbar, as well as how to create
new workbooks and open existing ones. After this lesson, you will be ready to get started on your first
workbook.

Getting to know Excel 2010

The Excel 2010 interface is similar to Excel 2007. There have been some changes we'll review later in this
lesson, but if you're new to Excel first take some time to learn how to navigate an Excel workbook.

Name Box
The name box tells you the location or the name of a selected cell. In the image below, cell B4 is in the name
box. Note how cell B4 is where column B and row 4 intersect.

Formula Bar
In the formula bar, you can enter or edit data, a formula, or a function that will appear in a specific cell. In this
image, cell C1 is selected and 1984 is entered into the formula bar. Note how the data appears in both the
formula bar and in cell C1.

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Column
A column is a group of cells that runs from the top of the page to the bottom. In Excel, columns are identified
by letters. Column L is selected here.

Row
A row is a group of cells that runs from the left of the page to the right. In Excel, rows are identified by
numbers. Row 15 is selected here.

Worksheets
Excel files are called workbooks. Each workbook holds one or more worksheets (also known as spreadsheets).
Three worksheets appear by default when you open an Excel workbook. You can rename, add, and delete
worksheets.

Horizontal Scroll Bar

You may have more data than you can see on the screen all at once. Click and hold the horizontal scroll
bar and slide it to the left or right depending on which part of the page you want to see.

Page View
There are three ways to view a spreadsheet. Click a page view button to select it.

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• Normal view is selected by default and shows you an unlimited number of cells and columns. It is highlighted
in this image.
• Page Layout view divides your spreadsheet into pages.
• Page Break view lets you see an overview of your spreadsheet, which is helpful when you're adding page
breaks.

Zoom Control
Click and drag the slider to use the zoom control. The number to the left of the slider bar reflects the zoom
percentage.

Ribbon
The Ribbon contains all of the commands you will need in order to perform common tasks. It has multiple tabs,
each with several groups of commands, and you can add your own tabs that contain your favorite commands.
Some groups have an arrow in the bottom-right corner that you can click to see even more options.

Working with your Excel environment

The Ribbon and Quick Access toolbar are where you'll find the commands you need to perform common tasks
in Excel. If you are familiar with Excel 2007, you will find that the main difference in the Excel 2010 Ribbon is
that commands such as Open and Print are now housed in Backstage view.

To customize the Ribbon:

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You can customize the Ribbon by creating your own tabs that house your desired commands. Commands are
always housed within a group, and you can create as many groups as you need to keep your tabs organized.
You can also add commands to any of the default tabs as long as you create a custom group within the tab.

1. Right-click the Ribbon, then select Customize the Ribbon. A dialog box will appear.

2. Click New Tab. A new tab will be created with a new group inside it.
3. Make sure the new group is selected.
4. Select a command from the list on the left, then click Add. You can also drag commands
directly into a group.
5. When you are done adding commands, click OK.

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If you do not see the command you want, click the Choose commands drop-down box and select All
Commands.

To minimize and maximize the Ribbon:

The Ribbon is designed to be easy to use and responsive to your current tasks; however, if you find that it's
taking up too much of your screen space, you can minimize it.

1. Click the arrow in the upper-right corner of the Ribbon to minimize it.

2. To maximize the Ribbon, click the arrow again.

When the Ribbon is minimized, you can make it reappear by clicking a tab. However, the Ribbon will disappear
again when you're not using it.

The Quick Access toolbar

The Quick Access toolbar, above the Ribbon, lets you access common commands no matter which tab you are
on. By default, it shows the Save, Undo, and Repeat commands. You can add other commands to make it more
convenient for you.

To add commands to the Quick Access toolbar:

1. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Quick Access toolbar.

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2. Select the command you want to add from the drop-down menu. To choose from more
commands, select More Commands.

Backstage view

Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening a file, printing, and sharing your document. It is
similar to the Microsoft Office button menu from Excel 2007 and the File menu from earlier versions of
Excel. However, instead of just a menu it's a full-page view, which makes it easier to work with.

To get to Backstage view:

1. On the Ribbon, click the File tab.

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2. Choose your desired option, or return to your workbook by clicking any tab on the Ribbon.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn about the different things you can do in Backstage view.

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Creating and opening workbooks

Excel files are called workbooks. Each workbook holds one or more worksheets (also known as spreadsheets).

To create a new blank workbook:

1. Click the File tab. This takes you to Backstage view.
2. Select New.
3. Select Blank workbook under Available Templates. It will be highlighted by default.
4. Click Create. A new blank workbook appears in the Excel window.

To save time, you can create your document from a template, which you can select under Available Templates.
We'll talk more about this in a later lesson.

To open an existing workbook:

1. Click the File tab. This takes you to Backstage view.
2. Select Open. The Open dialog box appears.

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3. Select your desired workbook, then click Open.

If you have opened the existing workbook recently, it may be easier to choose Recent from the File tab instead
of Open to search for your workbook.

Compatibility mode

Sometimes you may need to work with workbooks that were created in earlier versions of Microsoft Excel, such
as Excel 2003 or Excel 2000. When you open these types of workbooks, they will appear in Compatibility
mode.

Compatibility mode disables certain features, so you'll only be able to access commands found in the program
that was used to create the workbook. For example, if you open a workbook created in Excel 2003 you can only
use tabs and commands found in Excel 2003.

In the image below, the workbook has opened in Compatibility mode. You can see that the sparklines and
slicers features have been disabled.
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To exit Compatibility mode, you'll need to convert the workbook to the current version type. However, if
you're collaborating with others who only have access to an earlier version of Excel, it's best to leave the
workbook in Compatibility mode so the format will not change.

To convert a workbook:

If you want access to all of the Excel 2010 features, you can convert the workbook to the 2010 file format.

Note that converting a file may cause some changes to the original layout of the workbook.

1. Click the File tab to access Backstage view.

2. Locate and select the Convert command.

3. The Save As dialog box will appear. Select the location where you want to save the workbook,
enter a file name for the presentation, and click Save.

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4. The workbook will be converted to the newest file type.

Challenge!
1. Open Excel 2010 on your computer. A new blank workbook will appear on the screen.
2. Try minimizing and maximizing the Ribbon.
3. Click through all of the tabs, and notice how the Ribbon options change.
4. Try switching page views.
5. Add any commands you want to the Quick Access toolbar.
6. Close Excel without saving the workbook.

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