Advanced Excel: Top Skills for Data Analysis

CORPORATE TRAINING BOOK - ADVANCED EXCEL
ADVANCED EXCEL:
S.NO. TOPICS TITLE PAGE NO.
1
2
OBJECTIVE
EXCEL BASICS
1
1
3 ADVANCED CHARTS 25
4 FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS 43
5 VBA & MACROS 56
6 DATA ANALYSIS 77

Copyrights © 2017 BigSpire Software Private Limited. All Rights Reserved 1
1. OBJECTIVE
The objective of the training manual to understand the Microsoft Offce Excel features and
functions. The book covers core concepts of Advanced Excel such as Formulas, Optimizing Data,
Data Analysis, Data Reportings, Visualizations, VBA & Macros, Selet a right Charts, Pivot Table
tools, Data Tables, Simulators, Integrating excel with other tools and more.
2. EXCEL BASICS
Microsoft Excel is one of the most used software applications of all time. Hundreds of millions of
people around the world use Microsoft Excel. You can use Excel to enter all sorts of data and
perform financial, mathematical or statistical calculations.
2.1 RANGE
A range in Excel is a collection of two or more cells. This below chapter gives an overview of some
very important range operations..
Cell, Row, Column
Let's start by selecting a cell, row and column.
1. To select cell C3, click on the box at the intersection of column C and row 3.
2. To select column C, click on the column C header.
3. To select row 3, click on the row 3 header.
4. To select the range B2:C4, click on cell B2 and drag it to cell C4.

2. To select a range of individual cells, hold down CTRL and click on each cell that you want to
include in the range.
Fill a Range
To fill a range, execute the following steps.
1b. Select cell B2, click on the lower right corner of cell B2 and drag it down to cell B8.

This dragging technique is very important and you will use it very often in Excel. Here's another
example.
2a. Enter the value 2 into cell B2 and the value 4 into cell B3.
2b. Select cell B2 and cell B3, click on the lower right corner of this range and drag it down.
Date Pattern:

Move the Range:
To move a range, execute the following steps.
1. Select a range and click on the border of the range.

Copy/Paste a Range
To copy and paste a range, execute the following steps.
1. Select the range, right click, and then click Copy (or press CTRL + c).
2. Select the cell where you want the first cell of the range to appear, right click, and then click
Paste under 'Paste Options:' (or press CTRL + v).

Insert Row, Column
To insert a row between the values 20 and 40 below, execute the following steps.
1. Select row 3.
2.2 FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS
A formula is an expression which calculates the value of a cell. Functions are predefined formulas
and are already available in Excel.
For example, cell A3 below contains a formula which adds the value of cell A2 to the value of cell
A1.
For example, cell A3 below contains the SUM function which calculates the sum of the range
A1:A2.

Enter a Formula
To enter a formula, execute the following steps.
1. Select a cell.
2. To let Excel know that you want to enter a formula, type an equal sign (=).
3. For example, type the formula A1+A2.
Tip: instead of typing A1 and A2, simply select cell A1 and cell A2.
4. Change the value of cell A1 to 3.
Excel automatically recalculates the value of cell A3. This is one of Excel's most powerful features!
Edit a Formula
When you select a cell, Excel shows the value or formula of the cell in the formula bar.
1. To edit a formula, click in the formula bar and change the formula.

2. Press Enter.
Operator Precedence
Excel uses a default order in which calculations occur. If a part of the formula is in parentheses,
that part will be calculated first. It then performs multiplication or division calculations. Once this is
complete, Excel will add and subtract the remainder of your formula. See the example below.
First, Excel performs multiplication (A1 * A2). Next, Excel adds the value of cell A3 to this result.

First, Excel calculates the part in parentheses (A2+A3). Next, it multiplies this result by the value of
cell A1.
Copy/Paste a Formula
When you copy a formula, Excel automatically adjusts the cell references for each new cell the
formula is copied to. To understand this, execute the following steps.
1. Enter the formula shown below into cell A4.
2a. Select cell A4, right click, and then click Copy (or press CTRL + c)...
2b. You can also drag the formula to cell B4. Select cell A4, click on the lower right corner of cell
A4 and drag it across to cell B4. This is much easier and gives the exact same result!

2.3 RIBBON
The tabs on the ribbon are: File, Home, Insert, Page layout, Formulas, Data, Review and View.
Excel selects the ribbon's Home tab when you open a workbook.
Excel's Ribbon consists of a series of tabs containing command buttons arranged into different
groups.
The Ribbon is made up of the following components:
Tabs for each of Excel's main tasks that bring together and display all the commands commonly
needed to perform that core task.
Groups that organize related command buttons into subtasks normally performed as part of the
tab's larger core task.
Command buttons within each group that you select to perform a particular action or to open a
gallery from which you can click a particular thumbnail - note that many command buttons on
certain tabs of the Excel Ribbon are organized into mini-toolbars with related settings.
Dialog Box launcher in the lower-right corner of certain groups that opens a dialog box containing a
bunch of additional options you can select.
To get more of the Worksheet area displayed in the program window, you can minimize the Ribbon
so that only its tabs are displayed - simply click Minimize the Ribbon on the menu opened by
clicking the Custom Quick Access Toolbar button, double-click any one of the Ribbon's tabs or
press Ctrl+F1. To redisplay the entire Ribbon, and keep all the command buttons on its tab
displayed in the program window, click Minimize the Ribbon item on the Custom Quick Access
Toolbar's drop-down menu, double-click one of the tabs or press Ctrl+F1 a second time.
When you work in Excel with the Ribbon minimized, the Ribbon expands each time you click one of
its tabs to show its command buttons but that tab stays open only until you select one of the
command buttons. The moment you select a command button, Excel immediately minimizes the
Ribbon again to just the display of its tabs.
Keeping tabs on the Excel Ribbon
The very first time you launch Excel, its Ribbon contains the following seven tabs, going from left to
right:
Home tab with the command buttons normally used when creating, formatting, and editing a
spreadsheet arranged into the Clipboard, Font, Alignment, Number, Styles, Cells, and Editing
groups.
Insert tab with the command buttons normally used when adding particular elements (including
graphics, PivotTables, charts, hyperlinks, and headers and footers) to a spreadsheet arranged into
the Shapes, Tables, Illustrations, Charts, Links, and Text groups
Page Layout tab with the command buttons normally used when preparing a spreadsheet for

printing or re-ordering graphics on the sheet arranged into the Themes, Page Setup, Scale to Fit,
Sheet Options, and Arrange groups
Formulas tab with the command buttons normally used when adding formulas and functions to a
spreadsheet or checking a worksheet for formula errors arranged into the Function Library, Defined
Names, Formula Auditing, and Calculation groups. Note that this tab also contains a Solutions
group when you activate certain add-in programs such as Conditional Sum and Euro Currency
Tools.
Data tab with the command buttons normally used when importing, querying, outlining, and
subtotaling the data placed into a worksheet's data list arranged into the Get External Data,
Manage Connections, Sort & Filter, Data Tools, and Outline groups. Note that this tab also contains
an Analysis group if you activate add-ins such as the Analysis Toolpak and Solver Add-In.
Review tab with the command buttons normally used when proofing, protecting, and marking up a
spreadsheet for review by others arranged into the Proofing, Comments, and Changes.
View tab with the command buttons normally used when changing the display of the Worksheet
area and the data it contains arranged into the Workbook Views, Show/Hide, Zoom, Window, and
Macros groups
2.4 WORKBOOK
A workbook is another word for your Excel file. When you start Excel, click Blank workbook to
create an Excel workbook from scratch.
2.5 WORKSHEETS
A worksheet is a collection of cells where you keep and manipulate the data. Each Excel workbook
can contain multiple worksheets.
Select a Worksheet

When you open an Excel workbook, Excel automatically selects Sheet1 for you. The name of the
worksheet appears on its sheet tab at the bottom of the document window.
Rename a Worksheet
To give a worksheet a more specific name, execute the following steps.
1. Right click on the sheet tab of Sheet1.
2. Choose Rename.
Move a Worksheet

To move a worksheet, click on the sheet tab of the worksheet you want to move and drag it into the
new position.
1. For example, click on the sheet tab of Sheet2 and drag it before Sales 2016.
Delete a Worksheet
To delete a worksheet, right click on a sheet tab and choose Delete.
1. For example, delete Sheet2.
Copy a Worksheet
Imagine, you have got the sales for 2016 ready and want to create the exact same sheet for 2017,
but with different data. You can recreate the worksheet, but this is time-consuming. It's a lot easier
to copy the entire worksheet and only change the numbers.
1. Right click on the sheet tab of Sales 2016.
2. Choose Move or Copy.

The 'Move or Copy' dialog box appears.
3. Select (move to end) and check Create a copy.
2.6 FORMAT CELLS
When we format cells in Excel, we change the appearance of a number without changing the
number itself.
We can apply a number format (0.8, $0.80, 80%, etc) or other formatting (alignment, font, border,
etc).

1. Enter the value 0.8 into cell B2.
By default, Excel uses the General format (no specific number format) for numbers. To apply a
number format, use the 'Format Cells' dialog box.
2. Select cell B2.
3. Right click, and then click Format Cells (or press CTRL + 1).
The 'Format Cells' dialog box appears.
4. For example, select Currency.

Note: Excel gives you a life preview of how the number will be formatted (under Sample).
5. Click OK.
2.7 FIND AND SELECT
You can use Excel's Find and Replace feature to quickly find specific text and replace it with other
text. You can use Excel's Go To Special feature to quickly select all cells with formulas, comments,
conditional formatting, constants, data validation, etc.
Find
To quickly find specific text, execute the following steps.
1. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find & Select.

Go To Special
You can use Excel's Go To Special feature to quickly select all cells with formulas, comments,
conditional formatting, constants, data validation, etc. For example, to select all cells with formulas,
execute the following steps.
1. Select a single cell.
2. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find & Select.

2.8 TEMPLATES
Instead of creating an Excel workbook from scratch, you can create a workbook based on a
template. There are many free templates available, waiting to be used.
Existing Templates
To create a workbook based on an existing template, execute the following steps.
1. On the File tab, click New.
2. Use the search box to search for online templates or click a template from one of the featured
templates.

2.9 DATA VALIDATION
Use data validation in Excel to make sure that users enter certain values into a cell.
Data Validation Example
In this example, we restrict users to enter a whole number between 0 and 10.
Create Data Validation Rule
To create the data validation rule, execute the following steps.
1. Select cell C2.
2. On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Data Validation.
On the Settings tab:
3. In the Allow list, click Whole number.
4. In the Data list, click between.
5. Enter the Minimum and Maximum values.
Input Message

Input messages appear when the user selects the cell and tell the user what to enter.
On the Input Message tab:
1. Check 'Show input message when cell is selected'.
2. Enter a title.
3. Enter an input message.
Error Alert
If users ignore the input message and enter a number that is not valid, you can show them an error
alert.
On the Error Alert tab:
1. Check 'Show error alert after invalid data is entered'.
2. Enter a title.
3. Enter an error message.

4. Click OK.
Data Validation Result
1. Select cell C2.
2. Try to enter a number higher than 10.
Result:
Note: to remove data validation from a cell, select the cell, on the Data tab, in the Data Tools
group, click Data Validation, and then click Clear All. You can use Excel's Go To Special feature to
quickly select all cells with data validation.

2.10 KEYBOARD SHORTCUTS
Keyboard Shortcuts: Keyboard shortcuts allow you to do things with your keyboard instead of your
mouse to increase your speed.
Basic
Select cell B2.
1. To select the entire range, press CTRL + a (if you press CTRL + a one more time Excel selects
the entire sheet).
2. To copy the range, press CTRL + c (to cut a range, press CTRL + x).
3. Select cell A6 and press CTRL + v to paste this range.
4. To undo this operation, press CTRL + z
5. To select cells while moving down, hold down SHIFT and press ↓ a few times.
6. To select cells while moving to the right, hold down SHIFT and press → a few times.
7. To quickly insert the SUM function, press ATL + =, and press Enter.

8. Launch the 'Format cells' dialog box, press CTRL + 1
2.11 PRINT
This chapter teaches you how to print a worksheet and how to change some important print
settings in Excel.
Printing the Entire Workbook
Printing the Active Worksheet(s)
Defining the Print Area
Printing Ranges of Cells
2.12 SHARE
Learn how to share Excel data with Word documents and other files.
Paste
Most of the time, you'll simply need to paste static Excel data in a Word document.
1. Select the Excel data.
2. Right click, and then click Copy (or press CTRL + c).
3. Open a Word document.
4. Press CTRL + v.
5. Click the icon in the upper left corner of the table and add borders.
Result.

2.13 PROTECT
Encrypt an Excel file with a password so that it requires a password to open it.

3. ADVANCED CHARTS
A simple chart in Excel can say more than a sheet full of numbers. As you'll see, creating charts is
very easy.
3.1 CREATE CHART
To create a line chart, execute the following steps.
1. Select the range A1:D7.
2. On the Insert tab, in the Charts group, click the Line symbol.

3. Click Line with Markers.
Result:

Note: enter a title by clicking on Chart Title. For example, Wildlife Population.
3.2 CHANGE CHART TYPE
You can easily change to a different type of chart at any time.
1. Select the chart.
2. On the Design tab, in the Type group, click Change Chart Type.
3. On the left side, click Column.

4. Click OK.
Result:
3.3 SWITCH ROW/COLUMN
If you want to display the animals (instead of the months) on the horizontal axis, execute the
following steps.
2. On the Design tab, in the Data group, click Switch Row/Column.
Result:

3.4 LEGEND POSITION
To move the legend to the right side of the chart, execute the following steps.
2. Click the + button on the right side of the chart, click the arrow next to Legend and click Right.

Result:
3.5 DATA LABELS
You can use data labels to focus your readers' attention on a single data series or data point.
2. Click a green bar to select the Jun data series.
3. Use your arrow keys to select the population of Dolphins in June (tiny green bar).
4. Click the + button on the right side of the chart and click the check box next to Data Labels.

Result:
3.6 COLUMN CHART
Column charts are used to compare values across categories by using vertical bars.
To create a column chart, execute the following steps.
1. Select the range A1:A7, hold down CTRL, and select the range C1:D7.

3.7 LINE CHART
Line charts are used to display trends over time. Use a line chart if you have text labels, dates or a
few numeric labels on the horizontal axis. Use a scatter chart (XY chart) to show scientific XY data.
To create a line chart, execute the following steps.

Note: only if you have numeric labels, empty cell A1 before you create the line chart. By doing this,
Excel does not recognize the numbers in column A as a data series and automatically places these
numbers on the horizontal (category) axis. After creating the chart, you can enter the text Year into
cell A1 if you like.
3.8 PIE CHART
Pie charts are used to display the contribution of each value (slice) to a total (pie). Pie charts
always use one data series.
To create a pie chart of the 2017 data series, execute the following steps.

3.9 BAR CHART
A bar chart is the horizontal version of a column chart. Use a bar chart if you have large text labels.
To create a bar chart, execute the following steps.
1. Select the range A1:B6.

3.10 AREA CHART
An area chart is a line chart with the areas below the lines filled with colors. Use a stacked area
chart to display the contribution of each value to a total over time.
To create an area chart, execute the following steps.

4. Change the chart's subtype to Stacked Area (the one next to Area).
3.11 SCATTER CHART
Use a scatter chart (XY chart) to show scientific XY data. Scatter charts are often used to find out if
there's a relationship between variable X and Y.
Straight Lines
To create a scatter chart, execute the following steps.

3.12 DATA SERIES
A row or column of numbers that are plotted in a chart is called a data series. You can plot one or
more data series in a chart.
To create a column chart, execute the following steps.
Select Data Source
To launch the Select Data Source dialog box, execute the following steps.
1. Select the chart. Right click, and then click Select Data.

Switch Row/Column
If you click Switch Row/Column, you'll have 6 data series (Jan, Feb, Mar, Apr, May and Jun) and
three horizontal axis labels (Bears, Dolphins and Whales).

Add, Edit, Remove and Move
You can use the Select Data Source dialog box to add, edit, remove and move data series, but
there's a quicker way.
2. Simply change the range on the sheet.
Result:

3.13 GANTT CHART
Excel does not offer Gantt as chart type, but it's easy to create a Gantt chart by customizing the
stacked bar chart type. Below you can find our Gantt chart data.

4. FORMULAS AND FUNCTIONS
A formula is an expression which calculates the value of a cell. Functions are predefined formulas
and are already available in Excel.
4.1 COUNT AND SUM FUNCTIONS
The most used functions in Excel are the functions that count and sum. You can count and sum
based on one criteria or multiple criteria.
Count
To count the number of cells that contain numbers, use the COUNT function.
Countif
To count cells based on one criteria (for example, higher than 9), use the following COUNTIF
function.
Countifs
To count cells based on multiple criteria (for example, green and higher than 9), use the following
COUNTIFS function.

Sum
To sum a range of cells, use the SUM function.
Sumif
To sum cells based on one criteria (for example, higher than 9), use the following SUMIF function
(two arguments).

To sum cells based on one criteria (for example, green), use the following SUMIF function (three
arguments, last argument is the range to sum).
Sumifs
To sum cells based on multiple criteria (for example, blue and green), use the following SUMIFS
function (first argument is the range to sum).
General note: in a similar way, you can use the AVERAGEIF and AVERAGEIFS function to
average cells based on one or multiple criteria.
4.2 LOGICAL FUNCTIONS
Learn how to use Excel's logical functions such as the IF, AND and OR function.
If Function
The IF function checks whether a condition is met, and returns one value if TRUE and another
value if FALSE.

1. Select cell C1 and enter the following function.
The IF function returns Correct because the value in cell A1 is higher than 10.
And Function
The AND Function returns TRUE if all conditions are true and returns FALSE if any of the
conditions are false.
1. Select cell D1 and enter the following formula.
The AND function returns FALSE because the value in cell B1 is not higher than 5. As a result the
IF function returns Incorrect.
Or Function
The OR function returns TRUE if any of the conditions are TRUE and returns FALSE if all
conditions are false.
1. Select cell E1 and enter the following formula.
The OR function returns TRUE because the value in cell A1 is higher than 10. As a result the IF
function returns Correct.
General note: the AND and OR function can check up to 255 conditions.
4.3 CELL REFERENCES
Cell references in Excel are very important. Understand the difference between relative, absolute
and mixed reference, and you are on your way to success.
Relative Reference
By default, Excel uses relative reference. See the formula in cell D2 below. Cell D2 references
(points to) cell B2 and cell C2. Both references are relative.

Absolute Reference
See the formula in cell E3 below.
1. To create an absolute reference to cell H3, place a $ symbol in front of the column letter and row
number of cell H3 ($H$3) in the formula of cell E3.
2. Now we can quickly drag this formula to the other cells.
The reference to cell H3 is fixed (when we drag the formula down and across). As a result, the
correct lengths and widths in inches are calculated.
Average
To calculate the average of a range of cells, use the AVERAGE function.

Averageif
To average cells based on one criteria, use the AVERAGEIF function. For example, to calculate
the average excluding zeros
.
Note: <> means not equal to. The AVERAGEIF function is similar to the SUMIF function.
Min
To find the minimum value, use the MIN function.
Max
To find the maximum value, use the MAX function.

Similarly,
Small: To find the second smallest number, use the following SMALL function.
Large: To find the third largest number, use the following LARGE function.
4.4 DATE AND TIME FUNTIONS
To enter a date in Excel, use the "/" or "-" characters. To enter a time, use the ":" (colon). You can
also enter a date and a time in one cell.
Note: Dates are in US Format. Months first, Days second. This type of format depends on your
windows regional settings.
Year, Month, Day
To get the year of a date, use the YEAR function.
Note: use the MONTH and DAY function to get the month and day of a date.
Date Function
1. To add a number of days to a date, use the following simple formula.
2. To add a number of years, months and/or days, use the DATE function.

Note: the DATE function accepts three arguments: year, month and day. Excel knows that 6 + 2 =
8 = August has 31 days and rolls over to the next month (23 August + 9 days = 1 September).
Current Date & Time
To get the current date and time, use the NOW function.
Hour, Minute, Second
To return the hour, use the HOUR function
Note: use the MINUTE and SECOND function to return the minute and second.
Time Function
To add a number of hours, minutes and/or seconds, use the TIME function.
Note: Excel adds 2 hours, 10 + 1 = 11 minutes and 70 - 60 = 10 seconds.
4.5 TEXT FUNCTIONS
Excel has many functions to offer when it comes to manipulating text strings.
Join Strings
To join strings, use the & operator.

Note: to insert a space, use " "
Left
To extract the leftmost characters from a string, use the LEFT function.
Right
To extract the rightmost characters from a string, use the RIGHT function.
MID
To extract a substring, starting in the middle of a string, use the MID function.
Len
To get the length of a string, use the LEN function.

Find
To find the position of a substring in a string, use the FIND function.
Substitute
To replace existing text with new text in a string, use the SUBSTITUTE function.
4.6 LOOKUP & REFERENCE FUNCTIONS
Learn all about Excel's lookup & reference functions such as the VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, MATCH,
INDEX and CHOOSE function.
VLookup
The VLOOKUP (Vertical lookup) function looks for a value in the leftmost column of a table, and
then returns a value in the same row from another column you specify.
1. Insert the VLOOKUP function shown below.

Explanation: the VLOOKUP function looks for the ID (104) in the leftmost column of the range
$E$4:$G$7 and returns the value in the same row from the third column (third argument is set to
3). The fourth argument is set to FALSE to return an exact match or a #N/A error if not found.
2. Drag the VLOOKUP function in cell B2 down to cell B11.
Note: when we drag the VLOOKUP function down, the absolute reference ($E$4:$G$7) stays the
same, while the relative reference (A2) changes to A3, A4, A5, etc.
HLookup
In a similar way, you can use the HLOOKUP (Horizontal lookup) function.

Match
The MATCH function returns the position of a value in a given range.
Explanation: Yellow found at position 3 in the range E4:E7. The third argument is optional. Set this
argument to 0 to return the position of the value that is exactly equal to lookup_value (A2) or a
#N/A error if not found.
Index
The INDEX function below returns a specific value in a two-dimensional range.
Explanation: 92 found at the intersection of row 3 and column 2 in the range E4:F7.
The INDEX function below returns a specific value in a one-dimensional range.

Choose
The CHOOSE function returns a value from a list of values, based on a position number.

5. VBA
VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) is the programming language of Excel and other Office
programs.
5.1 CREATE A MACRO
With Excel VBA you can automate tasks in Excel by writing so called macros. In this chapter, learn
how to create a simple macro which will be executed after clicking on a command button. First, turn
on the Developer tab.
Developer Tab
To turn on the Developter tab, execute the following steps.
1. Right click anywhere on the ribbon, and then click Customize the Ribbon.
2. Under Customize the Ribbon, on the right side of the dialog box, select Main tabs (if necessary).
3. Check the Developer check box.

4. Click OK.
5. You can find the Developer tab next to the View tab.
Command Button
To place a command button on your worksheet, execute the following steps.
1. On the Developer tab, click Insert.
2. In the ActiveX Controls group, click Command Button.

3. Drag a command button on your worksheet.
Assign a Macro
To assign a macro (one or more code lines) to the command button, execute the following steps.
1. Right click CommandButton1 (make sure Design Mode is selected).

2. Click View Code.
The Visual Basic Editor appears.
3. Place your cursor between Private Sub CommandButton1_Click() and End Sub.
4. Add the code line shown below.

Note: the window on the left with the names Sheet1, Sheet2 and Sheet3 is called the Project
Explorer. If the Project Explorer is not visible, click View, Project Explorer. To add the Code window
for the first sheet, click Sheet1 (Sheet1).
5. Close the Visual Basic Editor.
6. Click the command button on the sheet (make sure Design Mode is deselected).
Result:
Congratulations. You've just created a macro in Excel!
Visual Basic Editor
To open the Visual Basic Editor, on the Developer tab, click Visual Basic.
The Visual Basic Editor appears.

5.2 MSGBOX
The MsgBox is a dialog box in Excel VBA you can use to inform the users of your program. Place a
command button on your worksheet and add the following code lines:
1. A simple message.
MsgBox "This is fun"
Result when you click the command button on the sheet:
2. A little more advanced message. First, enter a number into cell A1.
MsgBox "Entered value is " & Range("A1").Value
Note: we used the & operator to concatenate (join) two strings. Although Range("A1").value is not a
string, it works here.
3. To start a new line in a message, use vbNewLine.
MsgBox "Line 1" & vbNewLine & "Line 2"

5.3 WORKBOOK AND WORKSHEET OBJECT
The MsgBox is a dialog box in Excel VBA you can use to inform the users of your program. Place a
command button on your worksheet and add the following code lines:
Learn more about the Workbook and Worksheet object in Excel VBA.
Object Hierarchy
In Excel VBA, an object can contain another object, and that object can contain another object, etc.
In other words, Excel VBA programming involves working with an object hierarchy. This probably
sounds quite confusing, but we will make it clear.
The mother of all objects is Excel itself. We call it the Application object. The application object
contains other objects. For example, the Workbook object (Excel file). This can be any workbook
you have created. The Workbook object contains other objects, such as the Worksheet object. The
Worksheet object contains other objects, such as the Range object.
The Create a Macro chapter illustrates how to run code by clicking on a command button. We used
the following code line:
Range("A1").Value = "Hello"
but what we really meant was:
Application.Workbooks("create-a-macro").Worksheets(1).Range("A1").Value = "Hello"
Note: the objects are connected with a dot. Fortunately, we do not have to add a code line this
way. That is because we placed our command button in create-a-macro.xls, on the first worksheet.
Be aware that if you want to change things on different worksheets, you have to include the
Worksheet object. Read on.
Collections
You may have noticed that Workbooks and Worksheets are both plural. That is because they are
collections. The Workbooks collection contains all the Workbook objects that are currently open.
The Worksheets collection contains all the Worksheet objects in a workbook.
You can refer to a member of the collection, for example, a single Worksheet object, in three ways.
1. Using the worksheet name.
Worksheets("Sales").Range("A1").Value = "Hello"
2. Using the index number (1 is the first worksheet starting from the left).
Worksheets(1).Range("A1").Value = "Hello"
3. Using the CodeName.
Sheet1.Range("A1").Value = "Hello"

To see the CodeName of a worksheet, open the Visual Basic Editor. In the Project Explorer, the
first name is the CodeName. The second name is the worksheet name (Sales).
Note: the CodeName remains the same if you change the worksheet name or the order of your
worksheets so this is the safest way to reference a worksheet. Click View, Properties Window to
change the CodeName of a worksheet. There is one disadvantage, you cannot use the CodeName
if you reference a worksheet in a different workbook.
Properties and Methods
Now let's take a look at some properties and methods of the Workbooks and Worksheets
collection. Properties are something which an collection has (they describe the collection), while
methods do something (they perform an action with an collection).
Place a command button on your worksheet and add the code lines:
1. The Add method of the Workbooks collection creates a new workbook.
Workbooks.Add
Note: the Add method of the Worksheets collection creates a new worksheet.
2. The Count property of the Worksheets collection counts the number of worksheets in a
workbook.
MsgBox Worksheets.Count

5.4 RANGE OBJECT
The Range object, which is the representation of a cell (or cells) on your worksheet, is the most
important object of Excel VBA. This chapter gives an overview of the properties and methods of the
Range object. Properties are something which an object has (they describe the object), while
methods do something (they perform an action with an object).
Range Examples
Place a command button on your worksheet and add the following code line:
1. Range("B3").Value = 2
Code:
2. Range("A1:A4").Value = 5
Result:
Code:
3. Range("A1:A2,B3:C4").Value = 10
Result:
Note: to refer to a named range in your Excel VBA code, use a code line like this:
Range("Prices").Value = 15
Cells
Instead of Range, you can also use Cells. Using Cells is particularly useful when you want to loop
through ranges.
Code:

Cells(3, 2).Value = 2
Result:
Explanation: Excel VBA enters the value 2 into the cell at the intersection of row 3 and column 2.
Code:
Range(Cells(1, 1), Cells(4, 1)).Value = 5
Result:
Declare a Range Object
You can declare a Range object by using the keywords Dim and Set.
Code:
Dim example As Range
Set example = Range("A1:C4")
example.Value = 8
Result:
Select
An important method of the Range object is the Select method. The Select method simply selects a
range.
Code:
example.Select

Result:
Note: to select cells on a different worksheet, you have to activate this sheet first. For example, the
following code lines select cell B7 on the third worksheet from the left.
Worksheets(3).Activate
Worksheets(3).Range("B7").Select
Rows
The Rows property gives access to a specific row of a range.
Code:
example.Rows(3).Select
Result:
Columns
The Columns property gives access to a specific column of a range.
Code:
example.Columns(2).Select

Copy/Paste
The Copy and Paste method are used to copy a range and to paste it somewhere else on the
worksheet.
Code:
Range("A1:A2").Select
Selection.Copy
Range("C3").Select
ActiveSheet.Paste
Although this is allowed in Excel VBA, it is much better to use the code line below which does
exactly the same.
Range("C3:C4").Value = Range("A1:A2").Value
Clear
To clear the content of an Excel range, you can use the ClearContents method.
Range("A1").ClearContents
or simply use:
Range("A1").Value = ""
Note: use the Clear method to clear the content and format of a range. Use the ClearFormats
method to clear the format only.
Count
With the Count property, you can count the number of cells, rows and columns of a range.
Note: border for illustration only.
Code:

MsgBox example.Count
Result:
Code:
MsgBox example.Rows.Count
Note: in a similar way, you can count the number of columns of a range.
5.5 VARIABLES
This chapter teaches you how to declare, initialize and display a variable in Excel VBA. Letting
Excel VBA know you are using a variable is called declaring a variable. Initializing simply means
assigning a beginning (initial) value to a variable.
Place a command button on your worksheet and add the code lines below. To execute the code
lines, click the command button on the sheet.
Integer
Integer variables are used to store whole numbers.
Dim x As Integer
x = 6
Range("A1").Value = x

Explanation: the first code line declares a variable with name x of type Integer. Next, we initialize x
with value 6. Finally, we write the value of x to cell A1.
String
String variables are used to store text.
Code:
Dim book As String
book = "bible"
Range("A1").Value = book
Result:
Explanation: the first code line declares a variable with name book of type String. Next, we initialize
book with the text bible. Always use apostrophes to initialize String variables. Finally, we write the
text of the variable book to cell A1.
Double
A variable of type Double is more accurate than a variable of type Integer and can also store
numbers after the comma.
Code:
Dim x As Integer|
x = 5.5
MsgBox "value is " & x
Result:

But that is not the right value! We initialized the variable with value 5.5 and we get the value 6.
What we need is a variable of type Double.
Code:
Dim x As Double
x = 5.5
MsgBox "value is " & x
Result:
Note: Long variables have even larger capacity. Always use variables of the right type. As a result,
errors are easier to find and your code will run faster.
Boolean
Use a Boolean variable to hold the value True or False.
Code:
Dim continue As Boolean
continue = True
If continue = True Then MsgBox "Boolean variables are cool"
Result:
Explanation: the first code line declares a variable with name continue of type Boolean. Next, we
initialize continue with the value True. Finally, we use the Boolean variable to only display a
MsgBox if the variable holds the value True.
5.6 IF THEN STATEMENT
Use the If Then statement in Excel VBA to execute code lines if a specific condition is met.
If Then Statement

Place a command button on your worksheet and add the following code lines:
Dim score As Integer, result As String
score = Range("A1").Value
If score >= 60 Then result = "pass"
Range("B1").Value = result
Explanation: if score is greater than or equal to 60, Excel VBA returns pass.
Note: if score is less than 60, Excel VBA places the value of the empty variable result into cell B1.
Else Statement
Dim score As Integer, result As String
score = Range("A1").Value
If score >= 60 Then
result = "pass"
Else
result = "fail"
End If
Range("B1").Value = result
Explanation: if score is greater than or equal to 60, Excel VBA returns pass, else Excel VBA returns
fail.
Note: only if you have one code line after Then and no Else statement, it is allowed to place a code
line directly after Then and to omit (leave out) End If (first example). Otherwise start a new line after
the words Then and Else and end with End If (second example).

5.7 LOOP
Looping is one of the most powerful programming techniques. A loop in Excel VBA enables you to
loop through a range of cells with just a few codes lines.
You can use a single loop to loop through a one-dimensional range of cells.
Dim i As Integer
For i = 1 To 6
Cells(i, 1).Value = 100
Next i
Explanation: The code lines between For and Next will be executed six times. For i = 1, Excel VBA
enters the value 100 into the cell at the intersection of row 1 and column 1. When Excel VBA
reaches Next i, it increases i with 1 and jumps back to the For statement. For i = 2, Excel VBA
enters the value 100 into the cell at the intersection of row 2 and column 1, etc.
Note: it is good practice to always indent (tab) the code between the words For and Next. This
makes your code easier to read.
5.8 STRING MANIPULATION
In this chapter, you'll find the most important functions to manipulate strings in Excel VBA.
Place a command button on your worksheet and add the code lines below. To execute the code
lines, click the command button on the sheet.
Join Strings
We use the & operator to concatenate (join) strings.
Code:
Dim text1 As String, text2 As String
text1 = "Hi"
text2 = "Tim"
MsgBox text1 & " " & text2
Result:

Left
To extract the leftmost characters from a string, use Left.
Code:
Dim text As String
text = "example text"
MsgBox Left(text, 4)
Result:
Right
To extract the rightmost characters from a string, use Right. We can also directly insert text in a
function.
Code:
MsgBox Right("example text", 2)
Result:
Mid

To extract a substring, starting in the middle of a string, use Mid.
Code:
MsgBox Mid("example text", 9, 2)
Result:
Note: started at position 9 (t) with length 2. You can omit the third argument if you want to extract a
substring starting in the middle of a string, until the end of the string.
Len
To get the length of a string, use Len.
Code:
MsgBox Len("example text")
Result:
Note: space (position 8) included!
Instr
To find the position of a substring in a string, use Instr.
Code:
MsgBox Instr("example text", "am")
Result:
Note: string "am" found at position 3.

5.9 FUNCTION AND SUB
The difference between a function and a sub in Excel VBA is that a function can return a value
while a sub cannot. Functions and subs become very useful as program size increases.
Function
If you want Excel VBA to perform a task that returns a result, you can use a function. Place a
function into a module (In the Visual Basic Editor, click Insert, Module). For example, the function
with name Area.
Function Area(x As Double, y As Double) As Double
Area = x * y
End Function
Explanation: This function has two arguments (of type Double) and a return type (the part after As
also of type Double). You can use the name of the function (Area) in your code to indicate which
result you want to return (here x * y).
You can now refer to this function (in other words call the function) from somewhere else in your
code by simply using the name of the function and giving a value for each argument.
Dim z As Double
z = Area(3, 5) + 2
MsgBox z
Explanation: The function returns a value so you have to 'catch' this value in your code. You can
use another variable (z) for this. Next, you can add another value to this variable (if you want).
Finally, display the value using a MsgBox.
Sub

If you want Excel VBA to perform some actions, you can use a sub. Place a sub into a module (In
the Visual Basic Editor, click Insert, Module). For example, the sub with name Area.
Sub Area(x As Double, y As Double)
MsgBox x * y
End Sub
Explanation: This sub has two arguments (of type Double). It does not have a return type! You can
refer to this sub (call the sub) from somewhere else in your code by simply using the name of the
sub and giving a value for each argument.
Place a command button on your worksheet and add the following code line:
Area 3, 5

6. DATA ANALYSIS
This section illustrates the powerful features Excel has to offer to analyze data.
6.1 SORT
You can sort your Excel data on one column or multiple columns. You can sort in ascending or
descending order.
One Column
To sort on one column, execute the following steps.
1. Click any cell in the column you want to sort.
2. To sort in ascending order, on the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click AZ.
Result:

Note: to sort in descending order, click ZA.
Multiple Columns
To sort on multiple columns, execute the following steps.
1. On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Sort.
The Sort dialog box appears.
2. Select Last Name from the 'Sort by' drop-down list.

3. Click on Add Level.
4. Select Sales from the 'Then by' drop-down list.
5. Click OK.
Result. Records are sorted by Last Name first and Sales second.

6.2 FILTER
Filter your Excel data if you only want to display records that meet certain criteria.
1. Click any single cell inside a data set.
2. On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Filter.
Arrows in the column headers appear.
3. Click the arrow next to Country.

4. Click on Select All to clear all the check boxes, and click the check box next to USA.
5. Click OK.
Result. Excel only displays the sales in the USA.
6.3 CONDITIONAL FORMATTING
Conditional formatting in Excel enables you to highlight cells with a certain color, depending on the
cell's value.
Highlight Cells Rules

To highlight cells that are greater than a value, execute the following steps.
1. Select the range A1:A10.
2. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click Conditional Formatting.
3. Click Highlight Cells Rules, Greater Than.
4. Enter the value 80 and select a formatting style.

5. Click OK.
Result. Excel highlights the cells that are greater than 80.
6. Change the value of cell A1 to 81.
Result. Excel changes the format of cell A1 automatically.
6.4 PIVOT TABLES
Pivot tables are one of Excel's most powerful features. A pivot table allows you to extract the
significance from a large, detailed data set.

Our data set consists of 213 records and 6 fields. Order ID, Product, Category, Amount, Date and
Country.
Insert a Pivot Table
To insert a pivot table, execute the following steps.
1. Click any single cell inside the data set.
2. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click PivotTable.
The following dialog box appears. Excel automatically selects the data for you. The default location
for a new pivot table is New Worksheet.
3. Click OK.

Drag fields
The PivotTable Fields pane appears. To get the total amount exported of each product, drag the
following fields to the different areas.
1. Product field to the Rows area.
2. Amount field to the Values area.
3. Country field to the Filters area.

Below you can find the pivot table. Bananas are our main export product. That's how easy pivot
tables can be!
Sort

To get Banana at the top of the list, sort the pivot table.
1. Click any cell inside the Sum of Amount column.
2. Right click and click on Sort, Sort Largest to Smallest.
Result.
Filter
Because we added the Country field to the Filters area, we can filter this pivot table by Country. For
example, which products do we export the most to France?
1. Click the filter drop-down and select France.
Result. Apples are our main export product to France.

Change Summary Calculation
By default, Excel summarizes your data by either summing or counting the items. To change the
type of calculation that you want to use, execute the following steps.
1. Click any cell inside the Sum of Amount column.
2. Right click and click on Value Field Settings.
3. Choose the type of calculation you want to use. For example, click Count.

4. Click OK.
Result. 16 out of the 28 orders to France were 'Apple' orders.
Two-dimensional Pivot Table
If you drag a field to the Rows area and Columns area, you can create a two-dimensional pivot
table. First, insert a pivot table. Next, to get the total amount exported to each country, of each
product, drag the following fields to the different areas.
1. Country field to the Rows area.
2. Product field to the Columns area.
3. Amount field to the Values area.
4. Category field to the Filters area.

Below you can find the two-dimensional pivot table.
To easily compare these numbers, create a pivot chart and apply a filter. Maybe this is one step too
far for you at this stage, but it shows you one of the many other powerful pivot table features Excel
has to offer.

6.5 TABLES
Tables allow you to analyze your data in Excel quickly and easily. Learn how to insert, sort and
filter a table, and how to display a total row at the end of a table.
Insert a Table
To insert a table, execute the following steps.
1. Click any single cell inside the data set.
2. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click Table.

3. Excel automatically selects the data for you. Check 'My table has headers' and click on OK.
Result. Excel creates a nicely formatted table for you. This may still seem like a normal data range
to you but many powerful features are now just a click of a button away.
Sort a Table
To sort by Last Name first and Sales second, execute the following steps.
1. Click the arrow next to Sales and click Sort Smallest to Largest.
2. Click the arrow next to Last Name and click Sort A to Z.
Result.

Filter a Table
To filter a table, execute the following steps.
1. Click the arrow next to Country and only check USA.
Result.
Total Row
To display a total row at the end of the table, execute the following steps.
1. First, select a cell inside the table. Next, on the Design tab, in the Table Style Options group,
check Total Row.

Result.
2. Click any cell in the last row to calculate the Total (Average, Count, Max, Min, Sum etc.) of a
column. For example, calculate the sum of the Sales column.

Note: in the formula bar see how Excel uses the SUBTOTAL function to calculate the sum. 109 is
the argument for Sum if you use the SUBTOTAL function. Excel uses this function (and not the
standard SUM function) to correctly calculate table totals of filtered tables.

Advanced Excel: Top Skills for Data Analysis

Advanced Excel: Top Skills for Data Analysis

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