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Features of Microsoft Excel (Part 3)

Posted in Microsoft Office | August 6th, 2010

4. Formatting Worksheet

Like Word document, you can also change the appearance of the worksheet. It means that appearance of data stored in worksheet cells can be changed. You can format a single cell, range of cells or whole worksheet. In formatting worksheet, you can change the appearance of data in cells as:

by changing the font, font style and font size.
by aligning data in cells.
by setting numeric format..
by setting border style and border color of cell.
by rotating text in cells.
by setting column width and row height.

In Excel, you can use the formatting toolbar or Format menu for formatting the worksheet.

5. Saving & Opening Workbook in Excel

In Microsoft Excel, data can be stored permanently in a file on the disk for future use. The file or document of Excel is called the workbook. The workbook contains the worksheets. When workbook is saved, Excel gives an extension XLS to the file name.

You can create new copy of the current workbook by using SAVE AS command. The new created workbook becomes the current workbook while the previous workbook is closed.

Protecting Workbook with Password

In Microsoft Excel, you can protect your workbook by applying password so that unauthorized person cannot display as well as modify your workbook. You can apply passwords of two types:

Password to open the Workbook
If it is applied then you have to give the correct password to open the workbook. Otherwise you cannot open the workbook.

Password to Modify the Workbook
If it is applied then you have to give the correct password to modify the workbook. Otherwise your workbook is opened but you cannot modify the workbook. It means that your workbook becomes read-only.

Opening an Existing Workbook
The workbooks are stored on the disk for future use. You can open the existing workbook for further working on it. After entering new data or editing the existing data, it must be saved again.

6. Manipulating Database in Excel

A database is a collection of related records or is a collection of information of a particular subject. The records are arranged in such a way that these can be accessed very easily. For example, collection of records of students that are arranged properly and stored in a file is an example of database. Each record of database is the collection of different fields.

In Excel, the information in one row represents one record while columns in which individual items of record are stored are known as fields. It means that worksheet can be used as database, in which rows represent records and columns represent fields. The first row has labels for the columns. In a database, you can easily perform different operations such as sorting, filtering, finding, deleting etc.

i) Creating Database

In Excel, the database is created very easily. To create a database, follow these steps.

Type the field names in the first row of worksheet.
Type the data of records under the related fields. For example, type one record per row.

ii) Sorting Database

The process to arrange data of database or data stored in worksheet in a specific order based on value in columns or fields is known as Sorting. In Excel, you can sort data alphabetically, numerically or by date. Data can be sorted in ascending or descending order.

iii) Data Form

You can also create Forms in Excel that ar used to perform very easily and quickly the following operations on database.

Enter records into database
Display records from database.
Delete records of database
Find records from database etc.

7. Applying Formula & Function

In Excel you can apply formula, and function to perform the arithmetic operations on the numeric data etc.

Functions are predefined formulae used to perform calculations. Excel contains a number of built-in functions used for special purpose, e.g. arithmetic or statistical calculations. The values given to the function are called the parameters or arguments of the function. The function returns the calculated value. Each function is written according to its syntax. The function is written in cell of worksheet as formula is written.

Excel also provides AUTOSUM tool used to find the sum of values. It is a shortcut method used to find the sum of values of a column or row. The AUTOSUM automatically selects the cells above in the column or to the left in the row when this function is applied in the current cell.

8. Creating Chart in Excel

In Excel, you can also create charts for numerical data. The graphical representation of numerical data is known as chart or graph. It makes easy to compare and to understand the numerical data. A chart is created using a range of data stored into the worksheet cells.

9. Printing in Excel

In Excel, worksheet is printed on the printer after adjusting the page setup. If the worksheet is printed on the printer without adjusting the page setup then Excel ‘uses the default page setting. You can change the page size, page margins, printing direction before to print the worksheet on the printer. You can print a selected area of worksheet or an entire worksheet.