Introduction

Once you enter the data on a worksheet, you'll want to add formulas to calculate values. With Microsoft Office Excel 2003, you can create your own formulas or insert built-in formulas, called functions, for more complex computations .

In addition to using a worksheet to calculate values, you can also use it to manage a list of information, called a list or database. You can use an Excel worksheet to keep an inventory list, a school grade book, or a customer database. You can enter information directly on a worksheet, or use a Data Form, which lets you quickly enter information by filling in blank text boxes, similar to a paper form. Excel provides a variety of tools that make it easy to keep lists up-to-date and analyze them to get the information you want quickly. Excel's data analysis tools include alphabetical organizing (called sorting), and collecting information that meets specific criteria (called filtering).

When you're ready to share data with others, a worksheet might not be the most effective way to present the information. Excel makes it easy to create and modify a chart, also called a graph, which is a visual representation of selected data in your worksheet.