Creating a Basic Spreadsheet

Introduction

A workbook is a collection of spreadsheets composed of rectangular grids in which text; numbers, formulas, and graphs are stored between the intersections of columns and rows called Cells. A cell is active when a blank rectangle encompasses the cell.

Start the Microsoft Excel program using your preferred method. By default Excel creates a new workbook named Book 1 with the first cell A1 active.

Note: The word Click will substitute for the term Left Click. Any action requiring a right click will be stated. Drag refers to holding down the left mouse button and moving the mouse either vertically or horizontally.

Selecting a Cell

Move the cursor, which resembles a thick white plus sign to cell A1 and Click. Notice that a black border surrounds the cell. This is the active cell.

You can also type a cell's name in the Name box (i.e. B2). Press Enter and that cell become the active cell. Excel recognizes both upper/lower cases.

To move to the next cell:

Click on the next cell with mouse.
To move to the right press the keyboard's Right Arrow or the Tab Key.
To move to the left press the Left Arrow key or press Shift+Tab.
To move to the cell below press Enter or the Down Arrow key.
To move to the cell above press the Up Arrow key or Shift+Enter.

Entering Text and Numbers

When entering numbers or text in a cell, the entry is visible in both the cell and formula bar.

The cell number also displays in the Name Box. Pressing the Enter key records your entry.

Highlighting Cells

Click and hold the mouse button down inside a cell until the mouse pointer changes to a thick white plus sign. Next, drag the mouse pointer across the adjacent cells to the desired length. This allows you to select and format a range of cells in one move. Numbers or text need not be present in the range.

Merging Cells to Center Text across Columns

Type some text in cell (A1) and then press the Enter key.
Reactivate cell (A1), then center and hold the mouse button down inside the cell. Drag the mouse pointer (a thick white plus sign) across the columns that require a merge and text centered.
Click on the Merge button located on the Formatting Toolbar.

Note: The cells remain active until you click outside the active area (merged cells).

Using Auto Fill

This feature allows you to fill in dates, numbers, or formulas by dragging the fill handle across adjacent cells.

Note: The small black rectangle in the outside corner known as the fill handle.

Filling Numbers

Enter the number (1) in cell (A3) and then press the Enter key.
Enter the number (2) in cell (A4) and then press the Enter key. In this example the Auto fill feature is used to increment sequential cells by one (1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.) as the AutoFill handle is dragged over them.
Click on cell (A3); center the white plus sign inside the cell and then drag the mouse pointer downward to cell (A4).
Move the cursor to the black square (the fill handle) in the lower corner of the selected cells (A3:A4). When the pointer changes to a thin black + sign, click and drag the pointer to cell (A7) and then release the mouse button. Press the Enter key.

Note: If the numbers (0) and (5) were used instead of (1) and (2) the cells would have incremented by five instead of one.

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