Learning Objectives
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In this section, we will begin the development of the workbook shown in Figure 1.1. The skills covered in this section are typically used in the early stages of developing one or more worksheets in a workbook. Entering DataYou will begin building the workbook shown in Figure 1.1 by manually entering data into the worksheet. The following steps explain how the column headings in Row 2 are typed into the worksheet:
Figure 1.15 shows how your worksheet should appear after you have typed the column headings into Row 2. Notice that the word Price in cell location C2 is not visible. This is because the column is too narrow to fit the entry you typed. We will examine formatting techniques to correct this problem in the next section. Figure 1.15 Entering Column Headings into a WorksheetIntegrity CheckColumn Headings It is critical to include column headings that accurately describe the data in each column of a worksheet. In professional environments, you will likely be sharing Excel workbooks with coworkers. Good column headings reduce the chance of someone misinterpreting the data contained in a worksheet, which could lead to costly errors depending on your career.
Why?Avoid Formatting Symbols When Entering Numbers When typing numbers into an Excel worksheet, it is best to avoid adding any formatting symbols such as dollar signs and commas. Although Excel allows you to add these symbols while typing numbers, it slows down the process of entering data. It is more efficient to use Excel’s formatting features to add these symbols to numbers after you type them into a worksheet. Integrity CheckData Entry It is very important to proofread your worksheet carefully, especially when you have entered numbers. Transposing numbers when entering data manually into a worksheet is a common error. For example, the number 563 could be transposed to 536. Such errors can seriously compromise the integrity of your workbook. Integrity CheckFigure 1.16 shows how your worksheet should appear after entering the data. Check your numbers carefully to make sure they are accurately entered into the worksheet. Figure 1.16 Completed Data Entry for Columns B, C, and DEditing DataData that has been entered in a cell can be changed by double clicking the cell location or using the Formula Bar. You may have noticed that as you were typing data into a cell location, the data you typed appeared in the Formula Bar. The Formula Bar can be used for entering data into cells as well as for editing data that already exists in a cell. The following steps provide an example of entering and then editing data that has been entered into a cell location:
Keyboard ShortcutsEditing Data in a Cell
Auto FillThe Auto Fill feature is a valuable tool when manually entering data into a worksheet. This feature has many uses, but it is most beneficial when you are entering data in a defined sequence, such as the numbers 2, 4, 6, 8, and so on, or nonnumeric data such as the days of the week or months of the year. The following steps demonstrate how Auto Fill can be used to enter the months of the year in Column A:
Left click and drag the Fill Handle to cell A14. Notice that the Auto Fill tip box indicates what month will be placed into each cell (see Figure 1.19). Release the left mouse button when the tip box reads “December.” Figure 1.19 Using Auto Fill to Enter the Months of the YearOnce you release the left mouse button, all twelve months of the year should appear in the cell range A3:A14, as shown in Figure 1.20. You will also see the Auto Fill Options button. By clicking this button, you have several options for inserting data into a group of cells. Figure 1.20 Auto Fill Options Button
Deleting Data and the Undo CommandThere are several methods for removing data from a worksheet, a few of which are demonstrated here. With each method, you use the Undo command. This is a helpful command in the event you mistakenly remove data from your worksheet. The following steps demonstrate how you can delete data from a cell or range of cells:
Keyboard ShortcutsUndo Command
Adjusting Columns and RowsThere are a few entries in the worksheet that appear cut off. For example, the last letter of the word September cannot be seen in cell A11. This is because the column is too narrow for this word. The columns and rows on an Excel worksheet can be adjusted to accommodate the data that is being entered into a cell. The following steps explain how to adjust the column widths and row heights in a worksheet:
Figure 1.23 Adjusting Column Widths You may find that using the click-and-drag method is inefficient if you need to set a specific character width for one or more columns. Steps 1 through 6 illustrate a second method for adjusting column widths when using a specific number of characters:
Keyboard ShortcutsColumn Width
Steps 1 through 4 demonstrate how to adjust row height, which is similar to adjusting column width:
Keyboard ShortcutsRow Height
Figure 1.25 shows the appearance of the worksheet after Column A and Row 15 are adjusted. Figure 1.25 GMW Sales Data with Column A and Row 15 AdjustedSkill RefresherAdjusting Columns and Rows
Hiding Columns and RowsIn addition to adjusting the columns and rows on a worksheet, you can also hide columns and rows. This is a useful technique for enhancing the visual appearance of a worksheet that contains data that is not necessary to display. These features will be demonstrated using the GMW Sales Data workbook. However, there is no need to have hidden columns or rows for this worksheet. The use of these skills here will be for demonstration purposes only.
Keyboard ShortcutsHiding Columns
Figure 1.27 shows the workbook with Column C hidden in the Sheet1 worksheet. You can tell a column is hidden by the missing letter C. Figure 1.27 Hidden ColumnTo unhide a column, follow these steps:
Keyboard ShortcutsUnhiding Columns
The following steps demonstrate how to hide rows, which is similar to hiding columns:
Keyboard ShortcutsHiding Rows
To unhide a row, follow these steps:
Keyboard ShortcutsUnhiding Rows
Integrity CheckHidden Rows and Columns In most careers, it is common for professionals to use Excel workbooks that have been designed by a coworker. Before you use a workbook developed by someone else, always check for hidden rows and columns. You can quickly see whether a row or column is hidden if a row number or column letter is missing. Skill RefresherHiding Columns and Rows
Skill RefresherUnhiding Columns and Rows
Inserting Columns and RowsUsing Excel workbooks that have been created by others is a very efficient way to work because it eliminates the need to create data worksheets from scratch. However, you may find that to accomplish your goals, you need to add additional columns or rows of data. In this case, you can insert blank columns or rows into a worksheet. The following steps demonstrate how to do this:
Keyboard ShortcutsInserting Rows
Skill RefresherInserting Columns and Rows
Moving DataOnce data are entered into a worksheet, you have the ability to move it to different locations. The following steps demonstrate how to move data to different locations on a worksheet:
Integrity CheckMoving Data Before moving data on a worksheet, make sure you identify all the components that belong with the series you are moving. For example, if you are moving a column of data, make sure the column heading is included. Also, make sure all values are highlighted in the column before moving it. Deleting Columns and RowsYou may need to delete entire columns or rows of data from a worksheet. This need may arise if you need to remove either blank columns or rows from a worksheet or columns and rows that contain data. The methods for removing cell contents were covered earlier and can be used to delete unwanted data. However, if you do not want a blank row or column in your workbook, you can delete it using the following steps:
Keyboard ShortcutsDeleting Columns
Skill RefresherDeleting Columns and Rows
Key Takeaways
AttributionAdapted by Barbara Lave from How to Use Microsoft Excel: The Careers in Practice Series, adapted by The Saylor Foundation without attribution as requested by the work’s original creator or licensee, and licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 3.0. Why am I getting ### in Excel?Microsoft Excel might show ##### in cells when a column isn't wide enough to show all of the cell contents. Formulas that return dates and times as negative values can also show as #####.
What will be displayed if the width of a cell is not wide enough to show its content?If the cell is not wide enough, it will display a row of hashes.
What is displayed in a cell containing numerical data when the column is too narrow to display all of the numbers?With numerical data, the cell will display pound signs (#######) if the column is too narrow.
What does mean in Excel?In Excel, <> means not equal to. The <> operator in Excel checks if two values are not equal to each other.
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