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Microsoft excel
Microsoft excel is one of the electronic spreadsheet application package that is used for
solving calculation problem and it could be used in solving statistical problems or analysis
such as Graph plotting, calculation of mean, median, mode, mean deviation, correlation,
regression analysis etc. Others examples of spreadsheet application package are lotus123,
Quatro, Super calculator or supercal, Symphony e.t.c.

Feature/ Characteristics of spreadsheet application packages

1. It is convenient to use in solving calculation problem.
2. It is convenient to use to arrange data in tab war form i.e. in rows and columns.
3. It has the facility for displaying data table in graphical form such as line graph, pie chart
e.t.c.
4. It has different financial functions that could be used in solving financial problems. Some
examples of financial problem are NPU, IRR, PV, ARR e.t.c.
5. It has different mathematics functions that could be used in solving mathematics problem
some of them are cos(x), tan(x), sort(x) e.t.c.
6. It has the ability for sorting data i.e. arranging in ascending or descending order.
7. It’s important and un – avoidable feature is that an electronic spreadsheet must have a
worksheet or workarea.
8. It has the ability of adding default currency signs and could be customized.

Disadvantage of spreadsheet application package

1. It is not convenient used for typing data, which is data that is not in tabular form .e.g.
letter or document.
2. It is technical in operation
3. It does not check spelling automatically unlike Ms Word.

Component of spreadsheet application package

There are many component of the spreadsheet application package. However, the most
important component will be examined and these are:

WORKSHEET/SPREADSHEET/WORKAREA: - This is defined as the editing window

or workarea of a spreadsheet application package and it is used in performing one operation
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or the other. The worksheet is arranged in rows and columns. The rows areas are in numbered
while the columns are letters. The columns start from A to IV which is 256 when counted and
the row start from 1 to 65536 when counted.

CELL: - This is defined as segment of the electronic spreadsheet. it could be defined as the
smallest unit of the workarea or an intersection of worksheet columns label and the row
number .e.g.A1, C4. etc.

CELL POINTER: - This is defined as a movable highlighted part of the cell that indicates
the current cell that the user used in inputting of data. The cell pointer could be moved from
one cell to another through the arrow keys on the keyboard.

CELL ADDRESS: - This is an indicator usually on the column border and it indicates the
current position of the cell pointer, to confirm this, press any of the four arrow keys on the
keyboard and watch the changes of the cell address.

COLUMN BORDER: - This is a board below the cell address that prevent the cell pointer
from moving across the worksheet

ROW BORDER: - There are two row boarder on the left and right hand side of the
worksheet and they prevent the cell pointer from moving across the worksheet

CURSOR: - This is a blinking line that is within the cell pointer

MODE INDICATOR: - This indicates the current operation that is being performed. The
most commonly visible mode indicator area follows.

READY: - It indicates the readiness of the worksheet to accept data from the user.

VALVES: - It indicates that the user is currently inputting numerical data into one of the
cells on the worksheet.
HOW TO LOAD MICROSOFT EXCEL
1 click on start button on the task bar
2 point to program
3 click on Microsoft excel
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Note: immediately Microsoft excel is loaded an workarea will be displayed automatically
which consist of rows and columns.

How to open a new document

1 Click on file menu on the menu bar
2 Click on new or press ctrl + n
3 Click on Blank document
4 Click on ok

How open an existing document

1 Click on file menu on the menu bar
2 Click on open or press ctrl + o
3 Click your filename
4 Click on open

How to save for the first time

1 Click on file menu on the menu bar
2 Click on save as
3 Type your filename, which you want to used to save it
4 Click on save

How to save to a diskette

1 Click on file menu on the menu bar
2 Click on save as
3 Type your filename
4 Click the arrow infront of save option or save in
5 Click on 3.5 floppy drive (A:)
6 Click on save

To add an auto format border

1 Highlight the data range
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Click on auto format
4 Click on auto format option as you desire
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5 Click on ok

To add a currency sign to a numeric data range

1 Highlight the numeric data range
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Click on cell
4 Click on number as a sub menu
5 Click on custom
6 Click on custom option as you desire.
7 Click on ok

To sort a data range

1 Highlight the data range
2 Click on data menu on the menu bar
3 Click on sort
4 Click on sort option as you desire e.g. ascending or descending order
5 Click on ok

To set a character to superscript

1 Highlight the text
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Click on cell
4 Click on font as a submenu
5 Click on superscript
6 Click on ok

To rotate a data range

1 Highlight the data range
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Click on cell
4 Click alignment
5 Click on orientation option as you desire e.g. 40 degree.
6 Click on ok
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To change the font color to another
1 Highlight the data range
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Click on font as a sub menu
4 Click the arrow infront of color and click on a desire color as you like
5 Click on ok

To add border to a data range

1 Highlight the data range
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Click on cell
4 Click on border as a sub menu
5 Click on border option as you desire. E.g. Box, shadow e.t.c.
6 Click on ok

To bold a data range

1 Highlight the data range
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Click on cell
4 Click on font as a sub menu
5 Click on bold under font styles or press ctrl + shift b on your keyboard
6 Click on ok

To increase or decrease the font size

1 Highlight the data range
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Click on cell
4 Click on font as a sub menu
5 Click on font size as you desire .e.g. 12,14
6 Click on ok

To underline a data range

1 Highlight the data range
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
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3 Click on cell
4 Click on font as a sub menu
5 Click on a desire underline option as you desire
6 Click on ok

To insert a new work sheet

1 Click on insert menu on the menu bar
2 Click on worksheet

To import an object from ms word

1 Click on insert menu on the menu bar
2 Click on object
3 A dialogue box will be display.
4 Click on object option as you desire e.g. create new, create from file etc
5 Click on ok

To insert a new column

1 Click the position where you want to insert the new column
2 Click on insert menu on the menu bar
3 Click on columns

To add a decimal point to a numeric data range

1 Highlight the data range
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Click on cell
4 Click on number as a sub menu
5 Click on number under category
6 Click on decimal option as you desire.
7 Click on ok

To insert a new row

1 Click the position where you want to insert the new row
2 Click on insert menu on the menu bar
3 Click on rows
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To insert a special symbol on your work

1 Click the position where you want to insert the symbol
2 Click on insert menu on the menu bar
3 Click on symbol
4 Click on symbol option as you desire
5 Click on insert
6 Click on close

To change the color of background from white to red

1 Click on format menu on the menu bar
2 Point to background
3 Click on red

To plot a graph
1 Highlight the numeric data range
2 Click on insert menu on the menu bar
3 Click on chart
4 Take and click on a chart wizard – step 1 of 4 chart type .e.g. pie, bar, column etc
5 Click on next
6 Take and click on a chart wizard – step 2 of 4 chart source data e.g. column, row, data
range.
7 Click on next
8 Take and click on a chart wizard – step 3 of 4 – chart option e.g. titles, axes, legend,
data table etc
9 Click on next
10 Take and click on a chart wizard – step 4 of 4 – chart locations e.g. as a new sheet or
as an object etc
11 Click on finish

To copy an object from instant artist

1 Load instant artist
2 Click on the object which you want to copy
3 Click on edit menu on the menu bar
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4 Click on copy
5 Load microsoft excel
6 Click on edit menu on the menu bar
1 Click on paste

To change your page layout to landscape

1 Click file menu on the menu bar
2 Click on page setup
3 Click on page as a sub menu
4 Click on landscape
5 Click on ok

To protect your worksheet

1 Click on tools menu on the menu bar
2 Point to protection
3 Click on protect sheet
4 Type your password two times
5 Click on ok

To insert picture or image

1 Click on insert menu on the menu bar
2 Point to picture
3 Click on clip art
4 A dialogue box will be displayed.
5 Click on clip art option as you desire
6 Click on insert

To add comment to a data range

1 Click the position where you want to add the comment
2 Click on insert menu on the menu bar
3 Click on comment
4 Input your message or comment
5 Then click out
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To display different tool to the screen
1 Click on view menu on the menu bar
2 Point to toolbar
3 Click on a desire tool e.g. formatting, drawing e.t.c.

To hide a column
1 Click the position where you want to hide the column
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Point to column
4 Click on hide

To hide a row
1 Click the position where you want to hide the row
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Point to row
4 Click on hide

To unhide a column
1 Click the position where you have hid the column
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Point to column
4 Click on unhide

To password a document
1 Click on file menu on the menu bar
2 Click on save as
3 Type your filename
4 Click the arrow beside tools
5 Click on General option
6 Type your password four times
7 Click on save
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To unhide a row
1 Click the position where you have hid the row
2 Click on format menu on the menu bar
3 Point to row
4 Click on unhide

To hide a worksheet
1 Click on window menu on the menu bar
2 Click on hide

To unhide a worksheet
1 Click on window menu on the menu bar
2 Click on unhide

To print a document
1 Click on file menu on the menu bar
2 Click on print or ctrl +p
3 Click on print option as you desire
4 Click on apply
5 Click on print

To add two or more numeric data range together

Type @ sum (b2+c4) and press your enter key
This command is used to add a specified the location of cell, the (b2) represent column B,
row 2

To subtract two or more numeric data

Type @ sum (b3-c4) and press your enter key

To multiple two or more numeric data

Type @ sum (b2*d3) and press your enter key

To calculate percentage
Type @ sum (2% * b3) and press your enter key
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To calculate total of all the same column numeric data range

Type @ sum (b3: b1000) and press your enter key

To calculate statistical operation

1 Highlight the numeric data range with ctrl key
2 Click the position where you want to display your calculation
3 Click on insert menu on the menu bar
4 Click on function
5 Click on insert function option as you desire e.g. select a category, select a function
e.t.c.
6 Click on ok

OTHER OPERATION
TO CALCULATE COS, SIN, TAN ETC.
=cos (45), =sin(34), =tan(46)

TO CALCULATE LOG
=LOG(7)