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The comprehensive reference, now completely up-to-date for Excel 2013! As the standard for spreadsheet applications, Excel is used worldwide - but it's not always user-friendly. However, in the hands of veteran bestselling author Greg Harvey, Excel gets a whole lot easier to understand! This handy all-in-one guide covers all the essentials, the new features, how to analyze data with Excel, and much more. The featured minibooks address Excel basics, worksheet design, formulas and functions, worksheet collaboration and review, charts and graphics, data management, data analysis, and Excel and VBA. * Covers the changes in the newest version as well as familiar tasks, such as creating and editing worksheets, setting up formulas, and performing statistical functions * Walks you through the new analysis tools that help make it easier to visualize data with the click of a mouse * Details new ways to explore your data more intuitively and then analyze and display your results with a single click Whether you're an Excel newbie or a veteran user to wants to get familiar with the latest version, Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies has everything you need to know.
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Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2013
Excel®2013 All-in-One For Dummies®
Published byJohn Wiley & Sons, Inc.111 River StreetHoboken, NJ 07030-5774
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Copyright © 2013 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
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Library of Congress Control Number: 2012956361
ISBN 978-1-118-51010-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-118-55018-2 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-62025-0 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-118-55021-2 (ebk)
Manufactured in the United States of America
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About the Author
Greg Harvey has authored tons of computer books, the most recent being Excel 2013 For Dummies. He started out training business users on how to use IBM personal computers and their attendant computer software in the rough-and-tumble days of DOS, WordStar, and Lotus 1-2-3 in the mid-80s of the last century. After working for a number of independent training firms, he went on to teach semester-long courses in spreadsheet and database management software at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
His love of teaching has translated into an equal love of writing. For Dummies books are, of course, his all-time favorites to write because they enable him to write to his favorite audience, the beginner. They also enable him to use humor (a key element to success in the training room) and, most delightful of all, to express an opinion or two about the subject matter at hand.
Dedication
To all the students in my different computer classes who taught me so much about what’s really important and what’s not when it comes to using computer software.
Author’s Acknowledgments
I am always so grateful to the many people who work so hard to bring my book projects into being, and this one is no exception. If anything, I am even more thankful for their talents, given the size and complexity of an All-in-One.
This time, special thanks are in order to Andy Cummings and Katie Feltman for giving me this opportunity to write (and write and write) about Excel in this great All-in-One format. Next, I want to express great thanks to my project editor, Kim Darosett. Thanks also go to Russ Mullen for the great technical edit, to Sheree Montgomery for coordinating the book’s production, and to everybody at Wiley Publishing.
Publisher’s Acknowledgments
We’re proud of this book; please send us your comments at http://dummies.custhelp.com. For other comments, please contact our Customer Care Department within the U.S. at 877-762-2974, outside the U.S. at 317-572-3993, or fax 317-572-4002.
Some of the people who helped bring this book to market include the following:
Acquisitions and Editorial
Senior Project Editor: Kim Darosett
Acquisitions Editor: Katie Feltman
Copy Editor: Virginia Sanders
Technical Editor: Russ Mullen
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Senior Editorial Assistant: Cherie Case
Cover Photo: © iStockphoto.com / hakan dogu
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Layout and Graphics: Carl Byers, Jennifer Creasey, Joyce Haughey
Proofreaders: Melissa D. Buddendeck, John Greenough
Indexer: BIM Indexing & Proofreading Services
Publishing and Editorial for Technology Dummies
Richard Swadley, Vice President and Executive Group Publisher
Andy Cummings, Vice President and Publisher
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Visit www.dummies.com/cheatsheet/excel2013aio to view this book's cheat sheet.
Table of Contents
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
How This Book Is Organized
Book I: Excel Basics
Book II: Worksheet Design
Book III: Formulas and Functions
Book IV: Worksheet Collaboration and Review
Book V: Charts and Graphics
Book VI: Data Management
Book VII: Data Analysis
Book VIII: Macros and VBA
Conventions Used in This Book
Icons Used in This Book
Where to Go from Here
Book I: Excel Basics
Chapter 1: The Excel 2013 User Experience
Excel 2013’s New Look and Feel
Excel’s Start Screen
Excel’s Ribbon User Interface
Going behind the scenes to Excel’s Backstage view
Ripping through the Ribbon
Adjusting to the Quick Access toolbar
Fooling around with the Formula bar
What’s up with the Worksheet area?
Taking a tour of the Status bar
Getting Help
Launching and Quitting Excel
Starting Excel from the Windows 8 Start screen
Starting Excel from the Windows 7 Start menu
When it’s quitting time
Chapter 2: Customizing Excel 2013
Tailoring the Quick Access Toolbar to Your Tastes
Adding Ribbon commands to the Quick Access toolbar
Adding non-Ribbon commands to the Quick Access toolbar
Adding macros to the Quick Access toolbar
Exercising Your Options
Changing some of the more universal settings on the General tab
Changing common calculation options on the Formulas tab
Changing correction options on the Proofing tab
Changing various save options on the Save tab
Changing a whole lot of other common options on the Advanced tab
Customizing the Excel 2013 Ribbon
Using Office Apps
Add-In Mania
Managing Excel add-ins
Managing COM add-ins
Purchasing third-party add-ins
Book II: Worksheet Design
Chapter 1: Building Worksheets
Designer Spreadsheets
Take it from a template
Designing a workbook from scratch
It Takes All Kinds (Of Cell Entries)
What’s in a label?
What’s the value?
Data Entry 101
Data entry keyboard style
Doing data entry with the Touch keyboard
You AutoComplete this for me
You AutoCorrect this right now!
Constraining data entry to a cell range
Getting Excel to put in the decimal point
You AutoFill it in
Saving the Data
Saving workbooks in other commonly used file formats
Changing the default file location
Saving a new workbook in the old file format
Document Recovery to the Rescue
Chapter 2: Formatting Worksheets
Making Cell Selections
Selecting cells with the mouse
Selecting cells by touch
Selecting cells with the keyboard
You AutoSelect that range!
Selecting cells with Go To
Name that range!
Adjusting Columns and Rows
You AutoFit the column to its contents
Adjusting columns the old fashioned way
Setting a new standard width
Hiding out a column or two
Rambling rows
Formatting Tables from the Ribbon
Formatting Tables with the Quick Analysis Tool
Formatting Cells from the Ribbon
Formatting Cell Ranges with the Mini-Toolbar
Using the Format Cells Dialog Box
Assigning number formats
Altering the alignment
Fancy fonts and colors
Basic borders, fills, and patterns
Hiring Out the Format Painter
Using Cell Styles
Using the Number Format cell styles
Defining a custom cell style by example
Creating a new cell style from scratch
Merging styles into other workbooks
Conditional Formatting
Graphical conditional formatting
Formatting with the Quick Analysis tool
Identifying particular values or text entries in a cell range
Highlighting duplicate values in a cell range
Creating your own conditional formatting rules
Managing conditional formatting rules
Chapter 3: Editing and Proofing Worksheets
Opening a Workbook
Using the Open screen in the Backstage view
Using the Open dialog box
Opening more than one workbook at a time
Finding misplaced workbooks
Using the other Open options
Cell Editing 101
Undo and Redo
Get that out of here!
Can I just squeeze this in here?
A Spreadsheet with a View
“Zoom, zoom, zoom”
Freezing window panes
Saving custom views
Copying and Moving Stuff Around
Doing it with drag-and-drop
Carried away with cut-and-paste
Find and Replace This Disgrace!
Finding stuff
Finding and replacing stuff
Spell Checking Heaven
Changing the spelling options
Adding words to the custom dictionary
Looking Up and Translating Stuff
Marking Invalid Data
Eliminating Errors with Text to Speech
Chapter 4: Managing Worksheets
Reorganizing the Worksheet
Inserting and deleting columns and rows
Eradicating columns and rows
Adding new columns and rows
Splitting the worksheet into panes
Outlining worksheets
Reorganizing the Workbook
Renaming sheets
Designer sheets
Adding and deleting sheets
Changing the sheets
Group editing
“Now you see them; now you don’t”
Opening windows on different sheets
Working with Multiple Workbooks
Comparing windows on different workbooks
Transferring data between open windows
Transferring sheets from one workbook to another
Saving a workspace
Consolidating Worksheets
Consolidating by position
Consolidating by category
Linking consolidated data
Chapter 5: Printing Worksheets
Printing from the Excel 2013 Backstage View
Selecting the printer to use
Previewing the printout
Checking the paging in Page Layout view
Previewing the pages of the report
Quick Printing the Worksheet
Working with the Page Setup Options
Using the buttons in the Page Setup group
Using the buttons in the Scale to Fit group
Using the Print buttons in the Sheet Options group
Headers and Footers
Adding a ready-made header or footer
Creating a custom header or footer
Solving Page Break Problems
Printing the Formulas in a Report
Book III: Formulas and Functions
Chapter 1: Building Basic Formulas
Formulas 101
Formula building methods
Editing formulas
When you AutoSum numbers in a spreadsheet
Totals and sums with the Quick Analysis tool
Building formulas with operators
Using the Insert Function button
Copying Formulas
Absolute references
A mixed bag of references
Adding Array Formulas
Building an array formula
Editing an array formula
Range Names in Formulas
Defining range names
Naming constants and formulas
Using names in building formulas
Creating names from column and row headings
Managing range names
Applying names to existing formulas
Adding Linking Formulas
Controlling Formula Recalculation
Circular References
Chapter 2: Logical Functions and Error Trapping
Understanding Error Values
Using Logical Functions
Error-Trapping Formulas
Whiting-Out Errors with Conditional Formatting
Formula Auditing
Tracing precedents
Tracing dependents
Error checking
Changing the Error Checking options
Error tracing
Evaluating a formula
Removing Errors from the Printout
Chapter 3: Date and Time Formulas
Understanding Dates and Times
Changing the Regional date settings
Building formulas that calculate elapsed dates
Building formulas that calculate elapsed times
Using Date Functions
TODAY
DATE and DATEVALUE
DAY, WEEKDAY, MONTH, and YEAR
DAYS360
Other special Date functions
Using Time Functions
NOW
TIME and TIMEVALUE
HOUR, MINUTE, and SECOND
Chapter 4: Financial Formulas
Financial Functions 101
The PV, NPV, and FV Functions
Calculating the Present Value
Calculating the Net Present Value
Calculating the Future Value
The PMT Function
Depreciation Functions
Analysis ToolPak Financial Functions
Chapter 5: Math and Statistical Formulas
Math & Trig Functions
Rounding off numbers
POWER and SQRT
The SUM of the parts
Conditional summing
Statistical Functions
AVERAGE, MAX, and MIN
Counting cells
Using specialized statistical functions
Chapter 6: Lookup, Information, and Text Formulas
Lookup and Reference
Looking up a single value with VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP
Performing a two-way lookup
Reference functions
Information, Please . . .
Getting specific information about a cell
Are you my type?
Using the IS functions
Much Ado about Text
Using text functions
Concatenating text
Book IV: Worksheet Collaboration and Review
Chapter 1: Protecting Workbooks and Worksheet Data
Password-Protecting the File
Protecting the workbook when saving the file
Assigning a password to open from the Info screen
Entering the password to gain access
Entering the password to make changes
Changing or deleting a password
Protecting the Spreadsheet
Changing the Locked and Hidden cell formatting
Protecting the worksheet
Enabling cell range editing by certain users
Doing data entry in the unlocked cells of a protected worksheet
Protecting the workbook
Protecting a shared workbook
Chapter 2: Using Hyperlinks
Hyperlinks 101
Adding hyperlinks
Follow that link!
Editing hyperlinks
Using the HYPERLINK Function
Chapter 3: Sending Workbooks Out for Review
Preparing a Workbook for Distribution
Adding properties to a workbook
Digitally signing a document
Workbook Sharing 101
Turning on file sharing
Modifying the Share Workbook options
Turning on change tracking
Merging changes from different users
Workbooks on Review
Adding comments
Marking up a worksheet with digital ink
Chapter 4: Sharing Workbooks and Worksheet Data
Sharing Your Workbooks Online
Sharing workbooks saved on your SkyDrive
E-mailing workbooks
Sharing workbooks with Instant Message
Presenting worksheets online
Editing worksheets online
Reviewing workbooks online
Excel 2013 Data Sharing Basics
Excel and Word 2013
Excel and PowerPoint 2013
Exporting Workbooks to Other Usable File Formats
Saving and exporting worksheets as PDF files
Saving worksheets as XPS files
Saving worksheets as HTML files
Book V: Charts and Graphics
Chapter 1: Charting Worksheet Data
Worksheet Charting 101
Embedded charts versus charts on separate chart sheets
Inserting recommended charts
Inserting specific chart types from the Ribbon
Inserting charts with the Quick Analysis tool
Creating a chart on a separate chart sheet
Refining the chart from the Design tab
Customizing chart elements from the Format tab
Customizing the elements of a chart
Formatting elements of a chart
Saving a customized chart as a template
Adding Sparkline Graphics to a Worksheet
Printing Charts
Chapter 2: Adding Graphic Objects
Graphic Objects 101
Manipulating graphics
Moving graphic objects to new layers
Aligning graphic objects
Grouping graphic objects
Managing graphic objects in the Selection task pane
Inserting Different Types of Graphics
Adding clip art
Downloading images on the Web
Inserting local pictures
Editing pictures
Formatting pictures
Drawing Graphics
Drawing predefined shapes
Adding text boxes
Inserting WordArt
Inserting SmartArt graphics
Adding Screenshots of the Windows Desktop
Using Themes
Book VI: Data Management
Chapter 1: Building and Maintaining Data Lists
Data List Basics
Designing the basic data list
Add new records to a data list
Eliminating records with duplicate fields
Sorting Data
Sorting records on a single field
Sorting records on multiple fields
Sorting the columns of a data list
Sorting a data list on font and fill colors and cell icons
Subtotaling Data
Chapter 2: Filtering and Querying a Data List
Data List Filtering 101
Filtering Data
Using AutoFilter
Using the Advanced Filter
Using the Database Functions
External Data Query
Retrieving data from Access database tables
Retrieving data from the web
Retrieving data from text files
Querying data from other data sources
Retrieving external data with Microsoft Query
Book VII: Data Analysis
Chapter 1: Performing What-If Scenarios
Using Data Tables
Creating a one-variable data table
Creating a two-variable data table
Exploring Different Scenarios
Creating new scenarios
Producing a summary report
Hide and Goal Seeking
Using the Solver
Setting up and defining the problem
Solving the problem
Changing the Solver options
Saving and loading a model problem
Creating Solver reports
Chapter 2: Generating Pivot Tables
Creating Pivot Tables
Pivot tables with the Quick Analysis tool
Recommended pivot tables
Manually created pivot tables
Formatting a Pivot Table
Refining the pivot table layout and style
Formatting the parts of the pivot table
Sorting and Filtering the Pivot Table Data
Filtering the report
Filtering individual Column and Row fields
Slicing the pivot table data
Using timeline filters
Sorting the pivot table
Modifying the Pivot Table
Changing the summary functions
Adding Calculated Fields
Changing the pivot table options
Creating Pivot Charts
Moving a pivot chart to its own sheet
Filtering a pivot chart
Formatting a pivot chart
Using the PowerPivot and Power View Add-Ins
Data modeling with PowerPivot
Switching between the Data View and Diagram View
Adding calculated columns courtesy of DAX
Creating visual reports with Power View
Book VIII: Macros and VBA
Chapter 1: Building and Running Macros
Macro Basics
Recording macros
Running a macro
Macro Security
Assigning Macros to the Ribbon and the Quick Access Toolbar
Adding your macros to a custom tab on the Ribbon
Adding your macros to custom buttons on the Quick Access toolbar
Chapter 2: VBA Programming
Using the Visual Basic Editor
Editing recorded macros
Writing new macros in the Visual Basic Editor
Creating Custom Excel Functions
Adding a description to a user-defined function
Using a custom function in your spreadsheet
Saving custom functions in add-in files
Introduction
Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies brings together plain and simple information on using all aspects of the latest-and-greatest version of Microsoft Excel. It’s designed to be of help no matter how much or how little experience you have with the program. As the preeminent spreadsheet and data analysis software for all sorts of computing devices running Windows 7 or 8 (desktops, laptops, tablet PCs and even smartphones), Excel 2013 offers its users seemingly unlimited capabilities too often masked in technical jargon and obscured by explanations only a software engineer could love. On top of that, many of the publications that purport to give you the lowdown on using Excel are quite clear on how to use particular features without giving you a clue as to why you would want to go to all the trouble.
The truth is that understanding how to use the abundance of features offered by Excel 2013 is only half the battle, at best. The other half of the battle is to understand how these features can benefit you in your work; in other words, “what’s in it for you.” I have endeavored to cover both the “how to” and “so what” aspects in all my discussions of Excel features, being as clear as possible and using as little tech-speak as possible.
Fortunately, Excel 2013 is well worth the effort to get to know because it’s definitely one of the best data-processing and analysis tools that has ever come along. Its new Quick Analysis tool, Apps for Office, Flash Fill, and Recommended Charts and PivotTables, along with the tried-and-true Live Preview feature and tons of ready-made galleries, make this version of the program the easiest to use ever. In short, Excel 2013 is a blast to use when you know what you’re doing, and my great hope is that this “fun” aspect of using the program comes through on every page (or, at least, every other page).
About This Book
As the name states, Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies is a reference. (Whether you keep it on your desk or use it to prop up your desk is your business.) This means that although the chapters in each book are laid out in a logical order, each stands on its own ready for you to dig into the information at any point.
As much as possible, I have endeavored to make the topics within each book and chapter stand on their own. When there’s just no way around relying on some information that’s discussed elsewhere, I include a cross-reference that gives you the chapter and verse (actually the book and chapter) for where you can find that related information if you’re of a mind to.
Use the full Table of Contents and Index to look up the topic of the hour and find out exactly where it is in this compilation of Excel information. You’ll find that although most topics are introduced in a conversational manner, I don’t waste much time cutting to the chase by laying down the main principles at work (usually in bulleted form) followed by the hard reality of how you do the deed (as numbered steps).
Foolish Assumptions
I’m only going to make one foolish assumption about you, and that is that you have some need to use Microsoft Excel 2013 in your work or studies. If pushed, I further guess that you aren’t particularly interested in knowing Excel at an expert level but are terribly motivated to find out how to do the stuff you need to get done. If that’s the case, this is definitely the book for you. Fortunately, even if you happen to be one of those newcomers who’s highly motivated to become the company’s resident spreadsheet guru, you’ve still come to the right place.
As far as your hardware and software go, I’m assuming that you already have Excel 2013 (usually as part of Microsoft Office 2013) installed on your computing device, using a standard home or business installation running under either Windows 7 or 8. I’m not assuming, however, that when you’re using Excel 2013 under Windows 7 or 8 that you’re sitting in front of a large screen monitor and making cell entries and command selections with a physical keyboard or connected mouse. With the introduction of Microsoft’s Surface tablet for Windows 8 and the support for a whole slew of different Windows tablets, you may well be entering data and selecting commands with your finger or stylus using the Windows Touch keyboard and Touch pointer.
To deal with the differences between using Excel 2013 on a standard desktop or laptop computer with access only to a physical keyboard and mouse and a touchscreen tablet or smartphone environment with access only to the virtual Touch keyboard and Touch pointer, I’ve outlined the touchscreen equivalents to common commands you find throughout the text such as “click,” “double-click,” “drag,” and so forth in the section that explains selecting by touch in Book I, Chapter 1.
Keep in mind that although most of the figures in this book show Excel 2013 happily running on Windows 7, you will see the occasional figure showing Excel running on Windows 8 in the rare cases (as when opening and saving files) where what operating system you’re using does make a difference.
This book is intended only for users of Microsoft Office Excel 2013! Because of the diversity of the devices that Excel 2013 runs on and the places where its files can be saved and used, if you’re using Excel 2007 or Excel 2010 for Windows, much of the file-related information in this book may only confuse and confound you. If you’re still using a version prior to Excel 2007, which introduced the Ribbon interface, this edition will be of no use to you because your version of the program works nothing like the 2013 version this book describes.
How This Book Is Organized
Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies is actually eight smaller books rolled into one. That way, you can go after the stuff in the particular book that really interests you at the time, putting all the rest of the material aside until you need to have a look at it. Each book in the volume consists of two or more chapters consisting of all the basic information you should need in dealing with that particular component or aspect of Excel.
In case you’re the least bit curious, here’s the lowdown on each of the eight books and what you can expect to find there.
Book I: Excel Basics
This book is for those of you who’ve never had a formal introduction to the program’s basic workings. Chapter 1 covers all the orientation material including how to deal with the program’s Ribbon user interface. Of special interest may be the section selecting commands by touch if you’re using Excel 2013 on a Windows touchscreen device that isn’t equipped with either a physical keyboard or mouse.
Chapter 2 is not to be missed, even if you do not consider yourself a beginner by any stretch of the imagination. This chapter covers the many ways to customize Excel and make the program truly your own. It includes information on customizing the Quick Access toolbar as well as great information on how to use and procure add-in programs that can greatly extend Excel’s considerable features.
Book II: Worksheet Design
Book II focuses on the crucial issue of designing worksheets in Excel. Chapter 1 takes up the call on how to do basic design and covers all the many ways of doing data entry (a subject that’s been made all the more exciting with the addition of voice and handwriting input).
Chapter 2 covers how to make your spreadsheet look professional and read the way you want it through formatting. Excel offers you a wide choice of formatting techniques, from the very simple formatting as a table all the way to the now very sophisticated and super-easy conditional formatting.
Chapter 3 takes up the vital subject of how to edit an existing spreadsheet without disturbing its design or contents. Editing can be intimidating to the new spreadsheet user because most spreadsheets contain not only data entries that you don’t want to mess up but also formulas that can go haywire if you make the wrong move.
Chapter 4 looks at the topic of managing the worksheets that contain the spreadsheet applications that you build in Excel. It opens the possibility of going beyond the two-dimensional worksheet with its innumerable columns and rows by organizing data three-dimensionally through the use of multiple worksheets. (Each Excel file already contains three blank worksheets to which you can add more.) This chapter also shows you how to work with and organize multiple worksheets given the limited screen real estate afforded by your monitor and how to combine data from different files and sheets when needed.
Chapter 5 is all about printing your spreadsheets, a topic that ranks only second in importance to knowing how to get the data into a worksheet in the first place. As you expect, you find out not only how to get the raw data to spit out of your printer but also how to gussy it up and make it into a professional report of which anyone would be proud.
Book III: Formulas and Functions
This book is all about calculations and building the formulas that do them. Chapter 1 covers formula basics from doing the simplest addition to building array formulas and using Excel’s built-in functions courtesy of the Function Wizard. It also covers how to use different types of cell references when making formula copies and how to link formulas that span different worksheets.
Chapter 2 takes up the subject of preventing formula errors from occurring and, barring that, how to track them down and eliminate them from the spreadsheet. This chapter also includes information on circular references in formulas and how you can sometimes use them to your advantage.
Chapters 3 through 6 concentrate on how to use different types of built-in functions. Chapter 3 covers the use of date and time functions, not only so you know what day and time it is, but actually put this knowledge to good use in formulas that calculate elapsed time. Chapter 4 takes up the financial functions in Excel and shows you how you can use them to both reveal and determine the monetary health of your business. Chapter 5 is concerned with math and statistical functions (of which there are plenty). Chapter 6 introduces you to the powerful group of lookup, information, and text functions. Here, you find out how to build formulas that automate data entry by returning values from a lookup table, get the lowdown on any cell in the worksheet, and combine your favorite pieces of text.
Book IV: Worksheet Collaboration and Review
Book IV looks at the ways you can share your spreadsheet data with others. Chapter 1 covers the important issue of security in your spreadsheets. Here, you find out how you can protect your data so that only those to whom you give permission can open or make changes to their contents.
Chapter 2 takes up the subject of building and using hyperlinks in your Excel spreadsheets (the same kind of links that you know and love on web pages on the World Wide Web). This chapter covers how to create hyperlinks for moving from worksheet to worksheet within the same Excel file as well as for opening other documents on your hard drive, or connecting to the Internet and browsing to a favorite web page.
Chapter 3 introduces Excel’s sophisticated features for sending out spreadsheets and having a team of people review and make comments on them. It also covers techniques for reviewing and reconciling the suggested changes.
Chapter 4 is concerned with sharing spreadsheet data with other programs that you use. It looks specifically at how you can share data with other Office 2013 programs such as Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook. This chapter also discusses the variety of ways to share your workbooks files, all the way from inviting people to review or even edit them from your SkyDrive, attaching them to e-mail and instant messages, presenting them in online meetings, to publishing them on your social network pages such as Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, and the like.
Book V: Charts and Graphics
Book V focuses on the graphical aspects of Excel. Chapter 1 covers charting your spreadsheet data in some depth. Here, you find out not only how to create great-looking charts but also how to select the right type of chart for the data that you’re representing graphically.
Chapter 2 introduces you to all the other kinds of graphics that you can have in your spreadsheets. These include graphic objects that you draw as well as graphic images that you import, including clip art included in Microsoft Office, as well as digital pictures and images imported and created with other hardware and software connected to your computer.
Book VI: Data Management
Book VI is concerned with the ins and outs of using Excel to maintain large amounts of data in what are known as databases or, more commonly, data lists. Chapter 1 gives you basic information on how to set up a data list and add your data to it. This chapter also gives you information on how to reorganize the data list through sorting and how to total its numerical data with the Subtotal feature.
Chapter 2 is all about how to filter the data and extract just the information you want out of it (a process officially known as querying the data). Here, you find out how to perform all sorts of filtering operations from the simplest, which involves relying upon the AutoFilter feature, to the more complex operations that use custom filters and specialized database functions. Finally, you find out how to perform queries on external data sources such as those maintained with dedicated database management software for Windows such as Microsoft Access or dBASE as well as those that run on other operating systems such as DB2 and Oracle.
Book VII: Data Analysis
Book VII looks at the subject of data analysis with Excel; essentially how to use the program’s computational capabilities to project and predict possible future outcomes. Chapter 1 looks at the various ways to perform what-if scenarios in Excel. These include analyses with one- and two-input variable data tables, doing goal seeking, setting a series of different possible scenarios, and using the Solver add-in.
Chapter 2 is concerned with the topic of creating special data summaries called pivot tables that enable you to analyze large amounts of data in an extremely compact and modifiable format. Here, you find out how to create and manipulate pivot tables as well as build pivot charts that depict the summary information graphically. In addition, you’ll get an introduction to using the PowerPivot for Excel 2013 and Power View add-ins to perform more sophisticated types of data analysis on the Data Model that’s represented in your Excel pivot table.
Book VIII: Macros and VBA
Book VIII introduces the subject of customizing Excel through the use of its programming language called Visual Basic for Applications (VBA for short). Chapter 1 introduces you to the use of the macro recorder to record tasks that you routinely perform in Excel for later automated playback. When you use the macro recorder to record the sequence of routine actions (using the program’s familiar menus, toolbars, and dialog boxes), Excel automatically records the sequence in the VBA programming language.
Chapter 2 introduces you to editing VBA code in Excel’s programming editor known as the Visual Basic Editor. Here, you find out how to use the Visual Basic Editor to edit macros that you’ve recorded that need slight modifications as well as how to write new macros from scratch. You also find out how to use the Visual Basic Editor to write custom functions that perform just the calculations you need in your Excel spreadsheets.
Conventions Used in This Book
This book follows a number of different conventions modeled primarily after those used by Microsoft in its various online articles and help materials. These conventions deal primarily with Ribbon command sequences and shortcut or hot key sequences that you encounter.
Excel 2013 is a sophisticated program that uses the Ribbon interface first introduced in Excel 2007. In Chapter 1, I explain all about this Ribbon interface and how to get comfortable with its command structure. Throughout the book, you may find Ribbon command sequences using the shorthand developed by Microsoft whereby the name on the tab on the Ribbon and the command button you select are separated by arrows, as in
Home⇒Copy
This is shorthand for the Ribbon command that copies whatever cells or graphics are currently selected to the Windows Clipboard. It means that you click the Home tab on the Ribbon (if it’s not already displayed) and then click the Copy button (that sports the traditional side-by-side page icon).
Some of the Ribbon command sequences involve not only selecting a command button on a tab but then also selecting an item on a drop-down menu. In this case, the drop-down menu command follows the name of the tab and command button, all separated by vertical bars, as in
Formulas⇒CalculationOptions⇒Manual
This is shorthand for the Ribbon command sequence that turns on manual recalculation in Excel. It says that you click the Formulas tab (if it’s not already displayed) and then click the Calculation Options command button followed by the Manual drop-down menu option.
The book occasionally encourages you to type something specific into a specific cell in the worksheet. When I tell you to enter a specific function, the part you should type generally appears in bold type. For example, =SUM(A2:B2) means that you should type exactly what you see: an equal sign, the word SUM, a left parenthesis, the text A2:B2 (complete with a colon between the letter-number combos), and a right parenthesis. You then, of course, still have to press the Enter key or click the Enter button on the Formula bar to make the entry stick.
When Excel isn’t talking to you by popping up message boxes, it displays highly informative messages in the status bar at the bottom of the screen. This book renders messages that you see onscreen like this:
CALCULATE
This is the message that tells you that Excel is in manual recalculation mode (after using the earlier Ribbon command sequence) and that one or more of the formulas in your worksheet are not up to date and are in sore need of recalculation.
Occasionally I give you a hot key combination that you can press in order to choose a command from the keyboard rather than clicking buttons on the Ribbon with the mouse. Hot key combinations are written like this: Alt+FS or Ctrl+S. (Both of these hot key combos save workbook changes.)
With the Alt key combos, you press the Alt key until the hot key letters appear in little squares all along the Ribbon. At that point, you can release the Alt key and start typing the hot key letters. (By the way, you type all lowercase hot key letters — I only put them in caps to make them stand out in the text.)
Hot key combos that use the Ctrl key are of an older vintage, and they work a little bit differently because, on a physical keyboard, you have to hold down the Ctrl key as you type the hot key letter. (Again, type only lowercase letters unless you see the Shift key in the sequence as in Ctrl+Shift+C.)
Finally, if you’re really observant, you may notice a discrepancy between the capitalization of the names of dialog box options (such as headings, option buttons, and check boxes) as they appear in the book and how they actually appear in Excel on your computer screen. I intentionally use the convention of capitalizing the initial letters of all the main words of a dialog box option to help you differentiate the name of the option from the rest of the text describing its use.
Icons Used in This Book
The following icons are strategically placed in the margins throughout all eight books in this volume. Their purpose is to get your attention, and each has its own way of doing that.
This icon denotes some really cool information (in my humble opinion) that will pay off by making your work a lot more enjoyable or productive (or both).
This icon denotes a tidbit that you ought to pay extra attention to; otherwise, you may end up taking a detour that wastes valuable time.
This icon denotes a tidbit that you ought to pay extra attention to; otherwise, you’ll be sorry. I reserve this icon for those times when you can lose data and otherwise screw up your spreadsheet.
This icon denotes a tidbit only for Excel users who are running Excel 2013 on some sort of touchscreen device such as a Windows tablet or smartphone.
This icon denotes a tidbit that makes free use of (oh no!) technical jargon. You may want to skip these sections (or, at least, read them when no one else is around).
Where to Go from Here
The question of where to go from here couldn’t be simpler, go to Chapter 1 and find out what you’re dealing with. Which book you go to after that is a matter of personal interest and need. Just go for the gold and don’t forget to have some fun while you’re digging!
Occasionally, Wiley’s technology books are updated. If this book has technical updates, they’ll be posted at www.dummies.com/go/excel2013aioupdates.
Book I
Excel Basics
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Chapter 1: The Excel 2013 User Experience
Chapter 2: Customizing Excel 2013
Chapter 1: The Excel 2013 User Experience
In This Chapter
Getting to know Excel 2013’s Start screen and program window
Selecting commands from the Ribbon
Unpinning the Ribbon
Using Excel 2013 on a touchscreen device
Getting around the worksheet and workbook
Launching and quitting Excel
Excel 2013 relies primarily on the onscreen element called the Ribbon, which is the means by which you select the vast majority of Excel commands. In addition, Excel 2013 sports a single toolbar (the Quick Access toolbar), some context-sensitive buttons and command bars in the form of the Quick Analysis tool and mini-bar, along with a number of task panes (such as Clipboard, Research, Thesaurus, and Selection to name a few).
Among the features supported when selecting certain style and formatting commands is the Live Preview, which shows you how your actual worksheet data will appear in a particular font, table formatting, and so on before you actually apply it. Excel also supports an honest-to-goodness Page Layout view that displays rulers and margins along with headers and footers for every worksheet. Page Layout view has a zoom slider at the bottom of the screen that enables you to zoom in and out on the spreadsheet data instantly. The Backstage view attached to the File tab on the Excel Ribbon enables you to get at-a-glance information about your spreadsheet files as well as save, share, preview, and print them. Last but not least, Excel 2013 is full of pop-up galleries that make spreadsheet formatting and charting a real breeze, especially with the program’s Live Preview.
Excel 2013’s New Look and Feel
If you’ve been using earlier versions of Excel (especially Excel 2007 or Excel 2010), the first thing you notice about the Excel 2013 user interface is its rather flat (as though you’ve gone from 3-D to 2-D) and decidedly less colorful display. Gone entirely are the contoured command buttons and color-filled Ribbon and pull-down menu graphics along with any hint of the gradients and shading so prevalent in the earlier versions. The Excel 2013 screen is so stark that even its worksheet column and row borders lack any color, and the shading is reserved for only the columns and rows that are currently selected in the worksheet itself.
This new look and feel for Excel 2013 (indeed, all the Office 2013 apps) is all part of the Windows 8 user experience. This latest version of the Windows operating system was developed primarily with tablets and smartphones in mind, devices where touch often is the means of selecting and manipulating screen objects. With an eye toward making this touch experience as satisfying as possible, Microsoft redesigned the interface of both its new operating system and Office 2013 application programs: It attempted to reduce the graphical complexity of many screen elements as well as make them as responsive as possible on touchscreen devices.
The result is a snappy Excel 2013, regardless of what kind of hardware you run it on. And the new, somewhat plainer and definitely flatter look, while adding to Excel 2013’s robustness on any device, takes nothing away from the program’s functionality.
The greatest thing about the new look of Office 2013 is that each of its application programs features a different predominant color. Excel 2013 features a green color long associated with the program. Green appears throughout the program’s colored screen elements, including the Excel program and file icon, the status bar, the outline of the cell pointer, the shading of highlighted and selected Ribbon tabs, and menu items. This is in stark contrast to the last few versions of Excel where the screen elements were all predominately blue, the color traditionally associated with Microsoft Word.
Excel’s Start Screen
When you first launch Excel 2013, the program opens up an Excel Start screen similar to the one shown in Figure 1-1. This screen is divided into two panes. The left pane lists recently opened workbooks and contains an Open Other Workbooks link. The right pane contains a Search Online Templates text box with links to common searches (Budget, Invoice, Calendars, and so on) followed by your user account name, e-mail, and photo, if you use one. Below you see thumbnails of various different templates that you can use in opening a new Excel workbook file.
Figure 1-1: The Excel 2013 program window as it appears immediately after launching the program.
The first template thumbnail displayed here is called Blank Workbook, and you select this thumbnail to start a new spreadsheet of your own design. The second thumbnail is called Take a Tour, and you select this thumbnail to open a workbook with five worksheets that enable you to play around with several of the nifty new features in Excel 2013.
I encourage you to take the time to open the Take a Tour template and play with its worksheets. When you click this thumbnail, Excel opens a new Welcome to Excel workbook where you can experiment with using the new Flash Fill feature to fill in a series of data entries; the Quick Analysis tool to preview the formatting, charts, totals, pivot tables, and sparklines you can add to a table of data; and the Recommended Charts command to create a new chart, all with a minimum of effort. After you’re done playing with these features, you can close the workbook by choosing File⇒Close or pressing Ctrl+W and then clicking the Don’t Save button in the alert dialog box that asks you whether you want to save your changes.
Following the Blank Workbook and Take a Tour template thumbnails, you find all sorts of standard templates that you can select to use as the basis for new worksheets. These templates run the gamut from budget spreadsheets to academic calendars. (See Book II, Chapter 1 for more on creating new workbooks from ready-made and custom templates.)
Excel’s Ribbon User Interface
When you first open a new, blank workbook, Excel 2013 opens up a single worksheet (with the generic name, Sheet1) in a new workbook file (with the generic filename, Book1) inside a program window such as the one shown in Figure 1-2.
The Excel program window containing this worksheet of the workbook is made up of the following components:
File tab: When clicked, this tab opens the Backstage view, which contains a bunch of file-related options including Info, New, Open, Save, Save As, Print, Share, Export, Close, and Account, as well as Options, which enables you to change Excel’s default settings.
Quick Access toolbar: You can click the Save, Undo, and Redo buttons to perform common tasks to save your work and undo and redo editing changes. You can also click the Customize Quick Access Toolbar button to the immediate right of the Redo button to open a drop-down menu containing additional common commands such New, Open, Quick Print, and so on, as well as to customize the toolbar, change its position, and minimize the Ribbon.
Ribbon: Most Excel commands are contained on the Ribbon. They are arranged into a series of tabs ranging from Home through View.
Formula bar: This displays the address of the current cell along with the contents of that cell.
Worksheet area: This area contains all the cells of the current worksheet identified by column headings, which use letters along the top, and row headings, which use numbers along the left edge, with tabs for selecting new worksheets. You use a horizontal scroll bar on the bottom to move left and right through the sheet and a vertical scroll bar on the right edge to move up and down through the sheet.
Status bar: This bar keeps you informed of the program’s current mode and any special keys you engage, and it enables you to select a new worksheet view and to zoom in and out on the worksheet.
When using Excel 2013 on a touchscreen device such as a Windows tablet or other touch-enabled computer, the Ribbon Display Options are automatically set to Tabs (so that associated commands appear only when you tap a tab) and the Quick Access toolbar contains a Touch/Mouse Mode button. Tap this button followed by the Touch option on its drop-down menu to spread out the tabs and their command buttons on the Ribbon. That way you have a fighting chance of correctly selecting them with your finger or stylus.
Figure 1-2: The Excel 2013 program window as it appears after first opening a blank workbook when both Ribbon tabs and commands are displayed.
Going behind the scenes to Excel’s Backstage view
At the top of the Excel 2013 program window, immediately below the Excel program button and the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar, you find the File menu button (the green one with “File” in white letters to the immediate left of the Home tab).
When you click the File menu button, the Excel Backstage view appears. The screen in this view contains a menu of file-related options running down a column on the left side and, depending upon which option is selected, some panels containing both at-a-glance information and further command options.
At first glance, the File menu button may appear to you like a Ribbon tab — especially in light of its rectangular shape and location immediately left of the Ribbon’s initial Home tab. Keep in mind, however, that this important file control is technically a command button that, when clicked, leads directly to a totally new screen with the Backstage view. This screen has its own menu options but contains no Ribbon command buttons whatsoever.
After you click the File menu button to switch to the Backstage view, you can then select the Back button (with the left-pointing arrow) that appears above the Info menu item to return to the normal worksheet view or you can simply press the Esc key.
Getting the lowdown on the Info screen
When you choose File⇒Info at the top of File menu in the Backstage view, an Info screen similar to the one shown in Figure 1-3 appears.
On the left side of this Info screen, you find the following four command buttons:
Protect Workbook to encrypt the Excel workbook file with a password, protect its contents, or verify the contents of the file with a digital signature (see Book IV, Chapters 1 and 3 for more on protecting and signing your workbooks)
Inspect Workbook to inspect the document for hidden metadata (data about the file) and check the file’s accessibility for folks with disabilities and compatibility with earlier versions of Excel (see Book IV, Chapter 3 for details on using this feature)
Figure 1-3: The Excel Backstage view displaying the Info screen with permissions, distribution, version commands, and more.
Versions to recover or delete draft versions saved with Excel’s AutoRecover feature (see Book II, Chapter 1 for more on using AutoRecover)
Browser View Options to control what parts of the Excel workbook can be viewed and edited by users who view it online on the Web
On the right side of the Info screen, you see a list of various and sundry bits of information about the file:
Properties lists the Size of the file as well as any Title, Tags, and Categories (to help identify the file when doing a search for the workbook) assigned to it. To edit or add to the Title, Tags, or Categories properties, click the appropriate text box and begin typing. To add or change additional file properties, including the Company, Comments, and Status properties, click the Properties drop-down button and then select Show Document Panel or Advanced Properties from its drop-down menu. Select Show Document Panel to open the Document panel in the regular worksheet window where you can edit properties such as Author, Title, Subject, and Keywords and to add comments. Select the Advanced Properties option to open the workbook’s Properties dialog box (with its General, Summary, Statistics, Contents, and Custom tabs) to change and review a ton of file properties.
Related Dates lists the date the file was Last Modified, Created, and Printed.
Related People lists the name of the workbook’s author as well as the name of the person who last modified the file. To add an author to the workbook file, click the Add an Author link that appears beneath the name of the current author. If the workbook file is new and you’ve never saved it on disk, the words “Not Saved Yet” appear after Last Modified By.
The Open File Location check box appears under the Related Document heading. Select it to open the folder containing the current workbook file, where you can find associated workbook files to work with.
The Show All Properties link, when clicked, expands the list of Properties to include text fields for Comments, Template, Status, Categories, Subject, Hyperlink Base, and Company that you can edit.
Sizing up other File menu options
Immediately below the Info option at the very top of the File menu, you find the commands you commonly need for working with Excel workbook files, such as creating new workbook files as well as saving, opening, and closing files. (See Book II, Chapter 1 for more on saving and closing files and Book II, Chapter 3 for more on opening them.)
The New command immediately below Info displays a New screen, which, just like the Excel Start screen, displays a thumbnail list of all the available spreadsheet templates. (See Book II, Chapter 1 for more on creating and using workbook templates.)
Beneath the Save As command you find the Print option that, when selected, displays a Print screen. This screen contains the document’s current print settings (that you can modify) on the left side and a preview area that shows you the pages of the printed worksheet report. (See Book II, Chapter 5 for more on printing worksheets using the Print Settings panel in the Backstage view.)
Below the Print command you find the Share option, which displays a list of commands for sharing your workbook files online. Beneath this, you find an Export option used to open the Export screen, where you find options for converting your workbooks to other file types as well as controlling the browsing options when the workbook is viewed online in a web browser. (See Book IV, Chapter 4 for more about sharing workbook files online as well as converting them to other file formats.)
Checking user and product information on the Account screen
Below the Close option that is used to close a workbook file (hopefully, after saving all your edits) on the File menu, you find the Account option. You can use this option to review account-related information on the Backstage Account screen. When displayed, the Account screen gives you both user and product information.
On the left side of the Account screen, your user information appears, including all the online services to which you’re currently connected. These services include social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn, as well as the more corporate services such as your SkyDrive, SharePoint team site, and Office 365 account.
To add an online service to this list, click the Add a Service button at the bottom and select the service to add on the Images & Videos, Storage, and Sharing continuation menus. To manage which accounts appear on the list, highlight the name and click the Remove button to take it off the list. To manage the settings for a particular service, click the Manage button and then edit the settings online.
Use the Office Background drop-down list box that appears between your user information and the Connected Services list on the Account screen to change the pattern that appears in the background of the title bar of all your Office 2013 programs. By default, Office 2013 uses a Clouds pattern. You can change the background by selecting a new pattern from the Office Background drop-down menu on the Excel Account screen or have no pattern displayed by selecting None from the menu. Just be aware that any change you make here affects the title areas of all the Office 2013 programs you run on your device (not just the Excel 2013 program window).
On the right side of the Account screen, you find the Product information. Here you can see the activation status of your Office programs as well as review the version number of Excel that is installed on your device. Because many licenses allow up to five installations of Office 2013 on different devices (desktop computer, laptop, Windows tablet, and smartphone, for example), you can select the Show Additional Licensing Information link and then click the Manage Account link that appears to go online. There, you can check how many Office installations you still have available and, if need be, manage the devices on which Office 2013 is activated.
Ripping through the Ribbon
The Ribbon (shown in Figure 1-4) groups related commands together with the goal of showing you all the most commonly used options needed to perform a particular Excel task.
Figure 1-4: Excel’s Ribbon consists of a series of tabs containing command buttons arranged into different groups.
The Ribbon is made up of the following components:
Tabs: Excel’s main tasks are brought together and display all the commands commonly needed to perform that core task.
Groups: Related command buttons can be organized into subtasks normally performed as part of the tab’s larger core task.
Command buttons: Within each group you find command buttons that you can select to perform a particular action or to open a gallery. Note that many command buttons on certain tabs of the Excel Ribbon are organized into mini-toolbars with related settings.
Dialog Box launcher: This button is located in the lower-right corner of certain groups and opens a dialog box containing a bunch of additional options you can select.
To get more of the Worksheet area displayed in the program window, you can minimize the Ribbon so that only its tabs are displayed. (In fact, this Tabs display option is the default setting for Excel 2013 running on touchscreen computers like the Microsoft Surface tablet.)
You can minimize the Ribbon by doing any of the following:
Click the Collapse the Ribbon button (the button with the caret symbol in the lower-right corner of the Excel Ribbon).
Double-click a Ribbon tab.
Press Ctrl+F1.
Click the Shows Tabs item on the Ribbon Display Options button’s drop-down menu.
To redisplay the entire Ribbon and keep all the command buttons on the selected tab displayed in the program window, click the tab and then select the Pin the Ribbon button (the one with the push-pin icon that replaces the Unpin the Ribbon button). You can also do this by double-clicking one of the tabs or pressing Ctrl+F1 a second time, or even by selecting the Show Tabs and Commands item on the drop-down menu that appears when you click or tap the Ribbon Display Options button.
When you work in Excel with the Ribbon minimized, the Ribbon expands each time you select one of its tabs to show its command buttons, but that tab stays open only until you select one of its command buttons. The moment you select a command button, Excel immediately minimizes the Ribbon again so that only the tabs display.