A PRACTICAL GUIDE TO Ms. ExCEL.

(A Complete Practical Guide to 0‟Level, A „Level & Institution Computer studies

and ICT Scholars)

BY

Muhumuza Onan(Bsc.Cs)

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 ELECTRONIC SPREADSHEETS

(Ms. EXCELL).

Throughout the ages, people have always wanted to calculate. Tools such as the
abacus were invented by the earl Chinese to help keep track of large numbers.
About thirty years ago, students only had pen, paper, slide rules and
mathematical tables to help them in their mathematical examinations. There
were no such things like calculators and certainly, no personal computer.

Calculators eventually became an everyday tool and certainly helped to speedup

calculations and improve on the accuracy. Even then, they weren‘t really good
enough to solve complex problems or deal with large amount of repetitive work.
With advancement in technology, spreadsheets were developed.

An electronic spreadsheet: is application software used to calculate, organize and

analyze numerical data.

Or

It can also define as the intersection of rows and columns.

Or

One can also say that it is a piece of software used to work out calculations.

A spread sheet can do a lot more than simply adding up a column of numbers
spread sheets can handle financial calculations for a large business, calculate

Probability or even other statistical information, do complex trigonometry and

make colorful graphs and charts.

Examples of spreadsheets applications include;

(i) Microsoft Excel,

(ii) Lotus 1-2-3
(iii) Corel Quattro Pro.
(iv) VisiCalc
(v) Ms -DOS
(vi) Open Office.Org Calc

Components of an electronic spreadsheet.

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• Worksheet - A rectangular grid made u of rows and columns:

• Database - Enable the •user to perform functions such as sort, filter, subtotaling
and consolidation on worksheet data. A spreadsheet file can also be saved with
a
.dbf extension to make it accessible from other applications using a db engine
• Graphs - Visual representation of data on a chart.

Advantages of Electronic spreadsheets.

• They have large worksheets compared to manual spreadsheets.

• They automatically adjust the result whenever a value is changed in a cell(s) that
is referenced by a formula.
• They have superior editing and formatting features hence producing neat work.
• Easier entry of data due to typing aids such as auto complete, autocorrect, copy
and move
• It is possible to forecast or predict the outcome of changing values in one or more
cells.
• Analytical graphs or charts lets one provide visual representation of data from a
worksheet.

• Easy management of large amount of data using data management features such
as sorting, filtering, data validation and subtotaling.

Applications of Electronic Spreadsheets

• Statistical analysis such as mean, standard deviation, variance etc.

• Accounting such as balance sheet preparation, loan repayment, and mortgage

and investments analysis.

• Forecasting — What if analysis, solver, goal seek and scenario in most

spreadsheets evaluate the effect of changing a value to achieve a certain goal for
managerial purpose.

• Mathematical and scientific solution such as arithmetic, trigonometric, rounding

off and multiplication.

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Features of a work sheet (Work book basic features)

Apart from the title bar, Menu bar, Standard toolbar and Status bar: found in
Word processing, Spreadsheets have the following additional features.

1. Formula bar. Is an area where a cell entry or a formula is displayed before

being entered into the selected cell

2. Worksheets. A worksheet is the area made up of rows and columns where

data is entered. In Excel, a spreadsheet file is referred to as a workbook which
consists of one or more related worksheets.

3. Cells. A cell is an intersection between a row and a column. A column is a

vertical arrangement of cells labeled A, B, C while a row is the horizontal
arrangement labeled 1, 2, 3.

Worksheet tabs. These are located at the bottom of a spreadsheet. They show
the number of worksheets in the workbook. Note that one worksheet may have
several pages.

4. Searching and sorting: this gives the u, ability to search the worksheet
for any phrase, number or even other texts. It even makes the user scroll between
the search results.

5. Import and export: spreadsheets can be transferred onto and off the
mobile phone using a window explorer on the d. Spreadsheets can also be e-
mailed as attachments, from within the spreadsheet application.

A workbook window.

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 Figure 7
WORKING WITH WORK SHEETS.

1. Entering Data into a Worksheet.

When entering data item into the work sheet, the entry is displayed in the formula
bar before you move to another cell. To place the content to the selected cell,
press Enter key or an arrow key or click into another cell. Below are the three
main cell entries:
• Labels -alphanumeric characters or text that describes the content of a row
or column e.g. names.

• Values - numeric characters 0-9 and dates that can be manipulated

mathematically.

• Formula and Functions - while a formula refers to a mathematical

expression, a function is
2. Saving a workbook:

To save a workbook:

• On the office button (File menu), click Save As. Alternatively click the Save
button on the standard toolbar.
• Select the storage location.

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 • Type the name of the workbook then click the Save button Saving window

for a work book.

3. Protecting a workbook
To protect a worksheet or workbook from unauthorized access or modification:
• On the Tools menu, point to Protection, and then select Sheet or Workbook.
• Click check boxes for protection options.
• Type a password, and then click OK.

4. Editing a Worksheet

Editing a worksheet involves deleting, copying, moving, finding and replacing as

well as spells checking.
Editing cell Entries
There are two methods of editing a cell entry:
• Using the Formula bar — click the cell to display 1 6ntrf on the formula
bar.
Delete or insert required word or text.

• Double click the cell to place the insertion pointer in the cell and then type
or modify the entry.

5. Deleting worksheet content

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To delete worksheet data:

• Select the cell or range of cells.

• Press the delete or backspace key. Alternatively select Clear on the Edit
menu.

6. Copying and moving cell contents.

To copy cell(s) content,

• Select the range of cells.

• On the Edit menu or standard toolbar select Copy.
• Click the cell where you want the content to be copied.
• On the Edit menu click Paste.

7. to move cell s content,

• Select the range of cells.

• On the Edit menu or standard toolbar select Cut.
• Click the cell from where you want the content to be moved.
• On the Edit menu click Paste.

8. Inserting and deleting rows and columns.

To insert a new column or row.

• Position the pointer where the new row or column will appear.
• On the Insert menu, click Rows or Columns.

9. To delete a column or row.

• Select the column or row to be deleted.

• On the Edit menu click Delete.

10. Inserting and de1eting.worksheets

• On the Insert—menu, click Worksheet A new worksheet is—added into your
workbook.
To delete a worksheet.
• Click the Worksheet tab.
• On the Edit menu, click Delete Sheet.
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11. Find and Replace.

To search and replace a specified range:

• On Edit menu, click Find, type the text to search for.

• To replace, choose Replace from the dialog box.
• In the Find what box, type the word or phrase to find.
• Click the Replace tab and in the Replace With type the word or phrase to
replace the found word or phrase.

12. Correcting spelling mistakes

• Specify the worksheet range you want to spell check.

• On the Tools menu, click Spelling or press F7.
• On spelling dialog box replace or ignore the misspelled words

13. Formatting a Worksheet.

• Formatting makes a worksheet more visually appealing. In most cases we

apply formatting features to numbers, alignment, font, borders and
patterns or shadings.
• To apply these formats:
• Select the range to be formatted.
• On the Format cell menu, click format Cells. The Format cells dialog box is
displayed.

Figure 8
14. Formatting a Worksheet. Click any of the following tabs:

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 • Number to apply number formats such as general, currency, percentage
and custom.
• Alignment to align and rotate cell entries, merge and centre cells across
columns.
• Font to apply font type, style, size and color.
• Border to apply cell borders and outline.
• Pattern to apply background shading.
• •. Protection to lock cells and hide formulas. .
• Click the OK button to apply.

15. Adjusting Column and Row size.

To resize a column width or row height
• Position the mouse pointer on the border of the column or row header.
• Drag to increase or to decrease the column width or row height.
Alternatively, select a cell on the row or column you want to change then
on the Format menu, point to Row or Column. Specify the row height or
column width.
16. Freezing panes
Freezing panes makes selected data to remain visible when scrolling in the rest
parts of a wide worksheet. To freeze panes:
• For the top horizontal pane, select the row below where you want the split
to appear.
• Press Ctrl key to select a column to the right of the pane.
• From Window menu, click Freeze Panes.

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 Figure 9

17. Hiding rows and columns

If your worksheet is too large to fit in the screen, you may decide to hide some part
and leave only what you want to see at that particular moment.
To hide rows or columns:
• Highlight the rows or ‗columns to hide.
• On Format menu, point to Row or Column, then click Hide.

To unhide rows or columns:

• Highlight a row or column on each side of the hidden rows or columns while
pressing the shift key.
• On Format menu, point to Row or Column, and then click Unhide.

PERFORMING CALCULATIONS IN A WORKSHEET

1. Using basic formulae.
A formula is a mathematical expression used to solve mathematical problems. A
formula must start with an equal sign (=) while cell addresses are used as
operands instead of values.
a. Arithmetic operators.
• These mostly follow the rule similar to mathematical concept of BODMAS.
I.e. whatever is in parenthesis is evaluated first. Multiplication and

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 division are evaluated from left to right while addition and subtraction are
evaluated last.
Summary of operators used to create formulae.
Table 8
Symbol Description Example

/ Division = A2/B2

* Multiplication =A2*B2

+ Addition =A2+B2

- Subtraction =B2-A2

b. Relational operators

A relational operator returns either true or false depending on the magnitude of

the value being evaluated. Summary or relational operators

Table 9.

Symbol Description Example

= Equal to =A2=B2

> Greater than =A2>B2

< Less than =A2<B2

<> No equal to =B2<>B2

<= Less than or equal to =A2<=B2

>= Greater than or equal to

2. Cell Referencing

There are three types of cell referencing used when creating formulae and
manipulating cell(s), content:

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a. Relative referencing. When.‘ you copy a formula that contains cell references,
say A3, the references adjust to their new location. E.g. If C1 containing a
formula =A1+B1 is copied to C2, the reference changes to A2+B2.

b. Absolute referencing. The reference is4ikde to a specific address and does not
change even if the formula is copied to another cell. In Excel an absolute cell
reference is made by placing a dollar sign before the referencing. $A$2, i.e. if
the result in C1 is 170 if absolute reference is used, 170 will be copied to C2.

c. Mixed cell referencing. This is a combination of relative and absolute

reference,
e.g. $A3 or A$3. In the first case the column reference is absolute while the row
is relative; in the second case the column reference is relative while the row
reference is absolute.

2. Using in-built functions

A function is a predefined formula used to perform calculations. A function must

also start with an (=) sign followed by the function name and arguments.
Arguments are numeric, logical values or text enclosed in parenthesis. E.g., in
=SUM (A3:F3), SUM is the function that adds the range A3 to F3 which is the
argument.
Functions are categorized according to the nature of problems they work on. These
include:
• Mathematical
• Statistical
• Logical
• Date and time.

3. To use a function from any category:

• On the Formula menu, click Function. Alternatively, click the fx button on

the standard toolbar.
• Select insert
• In the function dialog box displayed select the category.
• In the function list box, select a function.
• Specify the function argument then click OK.

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 Figure 10

4. Using Mathematical Functions.

• Commonly used mathematical functions are:

• SUM () - Adds all the value in the selected range of cells. For example, if A3,
B3 and C3 contains 20, 50, and 80 respectively, =SUM (A3:C3) returns 150.
• ROUND () Rounds a number to a specified number of decimal places. Zero
rounds off the number to the nearest integer. E.g., =ROUND (49.769,1)
returns 49.8, while
=ROUND (49.69, 0) returns 50 and 70 respectively.
• SUMIF () — conditionally adds the specified cells according to the set
criteria. =SUMIF (A3:A1O, ―>= 1000‖), returns a value if, and only if, the
sum is greater than or equal to 1000.
• PRODUCT ()- Multiplies all the values in the argument. Eg, =PRODUCT (40,
3, 2) returns 240.

5. Using statistical functions.

• The commonly used statistical functions are:

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 • AVERAGE () — Returns the arithmetic mean of its arguments. E.g., if A3,
B3 and C3 contains 20, 50 and 80 respectively, =AVERAGE (A3:C3)
returns75.
• COUNT ()- Counts the number of cells that contain numbers within a range.
E.g., =COUNT (A3:C3) returns 3.
• COUNTIF - Conditionally counts the number of cells within a range that
meets a given condition. E.g., if A3, B3, C3, D3 and E3 contains 20,50,80,60
and 45 respectively then =COUNTIF (A3:E3, ―>50) returns 2.
• MAX 0 - Returns the largest value in a set of values or within a range. E.g.,
=MAX (A3:E3) for the set values above returns 80.
• MIN () - Returns the least value in a set of values or within a range. E.g.,
=MIN (A3:E3) returns 20.
6. Using logical Functions
The commonly used statistical functions are:

IF ( ) - Returns a value or label if a condition you specify evaluates to TRUE and

another if it evaluates to FALSE. Eg, if; A3,B3,C3,D3, and E3 contains a set of
marks 35,50,80,60 and 45 and grades are to be awarded as follows:

80 - 100 A
60 - 79 B
40 - 59 C
Below 40 Fail,

To assign a grade, use;

=IF (A3>=80, ―A‖, IF (A3>=60, ―B‖, IF (A3>=40, ―C‖, ―Fail‖)))

• AND () - Returns true if all its arguments are true or false if any argument
is false. E.g., =AND (3+2=5, 2+2=4) returns true.
• OR () — Returns true if any of its arguments is true or false if both
arguments are false. E.g., =OR (3+2=7, 2+2=4) returns true.
• NOT ( ) — Negates the unary operand. E.g., =NOT (.3+2=5) returns false.

THE VLOOKUP FUNCTION.

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NB. It‘s important to note that this function is only applicable in Subsidiary ICT
(A ‗level) but not at O‘level. This is according to UNEB standards. But it is vital if
students at all levels understood how the function is applied.

The V in VLOOKUP stands for vertical. Use VLOOKUP instead of HLOOKUP when
your comparison values are located in a column to the left of the data that you
want to find.

THE VLOOKUP SYNTAX

VLOOKUP: this is a function that looks for a value in the left most column ofthe
table and then returns a value in the same row from a column you specify.
By default the table must be sorted in ascending order
Function

VLOOKUP (Look up_value, table_array,col_index_num ,[range_lookup])

Lookup value - The value to search in the first column of the table array. Lookup
value can be a value or a reference. If lookup_value is smaller than the smallest
value-in the first column of table_array, VLOOKUP returns the #N/A error value.

Table_array- Two or more columns of data. Use a reference to a range or a range

name. The values in the first column of table_array are the values searched by
lookup_value. These values can be text, numbers, or logical values. Uppercase
and lowercase texts are equivalent.

Col_index_num- The column number in table_array from which the matching

value must be returned. A col_index_num of 1 returns the value in the first
column in table_array; a col_index_num of 2 returns the value in the second
column in table_array, and so on. If col_index_num is:

i. Less than 1, VLOOKUP returns the #VALUE! Error value.

ii. Greater than the number of columns in table_array, VLOOKUP returns the
#REF! Error value.

Range_lookup- A logical value that specifies whether you want VLOOKUP to find
an exact match or an approximate match:

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 i. If TRUE or omitted, an exact or approximate match is returned. If an
exact match is not found, the next largest value that is less than
lookup_value is returned.
The values in the first column of table_array must .be placed in ascending
sort order; otherwise, VLOOKUP may not give the correct value. For more
information, see Sort data.
ii. If FALSE, VLOOKLUP will only find an exact match. In this case, the
values in the first column of table_array do not need to be sorted. If there
are two or more values in the first column of table_array that match the
lookup_value,

the first value found is used. If an exact match is not found, the error value
#N/A is returned.

Remarks

✓ When searching text values in the first column of table_array, ensure that
the data in the first column of table_array does not have leading spaces,
trailing spaces, inconsistent use of straight (‗ or ‗) and curly (‗ or ―)
quotation marks, or nonprinting characters. In these cases, VLOOKUP
may give an incorrect or unexpected value. For more information
✓ When searching number or date values, ensure that the data in the first

column of table_array is not stored as text values. In this case, VLOOKUP

may give an incorrect or unexpected value. For more information, see

Convert numbers stored as text to numbers.

✓ If range_lookup is FALSE and lookup_value is text, then you can use the

wildcard characters, question mark (?) and asterisk (*), in lookup_value. A

question mark matches any single character; an asterisk matches any

sequence of characters. If you want to find an actual question mark or

asterisk, type a tilde (~) preceding the character.

7. Using date and time functions

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Some date and time functions include:

• TODAY () - Returns a number that represents today‘s date. The function

takes no arguments. E.g., =TODAY () returned 09/01/2008.

• NOW () - Returns the current date and time formatted as date and time. It

takes no arguments. E.g., =NOW () returned 19/02/2007 00:02.

• DATE () — Function Returns a serial number that represents a particular

date. Ms Excel uses year 1900 serial number1. E.g., =DATE (107, 1, 4)

returns January 4, 2007. Year = (1900+ 107), month=l, day =4.

• HOUR () ,MINUTE() or SECOND ()- Functions returns the current hour as

number 0 to 23, minute from 0 to 59 and seconds from 0 to 59 respectively.

WORKSHEET DATABASE MANAGEMENT.

Some database operations that can be performed on a worksheet database include

data entry using data forms, sorting, filtering, subtotaling and input validation.

1. Data entry using forms

Data form allows the user to easily display and enter records into a worksheet
database. To display a form:

• Position the cell pointer in any cell containing data.

• On the Data menu, click Form. .
(You can navigate the records, add a new record delete or find a record.

2. Data entry using forms.

Data form allows the user to easily display and enter records into a worksheet
database. To display a form:

• Position the cell pointer in any cell containing data.

• On the Data menu, click Form.
You can navigate the records, add a new record delete or find a record
3. Sorting

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To sort a list:
• Select the range or click a cell in the list you want to sort.
• On the Data menu, click Sort.
• In the Sort by and Then by boxes, select the columns you want to use as
the sort fields.
• Select sort order either ascending or descending then click OK.

Figure 11

4 Filtering

To filter is to display records that meet certain criteria.

To filter a list:
• Select a cell in the list to be filtered.
• On the Data menu, points to filter then choose Auto Filter or Advanced
Filter.
• Click the Arrow displayed in the column header.
• Select a filter criterion.
5. Subtotaling

A subtotal is used to summarize a worksheet list to display grouped subtotals and

a grand total. The list is grouped using preferred field. To create subtotals:

• Sort the data in ascending or descending order.

• Click a cell in the list then from Data menu click Subtotals.

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 • In At each change in box, select the field to use for grouping.
• In the Use function box, select a function you want to use.
• In the Add subtotal to box, check the columns that contain values you want
to subtotal.

Click OK.
6. Input validation
To ensure that a user does not enter invalid data, set the validation criteria.
An error message is displayed when data that violates this rule is entered.
To set data validation:
• Highlight the range of cells to validate.
• On the Data menu, click Validation.
• Click the Settings tab and select a validation criterion
• To display an input message when the cell is selected, click the Input
Message tab, type the message to be displayed and check ―Show input
message when cell is selected‖.
• Set the Error alert then click OK.
7. Creating charts and printing
A chart is a component of a spreadsheet program used to present data from a
worksheet in a way that provides instant visual impact. E.g. Column and bar
charts, pie chart, line graph, scatter diagram and area graph. To create a chart:

• Highlight the range.

• On the Insert menu, click Charts. Alternatively, click the Chart button on
the standard toolbar.
• The chart wizard will guide you through the process.
Editing and formatting a chart.
• Click the chart to‘ select it. .
• On the Chart menu, click:
➢ Chart type to change the selected chart to a different type.
➢ Chart options to set chart properties such ‗as title and legend.
Location to place the chart in a separate sheet or on a worksheet.

8. Printing Workbook Content

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You may print an entire workbook, worksheet, chart or a selected range. To print
workbook content:
• On the File menu, click Print.
• Specify the print options in the dialog box, and then click OK.

ERRORS ALERTS IN FORMULAE & FUNCTIONS AND HOW THEY CAN BE

CORRECTED

Table 10
Error Message Description Solution

########### The column is not wide enough to Increase the column width or
accommodate the value or a negative shrink the contents to fit the
date or time is used e.g. = column. Avoid using negative
(2/4/2007) time or date value.
#DIV/0! Division by zero or using a blank or Change the cell reference one
cell e.g. = 45/0 that contains a value nonzero
in the cell.
#N/A The formula or function uses a name Make use of a valid argument
that Excel does not recognize or the correct type of value
#NAME? The formula or function uses a name Correct the spelling of the
that Excel does not recognize name.
#NUL! The formula references an invalid To refer to two areas that don‘t
intersection of cells intersect, use a comma (,) e.g.
= (SUM(A1:A10,C1:C10))
#NUM! Due to use of invalid numeric values Use numeric arguments in a
formula or function e.g. S
Enter 1000 not Ush 1000
#VALUE The formula or function uses Make sure that referenced cells
incorrect argument or operator by the formula contain values.
#REF! Due to invalid cell referencing as a Change the reference in the
result of deleting referenced cells. formulae, or restore the deleted
cells.

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