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Home > Jan's CompLit 101 > Working with Numbers > Basics > Summary

Jan's Working with Numbers

Excel Basics: Summary

There are many choices for you to consider when setting up Excel to work in a way that is convenient for you. Options for the way Excel behaves are found on the Excel Options dialog. The Region and Language section of the Control Panel controls the measurement system, default currency, and formats for dates and time.

Cell contents can be edited on the Formula bar, or, if you double-click the cell, in the cell itself. Column Width and Row Height have default sizes but can be AutoFit to the cell contents or sized by dragging the boundary between two columns or rows or with a dialog.

AutoFill can copy cell contents to other cells or will extend a pattern, even for formulas. Flash Fill makes guesses about what you want in a blank column near data columns. This is used mostly for changing the formatting or for merging or splitting data. An absolute reference is needed to keep a cell reference fixed when copying a formula to another cell. AutoSum makes helpful suggestions for creating totals. If AutoSum guesses wrong, you can drag across the cells you really want to add to change the formula. You can also edit the formula in the Formula bar.

The Sort dialog lets you do a many-level sort. You can even use a Custom List if you don't want the data in alphabetical or numerical order.

The ribbon buttons make it easy to create or edit a chart. You can add or remove chart parts.

Excel will print the whole sheet or just a selection or certain pages. By setting a Print Area you can keep part of the sheet from printing at all. You manage the look of the printed page with the choices in the Page Setup dialog.

What You Printed for Project 2: Excel Basics

	File and sheet	What is it?	Which page?	# of pages
1.	budget-2010-centered-Lastname-Firstname.xlsx		Margins	2 pages
2.	headerfooter-Lastname-Firstname.xlsx	just the page header	Header/Footer	1 page
3.	trips8-Lastname-Firstname.xlsx- Sheet1	totals finished	Print-Defaults	1 page
4.	trips9-Lastname-Firstname.xlsx- Pie Chart	chart	Print-Defaults	1 page
5.	trips9-Lastname-Firstname.xlsx- Sheet1	with grid lines, row and column headings, centered horizontally and vertically.	Print-Options	1 page
6.	trips9-Lastname-Firstname.xlsx- Sheet1	with added page break and printing titles on page 2	Print-Options	2 pages
7.	trips9-Lastname-Firstname.xlsx- Sheet1- Selection	Print selection = Tahiti trips only, no grid lines, no headings, not centered, including titles	Print-Options	1 page
8.	trips9-Lastname-Firstname.xlsx-Sheet 1	Showing formulas. Landscape orientation. Not centered horizontally or vertically.	Print-Options	1 page

Skills Covered - by lesson

Regional Settings

Change what number system and currency Windows uses

Match window appearance -
    window size
    document window size
    view used
    zoom amount

Use the ribbon and dialog to set -
     page orientation
     scaling
     paper size

What the margins are
Set the sizes for margins in Page Setup dialog
Resize margins in Page Layout view
Resize margins in Print Preview
How the margins relate to the header and footer
Center on printed page

Header and Footer

Create a header or footer in Page Layout view
Text does not wrap in a header or footer
That Undo does not track changes to the header or footer
Create a header or footer with the Page Setup dialog
Create a custom header or footer
Print

Set the print area using
- Page Setup dialog and keyboard
- Page Setup dialog and mouse
- Ribbon button and mouse
Clear Print Area
Print titles - repeating columns and/or rows
Print the spreadsheet

Set options in the Options dialog

Enter/Edit/Clear

Enter data into a cell
Edit existing data in a cell
Clear data from a cell with different methods
Save with the Save button on the Quick Access Toolbar

Sort rows
Sort with Sort dialog
Create a custom list and sort with it

Adjust column width with AutoFit for selection
Adjust column width to widest item in column with AutoFit
Adjust column width by dragging
Adjust column width with dialog

Adjust row height with AutoFit and font size
Adjust row height by dragging row heading
Adjust row height of multiple rows by dragging
Adjust row height of multiple rows with AutoFit
Hide a row
Unhide a row

Copy cell with AutoFill
Copy cell above with key combo
AutoFill a simple sequence
AutoFill a patterned sequence

Flash Fill automatically
Flash Fill manually
Flash Fill column adjacent to data
Flash Fill column NOT adjacent to data
Use Flash Fill to combine data
Use Flash Fill to split data

AutoFill Formulas

Create a simple formula
AutoFill a formula down a column
Show all formulas at once

Enter data in a column
Use AutoSum to add a column
Write a SUM formula yourself
Format numbers as currency with Accounting Style button
Write a formula that uses an absolute reference
Use AutoFill to copy a formula
Format number as percentage with the Mini-Toolbar
Show formulas on the sheet

Create a Pie Chart
Change the chart type with context menu
Change the chart type with ribbon button
Select data source
Modify a chart layout by adding data labels
Move chart to its own sheet
Add a text box to chart

Print - Defaults

Check sheet for printing
Print with defaults
Use Page Break Preview and Print Preview
Add a button to the Quick Access Toolbar
Print chart

Print grid lines and headings
Center sheet on page
Change page breaks
Print titles
Print selection
Show formulas
Print on one page

Skills in Exercises

Excel 2-1 Theater Tickets

Enter data
Use AutoFit to size rows and columns
Use AutoFill to complete data entry
Create formula
Use AutoSum to add columns
Format numbers as currency
Add new text
Create new formula
Create formula using absolute reference
Show formulas
Create a header
Print data and print formulas

Excel 2-2 Soccer Budget

Create a spreadsheet -
     Enter data
     Create formulas
     Format numbers
     AutoSum
Create a pie chart
Create custom header
Print data, selection, and chart sheet

Excel 2-3 Pings

Edit an existing spreadsheet
AutoFit columns
Set Column widths
Autofill data
Use Page Break Preview
Create formulas using Average, Max, and Min
Autofill formulas

Important Terms

absolute reference

characters (measurement)

Collapse Dialog button

data block or region

Page Break Preview

Quick Access Toolbar

Regional Settings

relative reference

Restore Dialog button

Home > Jan's CompLit 101 > Working with Numbers > Basics > Summary

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Last updated: March 27, 2017