The Excel workspace and entering data
A workbook is one Excel file (.xlsx). It holds one or more worksheets, shown as tabs along the bottom. A worksheet is a grid of columns, lettered A to XFD (16,384 columns), and rows, numbered 1 to 1,048,576. The box where a column and a row meet is a cell, and its address, called a cell reference, is the column letter followed by the row number: B4 is column B, row 4.
A range is a rectangle of cells, written as its first and last cell with a colon between them: A1:D20 is columns A to D, rows 1 to 20. Several separate ranges are listed with commas, as in =SUM(A1:A5, C1:C5).
| Part of the screen | What it does |
|---|---|
| Ribbon | Commands grouped on tabs: File, Home, Insert, Page Layout, Formulas, Data, Review, View |
| Name Box | Shows the address of the active cell; type an address or a range name there to jump to it |
| Formula bar | Shows what is really in the active cell, such as the formula behind a result |
| Sheet tabs | Switch between worksheets; double-click to rename, drag to move, right-click to insert, delete or color |
| Status bar | Shows the Sum, Average and Count of the selected cells without writing a formula |
Every cell holds one of four things. Text, such as a label or a name, is left-aligned by default. Numbers are right-aligned. Dates and times are numbers too: Excel stores each date as a serial number counting from January 1, 1900, which is 1, so January 1, 2027 is stored as 46388. That is why dates can be subtracted to get days. Formulas start with an equal sign and display their result.
To enter data, type and press Enter to move down or Tab to move right. Esc cancels the entry, F2 edits the active cell, and Ctrl+Z undoes. The fill handle, the small square at the bottom-right corner of a selection, copies a value or continues a pattern when dragged: Mon becomes Tue, Wed; January becomes February; 1 and 2 (select both first) become 3, 4, 5. Double-clicking the fill handle fills down as far as the data in the next column goes.
| Shortcut (Windows) | Action |
|---|---|
| Ctrl+Arrow key | Jump to the edge of the current block of data |
| Ctrl+Shift+Arrow key | Select to the edge of the data |
| Ctrl+Home, Ctrl+End | Go to A1; go to the last used cell |
| Ctrl+; | Enter today's date as a fixed value |
| Ctrl+1 | Open Format Cells |
| Ctrl+` | Show formulas instead of results, and back |
Rows and columns are managed from their headers: right-click a row number or column letter to insert, delete, hide or unhide. Double-clicking the boundary between two column letters makes the column fit its widest entry, called AutoFit.
Excel converts what it thinks are numbers and dates. A ZIP code typed as 02134 becomes 2134, an entry such as 3-4 can turn into the date 4-Mar, and IDs longer than 15 digits lose their last digits because Excel keeps only 15 significant digits. For codes and IDs, format the column as Text before typing, or start the entry with an apostrophe: '02134.
The formula bar tells the truth. A cell can display 2.46 while holding 2.4567, or show a number that is really a formula. Click the cell and read the formula bar before you trust what you see.
Word bank
All definitions →- Cell reference
- A cell's address: column letter plus row number, such as B4.
- Date serial number
- How Excel stores a date: the count of days from January 1, 1900.
- Fill handle
- The square at a selection's corner that copies values or continues a series.
- Range
- A rectangular group of cells, such as A1:D20.
- Workbook
- An Excel file containing one or more worksheets.
Knowledge check
What is the reference of the cell in column C, row 7?
A user types 02134 into a cell in the General format and sees 2134. Why?
Several cells with numbers are selected. Where can you see their total without writing a formula?