Excel Basics
Excel is the leading spreadsheet application globally, and this book offers a valuable opportunity to understand its capabilities for business management In Chapter 1, you'll delve into the basics of Excel, uncovering its powerful features and how to utilize them effectively to streamline your business operations You'll become familiar with the Ribbon user interface, which provides a uniform experience across all Office applications Additionally, the chapter covers essential principles of intelligent spreadsheet design and outlines the initial steps for launching a new project.
Chapter 2: Understanding Basic File Operations and Setting Up Excel the Way You Want It
In this chapter, you'll discover how to tailor Excel to your preferences by exploring its various user interface options You'll learn to customize essential elements for easy access and modify the Quick Access Toolbar to include your favorite Ribbon controls, enhancing your overall experience with the software.
Chapter 3: The Home Tab in Depth
This chapter fully exposes all the functionality behind the Home tab, which is the default Ribbon tab and con- tains all of the most commonly used menu commands.
Chapter 4: The Ribbon in Depth: The Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, and View Tabs
In this chapter, we explore the various Ribbon elements beyond the Home tab, focusing on their specific functionalities You'll learn how to insert charts, configure page formatting for printing and distribution, and uncover the extensive range of available functions, among other features.
Chapter 5: Entering and Manipulating Data
This chapter covers essential elements of effective spreadsheet design, including the key phases of planning, designing, building, and distributing your work You will discover how to save your projects and explore various saving options Additionally, the chapter highlights the distinctions between entering text and numeric values, as well as the appropriate contexts for their combined use Lastly, you will learn how to utilize Excel's features, such as lists and AutoFill, to automate data entry efficiently.
This chapter highlights the distinctions between formulas and functions, guiding you on how to input them effectively It also covers data validation, enabling you to manage the type of information users can enter Additionally, you'll discover how to insert and delete ranges, rows, columns, and worksheets to optimize your data organization.
Chapter 6: Using Functions and Formulas
In this chapter, you will explore the significance of functions in enhancing your spreadsheet applications, particularly in Excel You will learn various methods for entering functions, making them adaptable and dynamic Additionally, you'll discover how to calculate date and time differences and retrieve data from other worksheets.
This chapter reviews the most common functions from each of the primary function type groups:
● Specialized functions, such as those in the Statistical, Engineering, and Compatibility groups
There are also a number of new dynamic array functions that allow you to do things in Excel that only an Excel expert could accomplish in the past:
Chapter 7: Formatting, Printing, and Sharing
This chapter guides you on enhancing the readability and presentation of your worksheets by selecting from predefined styles or applying custom formats You'll discover how to format cells for various data types such as Currency, Date, and Percentage, as well as how to implement custom formats for phone numbers, zip codes, and Social Security numbers Additionally, you'll learn efficient methods to sort and filter data without manual rearrangement.
Printing from Excel can be challenging due to the various page setup options and printing formats available This chapter covers essential topics such as adding custom headers and footers, scaling worksheets to fit larger paper sizes like 11” x 17” for detailed information, and collating prints effectively.
Excel 2007 introduced SmartArt, a comprehensive set of graphics and tools that Microsoft continues to enhance This chapter covers how to integrate SmartArt into your worksheets and customize it to suit your requirements Additionally, you'll learn to insert your own graphics, such as company logos, shapes, and drawing objects Although Excel is not primarily a graphics application, it offers various graphical elements that can be added to workbooks to highlight key data or meet specific graphic needs, such as creating product brochures or fantasy sports league materials featuring player pictures and profiles.
Charts are essential tools for visually representing data, allowing for quick insights into underlying trends and patterns This chapter will guide you in efficiently converting business data into various informative chart types, such as bar, stacked, column, line, and scatter charts Additionally, it will explore resources and techniques for utilizing multiple charts to build comprehensive business dashboards, enabling the comparison of various business elements in a single view.
Chapter 10: Excel Tables and Subtotals
Excel tables simplify data management by allowing you to group related information effortlessly When new data is added, Excel automatically expands the table and updates any associated PivotTables or charts These tables offer various formatting options, enable quick application of intuitive formulas, and facilitate easy filtering and sorting of data Additionally, Excel tables are designed to integrate seamlessly with PivotTables, enhancing your ability to analyze data effectively.
Excel tables are useful for organizing data, and PivotTables excel at summarizing it; however, there are times when a quick data summary is needed without these tools Subtotals provide an efficient way to manipulate and categorize data quickly, but it's important to note that they are not compatible with Excel tables.
Chapter 11: PivotTables, Power Pivot, and the Data Model
PivotTables are a powerful feature in Excel that many users either don't know about or hesitate to use They enable users to manipulate data similarly to database applications, allowing for easy switching of rows and columns, application of various functions, and data subtotaling through simple drag-and-drop actions Additionally, PivotTables offer robust charting capabilities, enhancing data visualization.
Power Pivot enhances Excel's data analysis capabilities by allowing users to work with millions of rows, far exceeding the standard limit of approximately 1 million rows in Excel This powerful tool enables comprehensive data analysis through PivotTables, making it easier to manage and interpret large datasets effectively.
The Data Model enables the establishment of database-like relationships between tables, which can be utilized in your PivotTables It serves as a behind-the-scenes tool for data storage and manipulation, allowing seamless access to your data for both PivotTables and Power Pivot simultaneously.
Chapter 12: External Data and Mail Merge
The Home Tab in Depth
This chapter fully exposes all the functionality behind the Home tab, which is the default Ribbon tab and con- tains all of the most commonly used menu commands.
Chapter 4: The Ribbon in Depth: The Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, and View Tabs
This chapter delves into the specific Ribbon elements beyond the Home tab, guiding you through the process of inserting charts, configuring page formatting for printing and distribution, and exploring the extensive range of available functions.
Chapter 5: Entering and Manipulating Data
This chapter covers essential elements of effective spreadsheet design, including the key phases of planning, designing, building, and formatting You will discover how to save your work and explore various options for data entry, differentiating between text and numeric values, and understanding their combined usage Additionally, learn how to leverage Excel's features, such as lists and AutoFill, to automate data entry efficiently.
This chapter outlines the distinctions between formulas and functions, providing guidance on their entry methods It also covers data validation, enabling users to manage the type of information that can be inputted Additionally, you will discover how to insert and delete ranges, rows, columns, and worksheets effectively.
Chapter 6: Using Functions and Formulas
In this chapter, you will explore the significance of functions in enhancing your spreadsheet applications, particularly in Excel You will learn various methods for entering functions, enabling you to create flexible and dynamic formulas Additionally, this chapter covers how to calculate date and time differences and retrieve data from other worksheets, showcasing Excel's powerful capabilities.
This chapter reviews the most common functions from each of the primary function type groups:
● Specialized functions, such as those in the Statistical, Engineering, and Compatibility groups
There are also a number of new dynamic array functions that allow you to do things in Excel that only an Excel expert could accomplish in the past:
Chapter 7: Formatting, Printing, and Sharing
This chapter guides you in enhancing the readability and presentation of your worksheets by selecting from predefined styles or creating custom formats You will discover how to format cells for various data types, such as Currency, Date, and Percentage, and learn to apply custom formats for phone numbers, zip codes, and Social Security numbers Additionally, you'll find efficient methods for sorting and filtering data without manual rearrangement, making your data management seamless and effective.
Printing from Excel can be challenging due to the complexities of page setup and the variety of available printing options This chapter covers essential print formats, guides on adding custom headers and footers, and techniques for scaling worksheets to fit larger paper sizes like 11” x 17” Additionally, it addresses collating and other important printing features to enhance your printing experience.
Excel 2007 introduced SmartArt, a comprehensive set of graphics and tools that Microsoft continues to enhance This chapter covers how to effectively incorporate SmartArt into your worksheets and customize it to suit your specific requirements Additionally, you'll learn to insert your own graphics, including company logos, shapes, and drawing objects Although Excel is not primarily a graphics application, it offers various graphical elements that can highlight key data or fulfill specific graphic needs, such as creating product brochures or fantasy sports league materials featuring player images and profiles.
Charts are essential tools for visually presenting data, allowing for quick insights into numerical information This chapter guides you in converting business data into various informative chart types, such as bar, stacked, column, line, and scatter charts Additionally, it explores resources and techniques for utilizing multiple charts to build comprehensive business dashboards, enabling the comparison of various business elements in a single view.
Chapter 10: Excel Tables and Subtotals
Excel tables simplify data management by allowing users to define related data groups, automatically expanding to include new entries They ensure that any associated PivotTables or charts are updated in real-time as data is added With various formatting options, intuitive formula application, and efficient filtering and sorting capabilities, Excel tables enhance data analysis Additionally, their structured design integrates seamlessly with PivotTables, facilitating in-depth data analysis.
Excel tables are useful for organizing data, and PivotTables excel at summarizing it; however, if you need a quick overview without these tools, subtotals can efficiently summarize your data by various categories Unfortunately, subtotals do not function with Excel tables.
Chapter 11: PivotTables, Power Pivot, and the Data Model
PivotTables in Excel are an incredibly powerful tool that many users either overlook or hesitate to use They enable you to manipulate data like never before, offering functionalities typically found in database applications With PivotTables, you can easily switch rows and columns, apply various functions, and subtotal data by simply dragging and dropping fields or adjusting options Additionally, PivotTables come with robust charting capabilities, enhancing data visualization and analysis.
Power Pivot enhances data analysis in Excel by enabling users to work with millions of rows, far exceeding Excel's standard limit of approximately 1 million rows This powerful tool allows for in-depth analysis of large datasets using PivotTables, making it an essential feature for advanced data management in Excel.
The Data Model enables the creation of database-like relationships between tables, enhancing the functionality of your PivotTables Essentially, it serves as a behind-the-scenes tool for data storage and manipulation, allowing seamless access to your data for both PivotTables and Power Pivot simultaneously.
Chapter 12: External Data and Mail Merge
Extracting information from digital environments like internal databases, SAP, Oracle, Salesforce, or Facebook to use in Excel can be a time-consuming process This chapter explores methods for retrieving data from these sources and introduces effective data cleansing tools available in the Power Query Editor.
For small business owners, efficiently using data to communicate with customers is crucial If you've struggled with sending marketing letters, special offers, or billing statements, Excel's Mail Merge feature can simplify the process This chapter will guide you through setting up a customer list and automatically merging it with a Word document for streamlined communication.