Advanced Excel: Excel Fundamentals review
Module 1 Lecture
Module 1 – Excel interface and basic calculations
Outline
Part 1 Excel interface and formatting
• Visiting the Excel Interface
- Overview of the Excel interface
- Navigating ribbons and panels
- Formula bar, Name Box, and Formula editor
- Insert function and Editing area
- Status bar and Zoom
- Automatic calculator for selected area
• Structure of the Excel Document
- Renaming and organizing worksheets
- Maximum number of columns and rows
- Cell content types and limitations
- Creating, saving, and opening workbooks
- Deleting and reorganizing worksheets
• Navigating the Workbook and Selecting
- Keyboard shortcuts for navigation
- Selecting regions and specific cells
- Formatting and deleting cells
- (optional) Accessing ribbon options with the keyboard
• Managing Columns and Rows
- Clearing contents and formats
- Inserting and deleting columns and rows
- Hiding and unhiding columns and rows
- Resizing columns and rows
• Formatting Cells
- Changing display formats
- Aligning text and adding borders
- Merging cells and wrapping text
• Building Charts
- Creating and customizing charts
- Moving charts to new worksheets
- Customizing chart elements
- Adding and formatting data labels
Part 2 Formulas and Basic Calculations
• Creating Formulas to Perform. Calculations
- Typing formulas and using operators
- Using cell references
- Copying and reusing formulas
- Absolute vs. relative cell references
- Linking cells between worksheets and workbooks
• Naming Cells and Ranges
- Using predefined functions for calculations
- Naming and using named ranges in formulas
Part 3 Formulas with Basic function and Text Functions
• Basics of Predefined Functions
- Sum, Average, Product, Min, Max
- Text functions (Len, Find, Trim, etc.)
- Rounding functions (Round, Int, Trunc)
- Counting functions (Count, CountA, CountBlank)
Part 3 Formulas with Basic Date and Time Functions
• Date and Time in Excel
- Storing and using date and time information
- Date and time functions
Part 1. Excel Interface Visiting the Excel interface
o Caption bar: AutoSave option (Office 365)
o Ribbons navigate to different panels
File button: File > Options > Customize Ribbon
Formulas
o Row: 1:1048576; Columns:A: XFD
o Name Box: shows the coordinate of the cell/ find a far cell, e.g., Z3000/rename a cell, 20:00
o Insert function button: function library (>3000 functions in Excel)
o Formula bar: display the formula used in a cell
o Worksheet Tab
o Zoom in/ out
o Status Bar: Automatic calculator for the selected area, customize the results shown
File: Module1 - Part1 Excel interface and formatting.xlsx
Task 1: Create a new workbook
o Method 1:
File > New > Select a Blank workbook or from existing templates
Task 2: Save a workbook
o AutoSave: may not always be activated, depending on where you save it. Note: it will also overwrite the previous document.
o File > Save (using the default name and format)
o File > Save As > Customize the name/ format/ location.
Task 3: Open an existing document
o File > Open from OneDrive (saved in the cloud)
o File > Browse, to select a local file
Structure of the Excel document
An excel file is a Collection of Worksheets in the opened Workbook
Note: the number of worksheets is limited by the computers memory the worksheets default name depends on the language youre using in your Excel
Task 4: Rename worksheet
o right-click then select rename, or double-click Note:
- The worksheet name cannot be empty, better to have a meaningful name, but not too long (<32 characters).
- You cant use any of the following characters in the worksheets name: \/*[]:?
- Try not to use: `~!@#$%^&*()-space=+{}|;:,<.>
Task 5: Create/Delete a worksheet
o Press the + button near the worksheet tabs
o Right-click the worksheet Remove Task 6: Re-organize the worksheet
o Right-click the worksheet Move or Copy Task 7: Hide and Unhide a worksheet
o Right-click the worksheet Hide
Columns:
- Max number of columns: 16384
- Indexed by letters from A to Z. The 27th column is AA. The last column is XFD, the 16384th column. (Ctrl + Right)
Rows:
- Indexed by numbers, 1048576. (Ctrl + Down)
Cells
- An Active cell: click on a cell, you may edit the content in it.
- In total, maximum 17,179,869,184 cells ~ 17 millions
- Text: Max size for a text within a cell is 32767 chars
- Number:
- Dates: bw 01/01/1900 and 31/12/9999
- Time: 00:00:00 and 9999:59:59
- A Boolean value: True/ False (Vrai/Faux)
- Formula: < 8192 chars (¼ the max text size)
Note:
- Excel automatically detects the content in the cell. Try: This is a value, 12, 12.34, 12,34
- English Excel recognizes 12.34 as a number, but not 12,34
- No worry if you open an English Excel file from French Excel, the translation will be automatically done.
- Try: true, false, faux, 10:59, 10:59:25, 01/01/2020, 1/3, 15/08/1769 Task: Navigate using the direction keys
o Ctrl + direction keys
o Ctrl + Enter (fulfill the selected region)
Navigating the workbook and selecting
- Keyboard shortcuts for navigation
- Selecting regions and specific cells
- Formatting and deleting cells
- (optional) Accessing ribbon options with the keyboard
The best Excel users always use the keyboard!
Keyboard shortcuts: MS support [link], shortcuts for both Windows and MacOS. Navigating the document:
• Move to the next cell: Tab (horizontally) or Enter (vertically)
• Move to the last cell containing a value: Ctrl + Down
• Select a region :Select an edge cell in the middle, so you see the fat white cross, then select until the diagonal cell.
White cell means an active cell, once you enter a value, it will receive that value. Click Enter to move within the selected region.
• Overwrite the selected region by the active cell value: Ctrl + Enter
• Go back before the last modification: Ctrl + Z
• Select non-adjacent cells: select the first region, press Ctrl, select the next region. Note: do not include a single cell if you dont want!
• Select adjacent cells with values: Ctrl + Shift + direction keys
• Select the value block: Ctrl + A
(twice will select the entire worksheet)
• Select the entire worksheet:
o Click twice Ctrl + A
o Click the gray triangle at the top left corner
• Select one/multiple columns:
o Click the column name, e.g., H, see the mouse turns to a black down arrow, then move to the end.
o Try with Ctrl and with Shift
• Change font to italic: Ctrl + I
• Change font to underline: Ctrl + U
• Change font to bold: Ctrl + B
• Clear content: Select then press the Delete key
• Delete cells:
o Select the region > right-click > Delete
o Select the region > Ribbon Editing > Clear
Note: Right-click will give you different options depending on your selected object.
• Access to the ribbon with the keyboard: Press Alt button
o Alt H E C
Managing Columns and rows
• Insert columns:
o Insert a new column (multiple columns) to the left: Select the column> Right-click the column label > Insert
• Hide columns: Select the column > Right-click >Hide
• Unhide columns:
o Select the columns before and after the hidden ones > Right-click > Unhide
• Hide and unhide rows
• Re-size columns:
o Manually adjust: put the mouse at the edge of the column, when it shifts to a vertical line with two arrows (flying mouse) directing both directions, right-click and drag
o With given measurement: select the column/columns > right-click > Column Width > insert the pre-defined measurement
o Autofit depending on the content: put the mouse at the edge of the column, when it shifts to a flying mouse > Double-click
o Autofit multiple columns simultaneously: select columns > double-click any edge of the selected columns
• Re-size rows: work the same as above
Note: A hashtag sign # appears when the column width is too narrow to display the value
Formatting the cells
The cell contains two types of information: the value or function, and the display format.
• Change display format
o Ribbon Home
o Select the region > Right-click > Format Cells
Note: it does not mean the value has been changed. (Check the Formula Bar.)
• Alignment
• Font
• Border
Note: that even in the worksheet display, the gray grid is visible, however it will not be printed. We need here to add borders to the printed table. (Try File Print, see default result)
• Wrap Text
• Merge Cells and center
Task 1: Display numbers with no decimal
o Right-click > Format Cells > Number > Number > change Decimal places to 0.
Task 2: Change selected column values to be in font Times New Roman, Angle 45 degrees clockwise, center horizontally and vertically, and display 2 decimals
Task 3: Format the title, centered, bold, colored
Building charts
• How can I create a chart?
o Select data > Ribbon insert > select a chart.
The colored area shows the plotted data; Move and resize the chart Note: Click on the chart, Extra Dynamic Ribbons appear: Chart Design and Format
• How to create a new worksheet with only the chart?
o Click on the chart > Ribbon Chart Design > Move Chart > New sheet.
• How to replace x-axis labels with values in another column?
o E.g., replace labels 1, 2, … , as the students names
o Click on the chart > Ribbon Chart Design > Select Data > Select Data Source, ( Legend Entries panel shows what info are contained in the plot, Horizontal (Category) Axis
Labels shows the X-axis Label info) > Select Edit under Horizontal (Category) Axis Labels > select the students name values.
o Warning! if you accidentally select an additional cell, a warning message will pop-up for the above option! – Check the selected area
• How to customize the title?
o Click and change
• How to change the color of the bars?
o Double-click one of the bars> In Format Data Series > Fill and Line > Series
o Highlight only one bar: select the bar and change its color
• How to change the scale in they-axis?
o Double-click the virtual label > change Bounds and units
• Transfer from a vertical bar chart to a horizontal bar chart.
o Click on the chart > Ribbon Chart Design > Change Chart Type > Bar > vertical bar chart.
• How to add data labels for each bar?
o Ribbon Chart Design > Add Chart Element > Data Labels
o Double click the Data Labels, you can customize it on the Format Data Labels
• How to change the chart background?
o Double click the background, select a picture on the right panel Format Chart Area
Part 2 - Formulas with Basic Calculations Creating formulas to perform. calculations
File: Module1 – Part 2 Using formulas.xlsx
Worksheet: Typing a formula
• Insert a formula: With =, e.g., = 3+4
• Show formulas: Ribbon Formulas > Formula Auditing > Show formulas
Worksheet: Doing math with cells
• The basic operations: +, -, *, /, ^, Note:
o #DIV/0 means that the formula is trying to divide something by 0.
o 3.5E+20 means 3.5 * 10^20
Worksheet: Comparing cells
Boolean values: TRUE or FALSE Note:
o true, True, tRue, … all recognized as TRUE
o Do not insert a space between < and = for <=
o Change V1 and V2 values, the calculations are updated automatically. Switch to manually update formulas:
o Ribbon Formula > Calculation >Calculation Options, select Manual.
o Click Run calculation to update the values.
Worksheet: Reusing formulas
Task 1: Calculate Average
o L2: =(D2+E2+F2+G2)/4 r =AVERAGE(D2:G2)
o Method 1: click I2, copy then paste in I3
o Method 2: put the mouse at the bottom right corner, when the mouse becomes copy handle (also called fill down), propagate to the end/double click.
Task 2: Adjust for absence (each absence costs 2% of the avg)
o J2: =I2-H2*2%*I2
Task 3: Check if the adjusted average is below or above the average of the class
o Calculate the class average at J27: =AVERAGE(J2:J25)
Note: To autofill the entire table requires absolute reference of cell J27:
o K2: =J2<$J$27
o L2 :=J2>=$J$27 Note:
o Absolute reference: Lock row or column, put $ correspondingly
o Shortcut: F4
Task 4: Check if the student succeeds with the result of the column "Above or equal to average"
o M2 : "=L2"
Naming range and cells
Worksheet: Naming range and cells
Ribbon Formulas, Function Library panel contains tons of built-in functions Task 1: Calculate the Min/Max/Average
o K2: =MIN(G2:G25)
o K3: =MAX(G2:G25)
o K4: =AVERAGE(G2:G25)
Task 2: Name region G2:G25 as FinalMark:
o Select region G2:G25, and rename by typing FinalMark in the Name Box
o Re-do the average calculation using the named region K4: =AVERAGE(FinalMark)
Note: the FinalMark is an absolute reference, meaning $$.
When you autofill move down the Average, the called region stays the same as FinalMark – different if you use =AVERAGE(G2:G25).
Task 3: Rename the region D2:D25 as Mid1Marks, E2:E25 as Mid2Marks, F2:F25 as LabsMarks
Task 4: Check existing named regions:
Ribbon Fomulas > Defined Names > Name Manager.
Worksheet: Using cells from dif. Sheets
B2: ='Doing math with cells'!B2*'Comparing cells'!B2
Part 3 – Formulas with Basic and Text Functions Basic predefined functions
Files:Module1 – Part 3 Basic and Text Functions.xlsx
Function: = Function(Parameter 1, Parameter 2, … , Parameter n) result
Note: Not recommend to type =SUM(B12+B13+B14…+B18), still works but it means the first Parameter is a sum of all cells.
When you add another row in between 2 and 3, =SUM(B12+B13+B14…+B18) will not use the added new row.
The SUM here is necessary. Use =SUM(B12:B18).
When you add another row in between 2 and 3, =SUM(B12:B18) will use the added new row.
A function will normally return one single output, but some of them may return a table of information.
=ROUND(B12:B18, 0) will return all values rounded to the nearest integer
Task 1: The sum of Table 1:
o Method 1: Use the SUM function to add all the cells from a range, separate by comma ,. =SUM(C3,C4,C5,C6,C7,C8,C9,C10)
o Method 2: Select the region using the mouse/keyboard (Shift). =SUM(C3:C10) Note:
The difference between Method 1 and 2: if you add a new entity in row 5, the result by Method 1 will not include the new entity.
Task 2: The sum of two regions, C3:C10 and F3:F10
o Type =SUM( Select the first region press Ctrl while selecting the other region Press Enter to see the result
Note: if the two regions overlap, the values in the intersection region will be used twice.
• Average C3,F3: =AVERAGE(C3,F3)
• Average C3:C9:=AVERAGE(C3:C9)
• Average C3:C9,F3:F9: =AVERAGE(C3:C9,F3:F9) Note: Use Ctrl to select an additional region
• Min C3:C9: =MIN(C3:C9)
• Max C3 :C9 : =MAX(C3:C9)
Task: Calculate the length of all names using function LEN()
LEN(text) reports how many characters are in this text
o B3: =LEN(B3) in B3, then autofill
Note: The space will be counted! E.g., B5 Pe ter has 6 characters.
Task: Search within a text whether another text is present
FIND(find text, within text, [start_num]) check if a subtext is within a specific text
o [start_num]: at which position I am going to start search
o [] means optional parameter
Task: Extract 3 characters from a text, starting from position 4
=MID(Text from where to extract, beginning position, nr of characters)
Trimming: remove spaces at the beginning and at the end, as well as the duplicated spaces in the middle
Task: Trim text in C2 and check the trimmed and untrimmed text length
Worksheets: Left and Right
=LEFT(Text, number of characters):
extract a certain number of characters starting from the beginning =RIGHT(Text, number of characters):
extract a certain number of characters starting from the end
Task: Concatenate text 1 (C2) and text 2 (C4)
o Method 1 &: =C2&", "&C4
o Method 2 =CONCATENATE() : =CONCATENATE(C2,", ", C4) Task: concatenate text in a range
o =CONCAT(C11:C15)
Task: concatenate text in a range with common separator symbol and ignoring blank cell
o =TEXTJOIN(", ";TRUE;C11:C15)
Worksheets: Upper, Lower and Proper
Change text into upper, lower and proper case =UPPER(text), =LOWER(text), =PROPER(text)
Task: Get the integer part of a floating number
o =Int(number): to get the integer part of a floating point number
o Int(2.5) 2; Int(-2.5) -3
The resulting integer is always lower than the query value Task: Round a floating number
=Round(number, number of decimal places): will round the number to a specific number of decimal places
Task: Truncating a number to a specific decimal places
=TRUNC(number, number of decimal places): truncates a number to a specific number of decimal places
Note: it is different from rounding, as it only cuts the floating number up to the desired decimal place
Task 1: Count the number of marks in D3:D26
=COUNT(Range1, Range2,…): to count the number of values within one/many ranges.
Task 2: count the number of missing values in D3:D26
=COUNTBLANK(Range): will count all the empty cells within ONE given range.
Task 3: count the number of last names in A3:A26
=COUNTA(): count all the cells having a value in whatever types.
Note: =COUNT() only work with numerical numbers; =COUNT(A3:A26) gives you 0
Task 1: Get the initials of the students in Column C
o =LEFT(A2,1)&LEFT(B2,1)
Task 2: Get the full names of the students (LastName FirstName) in Column D
o =A2&" "&B2
Task 3: Calculate the average marks in Mid1: Final Exam
o J2: =AVERAGE(F2:I2)
Note: warning message Formula Omits Adjacent Cells, because StudentID is also considered as a number in Excel.
Task 4: In column K, display the integer part of the average in column J
o =INT(J2)
Task 5: Display the rounded value of the average in column J, using the number of decimal places in O2
o =ROUND(K4,$O$2)
Taks 6: Count the number of students in Column D (Full Name)
o =COUNTA(D2:D25)
Task 7: calculate corresponding Minimum values in columns F:J (Mid1:Average)
o =MIN(F2:F25)
Task 8: Calculate Max, Average, Sum, missing marks and number of marks in each column
o =AVERAGE(F2:F25)
o =SUM(F2:F25)
o =COUNTBLANK(F2:F25)
o =COUNT(F2:F25)
Task 9: Display the results in J27:J30 in 2 decimals, and Center the content in F27:J32
o ribbon Home > panel Number to control the displayed decimals.
o ribbon Home > panel Alignment to control the display.
Part 4 – Formulas with Date and Time functions Dealing with dates
File: Module1 – Part 4 Formulas with Date and Time functions.xlsx
Worksheet: Using Date functions
To enter a date in a cell:
• American: MM/DD/YYYY
• French: DD/MM/YYYY
Note:
o Excel dates start on 01/01/1900, to the end 12/31/9999.
o If Excel recognizes it is a date, it will automatically align to the right.
o Try: 1/24/2000, 24/01/2000
o when entering a fraction, 1/3, excel will regard it as a date 3-Jan. You need =1/3 for the value.
In the system, the date will be stored as a serial number. Try to see a date in number format.
Task 1: Todays date
o =TODAY()
Task 2: Todays date and time
o =NOW()
Task 3: Return the Day, Month, Year, and day of the week of Cell B3
o =DAY(B3), =MONTH(B3), =YEAR(B3), =WEEKDAY(B3)
Note: =WEEKDAY(Date, [option]) default Sunday being number 1.
Task 4: Create a date from values of Day (13), Month (3), and Year (2018)
o =DATE(DD,MM,YYYY)
Task 5: how many days between 01/01/2020 and 01/02/2020 (including start and end dates)
o =B14 – B13 +1
Task 6: Calculate the date that X days after a certain date.
o Adding one day to the date, =B13+1
Task 7: calculate the number of years between two dates.
o =DATEDIF(B17,B18,"Y")
Dealing with times
To insert a time (in 24h format): HH:MM:SS or HH:MM
Like the date, Excel will convert it into a series of numbers. You can check the associated value in Number format, e.g., 12:08 0.51.
Task: Calculate duration between two times (B5).
o =B3 – B2
Task: Display time now in a different format. Task: Extract different part of a time
o E2: =NOW(), then change format to Time
o E3: =HOUR(E2)
o E4: =MINUTE(E2)
o E5: =SECOND(E2)
o Click Calculate Now to update
Task: Build time from Hour, Minutes and Secondsin G2:G5
o =TIME(H2,H3,H4)
Task: Calculate the duration between the corresponding start and end time in columns B and C.
o In D9, =C9 – B9 then Change the format to 13.30 to remove AM and Propagate by Tips to propagate:
o Double click the copy handle OR
o Select the D9:D24, then press shortcut Ctrl + D OR
o Select the D9:D24, select ribbon Home Panel Editing Down
Task: calculate total duration in D9:D24
o =SUM(D9:D24)
Note: If you see 15:10, it is wrong! Because it exceeds the 24hr. A wrong display format! Change to 37:30:55! Date format
Task: calculate total payment when the pay per hour is 30$
Wrong way: only multiply the total duration and the hourly pay
Excel understands the duration as 1.62 days (check it in Number format). We need to multiply it by 24 hr/day.
o =D25*D26*24