EXCEL 2013 – User Guide

Excel 2013 - Getting Started

The Excel Window

1. Quick Access Toolbar - contains  shortcuts for the most commonly  used tools.
2. Backstage View – contains tools to  work with workbook files and manage Excel settings.
3. Ribbon – contains groups of tools  for use with the Excel 2013.
4. Worksheet Area – displays the  current worksheet.
5. Sheet Tabs – displays tabs for the  sheets in the current workbook.
6. Tab Bar – contains tabs that display  tools and commands in the ribbon.
7. Status Bar – contains worksheet  information and shortcuts.

Customizing the Ribbon

To optimize Excel for the tools and  features you use most, you can  customize the toolbars and ribbon.

∙ To customize the Quick Access Toolbar, click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar button in the  top right corner of the toolbar. 

Check or uncheck commands from  the resulting menu to add or  remove shortcuts.

∙ To hide the Ribbon, Click the  Customize the Ribbon  button in the top right corner of the  screen. Click Auto-Hide Ribbon to  hide the entire ribbon. Click Show  Tabs to only show the ribbon’s tab  headings. Click Show Tabs and  Commands to restore the ribbon  again once you have hidden it.

Using the Backstage View 

The Backstage view replaces and expands  on the File menu. The Backstage view  allows you to quickly manage Excel settings  as, functions, and options. To access the  Backstage view, click on the File tab on the  Tab Bar. Make selections in the Left pane.  Click the Back button to exit.

Creating a New Workbook

1. Click on the File tab

2. Select New in the left pane. From  here, you can do one of the  following from the Available Templates pane:

∙ To select a blank workbook, select  Blank workbook.

∙ To use a default template, scroll  through listed templates.

∙ To look through commonly searched template, click the options  in the Suggested searches spaces.

∙ To search the web for a template,  click in the Search for online templates bar. Enter your search  query and click the Search  button.

Opening a Workbook

1. Click on the File tab.
2. Select Open in the left pane.
3. Select the location where your file is  stored from Recent Workbooks or your Computer.
4. Click the Browse button.  Select the workbook file
5. Click Open.

Saving a Workbook

1. Click on the File tab.

2. Do one of the following:

∙ To save the document as an Excel  2013 file (.xls), Save from the left  pane.

∙ To save the document as another file  format, select Save As in the left pane. Select the location you would  like to save the file to and click Browse. Click the arrow on the Save  as type box and select a format from  the resulting menu.

3. Select the location where you want  to save the workbook.

4. Enter a file name in the File name box.

5. Click the Save button.

Worksheets

Inserting a Worksheet

∙ To insert a new worksheet at  the end of existing worksheets, click the Insert Worksheet button on the  right side of the row of worksheet tabs.

∙ To insert a new worksheet  before an existing worksheet,  select the worksheet and click  on the Home tab. Click the arrow on the Insert Cells button in the Cells group and  select Insert Sheet from the resulting menu.

Renaming a Worksheet

1. Right click the tab for the  worksheet you want to 
2. rename.
3. Select Rename from the short  cut menu.
4. Enter a name for the worksheet and press the Enter  key.

Moving or copying a  Worksheet.

1. Right click the tab for the  worksheet you want to move  or copy.

2. Select Move or Copy from the  shortcut menu.

 

 

Select the worksheet you want to  move or copy.

3. Do one of the following:

∙ To copy the selected worksheet, check the 

Create a copy box.

∙ To move the selected worksheet, clear the 

Create a copy box.

4. Click the OK button.

Deleting a Worksheet

1. Select the worksheet you want to  delete.

2. Click on the Home tab.

3. 3. Click the arrow on the Delete 

button in the Cells group.

4. Select Delete Sheet from the  resulting menu.

Rows & Columns

Inserting a Rows or Column

1. Select the row heading below or  the column hearing to the right of  where you want to insert the row  or column. (To insert multiple  rows or columns, elect the same  number of columns or rows that  you want to insert.)

2. Click on the Home tab.

3. Click the arrow on the Insert  Cells button in the Cells  group.

4. Select Insert Sheet Rows or  Insert Sheet Columns from the  resulting menu.

Cells

Selecting Cells

∙ To select a single cell, click  on the cell.

∙ To select a range of cells,  click on the first cell in the range, hold the Shift key, and  click on the last cell in the range, or click and drag the  mouse pointer over the range  of cells.

∙ To select multiple 

nonadjacent cells, hold the  Ctrl key and click on each cell you want to select.

∙ To select all the cells in a  worksheet, click the Select 

All button in the upper left corner of the worksheet. 

Inserting Cells

1. Select the cell or range of cells  where you want to insert the  new blank cells.
2. Click on the Home tab.
3. Click the arrow on the Insert Cells button in the Cells  group.
4. Select Insert Cells from the  resulting menu.
5. Select how you want to shift  the cells and click the OK  button.

Formatting Cells

1. Select the cells you want to  change the formatting for.
2. Click the Home tab.
3. Click the Format button in  the Cells group.
4. Select Format Cells from the  resulting menu.
5. Make formatting selections in  the Format Cells dialog box. 6. Click the OK button when  you are finished.

Merging Cells

Merge cells to spread the  contents of one cell over several  cells.

1. Copy the data into the upper left cell of the range.
2. Select the cells you want to  merge.
3. Click on the Home tab. 4. Click the arrow on the Merge & Center button in the 

Alignment group and do one  of the following:

∙ To merge the cells and  center the text, select 

Merge & Center from the resulting menu.

∙ To merge without  centering, select Merge

Across or Merge Cells

from the resulting menu.

Data

Enter data into cells by double-clicking  until the flashing text cursor appears.  You can also use the Copy and Paste  functions to input large amounts of  data.

Using Auto Fill

Excel can automatically fill in a series of  numbers, dates, or other sequential  items.

1. Select the first cell in the range  you want to fill.
2. Enter the starting value
3. Enter a value in the next cell to  establish a pattern.
4. Select the cell or cells that contain  the starting values.
5. Drag the fill handle over  the range you want to fill. To fill  in a numerically increasing order,  drag down or to the right.

Clearing Cell Format or Contents

1. Select the cells you want to clear  of formatting or contents.
2. Click on the Home tab.
3. Click the Clear button in the  Editing group.
4. Select one of the following from  the resulting menu:

∙ To clear everything in the cells, select Clear All.

∙ To clear the formatting of  the cell, select Clear 

Formats.

∙ To clear the contents of the cell, select Clear Contents.

Formulas

 

 

 

 

 

Creating a Formula

1. Select the cell that will contain  the formula.
2. Enter an equal sign (=) in the  Formula Input Area.
3. Enter the formula in the Formula  Input Area using the following  guidelines:

∙ The four types of  operators are Add (+), 

Subtract (-), Multiply (*), 

and Divide (/).

∙ Reference cells by their cell  number (i.e. Al, B8).

∙ Enter parentheses around calculations that are to be performed first.

Inserting a Function

1. Select the cell that will contain  the formula.

2. Click the Insert Function  button on the Formula Bar.

(You can also click on the Formulas tab and click the Insert Function button in the Function  Library group.)

3. Do one of the following:

∙ To search for a function,  enter a description of the  function in the Search for  a function box and click  the Go button.

∙ To select a category, click  the arrow on the Or select a category box and select a category from the resulting menu.

4. Select the function you want to  use and click the OK button.

5. Enter the arguments for the  function in the Function 

Arguments dialog box. 

(Arguments are the values that a  function uses to perform a  calculation or operation.)

6. Click the OK button when you  are finished.

Using the Sum Button

1. Click a cell below the column or  to the right of the row of numbers  you want to evaluate.
2. Click on the Home tab.
3. Click the arrow on the Sum  button in the  Editing group.
4. 4. Select a function from the  resulting menu.
5. Do one of the following:

∙ To use the highlighted cells, press the Enter key.

∙ To change the highlighted cells, select other cells and press the Enter key.

Understanding Cell References

∙ A reference identifies a cell or range  of cells on a worksheet and tells the  formula where to look for data.

∙ A relative cell reference is relative  to the position of the formula. If the  position of the cell that contains the  formula changes, the reference is  changed.

∙ An absolute cell reference always  refers to a specific location, 

regardless of where the formula is  located. To indicate an absolute  reference, place a dollar sign ($)  before the letter and number of the  cell reference, such as $B$2.

Illustrations

Inserting an Illustration

1. Click on the workbook where  you want to place the illustration. 2. Click on the Insert tab.

3. In the Illustrations group, do one  of the following:

∙ To insert a picture from a  file, click the Picture

button. Locate and select 

the graphic file you want 

to insert and click the 

Insert button.

∙ To insert a graphic or clip  art from the internet, click 

the Online Pictures 

button. Enter a keyword 

for the clip are you want to 

insert in the Search for box 

in the Clip Art task pane. 

Click the Enter button. 

Click on the graphic you 

want to insert in the 

resulting pane.

∙ To insert a shape, click the  Shapes button and  select a shape from the 

resulting menu. Click and  drag in the worksheet to  create the shape.

∙ To insert a SmartArt  graphic, Click the Smart  Art button. Select a  category in the left pane and  select the SmartArt graphic  you want to insert. Click the  OK button.

Using Quick Analysis

The Quick Analysis feature  provides instant links to  powerful tools to analyze  your data through a chart,  formula, sparkline, or other  graphical representation.

1. Click and drag to select the  table you wish to work  with.

2. When the Quick Analysis button arrears, click it  to open the Quick 

Analysis menu.

3. Click on a button to apply  that feature to your 

workbook.

Views

Changing the Workbook View

1. Click on the View tab.

2. In the Workbook Views group,  do one of the following:

∙ To view the workbook in 

Normal view, click the 

Normal View button. 

(Normal is the default 

view.)

∙ To view and adjust page 

breaks, click the Page 

Break Preview button. 

(Click the Normal View 

button to return to the 

default views.)

∙ To view a workbook as it 

will look when it is 

printed, click the Page 

Layout View button.

Viewing Multiple Workbooks

1. Open the workbooks you want to  view.
2. Click on the View tab
3. Click the Arrange All button in the Window group.
4. Make a selection in the Arrange  section.
5. Click the OK button

Splitting Panes

Split pane to view two part of a  worksheet at once.

1. Click on the View tab
2. Click the Split button in the  Windows group.
3. Click and drag the split bars into  the positions you want.
4. To remove the split, click the  Split button in the Window  group.

Comparing Workbooks Side by Side

You can use workbooks side by side to  avoid having to switch between 

windows.

1. Open the workbooks you want to  view.
2. Click on the View tab.
3. Click the View Side by Side button in the Window group.
4. Optional: To enable synchronous  scrolling between the two windows,  click the Synchronous Scrolling Button.

Click the OK button