INTRODUCTION TO EXCEL

Excel is an incredibly powerful tool for getting meaning out of vast amounts of data.
But it also works really well for simple calculations and tracking almost any kind of
information. The key for unlocking all that potential is the grid of cells. Cells can
contain numbers, text, or formulas. You put data in your cells and group them in rows
and columns. That allows you to add up your data, sort and filter it, put it in tables,
and build great-looking charts.

BASIC STEPS IN EXCEL

1. Create a new workbook

Excel documents are called workbooks. Each workbook has sheets, typically
called spreadsheets. You can add as many sheets as you want to a workbook, or
you can create new workbooks to keep your data separate.

1) Click File, and then click New.

2) Under New, click the Blank workbook.

2. Enter your data

1) Click an empty cell.

For example, cell A1 on a new sheet. Cells are referenced by their

location in the row and column on the sheet, so cell A1 is in the first row
of column A.

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 2) Type text or a number in the cell.

3) Press Enter or Tab to move to the next cell.

3. Apply cell borders

1) Select the cell or range of cells that you want to add a border to.

2) On the Home tab, in the Font group, click the arrow next to Borders, and
then click the border style that you want.

4. Apply cell shading

1) Select the cell or range of cells that you want to apply cell shading to.

2) On the Home tab, in the Font group, choose the arrow next to Fill

Colour , and then under Theme Colours or Standard Colours,

select the colour that you want.

5. Use AutoSum to add your data

When you have entered numbers in your sheet, you might want to add them up. A fast
way to do that is by using AutoSum.

1) Select the cell to the right or below the numbers you want to add.

2) Click the Home tab, and then click AutoSum in the Editing group.

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 AutoSum adds up the numbers and shows the result in the cell you
selected.

6. Create a simple formula

Adding numbers is just one of the things you can do, but Excel can do other math as
well. Try some simple formulas to add, subtract, multiply, or divide your numbers.

1) Pick a cell, and then type an equal sign (=).

That tells Excel that this cell will contain a formula.

2) Type a combination of numbers and calculation operators, like the plus

sign (+) for addition, the minus sign (-) for subtraction, the asterisk (*) for
multiplication, or the forward slash (/) for division.

For example, enter =2+4, =4-2, =2*4, or =4/2.

3) Press Enter.

This runs the calculation.

You can also press Ctrl + Enter if you want the cursor to stay on the active
cell.

7. Apply a number format

To distinguish between different types of numbers, add a format, like currency,

percentages, or dates.

1) Select the cells that have numbers you want to format.

2) Click the Home tab, and then click the arrow in the General box.

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 3) Pick a number format.

If you do not see the number format you’re looking for, click More
Number Formats.

8. Put your data in a table

A simple way to access Excel’s power is to put your data in a table. That lets you
quickly filter or sort your data.

1) Select your data by clicking the first cell and dragging to the last cell in
your data.

To use the keyboard, hold down Shift while you press the arrow keys to
select your data.

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2) Click the Quick Analysis button in the bottom-right corner of the
selection.

3) Click Tables, move your cursor to the Table button to preview your data,
and then click the Table button.

4) Click the arrow in the table header of a column.

5) To filter the data, clear the Select All check box, and then select the data
you want to show in your table.

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6) To sort the data, click Sort A to Z or Sort Z to A.

7) Click OK.

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 9. Show totals for your numbers using Quick Analysis

The Quick Analysis tool (available in Excel 2016 and Excel 2013 only) let you total
your numbers quickly. Whether it’s a sum, average, or count you want, Excel shows
the calculation results right below or next to your numbers.

1) Select the cells that contain numbers you want to add or count.

2) Click the Quick Analysis button in the bottom-right corner of the

selection.

3) Click Totals, move your cursor across the buttons to see the calculation
results for your data, and then click the button to apply the totals.

10. Add meaning to your data using Quick Analysis

Conditional formatting or sparklines can highlight your most important data or show
data trends. Use the Quick Analysis tool (available in Excel 2016 and Excel 2013
only) for a Live Preview to try it out.

1) Select the data you want to examine more closely.

2) Click the Quick Analysis button in the bottom-right corner of the

selection.

3) Explore the options on the Formatting and Sparklines tabs to see how
they affect your data.

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 For example, pick a colour scale in the Formatting gallery to differentiate
high, medium, and low temperatures.

4) When you like what you see, click that option.

11. Show your data in a chart using Quick Analysis

The Quick Analysis tool (available in Excel 2016 and Excel 2013 only) recommends
the right chart for your data and gives you a visual presentation in just a few clicks.

1) Select the cells that contain the data you want to show in a chart.

2) Click the Quick Analysis button in the bottom-right corner of the

selection.

3) Click the Charts tab, move across the recommended charts to see which
one looks best for your data, and then click the one that you want.

12. Sort your data

To quickly sort your data

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 1) Select a range of data, such as A1:L5 (multiple rows and columns) or
C1:C80 (a single column). The range can include titles that you created to
identify columns or rows.

2) Select a single cell in the column on which you want to sort.

3) Click to perform an ascending sort (A to Z or smallest number to

largest).

4) Click to perform a descending sort (Z to A or largest number to

smallest).

To sort by specific criteria

1) Select a single cell anywhere in the range that you want to sort.

2) On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, choose Sort.

3) The Sort dialog box appears.

4) In the Sort by list, select the first column on which you want to sort.

5) In the Sort On list, select either Values, Cell Colour, Font Colour,
or Cell Icon.

6) In the Order list, select the order that you want to apply to the sort
operation — alphabetically or numerically ascending or descending (that
is, A to Z or Z to A for text or lower to higher or higher to lower for
numbers).

13. Filter your data

1) Select the data that you want to filter.

2) On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, click Filter.

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 3) Click the arrow in the column header to display a list in which you can
make filter choices.

4) To select by values, in the list, clear the (Select All) check box. This
removes the check marks from all the check boxes. Then, select only the
values you want to see, and click OK to see the results.

14. Save your work

1) Click the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar, or press Ctrl + S.

If you’ve saved your work before, you’re done.

2) If this is the first time you've save this file:

a. Under Save As, pick where to save your workbook, and then
browse to a folder.

b. In the File name box, enter a name for your workbook.

c. Click Save.

15. Print your work

1) Click File, and then click Print, or press Ctrl + P.

2) Preview the pages by clicking the Next Page and Previous Page arrows.

The preview window displays the pages in black and white or in colour,
depending on your printer settings.

If you don’t like how your pages will be printed, you can change page
margins or add page breaks.

3) Click Print.

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 EXCEL RIBBON

Microsoft Excel ribbon is the row of tabs and icons at the top of the Excel window
that allows you to quickly find, understand and use commands for completing a
certain task. It looks like a kind of complex toolbar, which it actually is.

The ribbon first appeared in Excel 2007 replacing the traditional toolbars and pull-
down menus found in previous versions. In Excel 2010, Microsoft added the ability to
personalize the ribbon.

The ribbon in Excel is made up of four basic components: tabs, groups, dialog
launchers, and command buttons.

• Ribbon tab contains multiple commands logically sub-divided into groups.

• Ribbon group is a set of closely related commands normally performed as
part of a larger task.
• Dialog launcher is a small arrow in the lower-right corner of a group that
brings up more related commands. Dialog launchers appear in groups that
contain more commands than available space.
• Command button is the button you click to perform a particular action.

Ribbon Tabs

The standard Excel ribbon contains the following tabs, from left to right:

File – allows you to jump into the backstage view that contains the essential file-
related commands and Excel options. This tab was introduced in Excel 2010 as the
replacement for the Office button in Excel 2007 and the File menu in earlier versions.

Home – contains the most frequently used commands such as copying and pasting,
sorting and filtering, formatting, etc.

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Insert – is used for adding different objects in a worksheet such as images, charts,
PivotTables, hyperlinks, special symbols, equations, headers and footers.

Draw – depending on the device type you're using, it lets you draw with a digital pen,
mouse, or finger. This tab is available in Excel 2013 and later, but like the Developer
tab it is not visible by default.

Page Layout – provides tools to manage the worksheet appearance, both onscreen
and printed. These tools control theme settings, gridlines, page margins, object
aligning, and print area.

Formulas – contains tools for inserting functions, defining names and controlling the
calculation options.

Data – holds the commands for managing the worksheet data as well as connecting to
external data.

Review – allows you to check spelling, track changes, add comments and notes,
protect worksheets and workbooks.

View – provides commands for switching between worksheet views, freezing panes,
viewing and arranging multiple windows.

Help – only appears in Excel 2019 and Office 365. This tab provides quick access to
the Help Task Pane and allows you to contact Microsoft support, send feedback,
suggest a feature, and get quick access to training videos.

Developer – provides access to advanced features such as VBA macros, ActiveX and
Form controls and XML commands. This tab is hidden by default and you have to
enable it first.

Add-ins – appears only when you open an older workbook or load an add-in that
customizes the toolbars or menu.

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 FREEZE PANES

Freeze panes to lock rows and columns. To keep an area of a worksheet visible
while you scroll to another area of the worksheet, go to the View tab, where you
can Freeze Panes to lock specific rows and columns in place, or you can Split panes
to create separate windows of the same worksheet.

Freeze rows or columns

Freeze the first column

▪ Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze First Column.

The faint line that appears between Column A and B shows that the first column is
frozen.

Freeze the first two columns

1. Select the third column.

2. Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.

Freeze columns and rows

1. Select the cell below the rows and to the right of the columns you want to
keep visible when you scroll.
2. Select View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Panes.

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 MERGE AND CENTRE

You cannot split an individual cell, but you can make it appear as if a cell has been
split by merging the cells above it.

Merge cells

1. Select the cells to merge.

2. Select Merge & Centre.

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 CLIPBOARD

The Office Clipboard allows you to copy up to 24 items from Office documents or
other programs and paste them into another Office document. For example, you can
copy text from an email message, data from a workbook or datasheet, and a graphic
from a presentation, and then paste them all into a document. By using the Office
Clipboard, you can arrange the copied items the way that you want in the document.

You are not limited to only pasting the last item you copied or cut when you use
the Clipboard task pane. The Clipboard task pane holds many of the last images and
text you copied or cut. You can still do simple cut, copy, and paste the way you are
used to, either by using the buttons on the ribbon or the keyboard shortcuts CTRL+X
(Cut), CTRL+C (Copy), or CTRL+V (Paste).

Open the Office Clipboard task pane

1. To open the Clipboard task pane, click Home, and then click
the Clipboard dialog box launcher.

2. Double-click the image or text you want to paste.

In Outlook, to open the Clipboard task pane: Open a message, click

the Message tab, and then click the Clipboard dialog box launcher in
the Clipboard group.

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Copy and Paste Multiple Items using the Office Clipboard

1. Open the file that you want to copy items from.

2. Select the first item that you want to copy, and press CTRL+C.
3. Continue copying items from the same or other files until you have
collected all of the items that you want. The Office Clipboard can hold up
to 24 items. If you copy a twenty-fifth item, the first item on the Office
Clipboard is deleted.

As items are added to the Office Clipboard, an entry is displayed in

the Clipboard task pane. The newest entry is always added to the top.
Each entry includes an icon representing the source Office program and a
portion of copied text or a thumbnail of a copied graphic.

4. Click where you want the items to be pasted. You can paste collected
items into any Office program.
5. Do one of the following:
▪ To paste items one at a time, in the Clipboard task pane,
double-click each item that you want to paste.
▪ To paste all the items that you copied, in the Clipboard task
pane, click Paste All.

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Delete items from the Office Clipboard

You can delete items from the Office Clipboard individually or all at the same time.

In the Clipboard task pane, do one of the following:

▪ To clear one item, click the arrow next to the item that you want to delete,
and then click Delete.

▪ To clear all items, click Clear All.

Control how the Office clipboard is displayed

To control how the Office Clipboard is displayed, click Options at the bottom of the
task pane.

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 INSERT OR DELETE ROWS AND COLUMNS

Insert or delete a Column

1. Select any cell within the column, then go to Home > Insert > Insert
Sheet Columns or Delete Sheet Columns.
2. Alternatively, right-click the top of the column, and then
select Insert or Delete.

Insert or delete a Row

1. Select any cell within the row, then go to Home > Insert > Insert Sheet
Rows or Delete Sheet Rows.
2. Alternatively, right-click the row number, and then
select Insert or Delete.

Formatting options

When you select a row or column that has formatting applied, that formatting will be
transferred to a new row or column that you insert. If you do not want the formatting
to be applied, you can select the Insert Options button after you insert, and choose
from one of the options as follows:

If the Insert Options button is not visible, then go to File > Options > Advanced > in
the Cut, copy and paste group, check the Show Insert Options buttons option.

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 FUNCTIONS

A function is a predefined formula that performs calculations using specific values

in a particular order. All spreadsheet programs include common functions that can be
used for quickly finding the sum, average, count, maximum value, and minimum
value for a range of cells. In order to use functions correctly, you'll need to understand
the different parts of a function and how to create arguments to calculate values and
cell references.

1. SUM function

The SUM function adds values. You can add individual values, cell references or
ranges or a mix of all three.

2. COUNT function

The COUNT function counts the number of cells that contain numbers, and counts
numbers within the list of arguments. Use the COUNT function to get the number of
entries in a number field that is in a range or array of numbers.

Syntax: COUNT(value1, [value2], ...)

The COUNT function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ value1 Required. The first item, cell reference, or range within which
you want to count numbers.
▪ value2, ... Optional. Up to 255 additional items, cell references, or
ranges within which you want to count numbers.

The arguments can contain or refer to a variety of different types of data, but only
numbers are counted.

3. MIN function

Returns the smallest number in a set of values.

Syntax: MIN(number1, [number2], ...)

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The MIN function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ Number1, number2, ... Number1 is optional, subsequent numbers are

optional. 1 to 255 numbers for which you want to find the minimum
value.

4. MAX function

Returns the largest value in a set of values.

Syntax: MAX(number1, [number2], ...)

The MAX function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ Number1, number2, ... Number1 is required, subsequent numbers are

optional. 1 to 255 numbers for which you want to find the maximum
value.

5. VLOOKUP function

Use VLOOKUP when you need to find things in a table or a range by row.

In its simplest form, the VLOOKUP function says:

=VLOOKUP(What you want to look up, where you want to look for it, the column
number in the range containing the value to return, return an Approximate or Exact
match – indicated as 1/TRUE, or 0/FALSE).

Use the VLOOKUP function to look up a value in a table.

Syntax : VLOOKUP (lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])

6. HLOOKUP function

Searches for a value in the top row of a table or an array of values, and then returns a
value in the same column from a row you specify in the table or array. Use
HLOOKUP when your comparison values are located in a row across the top of a
table of data, and you want to look down a specified number of rows. Use VLOOKUP

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when your comparison values are located in a column to the left of the data you want
to find.

The H in HLOOKUP stands for "Horizontal."

Syntax HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num, [range_lookup])

The HLOOKUP function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ Lookup_value Required. The value to be found in the first row of the

table. Lookup_value can be a value, a reference, or a text string.
▪ Table_array Required. A table of information in which data is looked
up. Use a reference to a range or a range name.
▪ The values in the first row of table_array can be text, numbers, or
logical values.
▪ If range_lookup is TRUE, the values in the first row of table_array
must be placed in ascending order: ...-2, -1, 0, 1, 2,... , A-Z,
FALSE, TRUE; otherwise, HLOOKUP may not give the correct
value. If range_lookup is FALSE, table_array does not need to be
sorted.
▪ Uppercase and lowercase text are equivalent.
▪ Sort the values in ascending order, left to right. For more
information, see Sort data in a range or table.
▪ Row_index_num Required. The row number in table_array from which
the matching value will be returned. A row_index_num of 1 returns the
first row value in table_array, a row_index_num of 2 returns the second
row value in table_array, and so on. If row_index_num is less than 1,
HLOOKUP returns the #VALUE! error value; if row_index_num is
greater than the number of rows on table_array, HLOOKUP returns the
#REF! error value.
▪ Range_lookup Optional. A logical value that specifies whether you
want HLOOKUP to find an exact match or an approximate match. If
TRUE or omitted, an approximate match is returned. In other words, if an
exact match is not found, the next largest value that is less than

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 lookup_value is returned. If FALSE, HLOOKUP will find an exact
match. If one is not found, the error value #N/A is returned.

7. COUNTA function

The COUNTA function counts the number of cells that are not empty in a range.

Syntax: COUNTA(value1, [value2], ...)

The COUNTA function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ value1 Required. The first argument representing the values that you
want to count.
▪ value2, ... Optional. Additional arguments representing the values that
you want to count, up to a maximum of 255 arguments.

8. COUNTBLANK function

Use the COUNTBLANK function, one of the Statistical functions, to count the
number of empty cells in a range of cells.

Syntax: COUNTBLANK(range)

The COUNTBLANK function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ Range Required. The range from which you want to count the blank
cells.

9. IF function

The IF function is one of the most popular functions in Excel, and it allows you to
make logical comparisons between a value and what you expect. So an IF statement
can have two results. The first result is if your comparison is True, the second if your
comparison is False. Use the IF function, one of the logical functions, to return one
value if a condition is true and another value if it's false.

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 Syntax: IF(logical_test, value_if_true, [value_if_false])

10. LEFT function

LEFT returns the first character or characters in a text string, based on the number of
characters you specify.

Syntax: LEFT(text, [num_chars])

The function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ Text Required. The text string that contains the characters you want to
extract.
▪ Num_chars Optional. Specifies the number of characters you want
LEFT to extract.
▪ Num_chars must be greater than or equal to zero.
▪ If num_chars is greater than the length of text, LEFT returns all of
text.
▪ If num_chars is omitted, it is assumed to be 1.

11. RIGHT function

RIGHT returns the last character or characters in a text string, based on the number of
characters you specify.

Syntax: RIGHT(text,[num_chars])

The RIGHT functions have the following arguments:

▪ Text Required. The text string containing the characters you want to
extract.
▪ Num_chars Optional. Specifies the number of characters you want
RIGHT to extract.
▪ Num_chars must be greater than or equal to zero.
▪ If num_chars is greater than the length of text, RIGHT returns all
of text.
▪ If num_chars is omitted, it is assumed to be 1.

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 12. ROUND function

The ROUND function rounds a number to a specified number of digits.

Syntax: ROUND(number, num_digits)

The ROUND function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ number Required. The number that you want to round.

▪ num_digits Required. The number of digits to which you want to round
the number argument.

13. DATE function

The DATE function returns the sequential serial number that represents a particular
date.

Syntax: DATE(year,month,day)

The DATE function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ Year Required. The value of the year argument can include one to four
digits. Excel interprets the year argument according to the date system
your computer is using. By default, Microsoft Excel for Windows uses the
1900 date system, which means the first date is January 1, 1900.

Use four digits for the year argument to prevent unwanted results. For
example, "07" could mean "1907" or "2007." Four digit years prevent
confusion.

▪ If year is between 0 (zero) and 1899 (inclusive), Excel adds that

value to 1900 to calculate the year. For example, DATE(108,1,2)
returns January 2, 2008 (1900+108).

▪ If year is between 1900 and 9999 (inclusive), Excel uses that value
as the year. For example, DATE(2008,1,2) returns January 2,
2008.

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 ▪ If year is less than 0 or is 10000 or greater, Excel returns the
#NUM! error value.

▪ Month Required. A positive or negative integer representing the month

of the year from 1 to 12 (January to December).

▪ If month is greater than 12, month adds that number of months to

the first month in the year specified. For example,
DATE(2008,14,2) returns the serial number representing February
2, 2009.

▪ If month is less than 1, month subtracts the magnitude of that

number of months, plus 1, from the first month in the year
specified. For example, DATE(2008,-3,2) returns the serial
number representing September 2, 2007.

▪ Day Required. A positive or negative integer representing the day of the

month from 1 to 31.

▪ If day is greater than the number of days in the month

specified, day adds that number of days to the first day in the
month. For example, DATE(2008,1,35) returns the serial number
representing February 4, 2008.

▪ If day is less than 1, day subtracts the magnitude that number of

days, plus one, from the first day of the month specified. For
example, DATE(2008,1,-15) returns the serial number
representing December 16, 2007.

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 CONDITIONAL FORMATTING

Conditional formatting makes it easy to highlight certain values or make particular

cells easy to identify. This changes the appearance of a cell range based on a condition
(or criteria). You can use conditional formatting to highlight cells that contain values
which meet a certain condition. Or you can format a whole cell range and vary the
exact format as the value of each cell varies.

Temperature information with conditional formatting applied that shows top 10% and
bottom 10% values

Temperature information with 3-color scale conditional formatting applied

Apply conditional formatting

1. Select the range of cells, the table, or the whole sheet that you want to
apply conditional formatting to.
2. On the Home tab, click Conditional Formatting.

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 3. Do one of the following:

To highlight Do this

Values in specific cells. Examples are dates after this Point to Highlight Cells
week, or numbers between 50 and 100, or the bottom Rules or Top/Bottom Rules,
10% of scores. and then click the appropriate
option.

The relationship of values in a cell range. Extends a band Point to Data Bars, and then
of colour across the cell. Examples are comparisons of click the fill that you want.
prices or populations in the largest cities.

The relationship of values in a cell range. Applies a Point to Colour Scales, and
colour scale where the intensity of the cell's colour then click the scale that you
reflects the value's placement toward the top or bottom of want.
the range. An example is sales distributions across
regions.

A cell range that contains three to five groups of values, Point to Icon Sets, and then
where each group has its own threshold. For example, click a set.
you might assign a set of three icons to highlight cells that
reflect sales below $80,000, below $60,000, and below
$40,000. Or you might assign a 5-point rating system for
automobiles and apply a set of five icons.

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 SORT AND FILTER

Sorting data is an integral part of data analysis. Sorting data helps you quickly
visualize and understand your data better, organize and find the data that you want,
and ultimately make more effective decisions. You can sort data by text (A to Z or Z
to A), numbers (smallest to largest or largest to smallest), and dates and times (oldest
to newest and newest to oldest) in one or more columns.

Sort Text

1. Select a cell in the column you want to sort.

2. On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, do one of the following:

▪ To quick sort in ascending order, click (Sort A to Z).

▪ To quick sort in descending order, click (Sort Z to A).

Sort Numbers

1. Select a cell in the column you want to sort.

2. On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, do one of the following:

▪ To sort from low to high, click (Sort Smallest to

Largest).

▪ To sort from high to low, click (Sort Largest to

Smallest).

Sort Dates or Times

1. Select a cell in the column you want to sort.

2. On the Data tab, in the Sort & Filter group, do one of the following:

▪ To sort from an earlier to a later date or time, click (Sort

Oldest to Newest).

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 ▪ To sort from a later to an earlier date or time, click (Sort
Newest to Oldest).

Filter Data in a Range or Table

Use AutoFilter or built-in comparison operators like "greater than" and “top 10” in
Excel to show the data you want and hide the rest. Once you filter data in a range of
cells or table, you can either reapply a filter to get up-to-date results, or clear a filter to
redisplay all of the data. Use filters to temporarily hide some of the data in a table, so
you can focus on the data you want to see.

Filter a Range of Data

1. Select any cell within the range.

2. Select Data > Filter.

3. Select the column header arrow .

4. Select Text Filters or Number Filters, and then select a comparison,
like Between.

5. Enter the filter criteria and select OK.

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Filter Data in a Table

When you put your data in a table, filter controls are automatically added to the table
headers.

1. Select the column header arrow for the column you want to filter.
2. Uncheck (Select All) and select the boxes you want to show.

3. Select OK.

The column header arrow changes to a Filter icon. Select this icon
to change or clear the filter.

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 PIVOT TABLE

Create a PivotTable to Analyse worksheet data

PivotTable is a powerful tool to calculate, summarize, and analyze data that lets you
see comparisons, patterns, and trends in your data. PivotTables work a little bit
differently depending on what platform you are using to run Excel.

Create a PivotTable in Excel for Windows

1. Select the cells you want to create a PivotTable from.

2. Select Insert > PivotTable.

3. This creates a PivotTable based on an existing table or range.

4. Choose where you want the PivotTable report to be placed. Select New
Worksheet to place the PivotTable in a new worksheet or Existing
Worksheet and select where you want the new PivotTable to appear.

5. Select OK.

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Building out your Pivot Table

1. To add a field to your PivotTable, select the field name checkbox in

the PivotTables Fields pane.

Selected fields are added to their default areas: non-numeric fields are
added to Rows, date and time hierarchies are added to Columns, and
numeric fields are added to Values.

2. To move a field from one area to another, drag the field to the target area.

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 MACROS

A macro is an action or a set of actions that you can run as many times as you want.
When you create a macro, you are recording your mouse clicks and keystrokes. After
you create a macro, you can edit it to make minor changes to the way it works.

Suppose that every month, you create a report for your accounting manager. You want
to format the names of the customers with overdue accounts in red, and also apply
bold formatting. You can create and then run a macro that quickly applies these
formatting changes to the cells you select.

Before you record a macro

Macros and VBA tools can be found on the Developer tab, which is hidden by
default, so the first step is to enable it.

Record a macro

1. In the Code group on the Developer tab, click Record Macro.

2. Optionally, enter a name for the macro in the Macro name box, enter a
shortcut key in the Shortcut key box, and a description in
the Description box, and then click OK to start recording.

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 3. Perform the actions you want to automate, such as entering boilerplate
text or filling down a column of data.
4. On the Developer tab, click Stop Recording.

Take a closer look at the macro

You can learn a little about the Visual Basic programming language by editing a
macro.

To edit a macro, in the Code group on the Developer tab, click Macros, select the
name of the macro, and click Edit. This starts the Visual Basic Editor.

RUN A MACRO

1. Open the workbook that contains the macro.

2. On the Developer tab, in the Code group, click Macros.

3. In the Macro name box, click the macro that you want to run, and press
the Run button.

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 POWER QUERY

With Power Query (known as Get & Transform in Excel), you can import or connect
to external data, and then shape that data, for example remove a column, change a data
type, or merge tables, in ways that meet your needs. Then, you can load your query
into Excel to create charts and reports. Periodically, you can refresh the data to make it
up to date.

There are four phases to using Power Query:

1. Connect: Make connections to data in the cloud, on a service, or locally.

You can use Power Query to import to a single data source, such as an
Excel workbook, or to multiple databases, feeds, or services scattered
across the cloud. Data sources include data from the Web, files, databases,
Azure, or even Excel tables in the current workbook. With Power Query,
you can then bring all those data sources together using your own unique
transformations and combinations to uncover insights you otherwise
wouldn’t have seen. Once imported, you can refresh the data to bring in
additions, changes, and deletes from the external data source.

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2. Transform: Shape data to meet your needs, while the original source
remains unchanged. Transforming data means modifying it in some way
to meet your data analysis requirements. For example, you can remove a
column, change a data type, or filter rows. Each of these operations is a
data transformation. This process of applying transformations
(and combining) to one or more sets of data is also called shaping data.

Power Query uses a dedicated window called the Power Query Editor to
facilitate and display data transformations. You can open the Power Query
Editor by selecting Launch Query Editor from the Get Data command
in the Get & Transform Data group, but it also opens when you connect
to a data source, create a new query, or load a query.

The Power Query Editor keeps track of everything you do with the data
by recording and labelling each transformation, or step, that you apply to
the data. Whether the transformation is a data connection, a column
removal, a merge, or a data type change, you can view and modify each
transformation in the APPLIED STEPS section of the Query
Settings pane.

3. Combine Integrate data from multiple sources to get a unique view into
the data.You can combine multiple queries in your Excel workbook by
appending or merging them. The Append and Merge operations are
performed on any query with a tabular shape and are independent of the
data sources that the data comes from.

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 Append: An append operation creates a new query that contains all rows
from a first query followed by all rows from a second query. You can
perform two types of append operations:

▪ Intermediate Append Creates a new query for each append operation.

▪ Inline Append Appends data to your existing query until you reach a
final result.

Merge: A merge operation creates a new query from two existing queries. This one
query contains all columns from a primary table, with one column serving as a
navigation link to a related table. The related table contains all rows that match each
row from a common column value in the primary table. Furthermore, you can expand
or add columns from a related table into a primary table.

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 4. Load Complete your query and load it into a worksheet or Data Model
and periodically refresh it. There are two main ways to load queries into
your workbook:

▪ From the Power Query Editor, you can use the Close and
Load commands in the Close group on the Home tab.

▪ From the Excel Workbook Queries pane (Select Queries &

Connections), you can right-click a query and select Load To.

You can also fine-tune your load options by using the Query Options dialog box
(Select File > Options and settings > Query Options) to select how you want to
view your data and where you want to load the data, either in a worksheet or a Data
Model (which is a relational data source of multiple tables that reside in a workbook).

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 INDEX FORMULA

The INDEX function returns a value or the reference to a value from within a table or
range.

There are two ways to use the INDEX function:

1. If you want to return the value of a specified cell or array of cells,

Description: Returns the value of an element in a table or an array, selected by the

row and column number indexes. Use the array form if the first argument to INDEX is
an array constant.

Syntax: INDEX(array, row_num, [column_num])

The array form of the INDEX function has the following arguments:

1. array Required. A range of cells or an array constant.

▪ If array contains only one row or column, the corresponding
row_num or column_num argument is optional.
▪ If array has more than one row and more than one column, and
only row_num or column_num is used, INDEX returns an array of
the entire row or column in array.
2. row_num Required, unless column_num is present. Selects the row in
array from which to return a value. If row_num is omitted, column_num
is required.
3. column_num Optional. Selects the column in array from which to
return a value. If column_num is omitted, row_num is required.

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 2. If you want to return a reference to specified cells

Description: Returns the reference of the cell at the intersection of a particular row
and column. If the reference is made up of non-adjacent selections, you can pick the
selection to look in.

Syntax: INDEX(reference, row_num, [column_num], [area_num])

The reference form of the INDEX function has the following arguments:

▪ reference Required. A reference to one or more cell ranges.

▪ If you are entering a non-adjacent range for the reference, enclose
reference in parentheses.
▪ If each area in reference contains only one row or column, the
row_num or column_num argument, respectively, is optional. For
example, for a single row reference, use
INDEX(reference,,column_num).
▪ row_num Required. The number of the row in reference from which to
return a reference.
▪ column_num Optional. The number of the column in reference from
which to return a reference.
▪ area_num Optional. Selects a range in reference from which to return
the intersection of row_num and column_num. The first area selected or
entered is numbered 1, the second is 2, and so on.

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 MATCH FORMULA

The MATCH function searches for a specified item in a range of cells, and then
returns the relative position of that item in the range.

Syntax: MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type])

The MATCH function syntax has the following arguments:

▪ lookup_value Required. The value that you want to match

in lookup_array. For example, when you look up someone's number in a
telephone book, you are using the person's name as the lookup value, but
the telephone number is the value you want.

The lookup_value argument can be a value (number, text, or logical

value) or a cell reference to a number, text, or logical value.
▪ lookup_array Required. The range of cells being searched.
▪ match_type Optional. The number -1, 0, or 1.
The match_type argument specifies how Excel
matches lookup_value with values in lookup_array. The default value for
this argument is 1.
▪ MATCH returns the position of the matched value within lookup_array, not
the value itself. For example, MATCH("b",{"a","b","c"},0) returns 2,
which is the relative position of "b" within the array {"a","b","c"}.
▪ MATCH does not distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters when
matching text values.
▪ If MATCH is unsuccessful in finding a match, it returns the #N/A error value.
▪ If match_type is 0 and lookup_value is a text string, you can use the wildcard
characters — the question mark (?) and asterisk (*) — in
the lookup_value argument. A question mark matches any single character; an
asterisk matches any sequence of characters. If you want to find an actual
question mark or asterisk, type a tilde (~) before the character.

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 CHARTS AND GRAPHS

A Graph in Excel is a design tool that helps us visualize data. Excel has a variety of
graphs and charts that can be used to represent data in different ways.

Create a Chart

1. Select data for the chart.

2. Select Insert > Recommended Charts.

3. Select a chart on the Recommended Charts tab, to preview the chart.

4. Select a chart.
5. Select OK.

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Add a Trendline

1. Select a chart.
2. Select Chart Design > Add Chart Element.
3. Select Trendline and then select the type of trendline you want, such
as Linear, Exponential, Linear Forecast, or Moving Average.

Add a Chart Title

1. In the chart, select the "Chart Title" box and type in a title.
2. Select the + sign to the top-right of the chart.
3. Select the arrow next to Chart Title.
4. Select Centered Overlay to lay the title over the chart, or More
Options for additional choices.
5. Right-click the chart title to format it with options like Fill or Outline.

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Remove a Chart Title

1. Click on the chart.

2. Select the + sign to the top-right of the chart.
3. Uncheck the checkbox next to Chart Title.

Show a Chart Legend

1. Select a chart and then select the plus sign to the top right.
2. Point to Legend and select the arrow next to it.
3. Choose where you want the legend to appear in your chart.

Hide a Chart Legend

1. Select a legend to hide.

2. Press Delete.

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Show or Hide a Data Table

1. Select a chart and then select the plus sign to the top right.
2. To show a data table, point to Data Table and select the arrow next to it,
and then select a display option.
3. To hide the data table, uncheck the Data Table option.

Add or Remove a Secondary Axis in a Chart

1. Select a chart to open Chart Tools.

2. Select Design > Change Chart Type.
3. Select Combo > Cluster Column - Line on Secondary Axis.
4. Select Secondary Axis for the data series you want to show.
5. Select the drop-down arrow and choose Line.
6. Select OK.

Add a Trendline

1. Select a chart.
2. Select the + to the top right of the chart.
3. Select Trendline.
4. In the Add Trendline dialog box, select any data series options you want,
and click OK.

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Format a Trendline

1. Click anywhere in the chart.

2. On the Format tab, in the Current Selection group, select the trendline
option in the dropdown list.
3. Click Format Selection.
4. In the Format Trendline pane, select a Trendline Option to choose the
trendline you want for your chart. Formatting a trendline is a statistical
way to measure data:

5. Set a value in the Forward and Backward fields to project your data into
the future.

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Add a Moving Average Line

You can format your trendline to a moving average line.

1. Click anywhere in the chart.

2. On the Format tab, in the Current Selection group, select the trendline
option in the dropdown list.
3. Click Format Selection.
4. In the Format Trendline pane, under Trendline Options, select Moving
Average. Specify the points if necessary.

Instant Charts using Quick Analysis

Quick Analysis takes a range of data and helps you pick the perfect chart with just a
few commands.

1. Select a range of cells.

2. Select the Quick Analysis button that appears at the bottom right corner
of the selected data.

Or, press Ctrl + Q.

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 3. Select Charts.

4. Hover over the chart types to preview a chart, and then select the chart
you want.
5. Select More > All Charts to all available see all charts available. Preview
and select OK when done to insert the chart.

Use Sparklines to Show Data Trends

A sparkline is a tiny chart in a worksheet cell that provides a visual representation of

data. Use sparklines to show trends in a series of values, such as seasonal increases or
decreases, economic cycles, or to highlight maximum and minimum values. Position a
sparkline near its data for greatest impact.

Add a Sparkline

1. Select a blank cell at the end of a row of data.

2. Select Insert and pick Sparkline type, like Line, or Column.
3. Select cells in the row and OK in menu.
4. More rows of data? Drag handle to add a Sparkline for each row.

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Format a Sparkline Chart

1. Select the Sparkline chart.

2. Select Sparkline and then select an option.

• Select Line, Column, or Win/Loss to change the chart type.

• Check Markers to highlight individual values in the Sparkline
chart.
• Select a Style for the Sparkline.
• Select Sparkline Color and the color.
• Select Sparkline Color > Weight to select the width of the
Sparkline.
• Select Marker Color to change the color of the markers.
• If the data has positive and negative values, select Axis to show
the axis.

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 TYPES OF CHARTS IN EXCEL

1. Column Chart

Data that is arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in a column

chart. A column chart typically displays categories along the horizontal (category)
axis and values along the vertical (value) axis, as shown in this chart:

Types of column charts

▪ Clustered column and 3-D clustered column

A clustered column chart shows values in 2-D columns. A 3-D clustered

column chart shows columns in 3-D format, but it doesn’t use a third
value axis (depth axis). Use this chart when you have categories that
represent:

▪ Ranges of values (for example, item counts).

▪ Specific scale arrangements (for example, a Likert scale with

entries like Strongly agree, Agree, Neutral, Disagree, Strongly
disagree).

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 ▪ Names that are not in any specific order (for example, item names,
geographic names, or the names of people).

▪ Stacked column and 3-D stacked column A stacked column chart

shows values in 2-D stacked columns. A 3-D stacked column chart shows
the stacked columns in 3-D format, but it doesn’t use a depth axis. Use
this chart when you have multiple data series and you want to emphasize
the total.

▪ 100% stacked column and 3-D 100% stacked column A 100%

stacked column chart shows values in 2-D columns that are stacked to
represent 100%. A 3-D 100% stacked column chart shows the columns in
3-D format, but it doesn’t use a depth axis. Use this chart when you have
two or more data series and you want to emphasize the contributions to
the whole, especially if the total is the same for each category.

▪ 3-D column 3-D column charts use three axes that you can change (a
horizontal axis, a vertical axis, and a depth axis), and they compare data
points along the horizontal and the depth axes. Use this chart when you
want to compare data across both categories and data series.

2. Line Chart

Data that is arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in a line chart.
In a line chart, category data is distributed evenly along the horizontal axis, and all
value data is distributed evenly along the vertical axis. Line charts can show
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continuous data over time on an evenly scaled axis, so they are ideal for showing
trends in data at equal intervals, like months, quarters, or fiscal years.

Types of line charts

▪ Line and line with markers Shown with or without markers to indicate
individual data values, line charts can show trends over time or evenly
spaced categories, especially when you have many data points and the
order in which they are presented is important. If there are many
categories or the values are approximate, use a line chart without markers.

▪ Stacked line and stacked line with markers Shown with or without
markers to indicate individual data values, stacked line charts can show
the trend of the contribution of each value over time or evenly spaced
categories.

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 ▪ 100% stacked line and 100% stacked line with markers Shown with
or without markers to indicate individual data values, 100% stacked line
charts can show the trend of the percentage each value contributes over
time or evenly spaced categories. If there are many categories or the
values are approximate, use a 100% stacked line chart without markers.

▪ 3-D line 3-D line charts show each row or column of data as a 3-D
ribbon. A 3-D line chart has horizontal, vertical, and depth axes that you
can change.

3. Pie Charts

Data that is arranged in one column or row on a worksheet can be plotted in a pie
chart. Pie charts show the size of items in one data series, proportional to the sum of
the items. The data points in a pie chart are shown as a percentage of the whole pie.

Consider using a pie chart when:

▪ You have only one data series.

▪ None of the values in your data are negative.

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 ▪ Almost none of the values in your data are zero values.

▪ You have no more than seven categories, all of which represent parts of
the whole pie.

Types of pie charts

▪ Pie and 3-D pie Pie charts show the contribution of each value to a total
in a 2-D or 3-D format. You can pull out slices of a pie chart manually to
emphasize the slices.

▪ Pie of pie and bar of pie Pie of pie or bar of pie charts show pie charts
with smaller values pulled out into a secondary pie or stacked bar chart,
which makes them easier to distinguish.

4. Doughnut charts

Data that's arranged in columns or rows only on a worksheet can be plotted in a

doughnut chart. Like a pie chart, a doughnut chart shows the relationship of parts to a
whole, but it can contain more than one data series.

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Types of doughnut charts

▪ Doughnut Doughnut charts show data in rings, where each ring

represents a data series. If percentages are shown in data labels, each ring
will total 100%.

5. Bar chart

Data that is arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in a bar chart.
Bar charts illustrate comparisons among individual items. In a bar chart, the categories
are typically organized along the vertical axis, and the values along the horizontal
axis.

Consider using a bar chart when:

▪ The axis labels are long.

▪ The values that are shown are durations.

Types of bar charts

▪ Clustered bar and 3-D clustered bar A clustered bar chart shows bars
in 2-D format. A 3-D clustered bar chart shows bars in 3-D format; it does
not use a depth axis.
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 ▪ Stacked bar and 3-D stacked bar Stacked bar charts show the
relationship of individual items to the whole in 2-D bars. A 3-D stacked
bar chart shows bars in 3-D format; it does not use a depth axis.

▪ 100% stacked bar and 3-D 100% stacked bar A 100% stacked bar
shows 2-D bars that compare the percentage that each value contributes to
a total across categories. A 3-D 100% stacked bar chart shows bars in 3-D
format; it does not use a depth axis.

6. Area chart

Data that is arranged in columns or rows on a worksheet can be plotted in an area

chart. Area charts can be used to plot change over time and draw attention to the total
value across a trend. By showing the sum of the plotted values, an area chart also
shows the relationship of parts to a whole.

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Types of area charts

▪ Area and 3-D area Shown in 2-D or in 3-D format, area charts show
the trend of values over time or other category data. 3-D area charts use
three axes (horizontal, vertical, and depth) that you can change. As a rule,
consider using a line chart instead of a non-stacked area chart, because
data from one series can be hidden behind data from another series.

▪ Stacked area and 3-D stacked area Stacked area charts show the trend
of the contribution of each value over time or other category data in 2-D
format. A 3-D stacked area chart does the same, but it shows areas in 3-D
format without using a depth axis.

▪ 100% stacked area and 3-D 100% stacked area 100% stacked area
charts show the trend of the percentage that each value contributes over
time or other category data. A 3-D 100% stacked area chart does the
same, but it shows areas in 3-D format without using a depth axis.

7. XY (scatter) and bubble chart

Data that is arranged in columns and rows on a worksheet can be plotted in an xy

(scatter) chart. Place the x values in one row or column, and then enter the
corresponding y values in the adjacent rows or columns.

A scatter chart has two value axes: a horizontal (x) and a vertical (y) value axis. It
combines x and y values into single data points and shows them in irregular intervals,

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or clusters. Scatter charts are typically used for showing and comparing numeric
values, like scientific, statistical, and engineering data.

Consider using a scatter chart when:

▪ You want to change the scale of the horizontal axis.

▪ You want to make that axis a logarithmic scale.

▪ Values for horizontal axis are not evenly spaced.

▪ There are many data points on the horizontal axis.

▪ You want to adjust the independent axis scales of a scatter chart to reveal
more information about data that includes pairs or grouped sets of values.

▪ You want to show similarities between large sets of data instead of

differences between data points.

▪ You want to compare many data points without regard to time—the more
data that you include in a scatter chart, the better the comparisons you can
make.

Types of scatter charts

▪ Scatter This chart shows data points without connecting lines to

compare pairs of values.

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▪ Scatter with smooth lines and markers and scatter with smooth
lines This chart shows a smooth curve that connects the data points.
Smooth lines can be shown with or without markers. Use a smooth line
without markers if there are many data points.

▪ Scatter with straight lines and markers and scatter with straight
lines This chart shows straight connecting lines between data points.
Straight lines can be shown with or without markers.

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 SHORT CUT KEYS

Description Excel Shortcuts

1. To create a new workbook Ctrl + N
2. To open an existing workbook Ctrl + O
3. To save a workbook/spreadsheet Ctrl + S
4. To close the current workbook Ctrl + W
5. To close Excel Ctrl + F4
6. To move to the next sheet Ctrl + PageDown
7. To move to the previous sheet Ctrl + PageUp
8. To go to the Data tab Alt + A
9. To go to the View tab Alt + W
10. To go the Formula tab Alt + M
11. To edit a cell F2
12. To copy and paste cells Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V
13. To italicize and make the font bold Ctrl + I, Ctrl + B
14. To center align cell contents Alt + H + A + C
15. To fill color Alt + H + H
16. To add a border Alt + H + B
17. To remove outline border Ctrl + Shift + _
18. To add an outline to the select cells Ctrl + Shift + &
19. To move to the next cell Tab
20. To move to the previous cell Shift + Tab
21. To select all the cells on the right Ctrl + Shift + Right arrow
22. To select all the cells on the left Ctrl + Shift + Left Arrow
23. To select the column from the selected cell Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow
to the end of the table
24. To select all the cells above the selected cell Ctrl + Shift + Up Arrow
25. To select all the cells below the selected cell Ctrl + Shift + Down Arrow
26. To add a comment to a cell Shift + F2
27. To delete a cell comment Shift + F10 + D
28. To display find and replace Ctrl + H

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29. To activate the filter Ctrl + Shift + L
30. To insert the current date Ctrl + ;
31. To insert current time Ctrl + Shift + :
32. To insert a hyperlink Ctrl + k
33. To apply the currency format Ctrl + Shift + $
34. To apply the percent format Ctrl + Shift + %
35. To go to the “Tell me what you want to do” Alt + Q
box
36. To select the entire row Shift + Space
37. To select the entire column Ctrl + Space
38. To delete a column Alt+H+D+C
39. To delete a row Shift + Space, Ctrl + -
40. To hide selected row Ctrl + 9
41. To unhide selected row Ctrl + Shift + 9
42. To hide a selected column Ctrl + 0
43. To unhide a selected column Ctrl + Shift + 0
44. To group rows or columns Alt + Shift + Right arrow
45. To ungroup rows or columns Alt + Shift + Left arrow
46. To group pivot table items Alt + Shift + Right arrow
47. To ungroup pivot table items Alt + Shift + Left arrow
48. To hide pivot table items Ctrl + -
49. To create a pivot chart on the same sheet Alt + F1
50. To create a pivot chart on a new worksheet F11

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