Excel+Basics

Selecting Cells: Selecting can be done with the mouse or the keyboard. When using the mouse the normal sheet pointer must be used.

The cell appears white with a black border around it. The fill handle (cross) is in the bottom-right corner of the border.
 * To select a single cell**
 * Click on the cell to be selected

//Active cell// **To select a group of adjacent cells** **OR** //Group of adjacent cells selected// The active cell is the first cell selected. A black border appears around all of the selected cells. The fill handle (cross) is in the bottom-right corner of the border.
 * Click on the first cell to be selected, and holding the mouse button down, drag to the last cell to be selected
 * Click on the first cell to be selected, and holding the **Shift** key, click on the last cell to be selected


 * Tip:** To move the active cell from its start position to each successive corner of the selected range press **Ctrl** + **.** (full stop).

//Group of non- adjacent cells selected// The active cell is the first cell of the last group selected. A faint border appears around each group of cells. There is no fill handle on any of the selected cells.
 * To select a group of non-adjacent cells**
 * Select the first cell(s)
 * Hold the **Ctrl** key and select the next cell(s)
 * Repeat for all cells to be selected

**OR** **OR** **To select the entire sheet** Every cell on the sheet is selected. The active cell is **A1.**
 * To select whole columns or whole rows**
 * Click on the column or row heading to select
 * Click-and-drag across several headings to select adjacent columns or rows
 * Click on the first heading, then hold the **Ctrl** key and click on other headings to select non-adjacent columns or rows
 * Click the **Select All** button above row 1 (//SpeedKey//: **Ctrl** + **A**)

**OR** Formatting: There are two types of formatting that you can apply to worksheet cells. As well as applying cosmetic formatting (font enhancements, borders, shading and so on) you can define the format of cell data. This is important for displaying numbers and dates clearly and unambiguously.
 * To clear the highlighted selection**
 * Click on any cell with the mouse
 * Press an arrow key on the keyboard

On a new sheet, numbers are entered with **General** formatting - aligned on the right, as they are typed, with a leading zero for fractions. The quickest way to apply basic value formatting is to use the **Formatting** toolbar.


 * The Formatting Toolbar**

The **Formatting** toolbar contains shortcuts for frequently used formatting commands.

//Formatting toolbar// **Apply Text Enhancements**

Text enhancements can be used to draw attention to important areas of the sheet. Enhancements include changing the font (typeface) and its size and colour; applying bold, italics and underlining, and applying shading to cells.

**OR** **Note:** A font size of 72 will produce lines of 1 inch (2.54cm) in height.
 * To change font and font size**
 * Select the cell(s) to enhance
 * On the **Formatting** toolbar, click the arrow on the **Font** box [[image:http://tutorials.beginners.co.uk/images/articles/348/image2.gif align="center"]]
 * From the pull-down list, select the font to use
 * On the **Formatting** toolbar, click the arrow on the **Font Size** box [[image:http://tutorials.beginners.co.uk/images/articles/348/image3.gif align="center"]]
 * From the pull-down list, select the size to use
 * Type in the number for sizes not listed and press **Enter**

**To change the font colour** > to apply the colour displayed on the button **OR** //Font Colour menu// The selected colour is applied, and displayed on the button for reuse.
 * To apply bold, italics and underlining**
 * Select the cell(s) to enhance
 * From the **Formatting** toolbar, click the enhancement button
 * Select the cell(s) to enhance
 * On the **Formatting** toolbar, click **Font Color** [[image:http://tutorials.beginners.co.uk/images/articles/348/image6.gif align="center"]]
 * On the **Formatting** toolbar, click the arrow on the **Font Color** button and select a colour from the pull-down menu

Click the **Close** button to hide the menu when finished. **To apply font formatting using the Format Cells dialogue box**
 * Tip:** To display the menu on the screen for repeated use, position the pointer on the top border of the menu, click-and-drag it down.

Several enhancements can be applied at the same time using the **Format Cells** dialogue box. **OR** The **Font** options of the **Format Cells** dialogue box are displayed.
 * Select the cell(s) to enhance
 * Click the **right** mouse button and from the shortcut menu, select **__F__ormat Cells...**
 * From the **__F__ormat** menu, select **__C__ells...** (//SpeedKey:// **Ctrl** + **1**)
 * Select the **Font** tab

//Format Cells - Font dialogue box// **Tip:** Text enhancements can be applied to part of an entry only by selecting it on the **Formula** bar and applying the enhancement.
 * Select the options to apply
 * Click **OK**


 * Align and Orient Cell Contents**

Text is aligned automatically on the left of the column and values on the right. This can be changed as required by selecting the cells and the alignment option to apply. Values formatted with the **Currency** or **Comma Style** formats override the alignment button options.

**To merge and centre a heading**
 * To align cell contents using the Formatting toolbar**
 * Select the cells, columns or rows to be aligned then on the **Formatting** toolbar, click an alignment option button

Worksheet headings can be centred across multiple columns and/or rows by merging a group of cells into a single large cell. Text can also be rotated to produce headings aligned vertically across several rows. The highlighted cells are merged, with the heading aligned in the centre.
 * Select the cells to centre across, including the cell containing the heading
 * On the **Formatting** toolbar, click **Merge and Center** [[image:http://tutorials.beginners.co.uk/images/articles/348/image11.gif align="center"]]

//Centred heading// **To unmerge a centred heading** **To vertically align and orient cell contents**
 * Select the cell to demerge, click **Merge and Center** [[image:http://tutorials.beginners.co.uk/images/articles/348/image11.gif align="center"]]

You can change the vertical alignment of text in a cell. As the height of a cell is normally the same height as the text, this effect will not be seen unless you increase the row height.

You can also change the orientation of text to make it run up/down or at an angle instead of left to right. //Format Cells - Alignment dialogue box// **Apply Common Value Formats**
 * From the **F__o__rmat** menu, select **C__e__lls...** (//SpeedKey:// **Ctrl** + **1**) and click the **Alignment** tab
 * From the **__V__ertical:** list box, select the required option then click **OK**

On a new sheet, numbers are entered with **General** formatting - aligned on the right, as they are entered, with a leading zero for fractions. There are five number formatting buttons on the toolbar to apply basic formatting. Select the cells to be formatted and click the format button required.


 * To apply a cell value format using the Formatting toolbar**


 * Apply Other Value Formats**

The **Format Cells** dialogue box gives you access to a wide variety of builit-in formats for currency, accounting, date, mathematical and scientific value formats.

The **Format Cells** dialogue box is displayed.
 * To apply a cell value format using the Format Cells dialogue box**
 * From the **F__o__rmat** menu, select **C__e__lls...** (//SpeedKey:// **Ctrl** + **1**)

//Format Cells dialogue box// **Note:** Always use a 4-digit year style when formatting dates.
 * Select the **Number** tab
 * From the **__C__ategory:** list, pick the type of number format you want to apply
 * From the **__T__ype:** list, pick the formatting style you want to apply

The effect on the cell's actual contents is displayed in the **Sample** panel.

Numbers and currency values can be formatted to display a different number of decimal places and to show negative values with a minus sign or in red or both.

With currency, the default symbol and layout is the one specified for your PC in the **Windows Regional Options**. If you need to show that cell values are for a different currency, you can select the appropriate symbol from the drop-down list box.

//Formatting currency values// The same options apply to the **Number** category, except that you can choose whether to use comma separators (1,000) or not (1000) and there are no currency symbols.

//Format Cells - Number options// **Clear Contents or Formats from a Cell**
 * Click **OK** to apply the formatting selected

When you delete a value from a cell using the **Delete** key or by overtyping, the cell's value format is not affected. If you want to remove the format, you can use the **Clear** command. The **Clear** submenu is displayed.
 * Select the cell(s) to be cleared then from the **__E__dit** menu, select **Cle__a__r**

//Clear submenu// From the submenu select: **Resize a Column or Row**
 * **__C__ontents** to clear only the data and leave the formatting (//SpeedKey:// **Delete**)
 * **__F__ormats** to clear only the formatting and leave the data
 * **__A__ll** to clear both the data and formatting

Text entries that are wider than the column will flow over into the next column if it is blank. Rows will increase in height automatically to accommodate larger font sizes, but will not shrink automatically when smaller font sizes are applied. Columns and rows can be resized at any time and adjusted to a specific size, or sized automatically to fit the contents of the column or row.

The pointer changes to a double-headed arrow pointing in the direction of movement . **OR** **Tip:** To resize several adjacent columns or rows at the same time, select all of the columns or rows, then click-and-drag any one of the selected dividers. All of the highlighted columns or rows are resized equally.
 * To resize a column or row using the mouse**
 * Position the pointer over the divider to the right of the column header, or the bottom of the row header to be resized
 * Click-and-drag to resize manually
 * Double-click to resize the column or row to fit the largest entry automatically

//Resize Column submenu// **OR** The **Column Width** dialogue box is displayed.
 * To resize a column using the menu**
 * Click-and-drag across the column headers to select the column(s) you want to resize
 * From the **F__o__rmat** menu, select **__C__olumn**
 * Click **__A__utoFit Selection** to resize to fit column contents
 * Click **__W__idth...**

//Column Width dialogue box// Column width is measured in numbers of characters displayed. **To resize a column using the menu** //Resize Row submenu// The **Column Width** dialogue box is displayed.
 * Type a new column width into the box and click **OK**
 * Click-and-drag across the column headers to select the column(s) you want to resize
 * From the **F__o__rmat** menu, select **__R__ow**
 * Click **H__e__ight...**

//Column Width dialogue box// Row height is measured in points (font size).
 * Type a new row height into the box and click **OK**

To Print:


 * Use Print Preview**

Print Preview provides a useful view of your sheet for adjusting margins and getting the print to fit on a single page. Before printing your spreadsheet check the presentation with Print Preview.

> **__OR__** **__The Preview screen is displayed.__**
 * To use Print Preview**
 * **__On the Standard toolbar, click Print Preview [[image:http://tutorials.beginners.co.uk/images/articles/346/image1.gif align="center"]]__**
 * **__From the File menu, select Print Preview__**


 * __[[image:http://tutorials.beginners.co.uk/images/articles/346/image2.gif align="center"]]

//Print Preview Screen//__** **__At the bottom of the screen the current page number and total number of pages in the print is displayed.__** **__To change the zoom level in Print Preview
 * **__On the Preview toolbar, click Next to advance to the next page or Previous to go back__**
 * **__Click Close to return to the worksheet__**

On the preview screen the mouse pointer appears as a magnifying glass .__** > **__To adjust the page margins in Print Preview__** > **__The margins are displayed on the screen as black lines with handles at each end.__** > > **__ > > //Print Preview margins//__** **__The header and footer margins are where the header and footer information is placed on the page. The top, bottom, left and right margins are the limits of the data area on the page.__** > **__The pointer changes to a double-headed arrow, pointing in the direction of movement > > .__** > **__The selected margin and size are displayed on the Status bar > . Columns or rows may be moved between pages depending on the extent of the margin changes.__** >
 * **__To enlarge the preview move the pointer onto the page and click once, or on the Preview toolbar click the Zoom button__**
 * **__Use the scroll bars to move around the page__**
 * **__To view the whole page again click once anywhere on the page, or on the Preview toolbar click the Zoom button again__**
 * **__On the Preview toolbar, click the Margins button__**
 * **__Position the pointer over a margin to adjust__**
 * **__Click-and-drag the margin to a new position__**