1. Microsoft Excel allows users to organize, format, and calculate data using formulas and functions. It has the basic features of a spreadsheet including arranging data in columns and rows.
2. Early versions of Excel competed with Lotus 1-2-3 but eventually came to dominate the spreadsheet market. It helped Microsoft become the leading PC software developer.
3. In addition to basic calculations, Excel allows users to visually display data through line graphs, histograms and charts. It also enables data analysis through features like pivot tables and scenarios.
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History Of Microsoft Excel
Microsoft originally marketed a spreadsheet program called Multiplan in 1982, which
was very popular on CP/M systems, but on MS-DOS systems it lost popularity to Lotus
1-2-3.
This promoted development of a new spreadsheet called Excel which started with the
intention to 'do everything 1-2-3 does and do it better'.
The first version of Excel was released for the Mac in 1985 and the first Windows
version was released in November 1987.
Lotus was slow to bring 1-2-3 to Windows and by 1988 Excel had started to outsell
1-2-3 and helped Microsoft achieve the position of leading PC software developer.
This accomplishment, dethroning the king of the software world, solidified Microsoft as
a valid competitor and showed its future of developing graphical software.
Microsoft pushed its advantage with regular new releases, every two years or so. The
current version for the Windows platform is Excel 11, also called Microsoft Office Excel
2003. The current version for the Mac OS X platform is Microsoft Excel 2004.
Basic Operation
Microsoft Excel has the basic features of all spreadsheets, using a grid of cells
arranged in numbered rows and letter-named columns to organize data manipulations
like arithmetic operations. It has a battery of supplied functions to answer statistical,
engineering and financial needs. In addition, it can display data as line graphs,
histograms and charts, and with a very limited three-dimensional graphical display. It
allows sectioning of data to view its dependencies on various factors from different
perspectives (using pivot tables and the scenario manager
And it has a programming aspect, Visual Basic for Applications, allowing the user to
employ a wide variety of numerical methods, for example, for solving differential
equations of mathematical physics, and then reporting the results back to the
spreadsheet. Finally, it has a variety of interactive features allowing user interfaces that
can completely hide the spreadsheet from the user, so the spreadsheet presents itself
as a so-called application, or decision support system (DSS), via a custom-designed
user interface, for example, a stock analyzer, or in general, as a design tool that asks
the user questions and provides answers and reports. In a more elaborate realization,
an Excel application can automatically poll external databases and measuring
instruments using an update schedule, analyze the results, make a Word report or
Power Point slide show, and e-mail these presentations on a regular basis to a list of
participants.
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Use of a user-defined function sq(x) in Microsoft Excel. The named variables x & y are identified
in the Name Manager. The function sq is introduced using the Visual Basic editor supplied with
Excel.
Subroutine in Excel calculates the square of named column variable x read from the spreadsheet,
and writes it into the named column variable y.
Graph made using Microsoft Excel
Microsoft allows for a number of optional command-line switches to control the manner in
which Excel starts
Microsoft Excel Viewer
Definition Of Microsoft Excel
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Excel is a spreadsheet program from Microsoft, a component of its Office product group for
business applications. In common with similar products, such as Lotus 1-2-3 and Corel's
QuattroPro, Excel is an automated version of the paper-based spreadsheet that makes it easier
to manipulate, process, and view the data. Although Lotus 1-2-3 was reportedly the first
spreadsheet to introduce cell names and macros, Excel implemented a graphical user interface
and the ability to point and click using a mouse.
Accounting is one of the most popular and dynamic areas of of interest in our society. Accounting is
used to know, understand, and analyze the numbers. It helps to handle financial transactions for
regular people, businesses, government agencies, and international monetary relationships.
Accounting can be resumed as the system used to identify, record, and document the monetary
transactions of any kind.
Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application used to create and manage business transactions that deal
with accounting. To make this possible, it can assist you with creating lists of transactions, then using
those list to create charts and other analysis tools.
Or
Definition 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.
Starting Excel From The Start Menu
As a regular Microsoft Windows application, to use Microsoft Excel, you can click Start -> (All) Programs -
> Microsoft Office -> Microsoft Office Excel 2007
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
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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.
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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:
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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
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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
This is the end of Lesson1. To save your file:
1. Click the Office button. A menu appears.
2. Click Save. The Save As dialog box appears.
3. Go to the directory in which you want to save your file.
4. Type Lesson1 in the File Name field.
5. Click Save. Excel saves your file.
Close Excel
Close Microsoft Excel.
1. Click the Office button. A menu appears.
2. Click Close. Excel closes.
Or
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Practical Learning: Starting Microsoft Excel
• To start Microsoft Excel, from the Taskbar, click
Start -> (All) Programs -> Microsoft Office -> Microsoft Office Excel
The Office Button
Introduction
When Microsoft Excel opens, it displays an interface divided in various sections. The top section
displays a long bar also called the title bar.
The title bar starts on the left side with the Office Button . If you position the mouse on it,
a tool tip would appear:
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The Options of the Office Button
When clicked (with the mouse's left button), the Office Button displays a menu:
As you can see, the menu of the Office Button allows you to perform the routine Windows
operations of a regular application, including creating a new document, opening an existing file,
or saving a document, etc. We will see these operations in future lessons.
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If you right-click the office button, you would get a short menu:
We will come back to the options on this menu.
The Quick Access Toolbar
Introduction
On the right side of the Office Button, there is the Quick Access Toolbar . Like
a normal toolbar, the Quick Access displays some buttons. You can right-click the Quick Access
toolbar. A menu would appear:
If you want to hide the Quick Access toolbar, you can right-click it and click Remove Quick
Access Toolbar. To know what a button is used for, you can position the mouse on. A tool tip
would appear. Once you identify the button you want, you can click it.
Adding a Button to the Quick Access Toolbar
By default, the Quick Access toolbar is equipped with three buttons: Save, Undo, and Redo. If
you want to add more buttons or more options, you can right-click the Quick Access toolbar and
click Customize Quick Access Toolbar... This would display the Excel Options dialog box:
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To add a button to the Quick Access toolbar, on the left list of Add, click an option and click
Add. After making the selections, click OK.
To remove a button from the Quick Access toolbar, right-click it on the Quick Access toolbar
and click Remove From Quick Access Toolbar.
The Quick Access Button
On the right side of the Quick Access toolbar, there is the Customize button with a down-
pointing arrow. If you click or right-click this button, a menu would appear:
The role of this button is to manage some aspects of the top section of Microsoft Excel, such as
deciding what buttons to display on the Quick Access toolbar. For example, instead of using the
Customize Quick Access Toolbar menu item as we saw previously, you can click an option from
that menu and its corresponding button would be added to the Quick Access toolbar. If the
options on the menu are nor enough, you can click either Customize Quick Access Toolbar or
More Commands... This would open the Excel Options dialog box.
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The main or middle area of the top section displays the name of the application: Microsoft
Excel. You can right-click the title bar to display a menu that is managed by the operating
system.
On the right side of the title bar, there are three system buttons that allow you to minimize,
maximize, restore, or close Microsoft Access.
Under the title bar, there is another bar with a Help button on the right side.
The Ribbon
Introduction
Under the title bar, Microsoft Excel displays a long bar called the Ribbon:
Minimizing the Ribbon
By default, the Ribbon displays completely in the top section of Microsoft Excel under the title
bar. One option is to show it the way the main menu appeared in previous versions of Microsoft
Excel. To do this:
• Right-click the Office Button, the Quick Access toolbar, or the Ribbon itself, and click
Minimize the Ribbon
• Click or right-click the button on the right side of the Quick Access toolbar:
This would display the Ribbon like a main menu:
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To show the whole Ribbon again:
• Right-click the Office Button, the Quick Access toolbar, or one of the Ribbon menu
items, and click Minimize the Ribbon to remove the check mark on it
• Click or right-click the button on the right side of the Quick Access toolbar and click
Minimize the Ribbon to remove the check mark on it
• Double-click one of the menu items of the Ribbon
Changing the Location of the Ribbon
By default, the Quick Access toolbar displays on the title bar and the Ribbon displays under it. If
you want, you can switch their locations. To do that, right-click the Office Button, the Quick
Access toolbar, or the Ribbon, and click Show Quick Access Toolbar Below the Ribbon:
To put them back to the default locations, right-click the Office Button, the Quick Access
toolbar, or the Ribbon, and click Show Quick Access Toolbar Above the Ribbon.
The Tabs of the Ribbon
The ribbon is a type of property sheet made of various property pages. Each page is represented
with a tab. To access a tab:
• You can click its label or button, such as Home or Create
• You can press Alt or F10. This would display the access key of each tab:
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To access a tab, you can press its corresponding letter on the keyboard. For example, when
the access keys display, if you press Home, the Home tab would display
• If your mouse has a wheel, you can position the mouse anywhere on the ribbon, and role
the wheel. If you role the wheel down, the next tab on the right side would be selected. If
you role the wheel up, the previous tab on the left would be selected. You can keep
rolling the wheel until the desired tab is selected
To identify each tab of the Ribbon, we will refer to them by their names.
The Sections of a Tab
Each tab of the ribbon is divided in various sections, each delimited by visible borders of vertical
lines on the left and right. Each section displays a title in its bottom side. In our lessons, we will
refer to each section by that title. For example, if the title displays Font, we will call that section,
"The Font Section".
Some sections of the Ribbon display a button . If you see such a button, you can click it. This
would open a dialog box or a window.
The Buttons of the Ribbon
Since there are various buttons and sometimes they are unpredictable, to know what a particular
button is used for, you can position your mouse on it. A small box would appear to let you know
what that particular button is used for; that small box is called a tool tip:
You can also use context sensitive help in some cases to get information about an item.
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You can add a button from a section of the Ribbon to the Quick Access toolbar. To do that, right-
click the button on the Ribbon and click Add to Quick Access Toolbar:
Remember that, to remove a button from the Quick Access toolbar, right-click it on the Quick
Access toolbar and click Remove From Quick Access Toolbar.
The More Buttons of the Ribbon
In some sections of the Ribbon, on the lower-right section, there is a button:
That button is used to display an intermediary dialog box for some action. We will see various
examples as we move on.
The Size of the Ribbon
When Microsoft Excel is occupying a big area or the whole area of the monitor, most buttons of
the Ribbon appear with text. Sometimes you may need to use only part of the screen. That is, you
may need to narrow the Microsoft Excel interface. If you do, some of the buttons may display
part of their appearance and some would display only an icon. Consider the difference in the
following three screenshots:
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In this case, when you need to access an object, you can still click it or click its arrow. If the item
is supposed to have many objects, a new window may appear and display those objects:
From this:
To this:
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The Work Area
The Name Box
Under the Ribbon, there is a white box displaying a name like A1 (it may not display A1...), that
small box is called the Name Box:
The Insert Function Button
On the right side of the Name box, there is a gray box with an fx button. That fx button is called
the Insert Function button.
The Formula Bar
On the right side of the Insert Function button is a long empty white box or section called the
Formula Bar:
You can hide or show the Formula Bar anytime. To do this, on the Ribbon, click View. In the
Show/Hide section:
• To hide the Formula Bar, remove the check mark on the Formula Bar check box
• To show the Formula Bar, check the Formula Bar check box
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The Column Headers
Under the Name Box and the Formula bar, you see the column headers. The columns are labeled
A, B, C, etc:
There are 255 of columns.
The Row Headers
On the left side of the main window, there are small boxes called row headers. Each row header
is labeled with a number, starting at 1 on top, then 2, and so on:
The Cells
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The main area of Microsoft Excel is made of cells. A cell is the intersection of a column and a
row:
A cell is identified by its name and every cell has a name. By default, Microsoft Excel appends
the name of a row to the name of a column to identify a cell. Therefore, the top-left cell is named
A1. You can check the name of the cell in the Name Box.
Practical Learning: Using Cells
1. Click anywhere in the work area and type A
(It doesn't matter where you click and type)
2. Click another part of the worksheet and type 42XL
3. Click again another place on the worksheet type Fundamentals and press Enter
The Scroll Bars
On the right side of the cells area, there is a vertical scroll bar that allows you to scroll up and
down in case your document cannot display everything at a time:
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In the lower right section of the main window, there is a horizontal scroll bar that allows you to
scroll left and right if your worksheet has more items than can be displayed all at once:
Sometimes the horizontal scroll bar will appear too long or too narrow for you. If you want, you
can narrow or enlarge it. To do this, click and drag the button on the left side of the horizontal
scroll bar:
The Sheet Tabs
On the left side of the horizontal scrollbar, there are the worksheet tabs:
By default, Microsoft Excel provides three worksheets to start with. You can work with any of
them and switch to another at any time by clicking its tab.
The Navigation Buttons
On the left side of the worksheet tabs, there are four navigation buttons:
If you happen to use a lot of worksheets or the worksheet names are using too much space,
which would result in some worksheets being hidden under the horizontal scroll bar, you can use
the navigation buttons to move from one worksheet to another.
The Status Bar
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Under the navigation buttons and the worksheet tabs, the Status Bar provides a lot of information
about the job that is going on.
Microsoft Excel File Operations
Saving a File
A Microsoft Excel file gets saved like any traditional Windows file. To save a file:
• You can press Ctrl + S
• On the Quick Access Toolbar, you can click the Save button
• You can click the Office Button and click Save
Two issues are important. Whenever you decide to save a file for the first time, you need to
provide a file name and a location. The file name helps the computer identify that particular file
and register it.
A file name can consist of up to 255 characters, you can include spaces and dashes in a name.
Although there are many characters you can use in a name (such as exclamation points, etc), try
to avoid fancy names. Give your file a name that is easily recognizable, a little explicit. For
example such names as Time Sheets, Employee's Time Sheets, GlobalEX First Invoice are
explicit enough. Like any file of the Microsoft Windows operating systems, a Microsoft Excel
file has an extension, which is .xls but you don't have to type it in the name.
The second important piece of information you should pay attention to when saving your file is
the location. The location is the drive and/or the folder where the file will be saved. By default,
Microsoft Excel saves its files in the My Documents folder. You can change that in the Save As
dialog box. Just click the arrow of the Save In combo box and select the folder you want.
Microsoft Excel allows you to save its files in a type of your choice. To save a file in another
format:
• Press F12 or Shift + F12
• You can click the Office Button and position the mouse on Save As and select the desired
option:
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• On the Quick Access Toolbar, you can click the Save button . Then, in the Save As
dialog box, click the arrow of the Save As Type combo box and select a format of your
choice
There are other things you can do in the Save As dialog box:
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Practical Learning: Saving a File
1. To save the current document, on the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Save button
2. Type Fundamentals
3. Click the Save button
Saving under a Different Name and New Folder
You can save a file under a different name or in another location, this gives you the ability to
work on a copy of the file while the original is intact.
There are two primary techniques you can use to get a file in two names or the same file in two
locations. When the file is not being used by any application, in Windows Explorer (or in My
Computer, or in My Network Places, locate the file, right-click it and choose Copy. To save the
file in a different name, right-click in the same folder and choose Paste. The new file will be
named Copy Of... You can keep that name or rename the new file with a different name
(recommended). To save the file in a different location, right-click in the appropriate folder and
click Paste; in this case, the file will keep its name.
In Microsoft Excel, you can use the Save As dialog box to save a file in a different name or save
the file with the same name (or a different name) in another folder. The Save As dialog box also
allows you to create a new folder while you are saving your file (you can even use this technique
to create a folder from the application even if you are not saving it; all you have to do is create
the folder, click OK to register the folder, and click Cancel on the Save As dialog box).
Practical Learning: Save a File With Different Settings
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1. To save this file using a different name, click the Office Button, position the mouse on
Save As, and click Excel 97-2003 Workbook
2. Change the name of the file to Employment Application
3. On the toolbar of the Save As dialog box, click the Create New Folder button (if you
have a hard time finding it, press Alt + 5
4. Type My Workbooks and press Enter. The My Files folder should now display in the
Save In combo box. If you clicked Cancel or pressed Esc now to dismiss the Save As
dialog box, the computer would still keep the folder
5. After making sure that the My Files folder displays in the Save In combo box, click the
Save button
Opening a File
The files you use could be created by you or someone else. They could be residing on your
computer, on another medium, or on a network. Once one of them is accessible, you can open it
in your application.
You can open a document either by double-clicking its icon in Windows Explorer, in My
Computer, from the Find Files Or Folders window, in My Network Places, or by locating it in
the Open dialog box. To access the open dialog box, on the main menu, click File -> Open... You
can also click the Open button on the Standard toolbar.
A shortcut to call the Open dialog box is Ctrl + O.
Practical Learning: Using the Open Dialog
1. Click the Office Button and click Open
2. In the Open dialog box, click the arrow of the Look In combo box, select (C:); the (C:)
represents your hard drive
3. Locate the folder that contains your exercises and display it in the Look In combo box
4. Click Allentown Car Sales1
5. Click the Open button
Files Properties
Every file has some characteristics, attributes, and features that make it unique; these are its
properties. You can access a file's properties from three main areas on the computer:
• If the file is saved on the desktop and/or it has a shortcut on the desktop, if you open My
Computer, Windows Explorer, or the folder (as a window) where the file is stored, right-
click the file and click Properties. If the file were saved on the desktop, you would see
only some of its properties, the most you can do there is to assign a Read-Only attribute.
In My Computer and Windows Explorer, you will be able to change the file's properties.
Before opening a file or while in the Open dialog box, you can view some of the file's
properties although you won't be able to change them.
• When the file is opened in Microsoft Excel, you can click the Office Button, position the
mouse on Prepare, and click Properties. This would display some of the most common
attributes of the file:
To change an item, you can click its text box and edit or replace the content. To get more
options, you can click the Document Properties button and click Advanced Properties...
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A file's properties are used for various reasons. For example, you can find out how much size the
file is using, where it is located (the hosting drive and/or folder), who created the file, or who
was the last person to access or modify it. The Properties dialog box is also a good place to leave
messages to other users of the same file, about anything, whether you work as a team or you
simply want to make yourself and other people aware of a particular issue regarding the file.
Practical Learning: Changing a File’s Properties
1. You should still have the Allentown Car Sales1 document opened. Otherwise open it.
Click the Office Button -> Prepare -> Properties
2. Click the Document Properties button and click Advanced Properties...
3. Click the General tab. Notice the icon associated/registered with the file. Review the
created, modified and accessed dates
4. Click the Summary property sheet
5. Click the Title text box and type Allentown Car Sales
6. Click the Subject text box and type Weekly car sales summary
7. Click the Manager text box and type Georgia Delaine
8. Click the Category text box and type Employees Sales Results
9. Click the Keywords text box and type accounting, sales, review, employees, cars
10. Click the Comments text box and type This is a summary sales review, if you have any
concern, please contact Mrs. Georgia Delaine, the Sales Accounts Manager. If you
make any changes, send her an e-mail immediately
11. Click the Statistics, Contents, and Custom tabs to review their content
12. Click OK to register the changes and close the dialog box
13. To close Microsoft Excel, click the Office Button and click Exit Excel
Pinning Excel
If you use Excel all the time, you may want to make its program option a permanent part of the
Windows Start menu. To do this, you pin the program option to the Start menu:
1. Click the Start menu and then right-click Microsoft Office Excel 2007 on the Start menu
to open its shortcut menu.
If you don’t see Microsoft Office Excel 2007 displayed on the recently used portion on
the left side of the Windows Start menu, start Excel 2007 and then repeat this step.
2. Click Pin to Start Menu on the shortcut menu.
After pinning Excel in this manner, the Microsoft Office Excel 2007 option always appears in
the left-hand column of the Start menu, and you can then launch Excel simply by clicking the
Start button and then clicking this option.
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Creating an Excel on desktop shortcut
You may prefer having the Excel 2007 program icon appear on the Windows desktop so that you
can launch the program from there. To create an Excel 2007 desktop shortcut, follow these steps:
1. Click the Start button.
2. Right-click Microsoft Office Excel 2007 on the Start menu, highlight Send To on the
shortcut menu, and click Desktop (Create Shortcut) on its continuation menu.
A shortcut named Microsoft Office Excel 2007 appears on your desktop. You should
probably rename the shortcut to something a little friendlier, such as Excel 2007.
3. Right-click the Microsoft Office Excel 2007 icon on the desktop and then click Rename
on the shortcut menu.
4. Replace the current name by typing a new shortcut name, such as Excel 2007, and then
click anywhere on the desktop.
Exiting Excel
When you’re ready to quit Excel, you have several choices for shutting down the program:
• Click the Office button followed by the Exit Excel button.
• Press Alt+the letters FX or Alt+the F4 function key.
• Click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the Excel 2007 program window (the
X).
If you try to exit Excel after working on a workbook and you haven’t saved your latest changes,
the program displays an alert box asking whether you want to save your changes. To save your
changes before exiting, click the Yes button. If you don’t want to save your changes, click No.
Excel Shortcut And Function Keys
The following lists contain CTRL combination shortcut keys, function keys, and some other
common shortcut keys, along with descriptions of their functionality.
Tip To keep this reference available when you work, you may want to print this topic. To print
this topic, press CTRL+P.
Ctrl Combination Shortcut Keys
Key Description
CTRL+PgUp Switches between worksheet tabs, from left-to-right.
CTRL+PgDn Switches between worksheet tabs, from right-to-left.
CTRL+SHIFT+( Unhides any hidden rows within the selection.
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CTRL+SHIFT+) Unhides any hidden columns within the selection.
CTRL+SHIFT+& Applies the outline border to the selected cells.
CTRL+SHIFT_ Removes the outline border from the selected cells.
CTRL+SHIFT+~ Applies the General number format.
Applies the Currency format with two decimal places (negative numbers in
CTRL+SHIFT+$
parentheses).
CTRL+SHIFT+% Applies the Percentage format with no decimal places.
CTRL+SHIFT+^ Applies the Exponential number format with two decimal places.
CTRL+SHIFT+# Applies the Date format with the day, month, and year.
CTRL+SHIFT+@ Applies the Time format with the hour and minute, and AM or PM.
Applies the Number format with two decimal places, thousands separator,
CTRL+SHIFT+!
and minus sign (-) for negative values.
Selects the current region around the active cell (the data area enclosed by
blank rows and blank columns).
CTRL+SHIFT+*
In a PivotTable, it selects the entire PivotTable report.
Enters the current time.
CTRL+SHIFT+:
Copies the value from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the
CTRL+SHIFT+"
Formula Bar.
CTRL+SHIFT+Plus
Displays the Insert dialog box to insert blank cells.
(+)
CTRL+Minus (-) Displays the Delete dialog box to delete the selected cells.
CTRL+; Enters the current date.
Alternates between displaying cell values and displaying formulas in the
CTRL+`
worksheet.
Copies a formula from the cell above the active cell into the cell or the
CTRL+'
Formula Bar.
CTRL+1 Displays the Format Cells dialog box.
CTRL+2 Applies or removes bold formatting.
CTRL+3 Applies or removes italic formatting.
CTRL+4 Applies or removes underlining.
CTRL+5 Applies or removes strikethrough.
Alternates between hiding objects, displaying objects, and displaying
CTRL+6 placeholders for objects.
CTRL+8 Displays or hides the outline symbols.
CTRL+9 Hides the selected rows.
CTRL+0 Hides the selected columns.
CTRL+A Selects the entire worksheet.
If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+A selects the current region.
Pressing CTRL+A a second time selects the current region and its
summary rows. Pressing CTRL+A a third time selects the entire worksheet.
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When the insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula,
displays the Function Arguments dialog box.
CTRL+SHIFT+A inserts the argument names and parentheses when the
insertion point is to the right of a function name in a formula.
CTRL+B Applies or removes bold formatting.
Copies the selected cells.
CTRL+C
CTRL+C followed by another CTRL+C displays the Clipboard.
Uses the Fill Down command to copy the contents and format of the
CTRL+D
topmost cell of a selected range into the cells below.
CTRL+F Displays the Find and Replace dialog box, with the Find tab selected.
SHIFT+F5 also displays this tab, while SHIFT+F4 repeats the last Find
action.
CTRL+SHIFT+F opens the Format Cells dialog box with the Font tab
selected.
Displays the Go To dialog box.
CTRL+G F5 also displays this dialog box.
CTRL+H Displays the Find and Replace dialog box, with the Replace tab selected.
CTRL+I Applies or removes italic formatting.
Displays the Insert Hyperlink dialog box for new hyperlinks or the Edit
CTRL+K
Hyperlink dialog box for selected existing hyperlinks.
CTRL+N Creates a new, blank workbook.
Displays the Open dialog box to open or find a file.
CTRL+O
CTRL+SHIFT+O selects all cells that contain comments.
Displays the Print dialog box.
CTRL+P
CTRL+SHIFT+P opens the Format Cells dialog box with the Font tab
selected.
Uses the Fill Right command to copy the contents and format of the
leftmost cell of a selected range into the cells to the right.
CTRL+R
CTRL+S Saves the active file with its current file name, location, and file format.
CTRL+T Displays the Create Table dialog box.
Applies or removes underlining.
CTRL+U
CTRL+SHIFT+U switches between expanding and collapsing of the
formula bar.
CTRL+V Inserts the contents of the Clipboard at the insertion point and replaces any
selection. Available only after you have cut or copied an object, text, or
cell contents.
CTRL+ALT+V displays the Paste Special dialog box. Available only after
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you have cut or copied an object, text, or cell contents on a worksheet or in
another program.
CTRL+W Closes the selected workbook window.
CTRL+X Cuts the selected cells.
CTRL+Y Repeats the last command or action, if possible.
Uses the Undo command to reverse the last command or to delete the last
entry that you typed.
CTRL+Z CTRL+SHIFT+Z uses the Undo or Redo command to reverse or restore
the last automatic correction when AutoCorrect Smart Tags are displayed.
Function keys
Key Description
Displays the Microsoft Office Excel Help task pane.
CTRL+F1 displays or hides the Ribbon, a component of the Microsoft Office Fluent user
interface.
F1
ALT+F1 creates a chart of the data in the current range.
ALT+SHIFT+F1 inserts a new worksheet.
Edits the active cell and positions the insertion point at the end of the cell contents. It also
moves the insertion point into the Formula Bar when editing in a cell is turned off.
F2
SHIFT+F2 adds or edits a cell comment.
CTRL+F2 displays the Print Preview window.
Displays the Paste Name dialog box.
F3
SHIFT+F3 displays the Insert Function dialog box.
Repeats the last command or action, if possible.
When a cell reference or range is selected in a formula, F4 cycles through the various
F4 combinations of absolute and relative references.
CTRL+F4 closes the selected workbook window.
Displays the Go To dialog box.
F5
CTRL+F5 restores the window size of the selected workbook window.
F6 Switches between the worksheet, Ribbon, task pane, and Zoom controls. In a worksheet that
has been split (View menu, Manage This Window, Freeze Panes, Split Window
command), F6 includes the split panes when switching between panes and the Ribbon area.
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SHIFT+F6 switches between the worksheet, Zoom controls, task pane, and Ribbon.
CTRL+F6 switches to the next workbook window when more than one workbook window is
open.
Displays the Spelling dialog box to check spelling in the active worksheet or selected range.
F7 CTRL+F7 performs the Move command on the workbook window when it is not
maximized. Use the arrow keys to move the window, and when finished press ENTER, or
ESC to cancel.
Turns extend mode on or off. In extend mode, Extended Selection appears in the status line,
and the arrow keys extend the selection.
SHIFT+F8 enables you to add a nonadjacent cell or range to a selection of cells by using the
arrow keys.
F8
CTRL+F8 performs the Size command (on the Control menu for the workbook window)
when a workbook is not maximized.
ALT+F8 displays the Macro dialog box to create, run, edit, or delete a macro.
Calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks.
SHIFT+F9 calculates the active worksheet.
CTRL+ALT+F9 calculates all worksheets in all open workbooks, regardless of whether they
F9 have changed since the last calculation.
CTRL+ALT+SHIFT+F9 rechecks dependent formulas, and then calculates all cells in all
open workbooks, including cells not marked as needing to be calculated.
CTRL+F9 minimizes a workbook window to an icon.
Turns key tips on or off.
SHIFT+F10 displays the shortcut menu for a selected item.
F10
ALT+SHIFT+F10 displays the menu or message for a smart tag. If more than one smart tag
is present, it switches to the next smart tag and displays its menu or message.
CTRL+F10 maximizes or restores the selected workbook window.
Creates a chart of the data in the current range.
SHIFT+F11 inserts a new worksheet.
F11
ALT+F11 opens the Microsoft Visual Basic Editor, in which you can create a macro by
using Visual Basic for Applications (VBA).
F12 Displays the Save As dialog box.
Other useful shortcut keys
Key Description
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Move one cell up, down, left, or right in a worksheet.
CTRL+ARROW KEY moves to the edge of the current data region in a
worksheet.
SHIFT+ARROW KEY extends the selection of cells by one cell.
CTRL+SHIFT+ARROW KEY extends the selection of cells to the last nonblank
cell in the same column or row as the active cell, or if the next cell is blank,
extends the selection to the next nonblank cell.
ARROW LEFT ARROW or RIGHT ARROW selects the tab to the left or right when the
KEYS Ribbon is selected. When a submenu is open or selected, these arrow keys switch
between the main menu and the submenu. When a Ribbon tab is selected, these
keys navigate the tab buttons.
DOWN ARROW or UP ARROW selects the next or previous command when a
menu or submenu is open. When a Ribbon tab is selected, these keys navigate up
or down the tab group.
In a dialog box, arrow keys move between options in an open drop-down list, or
between options in a group of options.
DOWN ARROW or ALT+DOWN ARROW opens a selected drop-down list.
Deletes one character to the left in the Formula Bar.
BACKSPACE Also clears the content of the active cell.
In cell editing mode, it deletes the character to the left of the insertion point.
Removes the cell contents (data and formulas) from selected cells without
affecting cell formats or comments.
DELETE
In cell editing mode, it deletes the character to the right of the insertion point.
Moves to the cell in the lower-right corner of the window when SCROLL LOCK
is turned on.
Also selects the last command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible.
CTRL+END moves to the last cell on a worksheet, in the lowest used row of the
rightmost used column. If the cursor is in the formula bar, CTRL+END moves
END
the cursor to the end of the text.
CTRL+SHIFT+END extends the selection of cells to the last used cell on the
worksheet (lower-right corner). If the cursor is in the formula bar,
CTRL+SHIFT+END selects all text in the formula bar from the cursor position to
the end—this does not affect the height of the formula bar.
ENTER Completes a cell entry from the cell or the Formula Bar, and selects the cell
below (by default).
In a data form, it moves to the first field in the next record.
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Opens a selected menu (press F10 to activate the menu bar) or performs the
action for a selected command.
In a dialog box, it performs the action for the default command button in the
dialog box (the button with the bold outline, often the OK button).
ALT+ENTER starts a new line in the same cell.
CTRL+ENTER fills the selected cell range with the current entry.
SHIFT+ENTER completes a cell entry and selects the cell above.
Cancels an entry in the cell or Formula Bar.
Closes an open menu or submenu, dialog box, or message window.
ESC
It also closes full screen mode when this mode has been applied, and returns to
normal screen mode to display the Ribbon and status bar again.
Moves to the beginning of a row in a worksheet.
Moves to the cell in the upper-left corner of the window when SCROLL LOCK is
turned on.
HOME Selects the first command on the menu when a menu or submenu is visible.
CTRL+HOME moves to the beginning of a worksheet.
CTRL+SHIFT+HOME extends the selection of cells to the beginning of the
worksheet.
Moves one screen down in a worksheet.
ALT+PAGE DOWN moves one screen to the right in a worksheet.
PAGE DOWN
CTRL+PAGE DOWN moves to the next sheet in a workbook.
CTRL+SHIFT+PAGE DOWN selects the current and next sheet in a workbook.
Moves one screen up in a worksheet.
ALT+PAGE UP moves one screen to the left in a worksheet.
PAGE UP
CTRL+PAGE UP moves to the previous sheet in a workbook.
CTRL+SHIFT+PAGE UP selects the current and previous sheet in a workbook.
SPACEBAR In a dialog box, performs the action for the selected button, or selects or clears a
check box.
CTRL+SPACEBAR selects an entire column in a worksheet.
SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects an entire row in a worksheet.
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CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects the entire worksheet.
• If the worksheet contains data, CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects the
current region. Pressing CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR a second time
selects the current region and its summary rows. Pressing
CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR a third time selects the entire worksheet.
• When an object is selected, CTRL+SHIFT+SPACEBAR selects all
objects on a worksheet.
ALT+SPACEBAR displays the Control menu for the Microsoft Office Excel
window.
Moves one cell to the right in a worksheet.
Moves between unlocked cells in a protected worksheet.
Moves to the next option or option group in a dialog box.
TAB
SHIFT+TAB moves to the previous cell in a worksheet or the previous option in
a dialog box.
CTRL+TAB switches to the next tab in dialog box.
CTRL+SHIFT+TAB switches to the previous tab in a dialog box.