Ch03 MS Excel Basic Features

PLAYLIST FOR EXCEL BASIC AND ADVANCED FEATURES:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mMAGcZaItg...
Total LENGTH (all videos listed below): 00:49:41
TUTORIAL VIDEOS TO WATCH (You may access individual videos by clicking on their links
below or playing them from the playlist):
Solving Real Problems in Excel
LINK: https://youtu.be/5mMAGcZaItg
LENGTH: 00:04:18
01. Getting Started
LINK: https://youtu.be/lgIWIPDJuPo
LENGTH: 00:04:20
02. Creating and Opening Workbooks
LINK: https://youtu.be/EBGrJckHadw
LENGTH: 00:02:34
03. Saving and Sharing
LINK: https://youtu.be/IwSC5LUm5HE
LENGTH: 00:03:42
04. Cell Basics
LINK: https://youtu.be/6mSKsaquTAM
LENGTH: 00:04:27
05. Formatting Cells
LINK: https://youtu.be/etAMC0KRuBE
LENGTH: 00:03:54
06. Understanding Number Formats
LINK: https://youtu.be/fjyOG7Ls7BA
LENGTH: 00:05:43
07. Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells
LINK: https://youtu.be/9s0OdXiuqL0
LENGTH: 00:04:47
09. Why You Should Avoid Merging Cells
LINK: https://youtu.be/8pRpG10X0UM
LENGTH: 00:02:31
10. Tables
LINK: https://youtu.be/iroIA8_3soo
LENGTH: 00:03:19
11. Charts
LINK: https://youtu.be/_Wu7jYTr1Pk
LENGTH: 00:04:30
12. Page Layout and Printing
LINK: https://youtu.be/8XcFTeCu98k
LENGTH: 00:05:36
Solving Real Problems in Excel

LINK: https://youtu.be/5mMAGcZaItg

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excelformulas/solving-reallife-problems-in-excel/1/

Sometimes trying to write a formula can be a bit like traveling without a map. How exactly do you take a
problem from real life and turn it into something that Excel can solve? What you might not realize is that you
already have the skills you need to get there. With some planning, some basic math, and a little knowledge of
how formulas work you can get a lot farther than you might think.
Say you're at work and your boss comes to you with a problem. Apparently, there's an event coming up
and 614 people have already RSVP'd. Unfortunately, the venue only seats 550. So how many folding
chairs are we going to need to seat all the extra guests?
Like a lot of real-life problems, there's actually enough data here to turn this into a math problem.
You could even think of it as a word problem. Remember doing those in school. So-and-so has 14 apples. She
gives five of them away, you know the rest. When it comes down to it all we have here is a simple subtraction
problem - one that you might even be able to solve in your head. Just take the number of people coming,
subtract the number of seats at the venue, and that will give us our answer. Now watch.
We're going to move the equal sign to the beginning and with this one tiny change, it's now in a format that
Excel can understand. For bonus points, you could even change the numbers to cell references, see how it
works.
Let's take a look at the answer.
Looks like we're going to need 64 extra folding chairs. And because we used cell references, we can change
the number of people attending and the answer will update automatically. Sometimes getting from problem to
formula is easier than you thought it would be. Like you just saw. Then there are times when you get stuck
somewhere in the process, and you're not sure how to continue. The important thing to remember is that
you're still most of the way there, even if you're feeling unsure. You just have to break the problem down into
more manageable chunks.
Say, you're this guy and you've been thinking a lot about your finances lately. You want to save up enough
money to buy a brand-new, totally awesome jet ski! Here's the problem : the jet ski costs $6,000, you're
planning to raise the money over time by saving a hundred and ten dollars each month. How many
years will it take to save the full amount?
Even at a glance you can tell this problem is a little different from the last example. For one, it's going to take
more than a simple subtraction formula to figure it out. Let's try breaking it down instead. We are talking about
how many years this is going to take. Maybe we should figure out how much we can save in a year based on
what we're setting aside each month. The formula might look something like this: monthly savings times the
number of months in a year - a simple multiplication problem. And the answer is... Uh not too bad: one
thousand three hundred and twenty dollars per year. Now that we have this number we're just one step away
from solving the problem. All we have to do is create a second formula that divides our goal by the amount that
we'll be saving each year. Before we continue, notice how we've really thought this through. Instead of writing
one big formula. We wrote two smaller formulas and that makes the problem much easier to handle. Okay, it's
the moment of truth. Looks like it'll take about four and a half years to save enough money for the jet ski. Man,
that's a lot longer than I thought it would take. Maybe you can buy a used jet ski? The truth is there's no
formula for writing formulas. But that's okay the journey from point A to point B is rarely as treacherous as it
seems.
Sure there might be some issues along the way you might run into a problem that you're not sure how to solve,
but remember you already know more than you think you do. That's the key to solving real-life problems in
Excel.
01. Getting Started

LINK: https://youtu.be/lgIWIPDJuPo

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/getting-started-with-excel/1/

Excel is a spreadsheet program that allows you to store, organize, and analyze information. You can use it to
create contact lists… budgets… invoices… and just about anything else you can imagine. When you open
Excel, there's a good chance you'll be taken to the start screen first. From here you can access recent
workbooks, or create something new—either from scratch, or from a template. In this example, we'll click
Blank Workbook.
Next you might want to take a minute to explore the interface, and make sure you know your way around. Let’s
begin with the ribbon - which is the collection of tools and features at the top of the screen. The ribbon is
divided into tabs like Page Layout…Insert… and Home, so you can easily find what you're looking for. There
are also commands on each tab that have been organized into groups. For example, if you look closely at
the Font group, you'll find it has everything you need to work with text, including options like bold, italics, font
color, and size. Some groups even have an arrow in the bottom right corner that you can click to view even
more commands.
If you ever feel like the ribbon is taking up too much space, you can always hide or minimize it. All you have
to do is click the arrow in the upper right corner… then choose the option you want. Also in the upper
right corner is a place where you can access your Microsoft account. Here you can update your photo,
manage your account settings, or switch to a different account all together. You can even customize
your copy of Excel to make certain commands more convenient.
Take the quick access toolbar in the upper left corner. This area gives you access to frequently used
commands like Save and Undo, no matter where you are on the ribbon. To add more commands, just click
the tiny arrow next to the toolbar… then choose the ones you want. I'm going to add New and also Quick
Print because I use both of these commands pretty frequently.
In Excel 2016, you’ll also find a new feature called Tell Me. It works like a search bar to help you quickly
find tools or commands you want to use. Just type in what you want to do, in your own words. The results will
give you a few options, and then guide you through the process, as well as offering additional resources.
Now let's take a look at the workbook itself (which is also sometimes referred to as a worksheet, or a
spreadsheet). In this example, I've opened an order list that I'm working on. Every worksheet contains cells,
columns, and rows for entering data, plus the formula bar for working with your data. If you need to scroll
up or down, or even side to side, you can use the scroll bars here… and here.
In the bottom right corner, you'll find several tools that let you change the way your worksheet is displayed.
To zoom in or out, click and drag the zoom control. The number next to the slider will tell you what the zoom
percentage is. You can also switch between different worksheet views using the three commands here.
Normal is selected by default. This mode is great for everyday tasks like entering and editing data. Page
Layout shows you what the worksheet will look like on the printed page. You can also add headers and
footers here. Page Break Preview makes it easy to change the location of page breaks in your workbook. This
can be especially useful if you're printing lots of data.
Last but not least, let’s take a quick tour of the backstage view. You can get there by clicking the File tab—
just look for it on the far left of the ribbon. Here you can access all kinds of information related to your current
workbook, and more. This includes commands like New… Open… Save… and Print. All you have to do is
click an item… and it'll open in the right pane. This makes it easy to find what you're looking for—and review
your options—all in one place.
That covers the basics of Excel 2016! Now that you're comfortable with the interface—including the backstage
view, the ribbon, and the work area—you're ready to start your first worksheet.
02. Creating and Opening Workbooks

LINK: https://youtu.be/EBGrJckHadw

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/creating-and-opening-workbooks/1/

Most features in Microsoft Office, including Excel, are geared towards saving and sharing files online. This is
done with OneDrive, which is an online storage space for your documents and files, so you can access them
even when you’re away from your computer.
If you want to use OneDrive, make sure you’re logged into Excel with your Microsoft account. Whether or not
you’re using OneDrive, in Excel most new projects begin the same way—with creating or opening a new, blank
workbook.
All you have to do is go to the backstage view… and choose New. If you prefer to start from scratch, go
ahead and click the thumbnail that says Blank Workbook. But you can also start with a template. You'll find
them in the very same place in the backstage view.
A template is a file that comes with its own design and sometimes even complex formulas or formatting. They
make it easy to create professional-looking workbooks without a lot of time and effort. You can browse the
ones you see here, or you can search for something specific. If you see a template you like, just click to view
a preview… then click the Create button.
Opening an existing workbook is also very easy. Again, you'll want to go to the backstage view… but this
time, click Open in the left pane. If the workbook you're looking for is something you've worked on recently, it
might be listed under Recent Workbooks. In fact, you can "pin" certain workbooks here, so you always have
access to your most frequently used files. All you have to do is move your cursor over the file, then click the
pushpin icon. To unpin it, click the icon again. You can pin as many workbooks as you want. If the file
you're looking for hasn't been opened recently, just look to the other options.
For example, under OneDrive, you can access files that are saved online to your OneDrive account.
Under This PC, you can access files that are saved locally. Or you can click Browse… then select the
workbook you want. When you're ready, click Open… and the workbook will appear. Now you know how to
create and open workbooks in Excel.
03. Saving and Sharing

LINK: https://youtu.be/IwSC5LUm5HE

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/saving-and-sharing-workbooks/1/

Many features in office including Excel are geared towards saving and sharing your files online this is done
through OneDrive, an online storage space for your documents and files that lets you access them even when
you're away from your computer. If you want to use OneDrive, make sure you're logged in to excel with your
Microsoft account first.
Let's take a look at the regular save command on the quick access toolbar. Just click and if it's a new
workbook, you'll be taken to the backstage view where you can choose where to save your file. For now, let's
save it to our computer. Click the Browse button to choose a location for your workbook then enter a file name
and click Save when you're done. Now you can save at any time by clicking the icon. If you want to save a
different version maybe in a different location or with a different file name, you can go to save as in the
backstage view and follow the same steps. Again, you'll have the option of saving to OneDrive or to this PC.
But if you primarily save files to your computer you may want to change the default setting so this PC is
always selected. To do that click options in the backstage view then select save in the left pane. Now check
the box that reads save to computer by default. When you're done, click OK. If you ever forget to save or if
your computer crashes while you're working, don't worry the auto recovery feature saves a backup copy of
your workbook automatically. To recover an unsaved file. all you have to do is reopen Excel and the document
recovery pane should appear on the left. Here you can access any recovered versions of the file by default.
Excel auto saves a backup copy every 10 minutes. So if you're working on something for less than 10 minutes
you may not be able to use this feature. You can also export your workbooks into an alternate file type by
clicking export in the backstage view. Exporting as a PDF is a good choice. If you need to send a workbook to
someone who doesn't have Excel, this format lets them view but not edit the workbook using a free program
that anyone can download. Under change file type you can access several other formats depending on what
you need. For example, if the person you're sharing
with uses Excel 2003 or earlier, you'll need to send them an Excel 97 to 2003 workbook instead. To share your
with others, click the share button in the top right corner. Next you'll have to upload your workbook to
OneDrive. So click on the option associated with your account. Once it's uploaded, you can email an invitation
for others to view or edit the file. There are more ways to share at the bottom of the window like attaching your
workbook to an email or getting a shareable link. If you have office 365, you can use the autosave feature
once you upload your workbook to OneDrive. Whenever you make a change, it will automatically save your
file. However, if you want to disable this feature, click the button in the top left corner. Keep in mind that if you
deactivate auto-saving, you'll need to click the Save button every time you want to save. With so many options
how you save and share your workbook is up to you. Whether it's exporting your file as a PDF or sharing your
workbook online.
GCF global creating opportunities for a better life
04. Cell Basics

LINK: https://youtu.be/6mSKsaquTAM

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/cell-basics/1/

Every worksheet contains thousands of cells where different columns and rows intersect.
You'll need to know how to work with these cells in order to enter and edit data.
Every cell has its own name based on its location, sometimes called a cell address.
In this example, the cell I've selected is where column D and row 6 intersect, making the cell address D6.
The address also appears in the name box above the worksheet.
To select a cell, just click it.
You can even use the arrow keys on your keyboard to navigate between, instead of clicking with your mouse.
To select more than one cell at a time (known as a cell range), click and drag, and the entire range will be
highlighted.
You can enter lots of things into a cell; for example, all of mine contain text.
But they can contain advanced properties, too, like formulas, functions, and formatting elements.
For now, I'd just like to show you the basics.
We'll start with inserting content into a cell.
This person has just confirmed that she completed Part 2 of the training.
So I'm going to select cell F9… then type an "x."
It appears in the cell and in the formula bar, where you can also enter or edit the contents of your cell.
In fact, I'm going to take this opportunity to change the "x" to a capital "X," so it's consistent with the rest of the
list.
Now for the next person: Walter.
Although it looks like I've made a mistake—he's on the list twice, both here… and here.
I'm just going to clear the contents of the extra row by selecting the cells… then clicking
the Clear command on the ribbon… and choosing Clear Contents.
You can also use Backspace or Delete on your keyboard.
So let's take a look at what that did.
It cleared the contents of the cells, but the row is still there.
That's okay.
If you want to delete the cells all together, all you have to do is click the Delete command instead.
That actually removes the cells from the worksheet, causing the cells underneath to shift up and fill in the gap.
Just remember that there's a difference between clearing and deleting cells, so you don't accidentally delete
any cells that you want to keep.
Now I'd like to show you a way to save time by copying and pasting content.
For example, I need to mark the rest of the people who completed Part 2 of the training.
Start by clicking the cell you want… then click Copy on the ribbon.
You’ll see a dashed box that appears around the copied cell.
Next, select the cells where you want the content to go then click Paste.
To access more paste options, open the drop-down menu here.
These commands will come in handy if you're copying and pasting cells that contain formulas
or advanced formatting.
You can also get to these commands by right-clicking in the worksheet.
For example, to cut and paste, select your cells… then right-click… and choose Cut.
The original content will disappear as soon as you paste it in a new location.
There's also the drag and drop technique for moving cells from one place to another.
To drag and drop, start by selecting your cells… then place your cursor on an outside edge.
As you can see, it turns into a symbol with four arrows and a pointer.
Now click, hold, and drag the cells wherever you want them to go, then release your mouse…
and the cells have moved to their new location.
To mark the rest of the people who've completed Part 3, I'm going use one of my favorite techniques—filling in
cells with the fill handle.
You can fill vertically or horizontally by selecting the cell you want to use … then clicking and dragging the
square in the bottom right corner.
The fill handle can also be used to continue a series; for example, numbers, dates, and
other information that's listed in sequential order.
See what happens when I use the technique on my header row?
It continues the series up to Part 6.
Now you know the basics, including insert and delete; cut, copy, and paste; and other time-saving
techniques… everything you need to work with cells in Excel.
05. Formatting Cells

LINK: https://youtu.be/etAMC0KRuBE

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/formatting-cells/1/

The look and feel of your workbook has a lot to do with the formatting choices you make. For example, let's
add some formatting to this fitness chart.
That will make it easier to read and more visually appealing. We'll start by selecting the cell that contains
"Fitness progress chart" and making the text bigger.
In the Font group on the Home tab, locate the font size box. You can type in the exact point size you want or
click the drop-down arrow to select a size.
You'll see a preview of the results as you go down the list.
I think 24 looks good.
Maybe we could go a little bigger though. Increase and Decrease are two other
options for quickly changing the size of your text. All you have to do is click the command and...there we go!
To change the actual font, click the drop-down arrow here then, make your way down the list—you'll get that
live preview again.
I think I'll go with this one is. It's different but still very easy to read, which makes it a good choice for a title.
So, how about some color? To view your options, click the arrow next to the font color command you can
choose one of the theme colors here, or, if you don't see anything you like, go ahead and select More Colors...
This bright pink should look pretty good with the color scheme I have in mind.
Another way to make your text stand out is to use bold, italic, and underlining. Bold should be a good choice in
this example. Now the text really stands out and it's much easier to read.
I think I'm ready to add some formatting for the rest of the worksheet.
At a glace, it's kind of hard to tell the header row from the rest the chart because it just isn't very distinct. We
can easily fix that by giving the header a unique fill color.
All you have to do is open the menu next the Fill Color command and make your choice.
Dark gray should be a nice contrast to the pink we used earlier.
Now I just need to change the color of this text to something lighter.
You can also use Cell Styles to quickly apply different formatting in your workbook.
Let's give it a try on the rest of our data here. When you're ready select the Cell styles command and mouse
over the styles for a preview, and click the one you want.
At this point you probably noticed adding a fill color to a cell range causes the line in-between the cells to
disappear; I'd like to change that by
adding in some cell borders. Click the drop-down arrow next to the Border commands, and you'll find a lot of
different options. For example, you can add a top and bottom border, a thick outside border, and even different
line colors and styles.
For a border that goes all the way outside and in between the cells choose All borders.
OK, one last thing I'd like to show you is how to change the placement, or alignment, of your texts using the
options in the Alignment group. An addition to left, center, and right, text can also be aligned to the bottom,
middle, or top of the cell.
Aligning the text to the middle center should make this data look really nice and easy to read.
See a big difference formatting can make? Not only does my spreadsheet look better than it did before, it's
also easier to review the data.
06. Understanding Number Formats

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https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/understanding-number-formats/1/

You may have already noticed that Excel allows you to type just about anything into your worksheet. Along
with text, you can use many different kinds of numbers such as decimals, percentages, dollar amounts, dates,
and more.
To do this, Excel uses a feature called number formats and it's really important to understand how they work.
Number formats tell Excel exactly what type of data you're using. When you enter something into a cell, Excel
try to apply the right number format automatically.
For example, watch what happens when we enter a calendar day into this sell such as 1/1/2015 for January
1st.
if you look at the number format drop-down menu on the Home tab, you'll see that this is now using the date
number format.
This tells Excel that we're working with a calendar day and not another type of number.
If you click the drop-down menu, you'll see that there are several other number format to choose from. The
general format at the top is the default number format for every cell in your spreadsheet. If Excel isn't able to
guess what type of data you're using, it will usually just leave the general number applied to that cell.
You know, in this example, I think I'd like to modify the number format to use the long date option instead; that
way, it'll be easier to read in our spreadsheet.
And there we go!
When you select a cell what number formatting you'll see the actual value of that cell in the formula bar. So the
long date number format hasn't changed the actual data—it only changes the way it's displayed.
And number formats don't just make our data easier to read. For example, since Excel understands that this is
a calendar date, we can use the fill handle in the lower right corner of the cell to continue this series of dates.
So now we have January 2nd, January 3rd, and so on.
Definitely a lot easier than entering each of these one by one!
Unfortunately, Excel doesn't always understand what we're trying to type the same way that a person would.
Because of this, Excel requires you to enter your data in a pretty specific way.
For example, watch what happens when we type January 1st in this cell.
As you can see, the number format has not changed. This cell is still just using the general number format,
and that means Excel didn't understand what we wanted.
It also means our fill handle isn't going to work correctly.
Instead, it just copies the data from this first cell, which is not what we want.
To fix this, we'll need to change this into something Excel can understand, such as 1/1/2015 or just January 1
without the "st".
There we go!
So you can see that Excel has applied a custom date format to this cell and that's because it understood what
we wanted.
And now, just like before, we can see the cell's actual value in the formula bar and we can even use the fill
handle to continue this series of dates.
Let's take a look at another useful, but potentially confusing, number format: percentages.
Remember how we said before that certain data needs to be entered in a certain way?
Well, when you type a number followed by the percent sign (%) and press Enter, the percentage number
format will be applied automatically to that cell.
In this example, let's say that we're working with an 8% sales tax rate.
As you may remember from math class, percentages can also be written as a decimal number. For example, if
I change the number format for this cell back to general, it'll appear as 0.08, which is just another way of
writing 8%.
I point this out mainly because it's easy to make a mistake with percentage formatting if you're not being
careful.
For example, if we type 8 into an empty cell, and then apply percentage formatting afterward,
Excel with think that we meant 800%, which which isn't even close to what we wanted!
In our experience, and it's best just to include the percent sign whenever you're entering a percentage into
Excel; that way there's much less risk of making a mistake like this.
Ok, there's just one last thing we'd like to point out. Below the number format drop-down menu, you'll see
these small buttons with a left and right arrow.
These commands allow you to control how many decimal places are displayed in your cell.
As an example, let's say I'm working with a currency value like $19.95.
Now as you can see Excel, applied currency formatting when we included the dollar sign in this cell.
You can show more decimal places to increase precision or show fewer to simplify your data or even round to
the nearest whole number.
Just like before, we're not changing the actual value of this cell, as we can see in the formula bar; we're just
making it easier to read in our spreadsheet.
Now that you know how number formats work, take some time to ensure that you're using them correctly in
your spreadsheet.
07. Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells

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In Excel, every workbook is different. That means you may want to modify certain things—like the size and
layout of your cells—to better fit the data you're working with.
This column has been resized, for example, but not quite enough—most of the text is still getting cut off. I'm
going to increase the width a little more by positioning my mouse over the line in the column heading, then
clicking and dragging it to the right.
Another option is to auto-size the column. This will automatically adjust the width, so it fits the contents of the
cells exactly. Just double-click the line instead of dragging it. Now the column is perfectly sized to the text.
Rows work the same way. You can adjust them manually, or auto-size them to fit the height of your text.
Sometimes it's useful to be able to resize all of your cells at once. In this example, I'd like to make all of my
rows the exact same height. To do this, click the Select All button in the top left corner. Then resize a row (it
doesn't matter which one) … and the change will be applied to the entire worksheet.
Next I need to add another row to this list. I'd like to put it in between row 4 and row 5. To add a new row, all
you have to do is select the row heading below where you want the new one to appear. Then click the Insert
command…
The process is similar for inserting a new column. Just select the column heading to the right of where you
want the new one to go. Click the Insert command… and a column will appear to the left.
Deleting columns and rows is just as easy. First, select the column or row you want to delete … then click the
Delete command. The column or row will be deleted, causing the other cells to move and fill in the gap
automatically. Just remember that there's a difference between clearing and deleting: deleting cells removes
them from your worksheet; clearing just removes the contents.
You can also move a column or row to a different location. In this example, we'll move a column.
All you have to do is select the one you want, then click the Cut command.
Next, select the column to the right of where you want the column to be moved. Click the Insert drop-down
menu on the ribbon… then choose Insert Cut Cells.
Another useful technique for rearranging data is the ability to hide certain columns or rows. For example, I
don't really need to see these three columns right now; I'd rather focus on the customers' email addresses. If
we right-click… then choose Hide from the menu… the columns temporarily disappear.
To unhide them, select the columns on either side of the ones that are hidden… then right-click again… and
choose Unhide.
Let's fast forward to the finished worksheet...
Next I'd like to take a look at wrapping text, which is one way of addressing cells that contain more text than
they can actually display. For example, I'd like to resize my column of addresses to about half its current size,
but still be able to see the contents.
We can do this using the Wrap Text command on the ribbon. As you can see, this displays the text on multiple
lines.
Now for the finishing touch—combining the cells in the top row, so the title of my worksheet can be centered in
a single large cell. To do this, select the cells you want to merge… then click the Merge & Center command.
There, that's perfect.
To access more merge options, open the drop-down menu here. You can merge across, creating merged rows
instead of a single large cell (if you have multiple cells selected). You can also merge without centering, or
split your cells up again.
There is a downside to using the Merge command though. If you want to Merge multiple cells each containing
data, Merge will only keep the contents of the upper left cell, and discard everything else. So you should be
careful when using this feature…
The best way to learn about merging cells, wrapping text, and working with columns and rows is to practice.
So the next time you're using Excel, look for ways that you can customize your worksheet to better fit your
data.
09. Why You Should Avoid Merging Cells

LINK: https://youtu.be/8pRpG10X0UM

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel-tips/why-you-should-avoid-merging-cells/1/

Excel has a lot of great features that can make your spreadsheets run more Smoothly.
But merging cells is not one of them.
Merged cells are notorious for creating problems in spreadsheets and I'm going to show you a couple of
reasons why you shouldn't use them unless you absolutely have to and I'll also show you an alternative you
can use instead.
In this example we didn't have sales data for this row so we merged all four cells into one cell.
Mainly so we could Center the text across several columns and sort of set it apart from the other data.
But there's a problem.
Watch what happens when I try to sort this data.
I'll try to sort largest to smallest and it doesn't work.
It gives us an error message.
Or let's say we wanted to copy some data from one part of our sheet and paste it into the merge cell.
That doesn't work either it gives us a different error message.
So what's the problem?
Well many Excel features rely on the consistent grid of rows and columns that every spreadsheet has by
default.
Merge cells break out of this grid so Excel may not know how to handle it.
Luckily there is another way to get the same basic look without merging cells.
First, we'll need to unmerge this by clicking the merge & Center command.
So these are now separate cells.
Next with all four cells selected click this little arrow in the alignment group.
In the horizontal menu we'll select center across selection and click okay.
This has centered the text perfectly and it looks exactly like a merged cell but it's actually separate cells.
Most importantly it won't cause problems the way merged cells will.
For example, if we try to sort it, it works and we don't get an error message.
It's worth noting that center across selection only works horizontally.
So for vertical groups of cells you may still need to merge but I recommend using center across selection
whenever you can because it will help you avoid all of the problems associated with merged cells.
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10. Tables

LINK: https://youtu.be/iroIA8_3soo

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/tables/1/

Tables are a great way to add more advanced formatting to your worksheets, like banded rows, preset color
schemes, and other design elements that can save you tons of time.
Let's take a look.
To create a table, all you have to do is select the cells you want to include… then click the Format as Table
command on the Home tab.
Here you'll find several different styles to choose from. Just pick whichever one appeals to you the most—you
can always choose a different table style later.
If you want your table to have special formatting in the header row, make sure you leave this box checked.
You can also change the selection if you need to.
When you're ready, click OK… and now we have a table.
Notice that every table includes filtering by default, which will let you sort your data, or narrow it down
depending on what you need. You can apply filtering any time using the drop-down arrows here.
If you need to fit more content into your table, not to worry.
Excel gives you two ways to add more columns or rows in the same style as the rest of the table.
Just enter your data in any adjacent column or row... and it will be roped into the table automatically.
You can also click, hold, and drag the bottom right corner to create any size table you need.
This is looking pretty good. I think I'm ready to try some different formatting options now.
For that, you'll find everything you need on the Design tab, which appears anytime you have your table
selected.
Remember how I said you could change your table style once you added one to your worksheet?
You can do that here using the options in the Table Styles group... and this time, you get preview.
This is one of the benefits of using tables in Excel. They make it easy to change the look and feel of your
worksheet, and it's a lot faster than formatting the cells yourself.
Why don't we go with this one?
Next to the table styles, Excel gives you a few more options for customizing your table.
For example, you could add special formatting to the last column to make it stand out… or you could add a
total row. These will all look slightly different depending on the table style you've chosen, so you might need to
experiment to get the look you want.
If you change your mind, you can always remove the table from your workbook, without losing any of your
data. Just be aware that this can cause issues with cell formatting, so it should only be done if you truly intend
to start over.
All you have to do is make sure your table is selected, then click Convert to Range on the Design tab. Next,
click Yes to confirm… and the range will no longer be a table.
The Design tab has disappeared, but you can still adjust the formatting manually using the options on the
Home tab.
You can even use the Clear command to re-start your formatting from scratch.
Now you know how to add and remove tables in Excel.
11. Charts

LINK: https://youtu.be/_Wu7jYTr1Pk

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/charts/1/

When working with numerical data in Excel, sometimes a chart is just what you need to show the meaning
behind the numbers.
In this video, we're going to look at some of the different types of charts, and also some ways that you can
customize them to best represent your data.
Column charts are good all-around charts—they work with many different types of data…
Whereas line charts are best for showing trends over time...
Pie charts are unique because they let you see your data in proportion, instead of on a graph…
We also have the bar chart, which is basically just a column chart turned on its side…
And finally area charts, which are similar to line charts, except the areas under the lines are filled in.
In this example, I have a table of sales figures for a bookstore.
They're organized by genre and month, but it's hard to see any trends without looking at the numbers one-by-
one.
A chart would make things much easier.
To create a chart, select your data, including any headers that you want to use.
Then go to the Insert tab… and look to the commands in the Charts group.
For this data, I think I'll go with something in the column category...
This one looks nice and simple.
Now this is a lot clearer.
I can see that Romance has the strongest sales, with an all-time high in February.
How do I know this column is from February?
Well, below the chart, there's a type of key called a legend, and this tells us what each color represents.
Right now the columns are grouped by genre, but you might prefer to see them grouped by month instead.
There's an easy way to make this change.
Just make sure the chart is selected, then click Switch Row/Column on the Design tab.
See how the chart has been rearranged?
Basically, it's the same data, but the months and the genres have switched places.
You can always experiment with this to see which option is going to work best for your data.
If you want to try a different chart all together, click the Change Chart Type command on the far right of the
tab… then pick something else from the dialog box.
I think I'll go with a line chart this time.
Line charts work well for data like this.
For example, we can see right away that Mystery novels are starting to catch up to Romance.
But Sci-Fi & Fantasy sales have stayed consistently low.
If you want, you can change the chart style to give your chart a different look and feel.
As you can see, you have several different options to choose from.
You can also change the chart layout itself.
Just go to the Quick Layout command… and make a selection from the menu.
Not all of these options will work well for the data in your chart.
Just keep going until you find something you like.
Let’s go with something a little bit like this…
You can make further adjustments using the Add Chart Element command… or the Chart Elements shortcut—
just look for the button with the plus sign.
Here, you can add or remove elements from your chart, depending on your preferences…
Or you can click the arrow to the right to access even more options.
To edit one of your chart elements (like the chart title in this example), all you have to do is select the
placeholder… then replace the text.
Finally, whenever you insert a chart, it appears on the same sheet as the source data by default.
If you want, you can move it to a different worksheet by following these steps.
First, make sure your chart is selected, then click the Move Chart command.
Next, select the sheet where you want the chart to go.
In this example, we'll choose new sheet.
When you're ready, click OK… and now the chart appears in whatever location you chose.
Charts are a great tool for presenting numerical data and also enhancing your worksheets in Excel.
With so many options to choose from, you can achieve exactly the result you want.
12. Page Layout and Printing

LINK: https://youtu.be/8XcFTeCu98k

https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/page-layout-and-printing/1/

Workbooks can be used completely electronically, but sometimes you need to print them too.
It's important to understand the basics of printing, plus the other things you have control over—like what parts
of the worksheet to print, and more.
You'll find everything you need in the backstage view… in the Print pane. Here you can adjust your settings,
see a preview, and print your workbook all in one place.
Now, you could just enter the number of copies you want, and then click the Print button right away. But if you
want more control over the finished product, you might want to take a look at the options below.
If your workbook contains multiple sheets, the first thing you'll need to do is decide whether to print only the
active sheets (which is the default print method)… or the entire workbook. You can also narrow it down to just
your current selection.
Let's go back to our workbook, so we can review how these options work.
A worksheet is considered active when it's selected, like the Central sheet is selected now. To print more than
one worksheet (but not the entire workbook), just hold Ctrl on your keyboard while you select the sheets you
want.
Now Excel will print the sales figures for the West Coast, East Coast, and Central offices.
However, that's not quite what I want. The data I'm after is more specific: the sales records for the top 40
salespeople at the Central office. As you can see, I've already sorted that info from largest to smallest, and
marked the top 40 with a gold star.
We don't want to print the entire worksheet, because that would include more data than we need. Instead, why
don't we print just a selection?
Start by selecting the data you want (including your header row if you have one). Then navigate back to the
Print pane in the Backstage view.
Watch the print preview closely, and you'll notice it changes when we switch from Print Active Sheets... down
to Print Selection. Now only my current selection appears on the printout—the top 40 salespeople for the
Central office.
As an alternative, you can create a permanent selection using the Print Area command. You'll find it on the
Page Layout tab. Just select your data, then choose Set Print Area from the menu. If you change your mind or
no longer need it, choose Clear to remove it.
I do see some other things I'd like to address now, starting with the Page Orientation. Our current orientation is
Portrait (or vertical)—a good choice if your goal is to fit more rows on each page. I'd like to switch to
Landscape (or horizontal), so I can fit more columns instead.
Another option is to go to Scaling... and choose Fit All Columns on One Page. This automatically shrinks your
printout so every column fits on a single sheet of paper.
This can be a great way to condense your content, but it just depends on the worksheet. If you have a lot of
data, it can make it difficult to read. I think I'll switch back to No Scaling... then take a closer look at how the
data is being arranged.
There's enough of it here that the last few rows have to be listed on a separate page.
The next two pages are also lacking some context. Luckily, we can repeat important data like the header row
using a feature called Print Titles. That way, we'll know who these figures belong to and what months they're
for.
All you have to do is go to the Page Layout tab... and then click the Print Titles command.
Next, click the button beside to the range you want to repeat. You can choose either rows or columns.
The dialog box will collapse, and your cursor will turn into a selection arrow. From here, select the data you
want to repeat; in this example, row 1… then click the button to go back.
Do the same for your columns if you have any that you want to include. I'm going to go ahead and select the
first column with all the employees' names. When you're done, click OK... and we'll be able to confirm the
change once we get back to the Print pane.
There's one more thing I'd like to adjust while I'm here. Remember how the last few rows had to be put on a
separate page because there wasn't enough room?
I'd like more control over that. Instead of the last few rows, I want the data to be divided evenly—20 people on
each page.
To do this, I'm going to switch to Page Break Preview mode using the button in the bottom right corner. This
makes it easier to see your page breaks so you can adjust them as needed. All you have to do is click and
drag the blue dotted line... then release where you want the page break to go.
Let's go back to the Print Pane, where we can see the changes have taken effect. The data is now divided
evenly on each page, and the print titles make it much easier to follow.
As you can see, the Total column is the only thing that didn't make it onto the previous page. I bet we could fix
that by making the margins a little smaller. You can adjust your margins manually using the button in the
bottom right corner... or you can choose a preset from the Margins menu. I think the Narrow option should give
us just enough room.
Perfect!
Now I'm ready to print. At this point, all you have to do is click the Print button... and Excel will print your data
exactly as it appeared in the preview.
Ch04 - MS Excel Advanced Features
PLAYLIST FOR EXCEL BASIC AND ADVANCED
FEATURES: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5mMAGcZaItg...
Total LENGTH (all videos listed below): 01:00:38
All learning materials from GCFLearnFree.org Youtube channel
FEATURES TO WATCH (You may access individual videos by clicking on their LINKs below or
playing them from the playlist):
01. Conditional Formatting
LINK: https://youtu.be/zfQ8uOBoIj8
LENGTH: 00:03:45
02. Inspecting and Protecting Workbooks
LINK: https://youtu.be/fsXS_VSuBvs
LENGTH: 00:03:12
03. Comments and Co-authoring
LINK: https://youtu.be/eK23Fzttlyo
LENGTH: 00:04:13
04. Using Find and Replace
LINK: https://youtu.be/hmizmgOjNYo
LENGTH: 00:01:54
05. Working with Multiple Worksheets
LINK: https://youtu.be/qRShQc-v3LI
LENGTH: 00:03:54
06. Freeze Panes and View Options
LINK: https://youtu.be/zuhsUNBeNHw
LENGTH: 00:04:21
WORKING WITH DATA:

07. Relative and Absolute Cell Reference

LINK: https://youtu.be/iDg9s7BJ2m4
LENGTH: 00:05:24
08. Sorting Data
LINK: https://youtu.be/Ep5q1cUhQas
LENGTH: 00:04:30
09. Filtering Data
LINK: https://youtu.be/_OdsZR_rL1U
LENGTH: 00:04:45
10. Groups and Subtotals
LINK: https://youtu.be/7JJOBFSHbZk
LENGTH: 00:04:23
11. Intro to Formulas
LINK: https://youtu.be/xc14gFFyiTw
LENGTH: 00:03:38
12. Creating More Complex Formulas
LINK: https://youtu.be/J-W3thqtDpQ
LENGTH: 00:05:10
13. Functions
LINK: https://youtu.be/-9d4m79twdA
LENGTH: 00:05:15
14. Intro to PivotTables
LINK: https://youtu.be/N4K3xjM76kI
LENGTH: 00:04:34
15. Doing More with PivotTables
LINK: https://youtu.be/FVzX4I88DBs
LENGTH: 00:03:28
16. What-if Analysis
LINK: https://youtu.be/STTYxT6iFio
LENGTH: 00:03:27
01. Conditional Formatting
LINK: https://youtu.be/zfQ8uOBoIj8
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/conditional-formatting/1/

You may already have some experience using charts to visualize data in Excel.
Conditional formatting offers another way to visualize your data using options
like color coding based on the cell's value.
In this example, I have the sales figures for a group of different salespeople and
I'd like to find out who's meeting or exceeding their monthly sales goal.
Of course we could just look at the numbers, but it might be easier they were
highlighted somehow and the good news is that we can actually do just that with a
conditional formatting rule.
First, select your data
then go to Conditional Formatting on the Home tab.
Next, mouse over Highlight Cells Rules and, in this case, we're going to use Greater Than.
Now the sales goal for each person on this list is $4,000 per month.
If we type that number here, you can see in the background that any cell with a
value greater than 4,000 is being formatted automatically.
If you want you can even choose a different formatting option
just click OK when you're done.
As you can see, the formatted cells really stand out now so we can easily tell who's met or exceeded their
goal.
It looks like August wasn't a very good month, for example, but September and
October where much, much better.
Next, let's take a look at some of the conditional formatting presets.
We're just going to re-select our data and then go back to the Conditional Formatting command.
You have three different types of presets to choose from:
data bars, color scales, and icon sets. To learn more about each one mouse over
these options on the menu.
Data bars are kind of like bar graphs; the higher the value the longer the bar in the cell.
Color scales, on the other change, will change the background color based on the cell's value.
Icon sets can be used to add different symbols, ratings, and indicators,
and you have quite a few styles to choose from depending on what you need
I think this one's a special easy to read.
These icons help us see which items are the highest and also the lowest when compared to one another.
We can also see which ones are about average.
Now you might have noticed that the first rule we applied is still visible.
That's the one that's changing the fill color for cells above 4,000.
That's because Excel lets you have multiple conditional formatting rules at the same time,
so you can highlight different things.
To clear the current formatting rules, just select your cells,
go to Conditional Formatting and mouse over the option that says
Clear Rules. You can clear the rules for just the selected cells or for the entire spreadsheet.
In this case, though, I'd like to remove the greater than 4,000 rule while
keeping the rest of the icons in place.
We can do that by going to Manage Rules instead.
Here, you'll find a list of all the rules that are currently applied here cells.
To remove one, just select the rule you want
then click Delete Rule, and click OK!
Conditional Formatting is a great tool for visualizing your worksheet, so practice using some of these
rules on your own and try combining them to see what they can tell you about your data.
02. Inspecting and Protecting Workbooks
LINK: https://youtu.be/fsXS_VSuBvs
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/inspecting-and-protecting-workbooks/1/

There are a couple of things you can do to prepare your workbook before you send it out.
For example, you can finalize the file and even protect it to keep other people from making any more changes.
You'll find everything you need in the backstage view ,under Inspect workbook
This feature will help you remove any personal information that may be hidden
in the workbook's file data. It also checks for things that you generally don't want
to include in the final draft, such as comments or annotations that you forgot to delete.
Some of the changes from the inspector can't be undone, so it's a good idea to
save an extra copy of your file before you do this.
When you're ready, go ahead and click Check for issues, choose Inspect document from the menu,
then click Inspect in the dialog box.
Results will appear with an exclamation mark next to anything that might contain sensitive information.
in this example, it looks like there are some hidden document properties and
personal information, and also some comments that we definitely don't want
in the final draft.
To remove an issue, just click the button to the right that says Remove All,
and Excel will take care of the rest.
I'm also going to remove the personal info the document inspector found just
because the people I'm sharing with don't really need access to it.
When you're done, click the Close button.
OK, so our workbook has been finalized.
Now we can protect it to keep people from making any further changes.
This step is optional, but it's a great way to control who's
allowed to view or edit your work.
All you have to do is click the Protect Workbook command and make a selection from the menu.
Some of these options offer a high level of protection, such as Encrypt with Password
which is good for really important or sensitive workbooks.
If you don't need that much security though, you might want to consider one of the other options.
In this case, I'm going to choose Mark as Final, which will just make the workbook
read only; that should discourage people from making changes to the file and also
let them know that this is the final version.
Once you make your selection, click OK to confirm, then OK again,
and the setting will be applied.
Now when someone opens the file, they will see this little bar at the top of the window
and they won't be able to type or delete anything.
If they do need to make changes, they can just click the button that says
Edit Anyway
In short, this option doesn't provide any actual security but it's a good way to
keep people from changing or deleting something by accident.
OK! Now you know some ways to finalize and protect your workbook before sending it out to others.
03. Comments and Co-authoring
LINK: https://youtu.be/eK23Fzttlyo
https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/excel/comments-and-coauthoring/1/

You may find yourself working on a document and needing other people's help.
Thankfully Excel includes two powerful collaboration features- comments and co-authoring.
Comments let you discuss a particular section without altering its contents while co-authoring allows
collaborators to view and edit your document in real time.
For example, I was hoping a co-worker would help me edit this schedule.
To get them involved, first I have to share the document by clicking the share button in the top right corner.
You'll have to upload your file to
OneDrive before anyone can access it so
click on the onedrive option associated
with your account once the file is
uploaded you're ready to share it with
others first type in their email address
if Excel can't find their email in your
contacts list you may need to click an
empty part of the menu to close the
pop-up window next make sure this menu
gives them permission to edit the
document you can also include a brief
message if you like
once you're done click share and the
recipient can then access the file via
onedrive if you want to share with more
people simply repeat the process once
you're done click the X to close the
menu one great way to collaborate on
workbooks is the comments feature let's
say you want to delete feedback or ask a
question about this activity but you
didn't want to change the contents of
the cell you can do that by adding a
comment first click on the desired cell
then select the review tab click on new
comment
and start typing your message
when you're finished click anywhere
outside the box comments appear as a
little triangle in the corner of a cell
to read a comment just to move your
mouse over the cell if you want to edit
a comment select the desired cell and
click Edit comment now you can change it
however you like to keep a comment open
even when you aren't selecting it click
the desired cell then select show/hide
comment if you want to see all of the
comments simultaneously just click show
all comments click it again to hide them
getting rid of a comment is simple just
select the cell with a comment and click
delete another collaboration feature is
co-authoring which lets others view and
edit your document in real time being
able to quickly and easily edit a
document as a group can help make your
team's workflow more efficient keep in
mind however that real-time co-authoring
requires an office 365 subscription when
you co-author a document you can see
others at work each of them appearing as
a different color if you want to see
who's using a cursor just hover your
mouse over it and their name will pop up
I can see Tyrells cursor moving around
and editing content as he types it when
he or anyone else makes any change to
the document it's saved automatically
however if you're not happy with some
changes you can always go into the
version history and restore the document
to a previous state for example let's
say one of my co-authors didn't do such
a great job naming the activities to
reverse those changes click the clock
icon next to the share button
then double-click the version you want
back
once you determine that this is the
version you want click restore and it'll
become the current version these
collaboration features make it easy to
share ideas and feedback and hopefully
they'll make you and your co-workers
more productive
GCF global creating opportunities for a
better life