Introduction to Spreadsheets
CSCI-N 100
Department of Computer Science
and Information Science
Microsoft Office – Excel 2010
This is a worksheet. Multiple worksheets make up a workbook.
The default is three worksheets to start.
A worksheet is made of column and rows.
Columns are designated with alpha characters.
Rows are designated with numerals.
The intersection creates a cell.
The cell address is always Column-Row, A1.
The change form Excel 97 – 2003 is the menus.
Excel 97-2003 had Drop Down menus.
Excel 2010 has tabs.
Each of the tabs still has the tools needed.
A cell in a spreadsheet can hold three types of data – Text, numbers, formulas
You can format a cell or the worksheet.
You change the appearance but not the formula itself.
Cell value vs. cell appearance
More worksheets
To add another worksheet, click on unlabeled tab. Works sheets will be numbered in
order
More worksheets
Use the keystroke, Shift+F11. Worksheets will be out of order.
Change the name
Right click on tab.
Click on Rename.
Tab highlights
Write the new name for tab.
Change the name
Worksheets have been renamed
Formulas and functions
• Formulas are a sequence of
values, cell references,
names, functions, or
operators in a cell that
together produce a new
value.
• A formula in Excel always
begins with an equal sign
(=); Lotus is an at sign (@)
• Functions do NOT stand
own their own. They are
powerful things you use in
your formulas.
Formulas
• Just entering numbers
• Building user-defined
not best practice
formulas, built-in
functions best practice
• Data can change but the
answer will not
• Data changes,
recalculate
spreadsheet will
automatically
recalculate answer
Formula A – not best practice
if data changes does not automatically recalculate
Formula B – user-defined using relative references,
good practice
Relative references
Formula C – using built-in function
functions found in Formulas tab, best practice
Relative and Absolute references
• A relative cell reference in a
formula is based on the relative
position of the cell that contains
the formula and the cell the
reference refers to.
• If the position of the cell that
contains the formula changes, the
reference is changed.
• Relative reference - A1
• An absolute cell reference in a
formula always refers to a cell in a
specific location.
• If the position of the cell that
contains the formula changes, the
absolute reference remains the
same.
• If you copy or fill the formula
across rows or down columns, the
absolute reference does not
adjust.
• Absolute reference - $A$1
All the label not seen
Use the Cells Format menu in the Home tab
Select cell, Autofit Column Width
(or Autofit Row Height)
Column automatically adjust so text fits column
Label can be seen
Good for short label, minimal text
The text in the cell appears to go over several cells.
Solutions – Autofit Column Width, Wrap Text, Merge Cell
Can use Autofit Column Width but the entire column is
widened.
Wrap Text wraps text in the cell but the entire row is made taller
Highlight a group of cells.
Select Format, Format Cells…
Format Cells on-screen menu opens.
Click on Alignment Tab.
Click on Wrap Text, Merge Cells
Text now appears to be in one cell.
Column and row are undisturbed.
Charts
• Charts are often used to ease
understanding of large quantities
of data and the relationships
between parts of the data.
• Charts can usually be read more
quickly than the raw data that
they are produced from.
• They are used in a wide variety of
fields, and can be created by
hand (often on graph paper) or by
computer using a charting
application.
• Certain types of charts are more
useful for presenting a given data
set than others.
• For example, data that presents
percentages in different groups
(such as "satisfied, not satisfied,
and unsure") are often displayed
in a pie chart, but may be more
easily understood when
presented in a horizontal bar
chart.
• On the other hand, data that
represents numbers that change
over a period of time (such as
"annual revenue from 1990 to
2000") might be best shown as a
line chart.
Chart elements
• All charts have some
elements in common,
including:
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Data Range
X & Y Axes
Upper & Lower Bounds
Labels
Graph Type
Label A
Label 1
Label 2
Label 3
Label 4
Label B
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59
82
62
54
25
98
54
Chart Elements (cont’d)
•
•
Data Range - The graph is a pictorial
interpretation of data. Generally, you will
create a spreadsheet that holds or generates
some type of data, and then use the graph to
illustrate the data. When you define a graph,
you will need some way to explain the data
being depicted. You can always select the
data you want from a spreadsheet range.
X and Y Axes - The X axis is the horizontal
border of the chart. The Y axis is the vertical
border. Most spreadsheet programs try to
guess what data you want plotted as the X
axis and what data you want as the Y axis. If
the graph looks completely wrong, you might
want to look for some kind of feature that
allows you to change the X - Y orientation.
•
Upper and Lower Bounds - You might want to
specify the upper and lower limits of the
axes. The program will usually try to guess
what you want, but you may still need to
modify it.
•
Labels - There will usually be an option for
setting or changing the labels on a graph.
This will allow you to put informative labels
on the graph to make it easier to read. At
the minimum, you should label the X and Y
axes.
•
Graph Type - You have the option to
select/change the type of graph that is
displayed. The chart type should be chosen
carefully and is dependent on the data to be
displayed.
Chart types
• Common chart types
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Column
Bar
Pie
Line
• Other types
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Scatter
Doughnut
Bubble
Radar
Surface
Stock
Area
Column/Bar Charts
Column/Bar
• Charts a series of values across a set of
categories using vertical columns or
horizontal bars
• Illustrate a single data set or compare values
of multiple data sets across same set of
categories
• Used in Univariate analysis
• Data represented as vertical columns or
horizontal bars that run from 0 to the value
of the datum.
• The height of a column corresponds to the
magnitude of the datum.
• values are on the y-axis for a column chart
and the x-axis in a bar chart. Opposite axis
contains data labels only.
• You may chart multiple data series in a single
chart for comparison purposes.
Line Chart
Line
• Charts a series of values across a
set of categories as points
connected by a line
• Illustrate one more more trends
over time (i.e. categories should
be a unit of time such as hours,
days, months, years, and so on)
• Used in Univariate analysis
• Data represented as single-valued
points.
• Data values are on the y-axis. Xaxis contains data labels only.
• Best used for showing a trend
over a given period of time.
Pie chart
Pie
• Charts a series of values as a
percentage of the whole
• Illustrate the contribution of each
value in the data set to a total.
Number of values in the data set
should be minimal (approximately
less than 10)
• Used in Univariate analysis
• Data represented as an area in a
circle expressed as a percentage of a
whole.
• Number of categories should be kept
to a minimum (<10).
• “Other” category should represent a
small percentage (if used).
Creating a chart
Click on the Insert tab.
The chart types are located there.
Creating a chart (cont’d)
Highlight the data needed to create the chart.
Start in the upper left most cell, left click, hold.
Go to the lower right most cell.
Creating a chart (cont’d)
Click on the chart type needed.
The data is going into a Column chart.
The selection is 2-D Column.
Creating a chart (cont’d)
Chart is created.
Sub-tab appears, Chart Tools.
This has multiple tools to format the chart.