Spreadsheets programs can also perform calculations on the data using formulas. To help make it easier to find and read the information in a worksheet, Excel has a number of formatting features that can be applied to individual cells, rows, columns, and entire tables of data. Since each worksheet in recent versions of Excel contains billions of cells per worksheet, each cell has an address known as a cell reference so that it can be referenced in formulas, charts, and other features of the program. Topics included in this tutorial are:
Entering the data into the tableWidening individual worksheet columnsAdding the current date and a named range to the worksheetAdding the deduction formulaAdding the net salary formulaCopying formulas with the Fill HandleAdding number formatting to dataAdding cell formatting
As mentioned, each cell in a worksheet is identified by an address or cell reference, which consists of the column letter and number of the row that intersect at a cell’s location. When writing a cell reference, the column letter is always written first followed by the row number – such as A5, C3, or D9. When entering the data for this tutorial, it is important to enter the data into the correct worksheet cells. Formulas entered in subsequent steps make use of the cell references of the data entered now. To follow this tutorial, use the cell references of the data seen in the image above to enter all the data into a blank Excel worksheet. If the cell to the right contains data, however, the contents of the first cell are truncated to the first eight characters. Several cells of data entered in the previous step, such as the label Deduction Rate: entered into cell B3 and Thompson A. entered into cell A8 are truncated because the cells to the right contain data. To correct this problem so that the data is fully visible, the columns containing that data need to be widened. As with all Microsoft programs, there are multiple ways of widening columns. The steps below cover how to widen columns using the mouse. Widening Individual Worksheet Columns Column Widths and Worksheet Titles Since the worksheet title is so long compared to the other labels in column A, if that column was widened to display the entire title in cell A1, the worksheet would not only look odd, but it would make it difficult to use the worksheet because of the gaps between the labels on the left and the other columns of data. As there are no other entries in row 1, it is not incorrect to just leave the title as it – spilling over into the cells to the right. Alternatively, Excel has a feature called merge and center which will be used in a later step to quickly center the title over the data table. The TODAY function is easy to use because it has no arguments – which is data that needs to be supplied to the function in order for it to work. The TODAY function is also one of Excel’s volatile functions, which means it updates itself every time the recalculates – which is usually ever time the worksheet is opened. Adding the Date with the TODAY function The steps below will add the TODAY function to cell C2 of the worksheet. Seeing ###### Symbols instead of the Date If a row of hashtag symbols appear in cell C2 instead of the date after adding the TODAY function to that cell, it is because the cell is not wide enough to display the formatted data. As mentioned previously, unformatted numbers or text data spill over to empty cells to the right if it is too wide for the cell. Data that has been formatted as a specific type of number – such as currency, dates, or time, however, do not spill over to the next cell if they are wider than the cell where they are located. Instead, they display the ###### error. To correct the problem, widen column C using the method described in the preceding step of the tutorial. Adding a Named Range A named range is created when one or more cells are given a name to make the range easier to identify. Named ranges can be used as a substitute for cell reference when used in functions, formulas, and charts. The easiest way to create named ranges is to use the name box located in the top left corner of the worksheet above the row numbers. In this tutorial, the name rate will be given to cell C6 to identify the deduction rate applied to employee salaries. The named range will be used in the deduction formula that will be added to cells C6 to C9 of the worksheet. This name will be used to simplify creating the Deductions formulas in the next step of the tutorial.
Formulas in Excel always begin with an equal sign ( = ).The equal sign is always typed into the cell where you want the answer to appear.The formula is completed by pressing the Enter key on the keyboard.
Using Cell References in Formulas A common way of creating formulas in Excel involves entering the formula data into worksheet cells and then using the cell references for the data in the formula, instead of the data itself. The main advantage of this approach is that if later it becomes necessary to change the data, it is a simple matter of replacing the data in the cells rather than rewriting the formula. The results of the formula will update automatically once the data changes. Using Named Ranges in Formulas An alternative to cell references is to used named ranges – such as the named range rate created in the previous step. In a formula, a named range function the same as a cell reference but it is normally used for values that are used a number of times in different formulas – such as a deduction rate for pensions or health benefits, a tax rate, or a scientific constant – whereas cell references are more practical in formulas that refer to specific data only once. Entering the Employee Deductions Formula The first formula created in cell C6 will multiply the Gross Salary of the employee B. Smith by the deduction rate in cell C3. The finished formula in cell C6 will be: Using Pointing to Enter the Formula Although it is possible to just type the above formula into cell C6 and have the correct answer appear, it is better to use pointing to add the cell references to formulas in order to minimize the possibility of errors created by typing in the wrong cell reference. Pointing involves clicking on the cell containing the data with the mouse pointer to add the cell reference or named range to the formula. Relative Cell References and Copying Formulas So far, the Deductions and Net Salary formulas have been added to only one cell each in the worksheet – C6 and D6 respectively. As a result, the worksheet is currently complete for only one employee - B. Smith. Rather than going through the time-consuming task of recreating each formula for the other employees, Excel permits, in certain circumstances, formulas to be copied to other cells. These circumstances most often involve the use of a specific type of cell reference – known as a relative cell reference – in the formulas. The cell references that have been entered into the formulas in the preceding steps have been relative cell references, and they are the default type of cell reference in Excel, in order to make copying formulas as straightforward as possible. The next step in the tutorial uses the Fill Handle to copy the two formulas to the rows below in order to complete the data table for all employees. In this step of the tutorial, the fill handle will be used to copy both the Deduction and Net Salary formulas from cells C6 and D6 down to cells C9 and D9. Copying Formulas with the Fill Handle Adding the Percent Symbol Adding the Currency Symbol In this tutorial, the above-mentioned cell formats will be applied to specific cells in the worksheet so that it will match the finished worksheet. Adding Bold Formatting Changing Data Alignment This step will change the default left alignment of several cells to center alignment. Merge and Center Cells The Merge and Center option combines a number of selected into one cell and centers the data entry in the leftmost cell across the new merged cell. This step will merge and center the worksheet title - Deduction Calculations for Employees. Adding Bottom Borders to Cells This step will add bottom borders to the cells containing data in rows 1, 5, and 9
