Introduction to Microsoft Excel

Getting Started with Excel

• Microsoft Office suite includes applications like Microsoft Word, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Excel.
• Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet application.

Spreadsheets and Uses

• Spreadsheets, also known as electronic spreadsheets, are software equivalents of accounting worksheets.
• Spreadsheets consist of rows and columns and the intersection of these are used to store numbers and text.
• Spreadsheets have a wide range of uses, from simple arithmetic to complex analysis.
• Spreadsheets are widely used in research, industry, and business for data storage, manipulation, comparison, planning, and forecasting.
• Financial and non-financial institutions utilize spreadsheets for budgets, financial statements, cash flow analysis, and investment proposals.
• Scientists use spreadsheets for statistical computations like averages, standard deviations, and ANOVA.
• Spreadsheets serve for data graphical representation such as pie charts and histograms.
• Forex bureaus use spreadsheets for currency conversions which allows conversion from one currency to another without an external calculating device.
• Spreadsheets are used for database management, enabling sorting and extraction of data.
• Spreadsheets excel at "what if" questions, aiding in planning and financial analysis.
• Excel can automatically update values based on changes in dependent values, making it a planning tool and not only just for financial statements.
• Spreadsheet software options include AS-EASY-AS, SUPERCALC, LOTUS 1-2-3, SYMPHONY, QUATROPRO, FRAMEWORK IV, and EXCEL.
• "Spreadsheet" is often used to refer to the computer program or the sheet on which you work and some programs use the term 'worksheet'.

Starting and Quitting Excel

• To start Excel, click the Start button, scroll through programs, and select Excel.
• Excel can also be started by double-clicking a desktop shortcut.
• To close Excel, ensure your work is saved and click the close button in the title bar.

Editing Cells

• To edit in the formula bar, first select a cell, then position the text pointer and click, then edit.
• To edit directly in a cell, double-click the cell, move to the desired position using arrow keys, make the changes, and press Enter.

Entering Data

• A cell can contain up to 255 characters.
• If a cell isn't wide enough, data is truncated if the adjacent cell is occupied.
• In general format, text aligns at the left side of a cell..
• Prefacing a number with an apostrophe or enclosing it in quotation marks with an equal sign allows Excel to treat numbers as text.
• Numbers exceeding the cell width are displayed as text, with "#" signs, or in E notation.
• Although these methods may help display the entry, you cannot perform arithmetic operations using text values.
• Valid number characters include 0-9, -, +, /, ., and Ee.
• When a number is entered, Excel stores the number and the appearance format for that number.
• When entering a fraction, type the integer, a space, then the fraction (e.g., 7 1/2). To enter a simple fraction, type zero, a space then the fraction (e.g. 0 1/2)
• When dates and times are typed in excel they are converted to a serial number

Date and Time

• Excel recognizes dates and times entered in many common formats, converting them to serial numbers for calculations.
• For dates, the serial number represents the number of days since January 1, 1900.
• Times translate to decimal fractions of a 24-hour day.
• To format a date in the default date format, select the cell and press Ctrl + #.
• To format a time in the default format, select the cell and press Ctrl + @.
• To quickly enter the current date, press Ctrl + ;.
• To quickly enter the current time, press Ctrl + :.
• Valid date entries align to the right and appear in m/d/yyyy format in the formula bar.
• Times may be entered in h:mm, h:mm:ss, h:mm AM/PM, etc. formats.
• If using a 12-hour clock, follow the time entry with a space, then A, AM, P, or PM.

Auto Complete

• Auto complete makes it easier to enter text items that are repeated in a column.
• Excel automatically completes entries after the first few letters and pressing Enter accepts the entry.
• If the suggestion is incorrect, you can just continue typing a different entry.
• The feature completes text and combinations of text and numbers (not dates and times).
• The option can be turned off in Excel Options under Advanced > Editing options.
• The AutoComplete list is based on the active column.

The Fill Handle

• You can use the fill handle to fill data into worksheet cells by dragging on it
• Enable Fill handle and cell drag-and-drop is a setting in Advanced options for Excel
• Alert before overwriting cells is an option to prevent data loss when dragging the fill handle.
• An "AutoFill Options" button appears after dragging which allows filling series either with formatting, without formatting or by filling days, months or years etc

Clearing, Inserting or Deleting

• Del key clears selected formula for Edit, Clear, Contents
• Backspace keystroke clears the formula bar
• Ctrl + X cuts the selected text
• Ctrl + V pastes in text
• Ctrl + Z Will undo actions
• Avoid entering space by typing the command instead use "Clear command"

Erasing a Cell

• Del Key after selecting a cell to delete the only the contents of a cell, not the notes or formatting
• The clear command deletes the notes or formats that were attached to the cell along with options to clear the notes, the formatting or a combination of both

Modifying Cells

• The "Edit, Delete command deletes all rows and cells and sides in other cells to fill the gap
• You can choose the direction from Edit, Delete

How to Remove Cells

• Select the cells or arrange the cells in rows an column to delete
• Either press ctrl or minus for the same effect
• Select the right mouse button and select delete
• Click the Home button and select Delete from the cell group and select the appropriate option

How to insert Rows and Columns

• Press Ctrl shift + plus (+), or click the right mouse button and select insert

Increasing Data-Entry Efficiency

• Can select Excel to automatically repeat or fill data

• Automatically repeating items is from what is already entered in a column

• First few Characters that you type, need to match an existing one automatically

• Excel automatically only completes entries with text or text and number

• You can either press Enter to accept proposed entry

• Replace the automatically entered characters by typing or deleting autmatically entered Characters, by pressing backspace

• Can still type to type a different text, item, or change a setting

Turning it Off

• Turning off is an Advanced option in Edit settings
• Excel Bases on the active cells column
• Bases to that contains the active cell, if it repeats, they may not automatically be be able to copy

Using the Fill Handle

• Display is turned on in Editing Options
• Command is used to fill data into the work sheet

Entering Text and Numbers

• Is the idea that the next entry in cell is based on the previous

To Enter fractions such as 7 1/2

• Type the intenger, which is a space
• excel will either iterpret the entry as a date

Entering Dates and Times

• Is in the common Ways
• When Excel convert those to serial number
• 1/1/1902 is interperted to 732
• Time is enterpreted as a decimal action
• Select CTRL # to default date from

Adding a Cell

• The Excel formula is based around the "Edit, Delete" function
• Select and choose the direction in to the

Excel and the What IF

• Very frequent in Business you want to find alternative questions
• Want to know the answer so you what to assist those

Planning Tool

• A business May want to what will happen to profit
• Excel will automatically update the values that are dependents

Spreadsheet Program

• That is ised a to the computer program

• The same term is referring to the sheet on

         STARTING AND QUITING EXAMPLE
  

• Click the star button on the taskbar of the screen

          EDITIN ON THE FORMAT
  

• Edit formula

• Position pointer

          ENTERING TEXT FOR NUMBERRS
  

• You can type 255 chacters into the string

• the test with the generator

• text is automaticall aligned

Making Excel to Accept a number

Display Number

• Display number is text, cell # signs, scientific rotation

Numbers Constand

• 1234

Enter a Function

• Such as 7 1/2 Date and Time

• Excel recognizes date and time in the serial

• It enables data in the time calculation

    Date
  

Auto Complete

• Make it easier to send repeat text in a the column,

• You can automatically Excel do not have to Them the send text, and

                    SHORT CUT KEY FOR CHANDING THE LAYOUT
                 Del- clear selected formula,
                    Backward Space- clear formula
                Ctrl
                Ctrl x to past select cell to copy
  

To earse The content of the cell

• Reffrain and the Typing of the original component

Cell Control

• All sell content and note and clear the generic

Edit DELETE and the Cell

• It completely removes the selecting, it will

• Ie the selected or and then it will

              TO Remove the cell and row or to column
  

  • Select Cell,

Topic: Chapter 1: Microsoft Excel and Spreadsheets

Getting Started with Excel

• Microsoft Office, that includes Microsoft Word, Access, PowerPoint, Outlook, Publisher, and Excel, an applications suite.

Spreadsheets and Their Uses

• Spreadsheets, also known as Electronic Spreadsheets, can function as a computer program.
• Rows and columns are their basic organization.
• Stores numbers and text at row & column intersections.
• Performs basic arithmetic; from totals and percentages to complex automated calculations.
• Used in research, industry and business.

Application of Spreadsheets

• Accounting: Used to prepare budgets, analyze cash flows, manage inventory, and calculate interest. Financial institutions like KNUST, CSIR, SSNIT, and Bank of Ghana use it.
• Scientific Environment: Use statistical computations such as averages, standard deviations, variance and R-Squared.
• Use analysis of variance (ANOVA) to solve simultaneous equations, to build frequency distribution tables.
• Graphical Representation: Used to represent data graphically in pie charts and histograms enabling hospitals to represent mortality/morbidity values.
• Forex Bureaus: Spreadsheet use to calculate currency conversions.
• Database Management: Businesses and individuals can use spreadsheets to maintain databases, sort data, and extract data from a given database.
• Excel can provide answers to the question such as ‘what if’.
• Can be used as planning tool
• Spreadsheet Packages: AS-EASY-AS, SUPERCALC, LOTUS 1-2-3, SYMPHONY, QUATROPRO, FRAMEWORK IV, and EXCEL.
• The term "spreadsheet" is used to refer to the computer program.
• Terms "spreadsheet" and "worksheet" may refer to same sheet on which the work will be done.

Starting and Quitting Excel

• Click the Start button on the taskbar. Then, scroll through and find Excel.
• Another way to start Excel is by clicking a shortcut on the desktop.
• To close, save your work and click the close button in the title bar.

Editing and Entering Values

• Select a Cell and Edit formula in the formula bar:
• Edit
• Position
• Then edit formula
• Edit directly in a cell by performing the following:
• Double Click.
• Using arrow
• Makes necessary Changes.

Entering Text and Numbers

• Cells can contain up to 255 characters.
• If the cell is not wide enough, not all of data displays.
• In General text alignment to the left.
• Numbers are constant values.
• To make Excel accept a number as Text: Apostrophe E.g. ‘
• Equal (“) quotation marks equal sign.
• Note that it can not be do any air thematic operators.
• Date 1/1/1900 as a serial

Date and Times

• CTRL # for the data format
• CTRL; to Current Date
• CTRL : to enter the time
• Date on a Excel sheet can be with any of the format: dd/mm/yy
• Time may be enterpreted in the following format: h:mm::S

Using Autocomplet

• To to make it easier to enter a repeating text item in a comment Excel include an automated complete
• Just type items, in over you need to type it one Excel will complete the reset,