Lesson 1

MS EXCEL

MS Excel is a Microsoft Office application developed by Microsoft. The Excel Spreadsheet Software
supports multiple operating systems such as Windows, Mac OS, Android, Ios, and iPad OS. It is used
to perform calculations and computations using various functions and formulas present in Excel.
Users can store and analyse the data whenever they needed.

How to get a start with MS Excel?

To start MS Excel on Computer, the steps to be followed are:

Step 1: Click on Start Button

Step 2: Choose All Programs

Step 3: Click MS Office

Step 4: Choose MS Excel Application. The MS Excel application will open.

Another option is to Type "MS Excel" in the search box after clicking the Start Button.

What is a Cell?

A cell in Excel is defined as the intersection of rows and columns. It is present in the form of a
rectangular shape. The combination of rows and columns forms a table.

Cell Address in Excel

Features of MS Excel

The various features of MS Excel are as follows:

The several features in MS Excel format and edit the data based on the requirement.

Home: The Home option consists of tabs such as Clipboard, Font, Alignment, Number, Styles, Cells,
and Editing.

Insert: The Insert tab consists of Tables, Illustrations, Charts, Links, and Text.

Page Layout: Themes, Page Setup, Page Background, Paragraph, and Arrange.

Formulas: The Formulas consist of Function Library, Defined Names, Formula Auditing and
Calculation

Data: The Data consists of Get External Data, Connections, Sort &Filter, Data Tools, and Outline.

Review: The review tab consists of Proofing, Comments, and Changes.

View: The View tab consists of Workbook Views, Show/Hide, Zoom, Window, and Macros.

WPS PDF consists of Create PDF, WPS PDF Tools, and Settings.

Advantages of Using MS Excel

The advantages of using MS Excel are as follows:

Data Storage: MS Excel is widely used in many organizations as a large amount of data is stored in
Excel. The user can edit and retrieve the data whenever needed. Hence filtering the data is a quick
and easy process.

Data Recovery: Data Recovery is done quickly in Excel. If data is written on paper, it isn't easy to
recover and filter it. But it is easy to find and recover the data in Excel Spreadsheet.

Mathematical Calculations: Excel consists of a variety of formulas that are used to perform
mathematical calculations. Based on the data and requirements, the formula is modified.
Data Privacy: Data security and privacy is ensured in Excel. The Personal Computer and laptop are
secured with a password; hence data is protected.

All data in one place: In earlier days, the records and data were maintained in separate files, which
were difficult to take and time-consuming process. In Excel

the data are stored in one Excel file, which is used to analyze the data whenever needed.

Organized and clear View: The data is stored as a table in MS Excel. Hence the data looks organized
and clear to understand.

Usage of MS Excel

As MS Excel is widely used for various purposes, some of the MS Excel usage is defined as follows:

o Data Entry

o Time Management

o Accounting

o Financial analysis

o Charting and Graphing

o Financial Modelling

o Programming

o Task Management and Data Management

o Customer Relationship Management (CRM)

o Mathematical Calculations

o Human Resource Management

Terminologies and Components Present in Excel

The terminologies and Components Present in Excel are defined as follows:

Cell: The intersection of Row and column is called Cell

Cell reference: The cells are referenced by the cell name. The respective Cell's horizontal Row and
vertical column numbers assign the cell name.

Active Cell: The current selected Cell is called Active Cell

Workbook: The workbook comprises one or more worksheets.

Worksheet: Multiple worksheets are nested within a single workbook.

Worksheet tab: The worksheet tab is presented at the bottom left of the spreadsheet.

Column and Row Heading: The column letter and row number are outside the rows and columns.
Selecting the Header will select the entire Row and column.

Formula: Formulas in Excel generate the accurate result for the given problem. It is entered in a
particular cell preceded by a "=" sign.
Formula bar: The formula bar or input bar is at the top of the worksheet where the formulas or
values are entered.

Filter: The Filter option is in the Sort & Filter tab in the top right of the Home bar. It displays the user-
specified data in the selected rows and columns.

Auto-fill: The auto-fill option fills the required data in multiple cells. The data containing the
respective Cell is selected, and drag the bottom right corner to the specified amount of Cell to auto-
fills the data.

Auto Sum: The Auto Sum feature is used to add the data present in the selected Cell. The Auto Sum
option is present in the top right of the home page in the "Sort and Filter" tab.

Pivot Table: The Pivot table automatically sorts and calculates the data for the selected data. It is
presently left to the Insert tab.

Pivot Chart: The Pivot Chart represents the data in graph format. It is located in the middle of the
Insert Page next to Maps.

Source Data: The source data is used to create Pivot Table.

Ribbon and Tabs in Excel

Excel ribbon is the row of tabs and icons at the top of the Excel window that allows you to find,
understand and use commands for completing a certain task. Excel ribbon is the primary interface
that contains every command and feature. The Ribbon has multiple display options according to your
preferences.

In Excel Ribbon, the buttons and icons are grouped into different tabs based on the category of their
functionalities. It contains seven tabs: Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review,
and View.

Each tab has its specific groups of related commands. These groups have several additional
commands that can view by clicking the arrow at the right bottom corner of any group.

The Ribbon first appeared in Excel 2007, replacing the traditional toolbars and pull-down menus
found in previous versions. In Excel 2010, Microsoft added the ability to personalize the Ribbon.

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In Excel, the Ribbon is made up of these four basic components, such as:

1. Ribbon tab: It contains multiple commands logically subdivided into groups.

2. Ribbon group: A set of closely related commands normally performed as part of a larger
task.

3. Dialog launcher: A small arrow in the lower-right corner of a group brings up more related
commands. Dialog launchers appear in groups that contain more commands than available
space.

4. Command button: It is the button you click to perform a particular action.

Excel Ribbon Tabs

The standard Excel ribbon contains the following tabs, from left to right:

o File: It allows you to jump into the backstage view that contains the essential file-related
commands and Excel options. This tab was introduced in Excel 2010 as replacing the Office
button in Excel 2007 and the File menu in earlier versions.

o Home: It contains the most frequently used commands such as copying and pasting, sorting
and filtering, formatting, etc.

o Insert: It is used for adding different objects in a worksheet such as images, charts,
PivotTables, hyperlinks, special symbols, equations, headers, and footers.

o Draw: It depends on the device type you're using. It lets you draw with a digital pen, mouse,
or finger. This tab is available in Excel 2013 and later, but the Developer tab is not visible by
default.

o Page Layout: It provides tools to manage the worksheet appearance, both onscreen and
printed. These tools control theme settings, gridlines, page margins, object aligning, and
print area.

o Formulas: It contains tools for inserting functions, defining names, and controlling the
calculation options.

o Data: It holds the commands for managing the worksheet data as well as connecting to
external data.
 o Review: It allows you to check spelling, track changes, add comments and notes, protect
worksheets and workbooks.

o View: It provides commands for switching between worksheet views, freezing panes,
viewing, and arranging multiple windows.

o Help: It only appears in Excel 2019 and Office 365. This tab provides quick access to the Help
Task Pane and allows you to contact Microsoft support, send feedback, suggest a feature,
and get quick access to training videos.

o Developer: It provides access to advanced features such as VBA macros, ActiveX and Form
controls, and XML commands. This tab is hidden by default, and you have to enable it first.

o Add-ins: It appears when you open an older workbook or load an add-in that customizes the
toolbars or menu.

How to Hide Ribbon in Excel

If you want to use as much space as possible for your worksheet data, you can minimize the
Ribbon by pressing the Ctrl + F1 shortcut key. It mostly happens when you are using a laptop with a
small screen.

Or you can hide the Ribbon completely by clicking the Ribbon Display Options button at the upper-
right corner of the Excel window and then select Minimize the Ribbon.

How to Unhide Ribbon in Excel

If all commands disappeared from your Excel ribbon and only tab names are visible, then you need to
press Ctrl + F1 to get everything back.

If the entire Ribbon is missing, then click the Ribbon Display Options button and unselect Minimize
the Ribbon.

How to Customize Excel Ribbon

You can enter the most customizations through the Customize Ribbon window under Excel Options.
And the shortest path is:

o Right-click on the Ribbon,

o And select Customize the Ribbon button from the context menu,

o Then it shows you customize the excel options window.

From there, you can add your tabs with any commands you choose, change the order of tabs and
groups, show, hide, rename tabs, and a lot more.

Contextual Ribbon Tabs

In addition to the constant tabs described above, the Excel ribbon also has context-sensitive tabs,
aka Tool Tabs, which show up only when you select a certain item such as a table, chart, shape,
or picture.

For example, if you select a chart, the Design and Format tabs will appear under Chart Tools.
NOTE: If you are starting in Excel, Ribbon Hero might come in handy. It's a game created by Office
Labs to help people explore the most useful features of the Office ribbon. Although this project is not
actively developed or supported further, it is still available for download on the Microsoft website.

How to Show Developer Tab

The Developer tab is a very useful addition to the Excel ribbon that allows you to access advanced
features such as VBA macros, ActiveX and Form controls, XML commands, and more.

The problem is that the Developer tab is hidden by default. But it's very easy to enable it. Follow the
following steps to enable this tab, such as:

o Right-click on the Ribbon,

o Click on the Customize the Ribbon tab,

o Select the Developerunder Main Tabs, and click on the OK

Similarly, you can activate other tabs available in Excel but not visible on the Ribbon, e.g.,
the Draw tab.