EXCEL Spreadsheet application software OVERVIEW • What is a Spreadsheet? • Functions of a Spreadsheet • Examples of spreadsheet packages • Terminology used in Excel • Types of data What is a Spreadsheet? • An application software that helps manipulate and analyze numerical data • An electronic grid made up of rows and columns. • Allow users to enter data, make calculations and make representation of that data into charts and graphs • It can also be sorted and filtered to find specific information • Designed to use numbers and formulas to do calculations with ease EXCEL window showing grid with rows and columns Functions of a Spreadsheet • Spreadsheet software allows users to – create simple lists and tables of alphabetic or numerical data – apply arithmetic, mathematical or statistical functions to numerical datasets – represent datasets in graphical or chart form – establish relationships between sets of numerical data Applications that utilises spreadsheets packages • This includes – Budgets – Payrolls – Grade Calculations • The most commonly used spreadsheet programs are Microsoft Excel and Lotus 123. • GEC122 course covers EXCEL only Basic terminology used in Excel • • • • • • • • • Rows Columns Cells Cell Referencing Active Cell Formula bar Name box Worksheet Workbook ROWS •The horizontal space that goes across the window. Numbers are used to designate each ROW'S location. •In the above diagram the ROW labelled 4 is highlighted. •Older versions of Excel had a limitation of 65, 536 rows but Excel 2007 has 1,048,576 rows in a worksheet. Columns The vertical space that is going up and down the window. Letters are used to designate each COLUMN'S location. In the diagram the COLUMN labeled C is highlighted. Older versions of Excel had a limitation of 256 columns CELLS •The space where a specified row and column intersect. •Each CELL is assigned a name according to its COLUMN letter and ROW number. •In the above diagram the CELL labeled B6 is highlighted. •When referencing a cell, you should put the column first and the row second. Cell Referencing • A cell reference identifies the location a cell or group of cells in the spreadsheet. Sometimes referred to as a cell address • a cell reference consists of the column letter and row number that intersect at the cell's location. • Cell references are used in formulas, functions, charts , and other Excel commands. CELL REFERENCING cont.. • While references often refer to individual cells such as A1, B38, or Z345, they can also refer to a group or range of cells. • Ranges are identified by the cell references of the cells in the upper left and lower right corners of the range. • The two cell references used for a range are separated by a colon ( : ) which tells Excel to include all the cells between these start and end points. • An example of a range of adjacent cells would be B5:D10 Active Cell The active cell or current cell is the cell with the black border around it. Data can only be entered into the active cell. Even if more than one cell is selected, there is still only one active cell. The mouse pointer or the arrow keys are used to change the location of the active cell. Formula bar Located above the work area of the spreadsheet. Displays the data or formula stored in the active cell. Can be used to enter or edit a formula, a function, or data in a cell. Namebox Located next to the formula bar. Displays the cell reference of the active cell. It also shows the name assigned to a cell or range of cells. Can also be used to assign names to cells or ranges of cells. Worksheet A worksheet is a single page or sheet in an Excel. Users switch between worksheets by clicking on the sheet tab at the bottom of the screen. Workbook • A workbook is an Excel file. • By default, each workbook in Excel contains three pages or worksheets. • So, when users open the Excel spreadsheet program it loads an empty workbook file consisting of three blank worksheets for you to use. Excel file • Workbook • Logo • .xls file extension Excel file •Workbook •Logo •.xls file extension Types of data • Labels • Values • Formulas LABELS • an entry used as headings or names • identifies data found in columns. • Can contain letters and numbers. • By default, labels are left aligned in a cell. VALUES or CONSTANTS • contains numbers • used in calculations. • By default, values are right aligned in a cell. • Dates and times are considered to be values but are sometimes identified as a separate type of data. Formulas • is a mathematical equation such as adding or subtracting two values. • Formulas always begin with an equal ( = ) sign. • For example: If you work for 23 hours and make $5.36 an hour, how much do you make? = 23 * 5.36 • Excel contains a number of built in formulas called functions. Example of Excel data types FUNCTIONS • A function is a preset formula in Excel. Like formulas, functions begin with the equal sign ( = ) followed by the function's name and its arguments. The function name tells Excel what calculation to perform. The arguments are contained inside round brackets. • For example, the most used function in Excel is the SUM function, which is used to add together the data in selected cells. The SUM function is written as • = SUM ( D1 : D6 ) EXAMPLES of Functions – SUM, AVERAGE, MAX, MIN, COUNT, IF SIN, etc Categories of Functions in Excel • Spreadsheets generally have a large number of integrated functions for processing data. There are hundreds, categorised as follows: • Arithmetic functions that offer basic tools to process numerical data • Statistical functions that have analysis tools, averaging tools • Date functions that process and convert dates • Logic functions that process logic data (AND, OR, etc) • Financial functions that process monetary data Exercise • Name at least two functions under each of the categories of functions discussed in the previous slide.