ENTERING NUMBERS & FORMULAS, ALIGNMENT,

MENUS, COMMANDS, TOOLBARS & THEIR ICONS

INTRODUCTION

Microsoft Excel has the basic features of all spreadsheets, using a grid of cells
arranged in numbered rows and letter-named columns to organize data manipulations like
arithmetic operations. It has a battery of supplied functions to answer statistical, engineering
and financial needs. In addition, it can display data as line graphs, histograms and charts, and
with a very limited three-dimensional graphical display. It allows sectioning of data to view
its dependencies on various factors for different perspectives (using pivot tables and the
scenario manager). It has a programming aspect, Visual Basic for Applications, allowing the
user to employ a wide variety of numerical methods, for example, for solving differential
equations of mathematical physics, and then reporting the results back to the spreadsheet.

It also has a variety of interactive features allowing user interfaces that can
completely hide the spreadsheet from the user, so the spreadsheet presents itself as a so-called
application, or decision support system (DSS), via a custom-designed user interface, for
example, a stock analyzer, or in general, as a design tool that asks the user questions and
provides answers and reports. In a more elaborate realization, an Excel application can
automatically poll external databases and measuring instruments using an update schedule,
analyze the results, make a Word report or PowerPoint slide show, and e-mail these
presentations on a regular basis to a list of participants.

FORMULAS

Formulas are the real workhorses of an Excel 2010 worksheet. If one set up a formula
properly, it computes the correct answer when one enter it into a cell. From then on, it keeps
itself up to date, recalculating the results whenever one change any of the values that the
formula uses. One let Excel know that one're about to enter a formula in the current cell by
entering the equal sign (=). Some formulas follow the equal sign with a built-in function such
as SUM or AVERAGE. Many simple formulas use a series of values or cell references that
contain values separated by one or more of the following mathematical operators:

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 This Mathematical Operator . . . . . . Is Used For

+ (plus sign) Addition

- (minus sign or hyphen) Subtraction

* (asterisk) Multiplication

/ (slash) Division

^ (caret) Raising a number to an exponential

power

For example, to create a formula in cell C2 that multiplies a value entered in cell A2
by a value in cell B2, enter the following formula in cell C2: =A2*B2

To enter this formula in cell C2, follow these steps:

Select cell C2.

Type the entire formula =A2*B2 in the cell.

Press Enter.

ALIGNMENT

Standard toolbar to align text and numbers in cells

One've probably noticed by now that Excel XP left-aligns text (labels) and right-
aligns numbers (values). This makes data easier to read.

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 One do not have to leave the defaults. Text and numbers can be defined as left-
aligned, right-aligned, or centered in Excel XP. The picture below shows the difference
between these alignment types when they're applied to labels.

Text and numbers may be aligned using the left-align, center, and right-align buttons
on the Formatting toolbar:

To align text or numbers in a cell:

Select a cell or range of cells.

Click either the Left-Align, Center, or Right-Align buttons on the Standard

toolbar.

The text or numbers in the cell(s) take on the selected alignment treatment.

TOOLBAR, MENUS & COMMANDS

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 A toolbar is either docked or floating. Docked toolbars are attached to the edge of the
Program window, while floating toolbars appear suspended over the worksheet. One can dock
and toolbar just like one can make any toolbar floating.

As with toolbars, one can also customize menus by adding or deleting commands.

The Standard toolbar

This entire toolbar could become a floating window by double-clicking on the control
bar at the far left end of this toolbar. That gives the following window, which can be placed
anywhere on the screen:

This toolbar can be restored to its original position by clicking in the gray bar at the
top and dragging it back to the top of the screen. Push the top of the window up to the bottom
of the menu bar.

Function & commands of commonly used buttons

Creates a new blank

document based on the Opens or finds a file
default template

Saves the active file with its Prints the active file - for more
current file name, location print options go to the File
and file format menu and select Print

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Print preview - Shows how
Spelling, grammar and writing
the document will look when
style checker
one print it.

Cut - Removes the selection

Copy - Copies the selected
from the document and
item(s) to the clipboard
places it on the clipboard

Format painter - Copies the

Paste - Places the content of
format from a selected object
the clipboard at the insertion
or text and applies to other
point
objects or text

Redo - Reverses the action of

Undo - Reverses the last
the Undo button, use the pull-
command, use pull-down
down menu to redo several
menu to undo several steps
steps

Sort Ascending - Sorts

Auto Sum - Adds numbers
selected items from the
automatically, and suggests
beginning of the alphabet, the
the range of numbers to be
lowest number or the earliest
added
date

Sort Descending - Sorts

Chart Wizard - Guides one
selected items from the end
through the steps for creating
of the alphabet, the highest
an embedded chart (graph)
number or the latest date

Displays or hides the Zoom - Enlarge or reduce the

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 Drawing toolbar display of the active document

How To Move toolbars:

Observe the toolbar one want to move or make floating.

Point to the left side of the docked toolbar.

o One should see a vertical row of 2 dotted lines.

Click, hold and drag the toolbar to it's new location.

Release ones mouse.

How To Customize the toolbars:

From the Tools menu choose Customize to open the Customize dialog box.

Click the Commands tab.

From the Categories list, select the category of the command one want to find.

From the Commands list, select the desired command.

Drag the command onto the desired toolbar.

Repeat Steps 3 to 5 for adding additions buttons.

Click Close when finished.

How To Customize the menus: Windows only

Be VERY CAREFUL when following these steps. It is very easy to lose menus.

From the Tools menu choose Customize to open the Customize dialog box

Click the Commands tab.

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 From the Categories list, select the menu to which one want to add a command.

From the Commands list, select the command one want to add.

Drag the selected command onto the appropriate menu.

Repeat Steps 4 to 6 for additional menu additions.

Click Close when finished.

CONCLUSION

Windows applications such as Microsoft Access and Microsoft Word, as well as Excel
can communicate with each other and use each other's capabilities. The most common are
Dynamic Data Exchange: although strongly deprecated by Microsoft, this is a common
method to send data between applications running on Windows, with official MS publications
referring to it as "the protocol from hell".[26] As the name suggests, it allows applications to
supply data to others for calculation and display. It is very common in financial markets,
being used to connect to important financial data services such as Bloomberg and Reuters.
OLE Object Linking and Embedding: allows a Windows application to control another to
enable it to format or calculate data. This may take on the form of "embedding" where an
application uses another to handle a task that it is more suited to, for example a PowerPoint
presentation may be embedded in an Excel spreadsheet or vice versa.[27]

REFERENCES

https://support.office.com/en-au/article/Enter-a-formula-2e99d6c8-f681-44d4-
b6e6-a8fad1a47b2a

http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-enter-basic-formulas-in-excel-
2010.html

http://www.internet4classrooms.com/excel_toolbar_standard.htm