If you need to learn Microsoft Excel quickly, then read this article.
Anyone who is familiar with Word or any word processing system will see some familiar items. The Toolbars in Excel are similar to the word processing programs you may already be familiar with.
Open Excel by clicking on the START button, click on PROGRAMS, then Microsoft Excel. Spend 15 to 20 minutes studying the toolbars and different sections.
Starting at the top left of the screen and working downward, the Toolbars and sections are called:
A. Toolbars
- Title Bar
- Menu Bar
- Standard Toolbar
- Formatting Toolbar
- Name Box
- Formula Bar
- Work Area
- Vertical Scroll Bar
- Horizontal Scroll Bar
- Sheet Tabs
- Status Bar
- Taskbar
*** Note: The Standard and the Formatting toolbars are the most frequently used toolbars.
Opening and Saving a Spreadsheet are 2 of the most common tasks the user will do. Opening a document is an easy process as long as you know where the spreadsheet is stored. This means the saving process is the most important task the user will do. When saving your information, be sure to write down the location and file name, especially if you are a newer user, this way you won't forget where the file is stored. Remember to save often, every few minutes or after any significant changes. Remember, you cannot over save a document, but you can under save!
B. Open/Save Spreadsheet
Open a Saved Spreadsheet
Click on the yellow folder icon on the Standard Toolbar. Look in the directory and change directories if necessary, click on the file, then click on OPEN.
Or
Click on FILE, then OPEN, look in the directory listing, change directories if necessary, click on the file, then click on OPEN.
Save As
Click on FILE, SAVE AS, look in the directory listing, click on the desired folder, click on FILE NAME at the bottom of the dialoge box and change the name, then click on SAVE (Save As allows user to change the name, location and type of file.)
Save
Click on the Diskette Icon on the Standard Toolbar. (Save, saves the spreadsheet to the same name and location. Save, is the task you will use most.
If you have been using any word processing software:
C. Look at What You Already Know
1. Selecting Text use the mouse to left click once at the beginning of text, hold the left mouse button down and drag mouse straight down to highlight your text. Existing text must be selected to change the formatting.
2. Cut/Paste (Standard Toolbar)
Click on the scissors to CUT, or remove the text, move cursor to new position, and click PASTE to paste text. (Text must be selected before cutting and pasting)
3. Fonts, Font colors (Formatting Toolbar)
Change the font and font colors.
4. Bold, Italic, Underline text (Formatting Toolbar)
Change the look of text to make text stand out. (Text must be selected before editing)
