Data Manipulation with Excel

Seminar for the MBA students at the

August 2014

www.MarqueeGroup.ca
 Table of Contents
Section Page
Important Settings 2

Data Manipulation
Basic Tools 6
Functions 7
Auto Filter 8
Subtotal Function 10
Advanced Filter 11
VLookup Function 14
Absolute References 15
Conditional Formatting 16
Text Functions 17
Paste Special 18
Grouping Rows and Columns 19
Database Functions 20

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 Important Settings

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 Setting Up Your System
• The Options menu in Excel contains many important settings that
control the operation of the spreadsheets
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
 Tools  Options  File [F]  Options [T]

• One important setting is as follows:

Editing Options

– Turn off “Allow Editing Directly in Cell”

– When this selection is “off” and you edit a cell (F2 key), you will be
prompted to edit the formula in the formula bar at the top of the screen.
This is optimal.
– Alternatively, when this selection is “on” and you edit a cell, you will be
prompted to edit the formula directly in the cell. This can be problematic
because the formula may cover up numerous other cells on the screen that
you want to see while editing the formula.
– The other benefit from keeping this selection “off” is that if you double click
on a cell that contains a formula, the cursor will jump to the precedent cells
(it will only jump to the first cell reference in the formula if the first cell in
the formula is on a different worksheet).

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 Setting Up Your System (Cont’d)
• Some other important settings are as follows:
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
 File [F]  Options [T]  Formulas
 Tools  Options

Calculation Options
– Check the “Automatic” box in the Calculation section.
– This setting ensures that all formulas calculate automatically.
– If this option is set to “Manual”, nothing will happen when you enter a
formula until you press the F9 key to manually recalculate the spreadsheet.
– You may want to set this option to “Manual” if you are working on an
extremely large file because it could take Excel a few seconds to recalculate
the spreadsheet every time you make a change.
– Turn off the “Iteration” check box (the “Iteration” check box should only be
turned on when you are working on a spreadsheet that contains an
intentional circular reference).

• The settings on the “Excel Options” menu affect all spreadsheets that
are currently open. Therefore, if a setting is changed, the change will
take place on all the Excel files that are open.

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 Data Manipulation

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 Basic Tools
• The following tools are fairly simple but can be very helpful when
manipulating data.
Freezing Panes
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
 Window  Freeze Panes  View [W]  Freeze Panes [F]

– This tool allows you to freeze rows and/or columns in a spreadsheet.

– The key to freezing panes is to properly locate the cursor prior to running
this tool. All cells on top and to the left of the cursor will be frozen.

Sorting Data
– The Sorting Tool is an important, albeit overused tool.
– Many people sort their data numerous times when there are often more
effective ways to extract the desired output.
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
 Data  Sort  Data [A]  Sort [SS]
 Home [H]  Sort & Filter [S]

– Select any cell within your data and then run the Sort tool.
– The sort tool can also be found on the Home tab

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 Functions
• The following functions are particularly helpful for use in manipulating
data:
Function Table
Function Description

= Average(A1:A10) Calculates the average of a set of data

= Count(A1:A10) Counts the number of cells in a range that contain numbers
= CountA(A1:A10) Counts the number of cells in a range that are not empty
= Countif(A1:A10,">10") Counts the number of cells that meet a certain condition
= Large(A1:A10,n) Returns the nth largest value in a data set
= Max(A1:A10) Finds the maximum value in a set of data
= Median(A1:A10) Finds the median value in a set of data
= Min(A1:A10) Finds the minimum value in a set of data
= Mround(A1,5) Returns a number rounded to the desired multiple
= Product(A1:A10) Multiplies a range of data
= Rand() Returns a random number between 0 and 1
= Randbetween(bottom,top) Returns a random number between the numbers specified
= Round(A1,2) Rounds a selected cell to a specified number of digits
= Small(A1:A10,n) Returns the nth smallest value in a data set
= Sum(A1:A10) Sums a range of data
= Sumproduct(A1:A10,B1:B10) Sums the Products of pairs of data
= Sumif(A1:A10,">10") Sums a set of data that meet selected criteria

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 Auto Filter
• Excel has two filter tools that allow a user to extract a subset of
information from a range of data.
• The simpler of these two filter tools is the AutoFilter.
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
 Data  Filter  AutoFilter  Data [A]  Filter [T]

– The AutoFilter allows a user to filter data based on selected criteria

– The raw data needs to include column headings because the AutoFilter
inserts drop down menus beside each heading
– Use the Alt +  keys to open the drop down menus with the keyboard
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
Choose the “Custom” option within the filter pull- Within the filter drop-down menu, you will have
down menu to customize the criteria an option to customize the criteria

– When a Filter is on, the triangle on the drop down button will turn blue
– The row numbers on the left side of the screen will also turn blue when a
filter is on
– To reset the filters:
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
 Data  Filter  Show All Data [A]  Clear [C]

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 Auto Filter (Cont’d)
• The AutoFilter is a very simple tool. In fact, it is often too simple to
create the required subset of information.

Common Pitfalls
– There are two common pitfalls with the AutoFilter tool:
1. The Data needs to be filtered in place. Every time the drop down
menus are changed, the filtered subset will change. When using an
AutoFilter, if you want to create a subset of data and then keep the
subset, you will need to manually copy the subset elsewhere.
2. The AutoFilter cannot run sophisticated criteria.
– If either of the two pitfalls above becomes an impediment to using the
AutoFilter tool, the solution is to use Excel’s Advanced Filter (see
subsequent pages).

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 Subtotal Function
• When using an AutoFilter, the only way to perform mathematical
calculations on the subset of data is to use Excel’s Subtotal function.
= SUBTOTAL(Function_Num,Reference)

– The Subtotal function is necessary when using an AutoFilter because it only

performs operations on the visible cells
– The functions in the table below are the only options available. If a
different calculation is required, use the Advanced Filter to filter the data.

Subtotal Function Table

Function_Num Function Description

1 Average Calculates the average of the subset of data

2 Count Counts the number of cells in the subset that contain numbers
3 CountA Counts the number of cells in the subset that contain text OR numbers
4 Max Finds and returns the maximum value in the subset of data
5 Min Finds and returns the minimum value in the subset of data
6 Product Multiplies the cells in the subset of data
7 Stdev Estimates the standard deviation based on a sample
8 StdevP Calculates the standard deviation based on the entire population
9 Sum Sums the subset of data
10 Var Estimates the variance based on a sample
11 VarP Calculates the variance based on the entire population

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 Advanced Filter
• If you need a subset of data and you discover that the AutoFilter is too
restrictive, you will need to use Excel’s Advanced Filter (see discussion
of pitfalls on AutoFilter pages).

• The Advanced Filter is a very important tool because it allows you to:
– filter data based on more elaborate criteria than the AutoFilter; and
– place the filtered subset in a new location to keep the original data intact.

• The steps to set up an Advanced Filter are as follows:

1. Ensure that the raw data has column headings;
2. Add a few blank rows on top the raw data;
3. Copy the column headings to a blank row a few rows above the raw data.
This will be the criteria section for the Advanced Filter;
4. Within the Criteria section, place criteria on top of one another to use the
OR logical operator. Place criteria beside one another to use the AND
logical operator. Each row within the Criteria section is a separate request
to extract rows from the raw data (see example on subsequent pages).

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 Advanced Filter (Cont’d)
• The steps to run an Advanced Filter are as follows:
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
 Data  Filter  Advanced Filter  Data [A]  Advanced Filter [Q]

In the menu box that appears, fill in the following information:

– Check Box: Choose whether you want to
filter the data in place or copy the subset
to another location.
– List Range: Select the entire range of
raw data, including the column headings.
– Criteria Range: Select the few rows at
the top of the spreadsheet that contain
the criteria. Again, be sure to include
the column headings.
– Copy to: If you previously selected
the box that says, “Copy to another
location”, you need to indicate where
Excel should put the new subset (the
new subset must be placed on the
same worksheet as the raw data).

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 Advanced Filter (Cont’d)
• The following tables provide an example:
Table 1 Table 2
A B C A B C
1 Name University Age 1 Name University Age
2 Michelle Western 24 2
3 Paul McGill 32 3
4 Ken Queens 21 4
5 Cindy Western 26 5 Name University Age
6 Susie McGill 29 6 Michelle Western 24
7 Sophie Queens 33 7 Paul McGill 32
8 8 Ken Queens 21
9 9 Cindy Western 26
10 10 Susie McGill 29
11 11 Sophie Queens 33

Table 1 is a list of raw data that contains the In Table 2, a few blank rows were added above
name, university and age of various students. the data and the column headings were
repeated.

Table 3 Table 4
A B C A B C
1 Name University Age 1 Name Age Age
2 Western > 24 2 > 24 <= 32
3 Queens > 20 3
4 4
5 Name University Age 5 Name University Age
6 Michelle Western 24 6 Michelle Western 24
7 Paul McGill 32 7 Paul McGill 32
8 Ken Queens 21 8 Ken Queens 21
9 Cindy Western 26 9 Cindy Western 26
10 Susie McGill 29 10 Susie McGill 29
11 Sophie Queens 33 11 Sophie Queens 33

In Table 3, the user has made two separate In Table 4, the user has requested a list of all
requests. The user would like to see a list of all students who are >24 AND <=32. To filter in
students who are either 1. at Western and between a range, repeat the column heading
>24; OR 2. at Queens and >20. The filtered in the criteria section twice. The filtered subset
subset will contain Ken, Cindy and Sophie. will contain Paul, Cindy and Susie.
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 VLookup Function
• Lookup Functions are very useful for extracting information from large
tables
= VLOOKUP(Lookup_value, Table_array, Col_index_num, Range_lookup)
– VLOOKUP (vertical lookup) searches for a value in the leftmost column of a
table, and then returns a value in the same row from a column you specify

The VLookup function has 4 arguments:

• Lookup_value: This is the item you are searching for. This item must be
found in the leftmost column of the Table_array.
• Table_array: The entire table in which you are searching for the data.
• Col_index_num: When Excel finds the item you are searching for (the
Lookup-value) in the leftmost column of the table (the
Table_array), it will move a certain number of columns to
the right to extract the data that you are looking to retrieve.
• Range_lookup: To find a close match, type TRUE (or omit).
To find an exact match, type FALSE.
Example Table
A B C
1 Name University Age
=VLOOKUP(“Ken”,A1:C5,3,False)
2 Michelle Western 24 - This function will return 21, because it
3 Paul McGill 32
4 Ken Queens 21
will search for the word “Ken” in
5 Cindy Western 26 column A and then return the
corresponding age in the third column
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 Absolute References
• The ability to create formulas with absolute references is extremely
important when manipulating data and building financial models
– By default, Excel uses relative referencing
– Absolute references allow you to “freeze” a reference to a particular cell,
row or column by inserting dollar signs in front of the row reference, the
column reference or both
– As seen in the following example, if a formula references cell A1 and you
copy that formula down two rows and over two columns, the following
references will result

Formula Being Copied Cell Reference and Description

A B C D Reference Description Changes to
1 =$A$1 (absolute column and absolute row) =$A$1
2 =A$1 (relative column and absolute row) =C$1
3 =$A1 (absolute column and relative row) =$A3

4 =A1 (relative column and relative row) =C3

– To insert the dollar signs more quickly while editing a formula, use the F4
key to toggle between the various absolute referencing options

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 Conditional Formatting
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
 Format  Conditional Formatting  Home [H]  Conditional Formatting [L]

– This function formats cells that meet pre-specified criteria

– If you have more than one rule, the first rule will take priority over the
second rule, so it’s important to enter the rules in the appropriate order
– The first step is to highlight all data that you want the formatting applied to
(when highlighting a column, you must start at the top and highlight down)
– There are two ways to conditionally format cells:
1. Based on the cell’s values
2. Based on a formula applied to the cells
– Using method 1, if “Cell Value Is” greater than 25 and less than 100, all
values between 25 and 100 will be formatted
– Using method 2, enter the following formula =D2>average($D$2:$D$558)
– In the formula above, any values larger than the average will be shaded
(think of the = sign at the beginning of the formula as the word “if”)
• For the “Formula Is” option, the formula has to return a value of TRUE or FALSE
• If the formula returns TRUE, the selected formatting will be applied
• If the formula returns FALSE, the selected formatting will not be applied

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 Text Functions
• Text functions are very important when editing and manipulating data
• The following are some important text functions:

Text Function Table

Function Description
= Left(text,num_chars) Returns x number of characters from a cell, starting from the left

= Right(text,num_chars) Returns x number of characters from a cell, starting from the right

= Mid(text,start_num,num_chars) Returns a specific number of characters from a text string

starting at the position you specify

= Find(find_text,within_text,start_num) Finds one text string within another text string and returns the
number of the starting position of the found string (case sensitive)

= Len(text) Returns the number of characters in a text string

= Upper(text) Converts a text string to all uppercase letters

= Lower(text) Converts a text string to all lowercase letters

= Proper(text) Converts a text string to proper case so that the first letter in each
word is uppercase and all other letters are lowercase

= Text(value,format_text) Converts a value to text in a specific number format

= Trim(text) Removes all spaces from a text string except for single spaces
between words

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 Paste Special Command
Paste Special
Excel 2003 Excel 2010
 Edit  Paste Special  Home [H]  Paste [V]  Paste Special [S]

– Allows you to paste specific elements from one cell to another

– Can be used to paste Formats, Values, or Mathematical Operations
– Can also be used to transpose text or data
– If you want to multiply a bunch of numbers by 1,000:
• Enter 1,000 into a blank cell
• Put the cursor on the cell containing the 1,000 and select Copy (Ctrl + C)
• Highlight all of the cells you want to multiply by 1,000 and then select:

Excel 2003 Excel 2010

 Edit  Paste Special  Multiply  Home [H]  Paste [V]  Paste Special [S] 
Multiply

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 Grouping Rows and Columns
• Occasionally, you may not want to show a particular row or column
• Under most circumstances, you should NOT use the HIDE function
– When a row or column is hidden, it is very difficult for others using the file
to know that it is hidden

• Instead, you should use the GROUPING function if you don’t want
certain rows or columns to be visible
– The GROUPING function puts handles with buttons around each of the
grouped rows or columns so that you can instantly realize that certain rows
or columns are not visible

Excel 2003 Excel 2010

 Data  Group and Outline  Group  Data [A]  Group [G]  Group [G]

– Keyboard Shortcut: Shift + Alt + left or right arrow

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 Database Functions

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 Database Functions
● Excel’s Database functions are some of the most powerful and
underutilized functions in Excel.
− Whenever there is a large spreadsheet of data (i.e. a list of employees,
deals, transactions, etc.), people often want to know the sum or average of
a subset of the data.

− For example, if there was a spreadsheet that contained a listing of all the
employees at a given company, it might be nice to know the following:

1. What was the total compensation to all employees in the finance department?
2. What is the average age of employees in the marketing department?

− Most Excel users solve these types of questions by first sorting or filtering
the data and then calculating a sum or average on the subset.

− If there are a lot of queries, it can take a long time to first sort or filter the
data before answering each question.

− The Database functions calculate the answers to these types of questions

without requiring that the data be sorted or filtered.

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 Database Functions (Cont’d)

● The following table provides a listing of all the Database functions in

Excel:
Database Functions:
Function Description
= DAVERAGE Returns the average of selected database entries
= DCOUNT Counts the cells that contain numbers in a database
= DCOUNTA Counts nonblank cells in a database
= DGET Extracts from a database a single record that matches the specified criteria
= DMAX Returns the maximum value from selected database entries
= DMIN Returns the minimum value from selected database entries
= DPRODUCT Multiplies the values in a particular field of records that match the criteria
= DSTDEV Estimates the standard deviation based on a sample of selected database entries
= DSTDEVP Calculates the standard deviation based on the entire population of entries
= DSUM Adds the numbers in the field column in the database that match the criteria
= DVAR Estimates variance based on a sample from selected database entries
= DVARP Calculates variance based on the entire population of selected database entries

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 Database Functions (Cont’d)

● The Database functions all use the same syntax, as described in the
following DSUM Function:
=DSUM(Database,Field,Criteria)

− Database: This is the entire range of data. This range must have column
headings.

− Field: This is the column heading of the data that you would like to
perform the mathematical operation on (i.e. sum, count,
average). You can either click on the cell that contains the
column heading, or retype the column heading in the function
surrounded by quotation marks.

− Criteria: This is another set of cells that tells the database function
which criteria to use in order to calculate the correct answer.
The criteria section should be set up exactly the same way as
the criteria section for an Advanced Filter (see next 2 pages).

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 Database Functions (Cont’d)

● The steps to set up a Database function are as follows:

1. Ensure that the raw data has column headings.

2. Add a few blank rows on top of the raw data.

3. Copy the column headings to a blank row a few rows above the raw data.
This will be the criteria section for the database functions.

4. Within the criteria section, place criteria on top of one another to use the
OR logical operator. Place criteria beside one another to use the AND
logical operator.

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 Database Functions (Cont’d)

• The following tables provide some examples:

Table 1 Table 2
A B C A B C
1 Name University Age 1 Name University Age
2 John Rotman 22 2
3 Peter McMaster 25 3
4 Miranda Ivey 27 4 Name University Age
5 David Rotman 21 5 John Rotman 22
6 Katie McMaster 23 6 Peter McMaster 25
7 Sarah Ivey 24 7 Miranda Ivey 27
8 8 David Rotman 21
9 9 Katie McMaster 23
10 10 Sarah Ivey 24

Table 1 is a list of raw data that contains the In Table 2, a few blank rows were added
name, university and age of various students. above the data and the column headings were
repeated.

Table 3 Table 4
A B C A B C
1 Name University Age 1 Name University Age
2 Rotman 2 Ivey >24
3 3
4 Name University Age 4 Name University Age
5 John Rotman 22 5 John Rotman 22
6 Peter McMaster 25 6 Peter McMaster 25
7 Miranda Ivey 27 7 Miranda Ivey 27
8 David Rotman 21 8 David Rotman 21
9 Katie McMaster 23 9 Katie McMaster 23
10 Sarah Ivey 24 10 Sarah Ivey 24

=DAVERAGE(A4:C10,C4,B1:B2) will =DCOUNT(A4:C10,C4,B1:C2) will

calculate the average age of Rotman students count the number of Ivey students who are
and return a value of 21.5. older than 24 and return a value of 1

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