MS Excel

Introduction
Although many of you are already aware of Excel, let’s have a small introduction anyways.
Microsoft Excel is an application developed by Microsoft that is used to record, analyze,
and visualize data. Excel, a spreadsheet application, was developed by Microsoft in 1985.

Fig: Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

MS Excel is a spreadsheet with a range of features and capabilities. Its applications in data
analysis and information management are remarkable. MS Excel allows you to organize,
edit and work on spreadsheets to obtain, analyze and transform data.

Worksheet
A sheet that is used in making preliminary plans, auxiliary computations, notes, or comments
as a guide in doing some piece of work is called Worksheet.A worksheet is a collection of cells where
you keep and manipulate the data. Each Excel workbook can contain multiple worksheets.

Use of worksheet
Worksheet is used as an assessment tool, worksheets can be used by teachers to understand
students' previous knowledge, outcome of learning, and the process of learning; at the same time,
they can be used to enable students to monitor the progress of their own learning.
Heading information
It is an inscription, headline, or title standing at the top or beginning (as of a letter or chapter)
The address and date at the beginning of a letter showing its place and time of origin.

Menus and toolbar

Menus and toolbars provide ways to give Microsoft Excel instructions about what we want
to do. A menu displays a list of commands. Some of these commands have images next to them,
so we can quickly associate the command with the image. Most menus are located on the menu
bar, which is usually at the top of the screen.
Excel contains two main menu bars, over fifty pre-defined toolbars and over fifty pre-defined
shortcut menus. You can re-position any of the toolbars using the mouse and they can be docked
to any side of the application window.
The toolbar, also called a bar or standard toolbar (originally known as ribbon), is a graphical
control element on which on-screen icons can be used. A toolbar often allows for quick access to
functions that are commonly used in the program.

Excel shortcuts

Excel shortcuts are keyboard combinations that allow you to perform tasks quickly and
efficiently. They can save you a lot of time, especially if you work with large spreadsheets. For
example, instead of clicking on the "Bold" button on the toolbar, you can press Ctrl+B to bold a
cell.

Need for Excel Shortcuts

Excel supports a plethora of keyboard shortcuts that help you work efficiently and increase
productivity. Instead of accessing the toolbar with a mouse, two or three keystrokes are used to
perform significant functions. Isn’t that easier and time-saving? Using Excel shortcuts drastically
increases the speed, and thus reduces work-time.

Now the question is, if you have to memorize these shortcuts, the answer is no. However, it
would be an advantage if you can remember a few of them. With regular practice, you will be able
to remember most of the common Excel shortcuts.

Let’s now look at the Excel shortcuts cheat sheet, which you should know when working on
Microsoft Excel. In this article, we have categorized 50 Excel shortcuts based on their operations.
First, we will look at the workbook shortcut keys.
Why are Excel shortcuts important?

Shortcuts are important in Excel because they can help you work more efficiently. By using
shortcuts, you can save time and focus on other tasks. They can also help you avoid repetitive
strain injuries, as you don't have to use the mouse as much.

Where can I find a list of Excel shortcuts?

There are many places where you can find a list of Excel shortcuts. One place is the Excel Help
menu. Another place is the Microsoft Office website.

How can I create my own Excel shortcuts?

You can create your own Excel shortcuts by going to the File menu and selecting Options. Then,
click on the Advanced tab and scroll down to the Keyboard shortcuts section. In this section, you
can create new shortcuts by clicking on the new button and entering the shortcut key combination
and the command that you want to assign it to.

How do I manage shortcuts in Excel?

To manage shortcuts in Excel, you can customize or modify existing shortcuts through the Excel
Options menu. Simply go to the "Customize Ribbon" section and click on the "Keyboard
Shortcuts" button to assign or change shortcuts according to your preference.

How many Excel shortcuts are there?

There are over 270 Excel shortcuts for both the keyboard and mouse, including shortcuts for the
Windows, Mac, and Web versions of Excel. These shortcuts can help you navigate, format, and
analyze data more efficiently.

What is the shortcut to copy selection in Excel?

The shortcut to copy a selection in Excel is Ctrl+C.

How can I undo the last action in Excel?

To undo the last action in Excel, you can use the shortcut Ctrl+Z.
What is the shortcut to redo the last action in Excel?

The shortcut to redo the last action in Excel is Ctrl+Y.

Some of the most common Excel shortcuts

Here are some of the most common Excel shortcuts:

• Ctrl+C - Copy

• Ctrl+V - Paste

• Ctrl+Z - Undo

• Ctrl+Y - Redo

• F2 - Edit cell

• Ctrl+A - Select all

• Home - Move to the beginning of the worksheet

• End - Move to the end of the worksheet

• PgUp - Scroll up one page

• PgDn - Scroll down one page

Function Keys in Excel

Key Function

F1 Shows Excel Help

F2 Enters edit mode for the active cell

F3 Displays the Paste Name dialog box if there is a defined name

F4 Repeats the last action. Also, writing a formula allows you to switch between relative, absolute, and mixe

F5 Displays the Go To dialog box

F6 Allows you to move between panels in a divided book

F7 Displays the Spelling dialog box

F8 Activates Expand Selection mode, which allows you to enlarge the selected range using the arrow keys

F9 Calculates the result of formulas for all sheets of open workbooks

F10 Activates the menu bar

F11 Creates a chart sheet with the selected cell range

F12 Displays the Save As dialog box

Single Key Shortcuts

Key Function

Alt Activates the menu bar

Page Down Scrolls down one screen within the sheet

Enter Completes a cell entry and selects the cell located below

Esc Cancels the entry of a cell. It also closes any displayed dialogue

Space Enables or disables a check box within a dialog box

End Allows you to use the arrow keys to move to the last cell in the current range

Home Moves to the beginning of the row

Page Up Move one screen up within the sheet

Backspace Deletes the contents of a cell and enters Edit Mode

Delete Deletes the content of a cell

Tab Completes a cell entry and selects the cell to the right

Direction keys Selects the top, bottom, left, or right cell according to the direction key pressed

Basic Keyboard Shortcuts In Excel

Key Function

Ctrl+A Select all

Ctrl+B Applies bold formatting to selected text

Ctrl+C Copies the selected cells

Ctrl+D Copies the contents and format of the topmost cell of a selected range in the below cells

Ctrl+E Invokes Flash Fill to recognize patterns in adjacent columns and fill the current column

Ctrl+G Opens the Go To dialogue box so that you can work on a specific reference (cell)

Ctrl+I Italicize the selected cell/s

Ctrl+J Removes line breaks in a cell

Ctrl+K Hyperlinks in a cell

Ctrl+L Opens the Create Table dialog box

Ctrl+O Opens an existing workbook

Ctrl+N Opens a new workbook

Ctrl+P Displays the Print dialog box

Ctrl+R Fills the row cell(s) to the right with the contents of the selected cell/Aligns a cell with the contents o

Ctrl+S Saves the workbook

Ctrl+T Displays the Create Table dialog box

Ctrl+U Underlines the selected text

Ctrl+V Pastes the contents of the clipboard

Ctrl+X Cuts the selected cells

Ctrl+Y Redoes the last undone action

Ctrl+Z Undoes the last action

Ctrl+1 Opens the Format Cells dialog box

Ctrl+2 Applies bold formatting to selected text

Ctrl+3 Applies italic formatting to selected text

Ctrl+4 Underlines the selected text

Ctrl+5 Applies the strikethrough effect to the text

Ctrl+6 Hides or shows the objects on the sheet

Ctrl+8 Shows the outline symbols on the sheet

Ctrl+9 Hides the selected row

Ctrl+0 Hides the selected column

Keyboard Shortcuts with Ctrl and Function Keys

Key Function

Ctrl+F1 Displays/hides the ribbon

Ctrl+F2 Displays the print preview area on the Print tab

Ctrl+F3 Opens Name Manager dialog box

Ctrl+F4 Closes the active workbook

Ctrl+F5 Restores the window size of the selected workbook window

Ctrl+F6 Switches to the next workbook window if more than one workbook window is open

Ctrl+F7 Allows you to move the workbook window when the window is not maximized

Ctrl+F8 Allows you to resize the workbook window when the window is not maximized

Ctrl+F9 Minimizes the current workbook window to an icon

 Ctrl+F10 Maximizes the window of a minimized workbook

Ctrl+F11 Inserts a macros sheet into the current workbook

Ctrl+F12 Displays the Open dialog box

Formatting of an Excel worksheet

Excel makes available numerous formatting options to give your worksheet a polished look.
You can change the size, colour and angle of fonts, add colour to the borders and backgrounds of
cells, and have the format of a cell change, based on its value.

How do you format a sheet?

Format one or more cells
1. Open a spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app.
2. Tap a cell, then drag the blue markers across nearby cells you want to select.
3. Tap Format.
4. In the "Text" tab, choose an option to format your text. Bold. ...
5. In the "Cell" tab, choose an option to format your cell. ...
6. Tap the sheet to save your changes.

Previewing a document
Preview is a computing function to display a document, page, or film before it is produced in
its final form. In the case of printed material this is known as "print preview".
How do I print a worksheet on each page in Excel?
1.

2. Print all or part of a worksheet

Select File, and then click Print. Under Settings, select the arrow next to Print Active Sheets
and select the appropriate option. Select Print. Note: If a worksheet has defined print areas,
Excel will print only those print areas.
Preview the worksheet
1. Click the worksheet or select the worksheets that you want to preview.
2. Click File > Print > Print Preview. Keyboard shortcut Press Ctrl+P.
Open-source software
Open-source software is a type of computer software that is released under a license, but the
source code is made available to all the users. Open-source software (OSS) is software that is
distributed with its source code, making it available for use, modification, and distribution with its
original rights.
Features of Open-Source Software
• The results are of quite high quality.
• Users can easily change the software according to requirements.
• It is more secure.
• Long term use.
• Transparency.
• Affordable.
• Help in developing skills.

Benefit of using open-source software

Open source enables technology agility, typically offering multiple ways to solve problems. Open
source helps keep your IT organization from getting blocked because a particular capability isn't
available from a vendor. Instead of waiting for the vendor to deliver that capability, you can create
it yourself.

Examples of application software

• The Microsoft suite. Office, Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.
• Internet browsers. Firefox, Chrome, Safari, Internet Explorer.
• Music software. Pandora, Apple Music, Spotify.
• Communication software. Slack, Skype, Zoom, Teams.