Microsoft Excel Basics Fulton County Public Library Mobile Digital Media Lab
What is Excel and What can you do with it? Spreadsheet software Sum data Organize information in columns and rows Create charts Generally used by businesses, but can be used at home as well! Essential skill / useful to learn
Files and Printing Templates: File > New Blank Workbooks… A Workbook is a spreadsheet you edit in MS Excel A Worksheet is a single “page” of a Workbook Open Existing Workbook: File > Open Save Workbook: File > Save Printing: File>Print
Tabs File (save & print) Home (common formatting) Insert (adding Charts, Pictures, etc.) Page Layout (set how it prints) Formulas (math functions) Data (managing information in cells) Review (Spell Check and Translation) View (how the spreadsheet looks)
Parts of a Spreadsheet Cells: individual segments of information Rows: horizontal strips of cells (unlimited) Columns: vertical strips of cells (unlimited) Ribbon Current Cell Function in selected cell Select All Cells
Columns vs. Rows Columns- Vertical Rows- Horizontal Moving about the cells Tab (to the right) Enter (down) Shift+Tab/Enter moves opposite
Select Cells/Edit Cells Select Cell (click on it) & Start Typing Double Click to Edit Contents Or Click in function box after selecting cell…
Text/Data Formatting (Home Tab) Format Text Alignment Left Center Right Bold Italics Underline Format Cell Right Click > Format Cells… General Number Currency Date Etc.
Print Formatting (Page Setup Tab) Set your page up just as you want it… Margins Orientation Portrait (vertical) Landscape (horizontal)
Insert/Copy/Paste/Etc. Pictures Insert>Picture>Clip Art Insert>Picture>From File (photos) Copy (Ctrl+c) Cut (Ctrl+x) Paste (Ctrl+v) Undo (Ctrl+z) Redo (Ctrl+y)
Sort Data Sort (Data>Sort) Select Your Data (highlight cells) Alphabetically By Number
Formulas Many, Many, Many For Example… Select the Cells you want to add =SUM(A1:A15) Averages Difference Numerical Sequence/Count
Know where to get… Help Use Help feature Call a friend or relative If you get stuck, call FCPL and ask for Jon, Jim or Zak --