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Our 1-day workshop shows you the Excel skills needed to perform a variety of tasks in today's workplace. Businesses and organizations more than ever expect a higher degree of Excel skills than just a few years ago and our class will deliver for you.
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Key beginning Excel topics covered.
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A cell reference identifies a cell's position on a worksheet. A range reference identifies a group of cells and their position on a worksheet. These references tell a Microsoft Excel formula > and other Microsoft Excel features where to obtain a value or group of values. Some common cell and range references used in a formula are presented in the table below:
Refers To | Reference |
A2 |
The cell in column A and row 2, a cell reference |
A1:A10 |
The cells between row 1 and row 10 column A, a range reference |
B1:C10 |
The cells between row 1 and 10 columns B and C, a range reference |
D:D |
All the cells in column D, a range reference |
2:2 |
All the cells in Row 2, a range reference |
D:E |
All the cells in columns D through E, a range reference |
By default, Excel uses what is called A1 reference style, which refers to columns with letters and refers to rows with numbers. These letters and numbers are called row and column headings. That is what is being used on this page.
If you see a formula and you start to see =R1C1+1 in it, you are in what is called R1C1 reference style. Only an advanced Excel user uses this notation and very rarely is it seen. To make the matter short, get out of this mode, refer to Excel help by typing in A1 Reference style to see how to toggle it back to the A1 style most commonly used.
When you place dollar signs around a cell or range reference, you are preventing the reference from changing when you copy or paste a cell with a formula in it or drag it. Cell and range references can move relative to your copy and paste, that is what they are designed to do by nature.
For example, if you had a cell with a formula in it, say cell B2 = A1+1 and you copied cell B2 to B3 then the formula would shift to be cell B3 =A2+1 because it moved relative to your copy. If you wrapped dollar signs around A1 like =$A$1+1 then when you copied the formula it would stay fixed on cell A1 and not change.
You can easily put dollar signs around a cell reference or range reference by highlighting the reference in the formula and pressing the F4 function key. The F4 key will cycle you through all the dollar sign configurations as you keep pressing it. Here are what the dollar signs mean:
Refers To | Reference |
A1 |
When cell copied and pasted or dragged, cell reference will shift relative to new cell position |
$A$1 |
When cell copied and pasted or dragged, cell reference will not move |
$A1 |
When cell copied and pasted or dragged cell reference will move row position if new position is off current row but will not shift column number |
A$1 |
When cell copied and pasted or dragged, cell reference will move column notation if new position is off current column but will not shift row position |
To refer to another Excel worksheet, place the worksheet name in front of the reference followed by an explanation point !. For example, to refer to Sheet2 cell A1 the syntax (grammar) for a formula would be:
=Sheet2!A1+1
If the sheet name has non alpha-numeric characters or spaces in it, use apostrophes to enclose the name, for example for a worksheet named Data Sheet the syntax would be:
='Data Sheet'!A1+1
Note that if you build your formula by clicking and highlighting cells with the mouse, Excel will build the basic cell references including sheet names automatically.
To build a formula that refers to cells on another worksheet with the mouse, first type an = sign in a cell. Next click on the tab that has the cells or range to use and select them with the mouse. Watch the formula bar above the column headers and you will see the formula being built.
When you are on another worksheet, you can click in the formula and add operators and values. You build the formula the exact way as discussed on the previous page.
When you are done building the formula just press Enter. You do not click back on the original worksheet tab as this may skew the formula if the last entry is a cell or range reference
An Excel formula is what you type in a worksheet cell to perform a calculation on a Microsoft Excel worksheet. Basic Microsoft Excel formulas basically look like normal math equations with computer operators standing in for some traditional math operators. The basic operators used in a formula are: Division: /, Multiplication: *, Addition: +, Subtraction: -, and Power: ^.
To begin a formula in a cell, you type an = sign followed by operators, cell references, and numbers. For example if you typed =16.95 * 25 in a worksheet cell the value returned would be 423.75. To make the formula adaptive, you can replace the 16.95 and 25 with cell references like = C6 * C7. When enter is pressed, the formula will multiply the values that are in cells C6 and C7 and display the value in the cell. If either C6 or C7 is changed in value and Enter is pressed, the formula referencing those cells will recalculate automatically displaying the new value.
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Before beginning to create a formula, look at your equations and type all the information they need to calculate on the worksheet. Think about the numbers you punch into a calculator and those are the values to put on a worksheet. To create a formula in a worksheet cell, first begin with an = sign.
Next click on the first cell reference to use in the formula with your mouse or type a value. Next type an operator like + then click on the next cell reference with your mouse or type the next value and so forth. Operators go in between the cell references and values. ( )'s are placed around operations like (4/3) because you want to calculate that operation first before its value is used by other operations.
Repeat this process until you are finished building the formula then press Enter. Note when mixing operators like = 5 + 3 * 2 in a formula, there is an operator precedence which means certain operations occur before others. In this case 3 * 2 runs first followed by + 5. That is why you use ()'s to override this order and force operations to go first like (5+3) then * 2.
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Excel allows an individual to use two styles of cell references > to identify a cell’s position in a formula >, A1 and R1C1 reference styles. These styles are controlled by adjusting the controlling options of Microsoft Excel.
The A1 reference style is the default reference style for Excel. To tell if the A1 reference style is in use, look at the column headers of a worksheet. If letters appear for the column headings, the reference style for Excel is currently A1.
In this mode, cells are referenced in formulas using a letter for the column and a number for the row. The picture below demonstrates this concept with a simple formula.
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To tell if the R1C1 reference style is in use, look at the column headers of a worksheet. If numbers appear for the column headings, the reference style for Excel is currently R1C1.
In this mode, cells are referenced by relative nomenclature R[-1]C[-1] or in absolute nomenclature R1C1. The letters R and C are used in both modes to represent row / column positions.
The picture below demonstrates this concept with a simple formula where the cells are referenced in R1C1 absolute nomenclature.
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Whatever reference style mode Excel is in, all cell references in formulas must be in that reference style form when typed. If using the mouse to select a cell reference, Excel will choose the proper syntax.
If you do not use the proper syntax, an error will be generated when the formula is entered. The A1 reference style is the easiest to use in Excel. It is recommended that this style is used when constructing formulas.
To switch between the reference modes in Excel, proceed to the Ribbon and select File / Options. On the Excel Options screen, select the Formulas tab. On that tab, check or uncheck the R1C1 reference style box. Note that when you toggle this box, the reference notation in the formulas will toggle.
When dealing with Excel and its many features and quirks, always recheck everything if switching.
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