CTS130 Spreadsheet Lesson 13 Working with Lists

Copying Data between Workbooks  Use the [Copy ]and [Paste] Buttons  Use the CTRL+[C] and CTRL + [V]  Use the Edit Menu > Copy or Paste option  Click and drag from one window to another window. To do this, you must be able to see both workbooks. You must also hold down the [CTRL] key. If you do not, the data will be moved and not copied.

Copy Data by Using Tiled Windows When two workbooks are open, you can use the “Compare Side by Side” command from the Window menu to horizontally tile the windows. The Arrange dialog box opens. Synchronous Scrolling Reset Window Position

Sorting a List  Ascending sort – sorts rows in A-to-Z order or lowest value to highest value.  Descending sort – sorts rows in Z-to-A order or highest to lowest value.  To sort: Use the Sort Buttons on the toolbar DATA Menu > Sort option

You must highlight all the data in the rows before sorting. If you were to select only the “Last Name” and the “First Name” columns shown above, only those two columns would be sorted. The rest of the columns would remain the same, which means your data would be incorrect. If you select a range of cells on the screen and sort them, the sort uses the first column in the range.

Using the Sort Dialog Box When sorting, you may get an error message such as this one. It is asking you if you want to expand your selection for the sort or continue as.

Name a List as a Range  Excel has requirements for using List commands effectively. One requirement is that you must name the list as a range.  A named range is a descriptive label for a selection of cells. Rather than referring to the range as cells such as A4:F20, you can call it “Employees” for example.  To do this: Select the cells you want in the range. Click the Name box. Key the desired range name. Press “Enter.”

Filtering a List  A filter is a criterion or a specification for data in your list.  A filter hides rows that do not meet your criteria.  When you filter a list, you display records that meet some requirements that you choose.  You can print your list while it is filtered so that you see only the records that match your requirements.

DATA Menu > Filter > AutoFilter  Position your pointer in the row headings so that you can choose from a list of labels or values in the list. For example, here the pointer should be anywhere in row 2.  Go to DATA Menu > Filter > AutoFilter.  The AutoFilter arrow appears in each of the labels appears as shown below:

Click the down-pointing arrow in the desired column. Here the “Department” column was clicked and the drop- down list appeared displaying the items in that column. Select the item to be filtered. Here “Marketing” selected.

Creating a Custom Filter  A custom filter gives you the ability to filter by more than one item and to use operators such as “greater than.”  Click the “Custom” option. NOTE: Click the ALL option will display all the records again.

Some of the options in this pull-down menu would be: Equals Does not equal Is great than Is less than Begins with Ends with The options available in this pull-down menu would be all the options in that particular column. If the AND is clicked, both must be conditions must be true. If the OR is click, only one of the two conditions must be true.

Using Wildcards in a Filter  A wildcard is a keyboard character used in filters to represent characters that you do not know.  The asterisk ( * ) means that any character can be found. Example: G* would find anything that begins with “G” *R would find anything that starts with “R”  The question mark ( ? ) means that one character can be found. Example: ?1980 would find only the items that had 1980 as the last four digits and have only one digit at the beginning.

Setting Print Areas A print area is the range of cells to be printed.  If you want to print only a portion of the worksheet, you can select the cells and define them as the print area. When you set your own print area, it is saved with the workbook.  You can also select cells on the worksheet and print them by using the Selection choice in the PRINT WHAT area of the Print dialog box. When you use this method, the selection is not saved with the workbook.

Set a Print Area  Highlight the area you want defined as the print area.  FILE Menu > Print Area > Set Print Area  Print the area.  To clear the print area, FILE Menu > Print Area > Clear Print Area Print a Selection  Highlight the area you want to print.  FILE Menu > Print  In the “Print What” section, click Selection.  Once it is printed, the area is deselected.

Print Noncontiguous Selections  If you select ranges that are not next to each other, Excel prints each one on a separate page.  Although you cannot change this feature, you can copy and paste a “live” link for each range to another area of the worksheet.  Then you can print multiple ranges on a single page.  A “live” link is a simple formula that refers to a cell such as =A4. If you change the original data, the link is updated.

To select noncontiguous areas, click and select through first area, hold down the [CTRL] button, and select second area. Each selection will print on its own page. Select the first area, then copy it. Go to an empty area in the worksheet and EDIT Menu > Paste Special > Paste Link. Select the second area, then copy it. Go to the same empty area you went to and EDIT Menu > Paste Special > Paste Link. Then, go to FILE Menu > Print Click the “Selection” option in the Print what group. Now the noncontiguous areas will print on one page.