Quick tips and tricks of Microsoft Excel

 

Here are a few handy tips for getting the most from Excel.

Excel basics and formulas

Like an interactive sheet of graph paper, Excel spreadsheets are divided into rows and columns that intersect to create boxes known as cells. Columns are labeled alphabetically (A, B, C…), and rows are labeled numerically (1, 2, 3…). You can enter alphanumeric data into any cell and use formulas and functions to perform calculations on that data. Then you can create charts and graphs to display the results.

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Locking columns and rows

Freezing highlighted panes in the spreadsheet so that they remain visible while you enter data further down the page can be handy when you need to compare facts and figures. You can also split panes into multiple worksheets so that you to scroll in one pane while information displayed within the other remains static.

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Creating charts and graphics

With Excel, you can create colorful pictures and graphs or generate eye-catching reports in minutes that help you identify usage or spending patterns at a glance.
From bar and pie charts to histograms and attention-grabbing sparklines, Excel provides a variety of practical ways to visually represent data, which makes it easier to understand at a glance. These images offer a fast and intuitive way to display information and illustrate points more effectively. Chart options include:

• Area
  
• Bar
  
• Bubble
  
• Column
  
• Doughnut
  
• Line
  
• Organization
  
• Pie
  
• Radar
  
• Stock
  
• Surface
  
• XY (Scatter >

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Wrapping text and forcing line breaks

Sometimes, it’s necessary for text to appear on multiple lines within a cell, for example, when you enter people’s addresses. To create this effect, you can have Excel automatically wrap text, or you can manually enter a line break.

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