Excel Formulae

Microsoft Excel (Formulae)

Excel 2000 For Windows For Dummies
You may not be a dummy, but that doesn't mean you were born knowing how to use spreadsheets. Excel 2000 for Windows for Dummies will bring you up to speed on Microsoft's spreadsheet package, even if you've never used anything like it before. A great reference for the beginner and the pressed-for-time, this book is organized as a series of chapters that build from the basics of pointing and clicking and figuring out the different parts of the spreadsheet to more advanced topics like Web-based data entry and macros. Written in characteristic Dummies-style - laid-back and humorous - the text is as nonthreatening as can be. Even the most diehard computer-phobes will find themselves chuckling as they (gulp) learn how to enter data. (Amazon.co.UK)

Microsoft Excel is a is a spreadsheet package, i.e. a program used for analysing data and performing complex or repetitive calculations.

Excel can display data in chart (graph) form. Tables and charts produced in Excel can be exported into other applications (e.g. Microsoft Word).
This session concentrates on how to manipulate data using Excel formulae - the basis of using Excel.
The next session will concentrate on the basics of using Excel and how to create graphs and charts from data.

MSAccess Excel can be used as a simple "flat file database".
For many purposes this is adequate, but on occasions, you may need to use a "relational database" such as Microsoft Access. (Access is not covered on this course).

What's the difference between a spreadsheet and a database?
Spreadsheets are primarily aimed at calculation - number crunching. Databases are aimed at storing and filtering large quantities of data, e.g. inventories. There's not really much difference between these two objectives - especially if you explore the the sort, filter and summary tools from the Excel Data Menu (not covered on this course - refer to Excel Help).

Excel documents are referred to as workbooks, each of which may contain one or more worksheets.

A worksheet is a grid of rows and columns. The intersection of a row and column is called a cell.

Workbooks can be created, opened, saved, etc. from the File menu as usual.

Each cell in a worksheet has a unique address or reference. For example, the cell where column C and row 3 intersect has the reference C3.

The active cell is highlighted and can be selected by clicking with the mouse, or by clicking and dragging to select a range of cells. The active worksheet can be selected by clicking on the tabs at the bottom of the Excel window (Sheet1, Sheet2, etc):

Title Bar: Shows the name of the active Excel workbook.

Menu Bar: Shows the available menus. These menus give access to the commands which instruct Excel to perform actions. To view the options available in a menu click on the menu name. Detailed help on all aspects of Excel is available under the Help menu.

Toolbars (two): Provide access to frequently used Excel commands through icon buttons and lists. Hint: place the cursor over an icon (but don't click) to view the ScreenTip for that icon (assuming the ScreenTips option is turned on under Tools:Customize:Options)

Formula Bar: Used to edit the contents of the active cell. Excel displays the values of formulae entered into cells - there is no need to calculate values manually and enter them into cells. Excel formula rules:

All formulae begin with "="
Arguments for functions must be enclosed in (nested) brackets
Standard mathematical order is required in formulae, i.e. "BDMAS":
   Brackets
    Division
     Multiplication
      Addition
       Subtraction

Normally Excel is "smart" enough to use relative cell co-ordinates - if you copy a formula to a new cell, the formula will change relative to the old & new locations. If you do not want a cell co-ordinate to change, add $ signs, e.g: $C$3

Continuous ranges of cells can be defined with a colon, e.g. A1:B4 and discontinuous ranges defined by joining with commas: A1:B4,B9:C9

Microsoft Excel 2002 Formulas
Covers every aspect of formulas, including some unusual uses such as chart series and conditional formatting specifications. This book answers virtually all formula-related questions posed in Excel newsgroups on the Internet. CD-ROM included.
(Amazon.co.UK)

Important: Macro Viruses

A macro virus is a type of computer virus stored in the macros (sequences of Excel actions which can be recorded and played back to repeat the actions) within a document or template. When you open the document, the virus is activated, transmitted to your computer and stored in your document template. From that point on, every document you save is infected with the virus - and if other users open these infected documents, the virus is transmitted to their computers as well.

In Excel, macro protection is set using the Tools: Macro: Security menu (opposite).

I strongly recommend that you ensure the Security Level is set at "High" and leave it there!

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