Datasheet

Formulas can use normal arithmetic operators such as + (plus), — (minus),

* (multiply), and / (divide). They can also use special built-in functions that

let you do powerful things without much effort on your part. For example,

Excel has functions that add a range of values, calculate square roots, compute

loan payments, and even tell you the time of day. Part 5 covers how to use the

various functions in Excel.

Active cell and ranges

In Excel, one of the cells in a worksheet is always the active cell. The active cell

is the one that’s selected, and it’s displayed with a thicker border than the

others. Its contents appear in the formula bar. You can select a group, or range,

of cells by clicking and dragging the mouse pointer over them. You can then

issue a command that does something to the active cell or to the range.

The selected range is usually a group of contiguous cells, but it doesn’t have to

be. To select a noncontiguous group of cells, select the first cell or group of

cells, hold down the Ctrl key while you drag the mouse, and select the next cell

or group of cells.

Familiarizing Yourself with the Excel 2007 Window

Figure 1-1 shows a typical Excel 2007 window, with the important parts labeled.

This terminology rears its ugly head throughout the book, so look at the figure

carefully.

Moving, resizing, and closing windows

When Excel and workbook windows are in a restored state (between a maximized

and minimized state, that is) you can use the resize handles to adjust the window

size to your liking. Move the mouse pointer to the area of the resize handle until

the pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, and then drag with the mouse.

You can move the window around the screen by dragging the title bars.