Introduction to Microsoft Excel

• Excel is a spreadsheet software developed by Microsoft.

Core Functionality

• Excel is used for organizing, analyzing, and storing data in tabular form.
• Users can perform calculations, create charts, and automate tasks through formulas and macros.

Key Components

• Workbook: The primary file in Excel, containing one or more worksheets.
• Worksheet: A grid composed of rows and columns where data is entered.
• Cell: The intersection of a row and a column, identified by a cell reference (e.g., A1, B2).
• Ribbon: The toolbar at the top of the Excel window, providing access to various commands and features.
• Formula Bar: Located below the ribbon, it displays the content of the active cell and allows for formula input and editing.

Data Entry and Manipulation

• Data Types: Excel supports numbers, text, dates, and boolean values.
• Data is directly entered into cells, with Excel often recognizing the data type automatically.
• AutoFill: Automatically fills cells with a series of data based on a recognized pattern.
• Copy and Paste: Data can be copied within or between worksheets/workbooks.
• Sorting: Data can be sorted alphabetically or numerically using one or more columns.
• Filtering: Data can be filtered to display rows meeting specific criteria only.

Formulas and Functions

• Formulas: Expressions that perform calculations on data in cells and always begin with an equals sign (=).
• Cell References: Used in formulas to refer to other cells (e.g., =A1+B1).
• Operators: Symbols (+, -, *, /, ^) are used in formulas for arithmetic operations.
• Functions: Predefined formulas that perform specific calculations (e.g., SUM, AVERAGE, COUNT).
• Common Functions:
  • SUM: Adds values in a range of cells (=SUM(A1:A10)).
  • AVERAGE: Calculates the average of values in a range of cells (=AVERAGE(A1:A10)).
  • COUNT: Counts the number of cells in a range that contain numbers (=COUNT(A1:A10)).
  • COUNTA: Counts the number of non-empty cells in a range (=COUNTA(A1:A10)).
  • IF: Performs a logical test, returning one value if true and another if false (=IF(A1>0,"Positive","Negative")).
  • VLOOKUP: Searches for a value in the first column of a table and returns a value from a specified column in the same row (=VLOOKUP(A1,B1:C10,2,FALSE)).
  • HLOOKUP: Searches for a value in the first row of a table and returns a value from a specified row in the same column.
• Named Ranges: Assigning a name to a cell or range of cells, this makes formulas more readable and easier to understand.

Charts and Graphs

• Excel offers various chart types, including bar charts, line charts, pie charts, and scatter plots.
• Charts can be created from selected data ranges, visually representing the data.
• Charts can be customized with titles, labels, and formatting options to enhance clarity and appearance.

Data Analysis Tools

• Pivot Tables: Interactive tables summarizing and analyzing large datasets.
• Pivot Chart: A dynamic chart based on pivot table data.
• Goal Seek: Finds the input value needed to achieve a target result.
• Scenario Manager: Defines and compares different sets of input values to see their impact.
• Solver: An add-in finding optimal solutions to optimization problems by adjusting variables subject to constraints.

Automation with Macros

• Macros: Recorded action sequences that can be replayed to automate repetitive tasks.
• VBA (Visual Basic for Applications): The programming language used to create and edit macros in Excel.
• Recording Macros: Excel can record user actions and generate VBA code for automation.
• Editing Macros: The VBA editor allows users to modify and customize recorded macros.
• Security: Macros can pose a security risk if they contain malicious code and Excel provides security settings to manage macro execution.

Conditional Formatting

• Formatting is applied to cells based on specific criteria (e.g., highlighting cells with values greater than 100).
• Rules can be based on cell values, formulas, or other specified conditions.
• Color Scales and Icon Sets: Visual aids representing data ranges with gradients or icons.

Data Validation

• Rules define the type of data that can be entered into a cell (e.g., restricting input to a specific range of numbers or a list of items).
• Input Messages: Displays a message when a cell is selected, with instructions for data entry.
• Error Alerts: Displays an error message when invalid data is entered.

Collaboration and Sharing

• Excel workbooks can be shared for collaborative editing.
• Co-authoring: Multiple users can work on the same workbook at the same time.
• Track Changes: A feature that records changes made by different users, allowing for review and acceptance/rejection of modifications.
• Comments: Comments can be added to cells to provide explanations or feedback

File Formats

• .xlsx: The default file format for Excel workbooks (Office Open XML spreadsheet).
• .xls: An older file format for Excel workbooks (Binary file format).
• .csv: A comma-separated values file format for storing tabular data.
• .xlsm: Excel workbook with macro-enabled.

Printing

• Page Layout View: Allows adjustment of page settings, margins, and headers/footers before printing.
• Print Area: Specifies the portion of the worksheet to be printed.
• Scaling: Adjusts the printed content size to fit on a specific number of pages.

Keyboard Shortcuts

• Ctrl+C: Copy
• Ctrl+X: Cut
• Ctrl+V: Paste
• Ctrl+Z: Undo
• Ctrl+Y: Redo
• Ctrl+S: Save
• Ctrl+P: Print
• Ctrl+A: Select All
• Ctrl+F: Find
• Ctrl+H: Replace
• Ctrl+N: New Workbook
• Ctrl+O: Open Workbook
• Ctrl+W: Close Workbook
• Ctrl+Tab: Switch between open workbooks
• F2: Edit Cell
• F4: Cycle through absolute and relative references in a formula
• F5: Go To
• Ctrl+Space: Select entire column
• Shift+Space: Select entire row

Absolute and Relative References

• Relative Reference: A cell reference that changes when a formula is copied to another cell.
• Absolute Reference: A cell reference that remains constant when a formula is copied to another cell (indicated by $ signs, e.g., $A$1).
• Mixed Reference: A cell reference with a combination of relative and absolute references (e.g., $A1 or A$1).

Error Values

• #DIV/0!: Occurs when a formula tries to divide by zero.
• #NAME?: Occurs when Excel does not recognize a name used in a formula.
• #N/A: Occurs when a value is not available in a formula or function.
• #REF!: Occurs when a cell reference in a formula is no longer valid.
• #VALUE!: Occurs when a formula contains an argument of the wrong type.
• #NULL!: Occurs when a formula contains an invalid intersection of ranges
• ######: Occurs when a column is not wide enough to display the entire value in a cell.

Data Tables

• Used to perform "what-if" analysis with one or two variables.
• One-Variable Data Table: Analyzes how changes in a single input variable affect a formula.
• Two-Variable Data Table: Analyzes how changes in two input variables affect a formula.

Power Query

• Data Transformation: A data connection technology that enables discovery, connection, combination, and refinement of data from various sources.
• Data Sources: Connect to various data sources, including web pages, databases, excel files, etc.
• Steps recorder: Records the transformations performed on the data.
• Power Query Editor: Edit transformations applied to a data source.

Power Pivot

• Data Modeling: A data modeling tool that lets you create relationships between tables, calculate columns, and create custom measures.
• Large Datasets: Used to analyze large datasets that exceed Excel's limitations.
• DAX language: Uses the DAX formula language.