Objective 1. Start Excel and Navigate a Workbook

When you start the Excel program, a new blank workbook displays. A workbook contains one or more pages called worksheets. A worksheet is formatted as a pattern of uniformly spaced horizontal and vertical lines. This grid pattern of the worksheet forms vertical columns and horizontal rows. The intersection of a column and a row forms a small rectangular box referred to as a cell.

Activity 1.1. Starting Excel and Saving a Workbook

In this activity, you will start Excel and use the first worksheet in the workbook to prepare a report of expenses for the Dallas restaurant. Start Excel in the same manner as you start other Microsoft Office 2003 programs.

1.

On the Windows taskbar, click the Start button .

The Start menu displays. Organizations and individuals store computer programs in a variety of ways. The Excel program might be installed under All Programs or Microsoft Office or some other arrangement. An example is shown in Figure 1.2.
 

Figure 1.2.

 

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2.

Point to All Programs, determine where the Excel program is located, point to Microsoft Office Excel 2003, and then click once to start the program. Compare your screen with Figure 1.3.
 

Figure 1.3.

Excel opens, and a blank workbook displays. The default Excel working environment consists of a menu bar, toolbars across the top of the window, and a main window divided into two sectionsthe task pane on the right and the worksheet grid on the left. A task pane is an area within a Microsoft Office application that displays commands related to the current task. Its location and small size give you easy access to these commands while still working on your workbook.
 

3.

In the upper right corner of the Getting Started task pane, click the Close button to close the task pane.

When not in use, close the task pane in this manner to allow the maximum amount of screen space for your worksheet.
 

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4.

Take a moment to study Figures 1.4 and 1.5 and the table in Figure 1.6 to become familiar with the parts of the Excel window.
 

Figure 1.4.

 

Figure 1.5.

 

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Figure 1.6. Parts of the Excel Window

Excel Window Element	Description
Title bar	Displays the program icon, the program name, and the workbook name.
Menu bar	Contains the menus of commands. Display a menu by clicking its name in the menu bar or by pressing and pressing the underlined letter in the menu name.
Standard toolbar	Contains buttons for some of the most common commands in Excel, for example, Print and Save. It may occupy an entire row or share a row with the Formatting toolbar.
Formatting toolbar	Contains buttons for some of the most common formatting commands in Excel. It may occupy an entire row or share a row with the Standard toolbar.
Toolbar Options button	Displays a list of additional buttons on the Formatting and Standard toolbars and also permits moving the toolbar to a separate or shared row.
Name Box	Identifies the selected cell, chart item, or drawing object. Also used to type a name for a cell or range of cells.
Formula Bar	Displays the value or formula contained in the active cell. Also permits entry or editing of values or formulas in cells or charts.
Active cell	Indicates, with a black surrounding border, the cell in which the next keystroke or command will take place.
Mouse pointer	Indicates the graphic screen image controlled by your movement of the mouse.
Workbook window	Defines the area of the Excel window containing the worksheets.
Status bar	Displays information about the active cell.
Keyboard indicator area	Displays the current status of various keyboard functions such as the on or off status of .
Workbook window buttons	Provides the commands to Minimize, Maximize or Restore Down, and Close the workbook.

 

5.

On the menu bar, click File to display the File menu, click Save As, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.7.
 

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Figure 1.7.

 

6.

In the displayed Save As dialog box, click the Save in arrow to view a list of the drives available to you, and then navigate to the drive on which you will be storing your projects for this chapterfor example, a USB flash drive such as the one shown in Figure 1.8.
 

Figure 1.8.

 

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7.

In the upper right corner of the Save As dialog box, click the Create New Folder button . In the displayed New Folder dialog box, in the Name box, type Excel Chapter 1 and then compare your screen with Figure 1.9.
 

Figure 1.9.

 

8.

In the New Folder dialog box, click OK.

Windows creates the Excel Chapter 1 folder and makes it the active folder in the Save As dialog box. At the bottom of the Save As dialog box, in the File name box, Book1 displays as the default file name.
 

9.

In the File name box, using your own first and last name, replace Book1, which is highlighted in blue, by typing 1A_Tableware_Firstname_Lastname being sure to include the underscore () instead of spaces between words. Compare your screen with Figure 1.10.
 

Figure 1.10.

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Windows recognizes file names that use spaces between words. However, some electronic file transfer programs do not. In this text, you will use underscores instead of spaces between words for your file names.

Text highlighted in blue in a Windows dialog box will be replaced by your new typing. Alternatively, use the key to delete text in a box, and then type.
 

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10.

In the lower right corner of the Save As dialog box, click Save.

The file is saved in the new folder with the new name. The workbook redisplays, and the new name displays in the title bar.
 

Activity 1.2. Navigating the Excel Menu Bar, ScreenTips, and the Toolbar

In this activity, you will verify that your system is set so that you can use Excel easily, and you will also review several Windows features to see how they function within the Excel program.

1.

On the menu bar, click File.

The File menu displays in either the full format, as shown in Figure 1.11, or in a short format, as shown in Figure 1.12. Excel's commands are organized in menuslists of commands within a category. A short menu will display fully after a few seconds, or you can click the double arrows at the bottom to display the full menu.
 

Figure 1.11.

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Figure 1.12.

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The File menu, when displayed in full, lists the last four to nine workbooks used on your computer. Whether your full menu displays immediately or is delayed by a few seconds depends on the options that are set for this software. Likewise, the number of previous workbook names displayed depends on how the software was set up. These default settings can be changed in the Options dialog boxdisplayed from the Tools menuon systems where it is permissible to do so.
 

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NoteDisplaying Full Menus

Many Excel users prefer the automatic full menu display. To set a system to always display full menus, display the Tools menu, click Customize, and then click the Options tab. Under Personalized Menus and Toolbars, select the Always show full menus check box. Click the Reset menu and toolbar usage data button, click Yes, and then click Close.

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2.

If the full menu is not displayed, pause your mouse pointer over the Expand arrow to expand the File menu. Compare your screen with Figure 1.13.
 

Figure 1.13.

On the left side of some command names is an image of the button that represents this command on a toolbar. This is a reminder that you can use the toolbar button to start the command with only one click. Likewise, to the right of some commands is a reminder that you can use a keyboard shortcutholding down a combination of keys to start the command.
 

3.

Look at the full File menu on your screen.

Following or to the right of some menu commands, you will see various symbols, characters, or formatting, which are standard across all Microsoft products. The table in Figure 1.14 lists these characteristics and describes what will happen when you select the command.
 

Figure 1.14. Microsoft Menu Characteristics

Characteristic	Description	Example
. . . (ellipsis)	Indicates that a dialog box requesting more information will display.	Print. . .
(triangle)	Indicates that a submenuanother menu of commandswill display.	Send to
No symbol	Indicates that the command will perform immediately.	Exit
(check mark)	Indicates that a command is turned on or active.	Standard
Gray option name	Indicates that the command is currently unavailabledimmed or also referred to as grayed out.	Properties

 

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4.

On the menu bar, click File again to close the menu.

If you decide not to select a command from a displayed menu, close the menu either by clicking its name, by clicking outside the menu, or by pressing .
 

5.

On the menu bar, click View, and then point to Toolbars.

A list of available toolbars displays. A check mark indicates that the toolbar is displayed. Toolbar buttons provide a one-click method to perform common commands, instead of performing the command from the menus using multiple clicks.
 

6.

On the displayed list of toolbars, be sure that Standard and Formatting are both checked. Clear any other checked toolbar on the list by clicking its check mark to clear it, and then, if the list is still displayed, click outside the menu to close it.
 

7.

Below the menu bar, be sure two rows of toolbars display, as shown in Figure 1.15. If, instead, your toolbars are sharing one row, as shown in Figure 1.16, at the end of the toolbar click the Toolbar Options button , and then click Show Buttons on Two Rows.
 

Figure 1.15.

 

Figure 1.16.

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The toolbars will display on two rows, as shown in Figure 1.15. Alternatively, from the Tools menu, click Customize, click the Options tab, and then select the Show Standard and Formatting toolbars on two rows check box.
 

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8.

On the Standard toolbar, locate and pause your mouse pointer over the New button . Compare your screen with Figure 1.17.
 

Figure 1.17.

When you position the mouse pointer over a button, Excel displays the button's name in a ScreenTip. The ScreenTip New displays, indicating that clicking this button will activate the command to create a new workbook.
 

9.

Pause your pointer over several buttons on both the Standard and Formatting toolbars to become familiar with the commands available to you. Recall that a toolbar button is a one-click method to activate frequently used commands that are also available from the menus. The ScreenTip describes the command that will be activated when you click the toolbar button.
 

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Activity 1.3. Navigating a Worksheet

In this activity, you will navigate the Excel workbook window.

1.

Take a moment to study Figures 1.18 and 1.19 and the table in Figure 1.20 to become familiar with the Excel workbook window.
 

Figure 1.18.

 

Figure 1.19.

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Figure 1.20. Excel Workbook Elements

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Workbook element	Description
Close button	Closes Excel, or closes the workbook window when displayed on the workbook window title bar.
Close Window button	Closes the workbook window; the Excel program remains open.
Column headings	Indicate the column letter.
Horizontal window split box	Splits the worksheet into two horizontal views of the same worksheet.
Maximize button	Displays the active workbook window in its full size within the Excel window.
Minimize button	Reduces the active workbook window to an abbreviated title bar near the bottom of the Excel window.
Row headings	Indicates the row number.
Scroll arrows	Scroll one column or row at a time.
Scroll bars	Scroll the Excel window up and down or left and right.
Scroll boxes	Used with the mouse to drag the position of a window up and down or left and right.
Select All box	Selects all cells in a worksheet.
Sheet tabs	Changes the active worksheet in a workbook.
Tab scrolling buttons	Display sheet tabs that are not in view; used when there are more sheet tabs than will display in the space provided.
Vertical window split box	Splits the worksheet into two vertical views of the same worksheet.
Window Control menu icon	Allows keyboard access to move, resize, minimize, maximize, and close the worksheet window.
Window corner	Indicates that the window can be resized; dragging this corner changes the window size.
Window title bar	Displays the application name along with the name of the current workbook.

A workbook displays as a window within the Excel window with its own sizing buttons. Figure 1.18 shows the workbook maximized, and Figure 1.19 shows the workbook at an intermediate size.
 

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2.

In the horizontal scroll bar, point to and then click the right scroll arrow. Compare your screen with Figure 1.21.
 

Figure 1.21.

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The workbook window shifts so that column A moves out of view. The number of times you click the arrows on the horizontal scroll bar determines the number of columns by which the window shiftseither to the left or to the right. The number of columns that display on your screen may be different depending on the screen resolution that is set for your monitor.
 

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3.

In the horizontal scroll bar, click the right scroll arrow and hold the mouse button down until the columns begin to scroll rapidly to the right; release when you begin to see pairs of letters as the column headings.

The workbook window moves rapidly. This technique also works for the left scroll arrow and for the two vertical scroll arrows.
 

4.

In the horizontal scroll bar, click the left scroll arrow to shift one column.
 

5.

In the horizontal scroll bar, point to the horizontal scroll box, hold down the left mouse button, drag the box to the left to display column A, and then release the mouse button.

The action of dragging includes releasing the mouse button at the desired time or location. Use the scroll boxes in this manner to bring various parts of the worksheet into view. Scroll boxes change in size to indicate how the visible portion of the worksheet compares to the total amount of the worksheet in use.
 

6.

Use the techniques you just practiced to scroll the worksheet to position column Z near the center of your screen, and then compare your screen with Figure 1.22.
 

Figure 1.22.

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Column headings to the right of column Z use two letters starting with AA. After using the entire alphabet from A to Z, Excel begins naming the columns AA, AB, AC, and then starts over again with BA, BB, BC, and so on. This pattern is used to name up to 256 columns. The last column available is column IV. The number of columns that display on your screen may be different depending on the screen resolution that is set for your monitor.
 

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7.

Near the bottom left of the screen, point to and then click the Sheet2 tab.

The second worksheet in the workbook displays and becomes the active worksheet. Column A displays at the left.
 

8.

Click the Sheet1 tab.

The first worksheet in the workbook becomes the active worksheet. A workbook consists of one or more worksheets. By default, new workbooks contain three worksheets. When you save a workbook, the worksheets are contained within it and do not have separate file names.
 

9.

In the vertical scroll bar, point to and then click the down scroll arrow one time.

Row 1 moves out of view. The number of times you click the arrows on the vertical scroll bar determines the number of rows shifted either up or down. You can drag the vertical scroll box to scroll downward in a manner similar to the technique used in the horizontal scroll bar.
 

10.

In the vertical scroll bar, point to and then click the up scroll arrow.

Row 1 comes back into view. The maximum number of rows on a single Excel worksheet is 65,536.
 

11.

Use the skills you just practiced to scroll horizontally to display column A.
 

Objective 2 Select Parts of a Worksheet