Excel Basics

 

Creating a Worksheet

• Open Excel
• Enter the title label (if you have one) in the first cell (R1C1)
• Enter the Column labels (if you have any) headings in R2
• Enter the Row labels (if you have any) headings in C1.

Formatting Columns or Rows

• Click on the gray heading on the column(s) or row(s) you want to format   
• Format Þ Cells (Ctrl 1)            
• Select
• Number – to format the number                
• Alignment – to format cell alignment
• Font – to select font style and size
• Border – to select the line around the cell
• Pattern – to select shading style and color
• Protection – to protect formulas and cells

    

• You can also change the formatting using the formatting icons
• Currency Style                                           
• Percentage Style
• Comma Style
• Increase Decimal
• Decrease Decimal
• To resize columns, put your cursor the divider line of the header of the column until the double-headed arrow appears.  Click and drag to resize the column.
• To autosize the column, double click on the divider line of the header of the column.  If you see ####### in a cell, you need to resize the column as it is too small.

           

Cursor Movements

®or Tab                               - Moves right one cell

Ctrl ®                                    - Moves right to the first unoccupied cell

¬ or Shift Tab                     - Moves left one cell

Ctrl ¬                                  - Moves left to the first unoccupied cell

­                                            - Moves up one cell

Ctrl ­                                      - Moves up to the first unoccupied cell

¯ or Enter                              - Moves down one cell

Ctrl ¯                                      - Moves down to the first unoccupied cell

Home                                     - Moves to the first cell in the current row

Ctrl Home                             - Moves to R1C1

Ctrl End                                 - Moves to last filled cell in the worksheet

Page Up                                - Moves up one screen of information

Page Dn                                - Moves down one screen of information

Ctrl G or F5                           - Moves to specified cell    -   R5C3

  

Using Autofill

• Type Monday in one cell                  
• Click in the Tuesday cell and put the cursor in the lower right corner of the cell until the + appears
• Click and drag down until the rest of the days appear. 
• Autofill works for days of the week, months of the year and years (enter 2 years, highlight and then drag).
• To autofill numbers, fill in the first two numbers in the series.  Edit Þ Fill Þ Series.  Format the autofill and click OK.  Then click and drag.

 

Cell Formats

• Text – Labels and other alphanumeric are treated as text and cannot be used in calculations
• Numbers – Numbers can be used in calculations.  If you do not want numbers to used in calculations, put a single quotation mark (‘) in front of the number (i.e. phone or SS numbers)
• Date – To enter the current date, use Ctrl :
• Time – To enter the current time, use Ctrl Shift :.  Excel assumes military time unless you add am or pm.

 

Cutting, Copying, Pasting & Moving

• Click on the first cell you want to cut or copy.  It will remain white.
• Click and drag to highlight all the cells you wish to cut/copy
• Edit Þ Cut      Ctrl X    Right click and select Cut or use the Cut icon    
• Edit Þ Copy   Ctrl C    Right click and select Copy or use the Copy icon 
• Put the cursor where you want the data to appear  
• Edit Þ Paste   Ctrl V    Right click and select Paste or use the Paste icon  
• To move data, highlight the cells containing the information.  Put the cursor on the outline of the box until it turns into the pointing arrow.  Click and drag to the new location.

 

Insert / Deleting Rows or Columns

• To insert a column, click on the column header to highlight it.  Insert Þ Columns
• To delete a column, click on the header to highlight the column.  Edit Þ Delete
• To insert a row, click on the row header to highlight the row.  Insert Þ Rows
• To delete a row, click on the row header to highlight the row.  Edit Þ Delete

 

Worksheets / Workbooks

• To use a second worksheet in the same workbook, click on Sheet 2 in the lower left corner.
• To rename a sheet, double click on the Sheet number until highlighted and then rename or right click on the sheet and select Rename.
• To insert another worksheet, Insert Þ Worksheet
• To delete a worksheet, click on the worksheet to delete.  Edit Þ Delete Sheet

 

Freezing and Splitting Screens

• To freeze panes, click on the row label below the line you wish to freeze or the column label to the right of the column you wish to freeze.  Go to Window Þ  Freeze. 
• To unfreeze panes, go to Window Þ  Unfreeze.
• To split screens, click the split screen box
• Vertical split screen box is to the right of the horizontal scroll bar        
• Horizontal split screen box is above the vertical scroll bar                    
• To unsplit the screen, click on the split screen bar and drag it to its original location

  

Printing Selected Range

File  Þ Page Setup  Þ Sheet Click the range selection icon in the corner of the Print Area box  Select the range to print Click OK Click the Print icon or File Þ Print

 

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

9/25/2000

RLS