Datasheet

5
PART I
chapter 1
Getting Started with Excel
View Data
When working with a large worksheet on
ledger paper, such as a financial statement, you
might have to use a ruler to compare figures
on a far portion of the worksheet. You might
even find yourself folding the ledger paper to
bring the columns you want to compare close
together. In Excel, you can split the worksheet
into two or four panes to view distant figures
side by side. That way, you can easily see the
effects of asking “What happens when I change
this value?” to project changes. You can also
temporarily hide intermediary columns so
distant figures appear right next to each other
as you work.
Make Editing Changes
To correct a mistake on ledger paper, you have
to use an eraser or you have to reconstruct the
entire worksheet. With Excel, you can overwrite
data in any cell in your worksheet. You can also
quickly delete data in one cell or in a group of
cells. And when you accidentally make mistakes
that overwrite original data while using Excel,
you do not have to retype or reconstruct
information. Instead, you can just restore the
data by using the Undo button.
Check Spelling
You no longer have to manually proofread
your work. When you use Excel’s AutoCorrect
feature, Excel corrects commonly made
mistakes as you type — and you can add your
own personal set of common typos to the list.
In addition, before you print, you can run
spell check to search for misspellings. If you
are a poor typist, this feature enables you to
concentrate on calculating your numbers while
Excel catches spelling errors.
Make Formatting Changes
Excel easily enables you to align data in cells;
center column headings across columns;
adjust column width; and display numbers
with dollar signs, commas, and decimal points.
You can experiment with the settings until the
worksheet appears the way that you want it
and then you can print it. You can boldface,
italicize, and underline data as well as change
fonts and font sizes. Excel also lets you shade
cells, add borders, and apply styles to improve
the appearance of a worksheet.
Preview Before Printing
You can preview your worksheet to see how it
will look when you print it. You can also add
headers and footers and adjust page breaks
before you print.
Chart Numeric Data
Numbers form the foundation of charts.
Manually creating charts is time-consuming
and takes some artistic skill. In Excel, creating
charts is quick and easy. You can track the sales
trends of several products with a chart. You also
can make as many “What if?” projections as
you want in the worksheet by increasing and
decreasing the numbers used in the chart; as
you change the numbers in the worksheet,
Excel instantly updates the chart. Excel’s charts
let you simultaneously view the sales trends
in a picture representation on-screen and the
numbers in the worksheet, making your sales
forecasting more efficient.
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