Introduction

Microsoft Excel was created in 1985, Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program that can be used
to organize information and data into rows and columns. Similar to database management
systems, Excel can be used for inputting data and presenting it in simple ways. Excel can be
used for mathematical and statistical analyses, as well as the creation of charts and graphs that
visualize the data being stored within a spreadsheet. Offering multiple functions and formulas,
and learning how to use Excel can make the process of managing information and data easier
and more efficient for whoever uses it.

Although Microsoft Excel has grown out of favor with some data science students and
professionals, this spreadsheet software is still quite commonly used for performing statistical
analyses, data storage, and organization within the realms of business and finance. Below are
the primary reasons why Microsoft Excel remains a popular data science tool within many
industries, as well as the reasons why it should continue to be used by data scientists.

5 Reasons Data Scientists Should Use Excel

When we hear or see the words “data science”, in addition to the standard definition of the
term, there are also a variety of assumptions and beliefs that are also caught up in that
understanding. At the level of denotation, data science can be defined as the use of
analytical tools, software, and programs to better understand information and data.
Generally, data science uses statistical analysis, algorithms, and machine learning in order
to uncover patterns and trends within a dataset.

With that being said, there are several connotations or contextual meanings, beliefs, and
assumptions that are commonly associated with “data science.” Metaphorically speaking, a
word association cloud or network analysis of the term data science could also connect it
with other terms, such as big data, artificial intelligence, and even specific programming
languages and analyses. Thinking comparatively, while there are many things that we
associate with data science, there are also several things that we do not commonly
associate with it.

Especially when thinking about the recent move towards distinguishing the field of data
analytics from data science, the connotations or beliefs around data science also means
that while data science has come to be associated with advanced statistical analyses,
programming languages, and complex code, many of the ways that data was analyzed in
the past have become less popular. Over time, spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft
Excel and other early data analysis tools, are becoming less commonly associated with
doing data science.

However, Microsoft Excel has many capabilities which make it a useful tool for data
scientists. Even with all of the new data analysis tools that have been produced since the
creation of Excel, this widely used spreadsheet software has also updated and changed
over time. Instead of promoting an either/or understanding of data science and the tools
that can be used to complete data science projects, this article offers five reasons why data
scientists should use Excel. And, by reading this list, perhaps you will begin to think
differently about what programs and tools should be associated with this constantly
evolving field and industry.

Uses of Microsoft Excel

1. Ease of Use and Accessibility
2. Communicating Findings to Diverse Audiences
3. Visual Approach to Data Organization and Management
4. Inference and Exploratory Analysis
5. Programming Language Compatibility

Range:-
A range in Excel is a collection of two or more cells. This chapter gives an overview of
some essential range operations.

Cell, Row, Column

Let's start by selecting a cell, row, and column.

1. To select cell C3, click on the box at the intersection of column C and row 3.
2. To select column C, click on the column C header.

3. To select row 3, click on the row 3 header.

Range Examples:-
A range is a collection of two or more cells.

1. To select the range B2:C4, click on cell B2 and drag it to cell C4.

2. To select a range of individual cells, hold down CTRL and click on each cell that you
want to include in the range.

Fill a Range:-
To fill a range, execute the following steps.
1a. Enter the value 2 into cell B2.

1b. Select cell B2, click on the lower right corner of cell B2, and drag it down to cell B8.

Result:

This dragging technique is very important and you will use it very often in Excel. Here's
another example.

2a. Enter the value 2 into cell B2 and the value 4 into cell B3.
2b. Select cell B2 and cell B3, click on the lower right corner of this range, and drag it
down.

Excel automatically fills the range based on the pattern of the first two values. That's
pretty cool huh!? Here's another example.

3a. Enter the date 6/13/2016 into cell B2 and the date 6/16/2016 into cell B3.

3b. Select cell B2 and cell B3, click on the lower right corner of this range, and drag it
down.
Move a Range:-
To move a range, execute the following steps.

1. Select a range and click on the border of the range.

2. Drag the range to its new location.

Copy/Paste a Range:-
To copy and paste a range, execute the following steps.

1. Select the range, right-click, and then click Copy (or press CTRL + c).

2. Select the cell where you want the first cell of the range to appear, right-click, and then
click Paste under 'Paste Options:' (or press CTRL + v).
Insert Row, Column:-
To insert a row between the values 20 and 40 below, execute the following steps.

1. Select row 3.

2. Right-click, and then click Insert.

Result.

Ribbon:-
Excel selects the ribbon's Home tab when you open it. Learn how to use the ribbon.

Tabs:-
The tabs on the ribbon are File, Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, View,
and Help. The Home tab contains the most frequently used commands in Excel.
Groups:-
Each tab contains groups of related commands. For example, the Page Layout tab contains
the Themes group, the Page Setup group, etc.

Use the Ribbon

Let's use the ribbon to create a table. Tables allow you to analyze your data in Excel
quickly and easily.

1. Open ➡️data-set.xlsx.

2. Click any single cell inside the data set.

3. On the Insert tab, in the Tables group, click Table.

The Create Table dialog box appears.

4. Excel automatically selects the data for you. Check 'My table has headers' and click on
OK.

Result. Excel creates a nicely formatted table for you.

Note: use the drop-down arrows to quickly sort and filter.

Collapse the Ribbon

You can collapse the ribbon to get extra space on the screen. Right-click anywhere on the
ribbon, and then click Collapse the Ribbon (or press CTRL + F1).

Result.
Workbook:-
A workbook is another word for your Excel file. When you start Excel, click Blank
workbook to create an Excel workbook from scratch.

Open an Existing Workbook

To open a workbook you've created in the past, execute the following steps.

1. On the File tab, click Open.

2. Recent shows you a list of your recently used workbooks. You can quickly open a
workbook from here.

3. Click Browse to open a workbook that is not on the list.

Close a Workbook:-
To close a workbook (and Excel), click the upper right X. If you have multiple workbooks
open, clicking the upper right X closes the active workbook.
Create a New Workbook:-
Sometimes you want to start all over again. To create a new workbook, execute the
following steps.

1. On the File tab, click New.

2. Click Blank workbook.

Turn off the Start screen:-
When you start Excel, it shows a start screen that lists recently used Excel files and
templates. To skip the start screen and always start with a blank workbook, execute the
following steps.

1. On the File tab, click Options.

2. Under Start up options, uncheck 'Show the Start screen when this application starts'.
3. Click OK.

Worksheets:-
A worksheet is a collection of cells where you keep and manipulate the data. Each Excel
workbook can contain multiple worksheets.

Select a Worksheet:-
When you open an Excel workbook, Excel automatically selects Sheet 1 for you. The name
of the worksheet appears on its sheet tab at the bottom of the document window.

Insert a Worksheet:-
You can insert as many worksheets as you want. To quickly insert a new sheet, click the
plus sign at the bottom of the document window.

Result:
Rename a Worksheet
To give a worksheet a more specific name, execute the following steps.

1. Right-click on the sheet tab of Sheet 1.

2. Choose Rename.

3. For example, type Sales 2016.

Move a Worksheet:-
To move a worksheet, click on the sheet tab of the worksheet you want to move and drag it
into the new position.

1. For example, click on the sheet tab of Sheet 2 and drag it before Sales 2016.
Result:

Delete a Worksheet:-
To delete a worksheet, right-click on a sheet tab and choose Delete.

1. For example, delete Sheet 2.

Result:

Copy a Worksheet:-
Imagine, you have got the sales for 2016 ready and want to create the exact same sheet for
2017, but with different data. You can recreate the worksheet, but this is time-consuming. It's a
lot easier to copy the entire worksheet and only change the numbers.

1. Right-click on the sheet tab of Sales 2016.

2. Choose Move or Copy.

The 'Move or Copy' dialog box appears.

3. Select (move to end) and check to Create a copy.

4. Click OK and see the Result:

Note: you can even copy a worksheet to another Excel workbook by selecting the specific
workbook from the drop-down list (see the dialog box shown earlier).

SHEETS function:-
To count the total number of worksheets in a workbook, use the SHEETS function in Excel
(without any argument).

1. For example, select cell A1.

2. Type =SHEETS() and press Enter.

Format Cells
When we format cells in Excel, we change the appearance of a number without changing the
number itself. We can apply a number format (0.8, $0.80, 80%, etc) or other formatting
(alignment, font, border, etc).

1. Enter the value 0.8 into cell B2.

By default, Excel uses the General format (no specific number format) for numbers. To apply a
number format, use the 'Format Cells' dialog box.
2. Select cell B2.

3. Right click, and then click Format Cells (or press CTRL + 1).
The 'Format Cells' dialog box appears.

4. For example, select Currency.

Note: Excel gives you a live preview of how the number will be formatted (under Sample).

5. Click OK.

Cell B2 still contains the number 0.8. We only changed the appearance of this number. The
most frequently used formatting commands are available on the Home tab.
6. On the Home tab, in the Number group, click the percentage symbol to apply a
Percentage format.

7. On the Home tab, in the Alignment group, center the number.

8. On the Home tab, in the Font group, add outside borders and change the font color to
blue.

Result:

Find & Select:-

You can use Excel's Find and Replace feature to quickly find specific text and replace it with
other text. You can use Excel's Go To Special feature to quickly select all cells with
formulas, notes, conditional formatting, constants, data validation, etc.

Find:-
To quickly find specific text, execute the following steps.

1. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find & Select.
The 'Find and Replace' dialog box appears.

2. Type the text you want to find. For example, type Ferrari, and Click 'Find Next'.

Excel selects the first occurrence.

3. Click 'Find Next' to select the second occurrence.
4. To get a list of all the occurrences, click 'Find All'.

Replace:-
To quickly find specific text and replace it with other text, execute the following steps.

1. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find & Select, and click on Replace.
The 'Find and Replace' dialog box appears (with the Replace tab selected).

3. Type the text you want to find (Veneno) and replace it with (Diablo).

4. Click 'Find Next'.

Excel selects the first occurrence. No replacement has been made yet.
5. Click 'Replace' to make a single replacement.

Note: use 'Replace All' to replace all occurrences.

Go To Special:-
You can use Excel's Go To Special feature to quickly select all cells with formulas, notes,
conditional formatting, constants, data validation, etc. For example, to select all cells with
formulas, execute the following steps.

1. Select a single cell.

2. On the Home tab, in the Editing group, click Find & Select.

3. Click Go To Special.

Note: Formulas, Notes, Conditional formatting, Constants and Data Validation are
shortcuts. They can also be found under Go To Special.

4. Select Formulas and click OK.

Note: you can search for cells with formulas that return Numbers, Text, Logicals (TRUE and
FALSE), and Errors. These checkboxes are also available if you select Constants.

Excel selects all cells with formulas.

General note: if you select a single cell before you click Find, Replace, or Go To Special,
Excel searches the entire worksheet. To search a range of cells, first, select a range of cells.

It is not possible to name a worksheet “History” in Excel.