Excel is the world’s number one spreadsheet application. It was created by Microsoft and it features calculation functions, graphic tools and pivot tables. This program has been an industry standard since 1993, and proficiency Excel usage became essential when applying for jobs in several industries. In this article we are going to list some of the most important functions you need to know for using this program.
1. Basic Stuff, Formulas, Calculations
This program gives you the opportunity to count just about anything, from basic stuff like adding up, multiplying, subtracting and dividing to some more complicated operations. When it comes to basic formulas each cell can contain one, and the cell after it will display the result of the calculation. For doing this you only need to write “=” before the numbers you want to calculate in the first cell. Also be sure to put the exact sign of the formula in between the numbers and then just press enter.
Another important function in Excel is creating formulas that refer to values in other cells. For this you need to be sure to write exact coordinates of the cells you want to calculate, put “=” sign before the cell coordinates and formula sign in between.
2. On Adding Columns and Rows
There are several options when it comes to adding columns and rows in this program. You can always add a blank row or column, but you can also add up numbers from previous columns and place their sum in the newly added column or row. The simple way is to write: “=A2+A3+A4”, and after pressing enter the result of this calculation will be displayed in the newly opened cell. Easier way to do this calculation is to use SUM () function. You just need to type SUM (A2,A4), and this way you can add up more values without writing their cell coordinates. You can do the same by selecting cells you want to add up and clicking on an Autosum button.
3. What are IF functions?
This is one of the most useful functions in the whole program. It comes with three possible levels of syntax- “true or false”, “value if true” and “value if false”. “True or false” or the logical text function is used to compare different cells and it usually includes these signs “=,<,>”. Other two versions of IF syntax give you the chance to calculate certain cells if the result of their comparison is true or false.
4. Creating Pivot Tables
Pivot tables are very powerful tools that can save you a lot of time if working with large tables or spreadsheets. Before making your first pivot table, you need to: organize your data in columns and headings, delete all the empty rows and columns, put only numbers in quantity columns and put only dates in date columns. First you should try to create a blank pivot table, you can do that by clicking on “Pivot Table” button in Insert Menu. Always put your table on a new worksheet as suggested by the program and be sure to check if its Table/Range value is correct.
On your pivot table Excel will give you the chance to choose Pivot Table Field List in the field layout area and you need to configure these columns and rows exactly the same as in your original table. When doing this you just need to check the fields you want to include, and Excel will automatically place them in the pivot table.
5. How to Learn Excel For Good
There are plenty of online sources for learning basic Excel functions, but for gaining an advanced knowledge, which you need for business purposes, we would rather recommend taking some of the Excel courses that you can find online.
