Microsoft Windows XPQuestions and Answers

Operating systems control the functions performed by a computer. For example, the operating system on your computer controls the input from the keyboard and mouse to your computer, the opening and closing of programs, the transfer of information to a printer, the organization of the files on your computer, and the screen display. To function, every computer must have an operating system. Windows XP is an operating system. The questions and answers presented here relate to Windows XP. Click here to start. Desktop

What is a desktop? Can you explain the Windows XP desktop?

Starting and Shutting Down Your Computer

How do I shut down my computer? How do I restart my computer? What is Standby mode? How do I put my computer in Standby mode? How do I start a program?

The Start and Program Menus

Games

How do I add an item located on my desktop to the Start menu or to a Program menu? What is Windows Explorer? How do I open Windows Explorer? How do I add an item located in Windows Explorer to the Start menu or to a Program menu? How do I remove an item from the Start menu or from a Program menu? How do I copy an item that is located on the Start menu or on a Program menu? How do I rename an item on the Start menu or on a Program menu? How do I delete a file from the Start menu or from a Program menu? How do I re-sort the Start menu or a Program menu? How do I quickly find files and folders? What is the Most Recently Used Document list? How do I clear my Most Recently Used Document list?

Where are the games?

Date and Time

How do I change the date and/or time?

Printers and Printing

How do I install a new printer? How do I cancel a print job? How do I cancel every print job? How do I temporarily stop selected jobs from printing? How do I restart print jobs I temporarily stopped? How do I temporarily stop all jobs from printing? I temporarily stopped all of the print jobs and now I want to restart them. How do I do that?

Desktop Shortcuts

What is a desktop shortcut? How do I create a desktop shortcut? How do I turn a Web link into a desktop shortcut? How does the desktop shortcut wizard work? How do I rename a desktop shortcut? How do I delete a desktop shortcut? How do I change the icon associated with an object?

Wallpaper

Fonts

What is wallpaper? How do I change my wallpaper?

What is a font? Can you explain font size? How do I install a new font? What is the Character Map?

File Management

What are drives? What are folders? How does Windows XP organize files and folders organized on drives? Can you explain the Windows Explorer window? How do I create a new folder when in Windows Explorer? Can you explain Windows Explorer views? How do I delete a file or folder? How do I copy a file or folder? How do I cut a file or folder? How do I paste a file or folder? How do I rename a file or folder?

Screen Saver

Windows

What is a screen saver? How do I select a screen saver?

What is a window? Can you explain the parts of a window? Can I have more than one window open at a time? How do I switch between windows? How do I move a window around on my desktop? What does it mean to "cascade your windows"? How do I cascade my windows? What does it mean to "tile your windows"? How do I tile my windows? What are scrollbars? How do the scrollbars work? What is an icon? What is a menu? What is a shortcut key? What is a selection? How do I make a selection? Explain cut, copy, and paste. Are there any universals that apply to almost all programs?

Saving a File

Can you explain how to save a file?

Dialog Boxes

What is a dialog box? What are tabs? What are fields?


Color Box

What are list boxes? What is a drop-down or pull-down menu? What are radio buttons? What are checkboxes? What is a slider? What is a spinner?

Would you explain the Windows XP Color Box?

What is a desktop?
When you start your computer, the first thing you see is the desktop. The desktop is your work area.

Can you explain the Windows XP desktop?

Yes.

Taskbar

By default, the taskbar is located on the bottom edge of the desktop. You can click the taskbar and drag it to other locations. The Start button, active program buttons, icons for quick access to programs, and the current time are located on the taskbar. The My Computer icon provides access to the resources on your computer. You can access your drives and other peripherals by clicking on the My Computer icon. The Internet Explorer icon launches the Internet Explorer browser. When you delete an object, Windows XP sends it to the Recycle Bin. You can restore objects that are located in the Recycle Bin or you can permanently delete them.

My Computer

Internet Explorer The Recycle Bin

Shortcut icon

Icons with an arrow in the lower left corner are shortcut icons. Click the icon for quick access to the object they represent (program, document, printer, and so on). Program, folder, and document icons do not have an arrow in the lower left corner. They represent the actual object and provide direct access to the object.

Program, folder, and document icons

How do I shut down my computer?

To shut down your computer:

1. 2.
3.

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Click Turn Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box will appear. Click the Turn Off icon. Your computer will shut down.

How do I restart my computer?

You may need to shut down and restart your computer after installing a new program or if your system becomes unstable. To shut down and immediately restart your computer: 1. 2. 3. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Click Turn Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box will appear. Click the Restart icon. Your computer will restart.

What is Standby mode?

When your computer is in the Standby mode, your computer consumes less electricity, but is ready for immediate use. However, if the computer loses electrical power while in the standby mode, any information you have not saved will be lost.

How do I put my computer in Standby mode?

To put your computer in Standby mode: 1. 2. 3. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Click Turn Off Computer. The Turn Off Computer dialog box will appear. Click the Stand By icon.

How do I start a program?

To start a program: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click the Start button, located in the lower left corner of your screen. Highlight Programs. The Program menu will appear. Move to the Program menu and highlight the program you want to start. If you see a right pointer next to your selection, a submenu will appear. Refine your choice by highlighting the appropriate selection on the submenu. Continue until you get to the final submenu.` Click the program name to start the program.

Note: A chevron

at the bottom of the list of options means that there are additional options. To view the additional options, click the chevron.

How do I add an item located on my desktop to the Start or to a Program menu?

To add an item on the desktop to the Start or to a Program menu: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click and drag the item on top of the Start button. Release the mouse button when the Start menu appears. The item will appear on the Start menu. If you would prefer to have the item on a Program menu or submenu of the Start menu, drag the item from the Start menu to the Program menu or submenu.

What is Windows Explorer?

Windows Explorer is a place where you can view the drives on your computer and manipulate the folders and files. Using Windows Explorer, you can cut, copy, paste, rename, and delete folders and files.

How do I Open Windows Explorer?

To open Windows Explorer: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click the Start button, located in the lower left corner of your screen. Highlight programs. Highlight Accessories. Click Windows Explorer.

Alternatively, you can open Windows Explorer by holding down the Windows key and typing e (Windows-e).

How do I add an item located in Windows Explorer to the Start menu or to a Program menu?
To add an item located in Windows Explorer to the Start menu or to a Program menu: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Taskbar and Start Menu. A dialog box will appear. Click the Start Menu tab. Click the Customize button. Click Add. Type the path to the item you want to add, or use Browse to navigate to the item. Click Next. Double-click an appropriate folder for the item. Click Finish. Click OK. Click OK again. The item will appear on the menu.

How do I remove an item from the Start menu or from a Program menu?
To remove an item from the Start menu or from a Program menu: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Taskbar and Start Menu. A dialog box will appear. Click the Start Menu tab. Click Customize. Click the Remove button. Find and click the item you want to remove. Click the Remove button. You will be prompted. Click Yes. Click Close. Click OK. Click OK again.

How do I copy an item that is located on the Start menu or on a Program menu?
To copy an item located on the Start menu or on a Program menu: 1. 2. 3. Highlight the item. Right-click. A context menu will appear. Click Copy.

How do I rename an item on the Start menu or on a Program menu?

To rename an item on the Start menu or on a Program menu:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Highlight the item. Right-click the item. Click Rename. The Rename dialog box will appear. Type the new name in the New Name field. Click OK.

How do I delete a file from the Start menu or from a Program menu?
To delete a file from the Start menu or from a Program menu: 1. 2. 3. 4. Highlight the item. Right-click. Click Delete. You will be prompted. Click Yes.

How do I re-sort the Start or a Program menu?

To resort a menu: 1. 2. 3. Go to the menu. Right-click. Click Sort By Name.

Note: Some menus cannot be re-sorted.

How do I quickly find files and folders?

Windows XP enables you to quickly locate files and folders on your drives. The search option provides you with four search options: Pictures, music, or video; Documents; All files and folders; and Computers and people. To quickly find a file or folder: 1. 2. 3. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Search. Click Files or Folders. The Search Results dialog box will open.

4. 5.

Choose an option. Enter your search criteria. Use the table that follows to help you. Click search. The results of your search will appear in the right pane.

6.

Field All or part of the file (document) name: Computer name:

Entry Type Enter the filename, the first few letters of the filename, or any letters found in the filename. Use the * as a wild card. For example, to find all of the files that begin with r and end in the extension .doc, enter r*.doc. To find files that begin with resume and

have any extension, enter resume.*. If you are looking for a file that has a specific word or phrase in the filename, enter the word or phrase in this field. A word or phrase in the file: Look In: Specify Dates: If you are looking for a file that has a specific word or phrase in the file, enter the word or phrase in this field. Select the drive or folder you want to search. Select from Modified, Created, or Last Accessed. Select Modified to find all files modified since the date criteria you enter, select Created to find all files created since the date criteria you enter, or select Last Accessed to find all files accessed since the date criteria you enter. Specify the date search criteria you want to use. Between allows you to search for files modified, created, or accessed between two dates. During allows you to search for files modified, created, or accessed during the previous number of days or months you specify.

Between/During the Previous

What is the Most Recently Used Document list? As you work, Windows XP tracks the last 15 files you used. It lists these files on the Most Recently Used Document list. To view the Most Recently Used Document list: 1. 2. Click the Start button. Highlight Documents. The most recently used documents will display.

To open a file listed on the Most Recently Used Document list, click the file name. How do I clear my Most Recently Used Document list? To clear the Most Recently Used Document list: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. Click Taskbar and Start menu. A dialog box will appear. Click the Start Menu tab. Click Customize. Click Clear. Click OK. Click OK again

Where are the games?

Several games are included with Windows XP. To access the games:

1.
2. 3. 4.

Click the Start button, which is located in the lower left corner of the screen. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Programs. A submenu will appear. Highlight Games. Another submenu will appear. Click the game you want to play.

How do I change the date and/or time?

To change the date and/or time: 1. 2. Click the Start button, which is located in the lower left corner of the screen. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Control Panel. The Control Panel will open. Click Date/Time. The Date/Time Properties dialog box will appear.

3.
4.

5. 6. 7. 8.

In the Date frame, select the month and year. In the Month field, click to open the drop-down menu and select the current month. Type the year in the Year field or use the arrows next to the field to move forward or backward until you get to the current year. The Time field is divided into four segments: hour, minutes, seconds, and AM and PM. To make an adjustment: o Click in the segment and either type in the correct information or use the arrow keys on the right side to select the correct hour, minute, second or AM or PM.

Time Zone: 1. 2. Click the Time Zone tab. Choose the correct time zone from the drop-down menu. If you want the clock to automatically adjust to daylight saving time, check the box on the screen. Click the Apply button. Click OK.

3.
4. 5.

How do I install a new printer?

To install a new printer: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Make sure your printer is plugged in, connected to your computer, turned on, and has paper in it. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear. Double-click on Add Printer. The Add Printer Wizard will open. Follow the onscreen instructions.

How do I cancel a print job?

To cancel a print job: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear. Double-click the printer to which you sent the print jobs. The Printer window will open. Click the job you want to stop. If you want to stop more than one job, hold down the Control key while you click the additional jobs. Click Document, which is located on the menu bar. Click Cancel.

5.
6. 7.

How do I cancel every print job?

To cancel every print job:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear. Double-click the printer to which you sent the print jobs. The Printer window will open. Click Printer, which is located on the menu bar. Click Cancel All Documents.

How do I temporarily stop selected jobs from printing?

To temporarily stop selected jobs from printing: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear. Double-click the printer to which you sent the print job. The Printer window will open. Click the document you want to pause. If you want to pause more than one document, hold down the Control key as you select the additional documents. Click Document, which is located on the menu bar. Click Pause. A checkmark should appear next to Pause.

How do I restart print jobs I temporarily stopped?

To restart a print job you temporarily stopped: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Printers and Faxes. The Printers and Faxes control panel will appear. Double-click the printer to which you sent the print job. The Printer window will open. Click the documents you paused. If more than one document has been paused, hold down the Ctrl key as you click the additional documents. Click Document, which is located on the menu bar. Click Pause. The checkmark next to Pause should disappear.

5.
6. 7.

How do I temporarily stop all jobs from printing?

To temporarily stop all jobs from printing: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Printers. The Printer control panel will appear. Double-click the printer to which you sent the print jobs. The Printer window will open. Click Printer, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Pause Printing. A checkmark should appear next to Pause Printing.

I temporarily stopped all of the print jobs and now I want to restart them. How do I do that?
To restart a print queue that has been stopped: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Click the Start button. The Start menu will appear. Highlight Settings. A submenu will appear. Click Printers and Faxes. The Printer control panel will appear. Double-click the printer to which you sent the print job. The Printer window will open. Click Printer, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Pause Printing. The checkmark next to Pause Printing should disappear

What is a desktop shortcut?

A desktop shortcut, usually represented by an icon, is a small file that points to a program, folder, document, or Internet location. Clicking on a shortcut icon takes you directly to the object to which the shortcut points. Shortcut icons contain a small arrow in their lower left corner. Shortcuts are merely pointersdeleting a shortcut will not delete the item to which the shortcut points.

How do I create a desktop shortcut?

To create a shortcut to an item located on the Start menu: 1. Click Start. The Start menu will appear. Locate the item to which you want to create a shortcut. If the item is located on a submenu, go to the submenu. Click and drag the item to your desktop.

2.
3.

To create a shortcut to items visible in Windows Explorer: 1. Open Windows Explorer.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Minimize the Windows Explorer window. Locate in Windows Explorer the item to which you want to create a shortcut. Hold down the right mouse button and drag the item onto the desktop. Release the right mouse button. A context menu will appear. Click Create Shortcuts Here.

How do I turn a Web link into a desktop shortcut?

To turn a Web link into a desktop shortcut, click the link in your browser window (usually underlined text) and drag it to the desktop. An icon will appear on your desktop. When you click the icon, your browser will open and you will go directly to the Web page.

How does the desktop shortcut wizard work?

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Right-click the desktop. The context menu will appear. Click New. A submenu will appear. Click Shortcut. The Create Shortcut dialog box will appear. Type in the location and name of the item to which you want to create a shortcut. Alternatively, browse to find the item. Click Next. A dialog box will appear. Accept the default name or type in a new name. Click Finish.

How do I rename a desktop shortcut?

To rename a shortcut: 1. 2. 3. Right-click the shortcut. Click Rename. Type the new name.

How do I delete a desktop shortcut?

To delete a shortcut: 1. 2. 3. Click the shortcut. Press the Delete key. Click Yes.

How do I change the icon associated with an object?

To change the icon associated with an object: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Right-click the icon. The context menu will appear. Click Properties. Click the Change Icon button. Click the icon of your choice. Click OK.

Note: Not all icons can be changed. If you do not see the Change Icon button, the icon cannot be changed.

What is wallpaper?
Wallpaper is the background that displays on your desktop.

How do I change my wallpaper?

To change your wallpaper: 1. 2. 3. 4. Right-click your desktop. Highlight Properties. Click the Desktop tab. Select the wallpaper you want from the list that appears in the Background box. Note: If you would like to display an image you created, you can click Browse to find the image. 5. Select how you want your image to appear on the screen. Choose from the following:

Center

Place the image in the center of the screen.

Tile Stretch

Have the image display as tiles across and down the screen. Stretch the image so the image covers the entire screen.

What is a font?
A font is a set of characters represented in a single typeface. Each character within a font is created by using the same basic style.

Can you explain font size?

Fonts are measured in points. There are 72 points to an inch. The number of points assigned to a font is based on the distance from the top to the bottom of its longest character.

How do I install a new font?

To install a new font: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Click the Start button. Highlight Settings. Click Control Panel. Click Fonts. The Fonts window will open. Click File, which is located on the menu bar. Click Install New Font. Specify the drive and folder where the font you want to install is currently located. Select the font you want to install from the fonts listed in the List of Fonts box. Select Copy Fonts to Fonts Folder (this will put a copy of the font you are installing in the Fonts folder). Click OK.

What is the Character Map?

The Character Map displays the characters available in a selected font. To view the Character Map dialog box: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Click the Start button. Highlight Programs. Highlight Accessories. Highlight System Tools. Click Character Map.

The dialog box shown here will display.

Select a font from the Font field drop-down menu. The characters of the font are in boxes in the center of the window. Click a character box to display an enlarged version of the character. The keystroke necessary to produce the character displays in the lower left corner of the screen. Double-click a character or select the character; then click the

Select button to send the character to the Characters to Copy field. You can send multiple characters to the Characters to Copy field. Click the Copy button to move the Characters to Copy field contents to the Clipboard

What are drives?

Drives are used to store data. Almost all computers come with at least two drives: a hard drive (which is used to store large volumes of data) and a CD drive(which stores smaller volumes of data that can be easily transported from one computer to another). The hard drive is typically designated the C:\ drive and the CD drive is typically designated the D:\ drive. If you have an additional floppy drive, it is typically designated the A:\ drive. If your hard drive is partitioned or if you have additional drives, the letters E:\, F:\, G:\ and so on are assigned.

What are folders?

Folders are used to organize the data stored on your drives. The files that make up a program are stored together in their own set of folders. You will want to organize the files you create in folders. You will want to store files of a like kind in a single folder.

How does Windows XP organize files and folders on drives?

Windows XP organizes folders and files in a hierarchical system. The drive is the highest level of the hierarchy. You can put all of your files on the drive without creating any folders, but that is like putting all of your papers in a file cabinet without organizing them into folders. It works fine if you have only a few files, but as the number of files increases, there comes a point at which things become very difficult to find. So you create folders and put related material together in folders. A diagram of a typical drive and how it is organized is shown here.

At the highest level, you have some folders and perhaps some files. You can open any of the folders and put additional files and folders into them. This creates a hierarchy.

Can you explain the Windows Explorer window?

Yes. When you open Windows Explorer, the screen shown here will appear.

Windows XP separates the window into two panes. If you click an object in the left pane, the contents of the object display in the right pane. Click Desktop and the contents of the Desktop folder display on the right. Click My Computer and your computer resources display on the right. To see the contents of a drive, click the drive. To see the contents of a folder, click the icon for the folder in the left pane.

How do I create a new folder when in Windows Explorer?

To create a new folder: 1. In the left pane, click the drive or folder in which you want to create the new folder. Click any free area in the right pane. A context menu will appear. Highlight New. Click Folder. Type a name for the folder.

2.
3. 4. 5.

Can you explain Windows Explorer views?

Yes. Views control how Windows Explorer displays information in the right pane. Windows Explorer provides you with the following choices: Thumbnails, Tiles, Icons, List, and Details.

Thumbnails view displays images. These images represent the contents of folders and files. For example, if a folder contains pictures, up to four of the pictures in the folder will be displayed on the folder icon. Tiles view and Icons view display icons to represent drives, folders, and the contents of folders. The icons displayed when you choose Tiles view are larger than the icons that display when you choose Icon view. List view displays all of the files and folders without supplying the size, type, or date modified. Details view displays the size, type, and date modified.

To change the view: 1. 2. 3. Right-click any free area in the right pane. A context menu will appear. Highlight View. Select the view you want from the drop-down menu.

How do I delete a file or folder?

To delete a file or folder: 1. Right-click the file or folder you want to delete. A context menu will appear. Click Delete. Windows Explorer will ask, "Are sure you want to send this object to the recycle bin?" Click Yes.

2.
3.

How do I copy a file or folder?

To copy a file or folder: 1. 2. Right-click the file or folder you want to copy. A context menu will appear. Click Copy. The file or folder should now be on the Clipboard.

How do I cut a file or folder?

To cut a file or folder: 1. 2. Right-click the file or folder you want to cut. A context menu will appear. Click Cut. The file or folder should now be on the Clipboard.

Note: Cutting differs from deleting. When you cut a file, the file is placed on the Clipboard. When you delete a file, the file is sent to the Recycle Bin.

How do I paste a file or folder?

To paste a file or folder: 1. 2. After cutting or copying the file, right-click the object or right-click in the right pane of the folder to which you want to paste. A context menu will appear. Click Paste.

How do I rename a file or folder?

To rename a file or folder: 1. 2. 3. Right-click the file or folder. A context menu will appear. Click Rename. Type the new name.

What is a screen saver?

Computer monitors display images by firing electron beams at a phosphor-coated screen. If the same image stays on the screen too long, there is a danger that the image will leave a permanent imprint on the screen. Screen savers help prevent this by providing a constantly changing image.

How do I select a screen saver?

To select a screen saver: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Right-click anywhere on the Windows desktop. A context menu will appear. Choose Properties. The Display Properties dialog box will appear. Click the Screen Saver tab. The Screen Saver field provides the list of available screen savers. Select the screen saver you want from the list. Click Preview to preview your screen saver. Click Esc to return to the Display Properties dialog box. In the Wait field, set the number of minutes of inactivity before the screen saver starts

What is a window?
A window is an area on your desktop within which all Windows-based programs run.

Can you explain the parts of a window?

Yes. I will use WordPad as an example.

Control Box Border

The control box provides a menu that enables you to restore, move, size, minimize, maximize, or close a window. The border separates the window from the desktop. You resize the window by dragging its borders outward to expand it and inward to contract it. The title bar displays the name of the current file and the name of the current program. Use the Minimize button to temporarily decrease the size of a window or remove a window from view. While a window is minimized, its title appears on the taskbar.

Title bar Minimize button

Maximize button Restore button Close button Menu bar Toolbars

Click the Maximize button and the window will fill the screen. After you maximize a window, if you click the Restore button, the window will return to its former size. Click the Close button to exit the window and close the program. The menu bar displays the program menu. You send commands to the program by using the menu. Toolbars generally display right below the menu, but you can drag them and display them along any of the window borders. You use the icons on the toolbars to send commands to the program. The work area is located in the center of the window. You perform most of your work in the work area. The status bar provides you with information about the status of your program.

Work area Status bar

Can I have more than one window open at a time?

Yes.

How do I switch between windows?

If you have several windows open at the same time, the window on top is the window with focus. You can only interact with the window with focus. To change windows, do one of the following: 1. Click anywhere on the window you want to have focus. Hold down the Alt key and press the Tab key (Alt-Tab) until you have selected the window to which you want to change. All active files display on the taskbar. Click the taskbar button for the window you want to have focus.

2.
3.

How do I move a window around on my desktop?

To move a window around on your desktop, left-click the windows title bar and drag the window.

What does it mean to "cascade your windows"?

Cascading your windows is a way of organizing your windows on your desktop. Cascading windows fan out across your desktop with the title bar of each window showing.

How do I cascade my windows?

To cascade your windows: 1. 2. Right-click the taskbar. A menu will appear. Click Cascade Windows.

What does it mean to "tile your windows"?

Tiling your windows is a way of organizing your windows onscreen. When you tile your windows, Windows XP places each window on the desktop in such a way that no window overlaps any other window. You can tile your windows horizontally or vertically.

How do I tile my windows?

To tile your windows: 1. 2. Right-click the taskbar. A menu will appear. Click Tile Windows Horizontally or Tile Windows Vertically, whichever you prefer.

What are scrollbars?

In many programs, if the contents of the work area do not fit in the window, scrollbars will appear. A vertical scrollbar will appear at the right side of the window and a horizontal scrollbar at the bottom of the window, depending on the fit. The vertical scrollbar provides a way to move up and down. The horizontal scrollbar provides a way to move from left to right. The scroll box indicates where you are in your document. If the scroll box is at the top of the scrollbar, you are at the top of the document. If the scroll box is in the center of the scrollbar, you are in the center of the document.

How do the scrollbars work?

To move up and down one line at a time:

Click the arrow at either end of the vertical scrollbar.

To move from side to side one character at a time:

Click the arrow at either end of the horizontal scrollbar.

To move approximately one window at a time:

Click above the scroll box to move up. Click below the scroll box to move down.

To scroll continuously:

Click the appropriate arrow and hold down the mouse button.

To move to a specific location:

Left-click the scrollbar and hold down the left mouse button until you arrive at the location. For example, if you want to go to the center of the document, click the center of the scrollbar and hold down the left mouse button. Or, drag the scroll box until you arrive at the desired location.

What is an icon?
An icon is a graphic image. Icons help you execute commands quickly. Commands tell the computer what you want the computer to do. To execute a command by using an icon, click the icon.

What is a menu?
Menus provide a way for you to send commands to the computer (tell the computer what you want the computer to do). When you open a window, menu options are listed from left to right just below the title bar on the menu bar. When you click a menu item, a drop-down menu appears. Select the command you want to execute from the dropdown menu. An ellipsis after a drop-down menu item signifies that there are additional options; if you select that option, a dialog box will appear.

What is a shortcut key?

You can use shortcut keys to execute a command quickly by pressing key combinations instead of selecting the commands directly from the menu or clicking on an icon. When you look at a menu, you will notice that most of the options have one letter underlined. You can select a menu option by holding down the Alt key and pressing the underlined letter. You can also make Alt-key selections from drop-down menus and dialog boxes. In this tutorial and on this Web site, we use the following notation: a key name followed by a dash and a letter means to hold down the key while pressing the letter. For example, "Alt-f" means to hold down the Alt key while pressing "f" (this will open the File menu in many programs). As another example, holding down the Ctrl key while pressing "b" (Ctrl-b) will bold selected text in many programs. In some programs, you can assign your own shortcut keys.

What is a selection?
A selection is a highlighted area on which you can perform a command. For example, if you are using a word processing program, you can highlight a word and then execute the Underline command to underline the highlighted word.

How do I make a selection?

To make a selection:

1. 2. Or 1. 2.

Left-click where you want to start your selection. Hold down your left mouse button and drag the mouse until you have highlighted the area you want.

Left-click where you want to start your selection. Hold down the Shift key while you use the arrow keys to highlight the area that you want.

Note: Typing over highlighted text replaces the old text with the new text you type.

Explain cut, copy, and paste.

The Cut, Copy, and Paste commands are nearly universal. These three functions are used by almost every Windows program and perform more or less the same function in each of them. You can cut, copy, and paste programs, disks, and text, to name just a few things. Cut: When you cut something, it is deleted from its current location and saved to the Clipboard. Information saved to the Clipboard stays there until new information is either cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. You can paste the same Clipboard information as often as you like. Copy: Copy is similar to Cut except the original item is not deleted. When you copy something, a copy of the item is saved to the Clipboard. Information stored on the Clipboard stays there until new information is either cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. You can paste Clipboard information as often as you like, until you replace it with something else. Paste: You can place information on the Clipboard wherever you like. Execute the Paste command and information you have cut or copied is placed wherever your cursor is located. Clipboard: The Clipboard is the storage area for items that have been cut or copied. Each time you execute Cut or Copy, you replace the old information on the Clipboard with whatever you just cut or copied. You can paste Clipboard information as often as you like, until you replace it with something else. There are three major methods of cutting, copying, and pasting. The three methods are using the menu, using keyboard shortcuts, and using icons. We will review all of them. In most programs, they will work exactly as described here.

Using the Menu: Cut

1. 2. 3. Select what you want to cut. Click Edit, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Cut.

Paste
1. 2. 3. Place the cursor at the point where you want to place the information that is currently on the Clipboard. Click Edit. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Paste.

Copy
1. 2. 3. Select what you want to copy. Click Edit, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Copy.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts: Cut

1. 2. Select what you want to cut. Press Ctrl-x.

Paste
1. 2. Place the cursor at the point where you want to place the information that is currently on the Clipboard. Press Ctrl-v.

Copy
1. 2. Select what you want to copy. Press Ctrl-c.

Using Icons: Cut

1. 2. Select what you want to cut. Click the Cut icon.

Paste
1. 2. Place the cursor at the point where you want to place the information that is currently on the Clipboard. Click the Paste icon.

Copy
1. 2. Select what you want to copy. Click the Copy icon.

Are there any universals that apply to almost all programs?

Yes, there are and I list a few of them here. I use the following convention to indicate a menu path: View > Toolbars. When you see View > Toolbars, it means choose View from the menu bar and select Toolbars from the drop-down menu. The following list applies to many, but not all programs. Check each program's documentation for information specific to the program.

Icon

Shortcut Key Ctrl-n Ctrl-o Ctrl-s Ctrl-p Ctrl-f Ctrl-x Ctrl-v Ctrl-c Ctrl-z Ctrl-y

Menu Path File > New File > Open File > Save File > Print Edit > Find Edit > Cut Edit > Paste Edit > Copy Edit > Undo Edit > Redo Format > Font Format > Font

Command Description Create a new file. Open an existing file. Save the current file. Print the current file. Find text in the current document. Cut (delete and place on Clipboard) the current selection. Place the material currently on the Clipboard in the file at the current location. Copy the current selection to the Clipboard. Reverse the most recent command. Place the program in the state it was in before executing the last command. Reverse the last undo. Place the program in the state it was in before executing Undo. Apply a font to the current selection. Set the size of the font for the current selection.

Ctrl-b Ctrl-i Ctrl-u Ctrl-l Ctrl-r Ctrl-e Ctrl-j

Format > Font Format > Font Format > Font

Bold the current selection. Italicize the current selection. Underline the current selection. Left-align the selection. Right-align the selection. Center the selection. Justify the selection.

View > Toolbars

Select the toolbars you want to display.

Can you explain how to save a file?

Yes. I will use WordPad as an example. To save a file: 1. 2. Click File, which is located on the menu bar. A drop-down menu will appear. Click Save. A dialog box similar to the one shown here will appear.

Field/Icon Save In field Up One Level icon View Desktop icon Create a New Folder icon

Entry Click to open the menu-box and select the drive and folder to which you want to save the file. Click this icon to move up one level in the folder hierarchy. Click this icon to move to the Desktop folder. Use the Create a New Folder icon to create a new folder:

1. 2. 3. List icon

Click the Create New Folder icon. Type the folder name and press Enter. Click the folder you just created to open the folder.

Your program displays files and folders in the center of the dialog box. To have the files display without the size, type, and date modified, click the List icon. Your program displays files and folders in the center of the dialog box. To have the files display with the size, type, and date modified, click the Detail icon. Your program displays files and folders in File/Folder box. Click a folder to open the folder. Click a file if you want the current file to write over (replace) that file. Enter the name you want your file to have in this field. Click to open the drop-down box and select a file type. Click the Save button to save your file. Click the Cancel button if you have changed your mind and do not wish to save your file.

Detail icon

File/Folder box

File Name field Save As Type field Save button Cancel button

What is a dialog box?

Whenever you see an ellipsis () after a menu option, selecting that option causes a dialog box to appear. You use dialog boxes to send commands to the computer. Most dialog boxes provide an OK button and a Cancel button. Press the OK button if you are satisfied with your entries and you want to send the commands to the computer. Press the Cancel button if you have changed your mind and do not want to send the commands to the computer.

What are tabs?

Some programs provide dialog boxes with several pages of options. You move to a page by clicking on the tab or by using Ctrl-Tab (hold down the Ctrl key while pressing the Tab key to flip through the pages).

What are fields?

You type entries into fields (also referred to as text boxes). For example, in the Save As dialog box, you type the name you want the file to have in the File Name field.

What are list boxes?

List boxes enable you to make a choice from a list of options. To make your selection, simply click the option you want. In some list boxes, you can choose more than one item. To choose more than one item, hold down the Ctrl key while you make your selections. If there are more options than can be displayed in the box, a scrollbar appears on the list box. Use the scrollbar to view the additional choices.

What is a drop-down or pull-down menu?

Fields with a drop-down menu have a small downward-pointing arrow next to them. You click the arrow and a list of options appears. You select the option you want from the list. You can also open the drop-down menu by holding down the Alt key and pressing the down arrow. You can use the arrow keys to move up and down in a drop-down menu. You can also move to an item by typing the first few letters of the option.

What are radio buttons?

Windows XP and programs that run under Windows XP use radio buttons to present a list of mutually exclusive options. You can select only one of the options presented. Radio buttons are usually round. A dot in the middle indicates that the option is selected.

What are checkboxes?

Check boxes are another method used to select options. You click the checkbox to select the item. An X or a checkmark appears in a selected box. You toggle checkboxes on and off by clicking in the box.

What is a slider?

You use a slider to increase or decrease a value. You increase a value by moving the slider from left to right; you decrease a value by moving the slider from right to left.

What is a spinner?

A spinner is a set of arrows located on the side of a text box. You use the up arrow to increment a value and the down arrow to decrement a value. You can also type the value you want directly into the text box.

Would you explain the Windows XP color box?

Yes. The Windows color box provides 48 basic colors. You select a color by clicking on the square of the color. You can save 16 custom colors. To select a custom color, expand the window by clicking on the Define Custom Color button. A color matrix box and a luminosity slider will appear. Move the pointer in the color matrix box horizontally to adjust the hue. Move the pointer vertically to adjust the saturation. Use the luminosity slider to adjust the luminosity. The Hue, Saturation, Luminosity (HSL) values and Red, Green, Blue (RGB) values display at the bottom of the window. After you have selected a color, you can add the color to a Custom Color square by clicking on the Add to Custom Colors button. The Color|Solid box may display two colors. The left side of the box displays the dithered color and the right side of the box displays a closely related non-dithered color. There are 256 non-dithering colors. Non-dithering colors should display the same on all computer monitors; consequently, Web developers prefer them

Microsoft Word 2007 TutorialFree & Online

By Denise Etheridge You can use this free online tutorial to learn Microsoft Word 2007. Click here to start the tutorial. If you are using an older version of Word, click here for our Word 2003/2002 tutorial or click here for our Word 97 tutorial.

Lesson 1: Getting Familiar with Microsoft Word 2007 for Windows

Microsoft Word is a word processing software package. You can use it to type letters, reports, and other documents. It gives you the ability to use your computer for desktop publishing. This tutorial teaches Microsoft Word 2007 basics. Although this tutorial was created for the computer novice, because Microsoft Word 2007 is so different from previous versions of Microsoft Word, even experienced users may find it useful. This lesson will introduce you to the Word window. You use this window to interact with Word.

The Microsoft Office Button The Quick Access Toolbar The Title Bar The Ribbon The Ruler The Text Area The Vertical and Horizontal Scroll Bars The Status Bar

Understanding Document Views Click Understanding Nonprinting Characters Create Sample Data and Select Text Place the Cursor Execute Commands with Keyboard Shortcuts Start a New Paragraph Exit Word

Lesson 2: Microsoft Word 2007 Basic Features

Lesson 1 familiarized you with the the Microsoft Word window. You are now ready to learn how to create a Word document. This lesson covers typing, using the Backspace key, using the Delete key, inserting text, bolding, underlining, and italicizing.

Type, Backspace, and Delete Insert and Overtype Bold, Italicize, and Underline Save a File and Close Word

Lesson 3: More Basic Features

The features in Word 2007 can make your work easier, make your documents more attractive, and/or enable you to work more efficiently. This Microsoft Word lesson teaches you how to open a file, cut, copy, paste, use AutoText, use spell check, use Find and Replace, and change fonts. All of these features either make your work easier or make your document more attractive.

Open a File Cut and Paste Copy and Paste Use the Clipboard Create AutoText Use Spell Check Find and Replace Change the Font Size Change the Font Save Your File

Lesson 4: Formatting Paragraphs and Working with Styles

When you type information into Microsoft Word, each time you press the Enter key Word creates a new paragraph. You can format paragraphs. For example, you can indent the first line of a paragraph, you can set the amount of space that separates paragraphs, and you can align a paragraph left, right, center, or flush with both margins. Styles are a set of formats you can quickly apply to a paragraph. For example, by applying a style, you can set the font, set the font size, and align a paragraph all at once. In this lesson, you will learn about the various formats you can apply to a paragraph and about styles.

Open a Blank Document Add Sample Text Add Space Before or After Paragraphs Change Line Spacing Create a First-Line Indent Indent Paragraphs Align Paragraphs Create a Hanging Indent Choose a Style Set Apply a Style Change Style Sets

Lesson 5: Adding Bullets and Numbers, Undoing and Redoing, Setting Page Layouts and Printing Documents
If you have lists of data, you may want to bullet or number them. When using Microsoft Word, bulleting and numbering are easy. The first part of this lesson teaches you to bullet and number. After you have completed your document, you may want to share it with others. One way to share your document is to print and distribute it. However, before you print you may want to add page numbers and tell Word such things as the page orientation, the paper size, and the margin setting you want to use. In this lesson you will learn how to layout and how to print your documents.

Add Bullets and Numbers Undo and Redo

Set the Orientation Set the Page Size Set the Margins Add Page Numbers Insert Page Breaks Preview and Print Documents

Lesson 1: Getting Familiar with Microsoft Word 2007 for Windows

Microsoft Word is a word processing software package. You can use it to type letters, reports, and other documents. This tutorial teaches Microsoft Word 2007 basics. Although this tutorial was created for the computer novice, because Microsoft Word 2007 is so different from previous versions of Microsoft Word, even experienced users may find it useful. This lesson will introduce you to the Word window. You use this window to interact with Word. To begin this lesson, open Microsoft Word 2007. The Microsoft Word window appears and your screen looks similar to the one shown here.

Note: Your screen will probably not look exactly like the screen shown. In Word 2007, how a window displays depends on the size of your window, the size of your monitor, and the resolution to which your monitor is set. Resolution determines how much information your computer monitor can display. If you use a low resolution, less information fits on your screen, but the size of your text and images are larger. If you use a high resolution, more information fits on your screen, but the size of the text and images are smaller. Also, Word 2007, Windows Vista, and Windows XP have settings that allow you to change the color and style of your windows.

The Microsoft Office Button

In the upper-left corner of the Word 2007 window is the Microsoft Office button. When you click the button, a menu appears. You can use the menu to create a new file, open an existing file, save a file, and perform many other tasks.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Next to the Microsoft Office button is the Quick Access toolbar. The Quick Access toolbar provides you with access to commands you frequently use. By default Save, Undo, and Redo appear on the Quick Access toolbar. You can use Save to save your file, Undo to rollback an action you have taken, and Redo to reapply an action you have rolled back.

The Title Bar

Next to the Quick Access toolbar is the Title bar. The Title bar displays the title of the document on which you are currently working. Word names the first new document you open Document1. As you open additional new documents, Word names them sequentially. When you save your document, you assign the document a new name.

The Ribbon
You use commands to tell Microsoft Word what to do. In Microsoft Word 2007, you use the Ribbon to issue commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the screen, below the Quick Access toolbar. At the top of the Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays several related command groups. Within each group are related command buttons. You click buttons to issue commands or to access menus and dialog boxes. You may also find a dialog box launcher in the bottom-right corner of a group. Clicking the dialog box launcher gives you access to additional commands via a dialog box.

The Ruler
The ruler is found below the Ribbon.

You can use the ruler to change the format of your document quickly. If your ruler is not visible, follow the steps listed here:

1. 2.

Click the View tab to choose it. Click the check box next to Ruler in the Show/Hide group. The ruler appears below the Ribbon.

The Text Area

Just below the ruler is a large area called the text area. You type your document in the text area. The blinking vertical line in the upper-left corner of the text area is the cursor. It marks the insertion point. As you type, your text displays at the cursor location. The horizontal line next to the cursor marks the end of the document.

The Vertical and Horizontal and Vertical Scroll Bars

The vertical and horizontal scroll bars enable you to move up, down, and across your window simply by dragging the icon located on the scroll bar. The vertical scroll bar is located along the right side of the screen. The horizontal scroll bar is located just above the status bar. To move up and down your document, click and drag the vertical scroll bar up and down. To move back and forth across your document, click and drag the horizontal scroll bar back and forth. You won't see a horizontal scroll bar if the width of your document fits on your screen.

The Status Bar

The Status bar appears at the very bottom of your window and provides such information as the current page and the number of words in your document. You can change what displays on the Status bar by right-clicking on the Status bar and selecting the options you want from the Customize Status Bar menu. You click a menu item to select it. You click it again to deselect it. A check mark next to an item means it is selected.

Understanding Document Views

In Word 2007, you can display your document in one of five views: Draft, Web Layout, Print Layout, Full Screen Reading, or Online Layout. Draft View Draft view is the most frequently used view. You use Draft view to quickly edit your document. Web Layout Web Layout view enables you to see your document as it would appear in a browser such as Internet Explorer. Print Layout The Print Layout view shows the document as it will look when it is printed. Reading Layout Reading Layout view formats your screen to make reading your document more comfortable. Outline View Outline view displays the document in outline form. You can display headings without the text. If you move a heading, the accompanying text moves with it. You should use Draft view for these lessons. Before moving ahead, make sure you are in Draft view:

1. 2.

Click the View tab. Click Draft in the Document Views group. When the Draft option is selected it appears in a contrasting color.

Click
During the lessons that follow, you will be asked to "click" items and to choose tabs. When asked to click: 1. 2. Point to the item. Press your left mouse button once.

If you are asked to double-click an item: 1. 2. Point to the item. Quickly press your left mouse button twice.

If you are asked to right-click: 1. 2. Point to the item. Press your right mouse button.

If you are asked to choose a tab, click the tab.

Understanding Nonprinting Characters

Certain characters, called nonprinting caharacters, do not print and will not appear in your printed document but do affect your document layout. You can elect to see these characters on the screen as you type or you can elect to have them remain invisible. For these lessons, opt to see them onscreen. This table describes most of them:

Character

Denotes A tab

A space The end of a paragraph Hidden text

To view nonprinting characters:

1.

Choose the Home tab. Click the Show/Hide button in the Paragraph group . The Show/Hide button appears in a contrasting color, when it is selected.

2.

Create Sample Data and Select Text

If you type =rand() in your Word document and then press Enter, Word creates three paragraphs. You can use these paragraphs to practice what you learn. Throughout these lessons, you will be asked to select text. The following exercise teaches you how to create data and how to select data. You can select by using the arrow keys or by clicking and dragging. When using the arrow keys, use the up arrow to move up, the down arrow to move down, the left arrow to move left, and the right arrow to move right. When using the mouse, press the left mouse button and then drag in the direction you want to move.

EXERCISE 1 Create Sample Data

1.
2. Type =rand(). Press Enter. Three paragraphs appear in your document.

Select with the Shift and Arrow Keys

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Place your cursor before the word "On" in the first paragraph. Press and hold down the Shift key, which serves as an "anchor" showing where text you wish to select begins or ends. Press the right arrow key until the first line of text is highlighted. Press the down arrow key until the first paragraph is highlighted. Click anywhere outside the highlighted area to remove the highlighting.

Select with the Mouse

1. 2. 3. 4. Place your cursor before the word "You" in the second paragraph. Press and hold down the left mouse button. Drag the mouse until you have highlighted the second paragraph. Click anywhere outside the highlighted area to remove the highlighting.

Place the Cursor

During the lessons, you will often be asked to place the cursor at a specific location (the insertion point) on the screen. You place the cursor by moving the cursor to the specified location and pressing the left mouse button or by using the arrow keys to move to the specified location.

EXERCISE 2 The Arrow Keys

1. 2. 3. 4. Cursor 1. 2. Move around you document by using you mouse and clicking in a variety of location. Click in a location and type. Note what happens. Use the down arrow key to move down your document. Use the right arrow key to move to the right. Use the up arrow key to move up. Use the left arrow key to move to the left.

Execute Commands with Keyboard Shortcuts

There are many methods you can use to accomplish tasks when using Word. Generally, you choose an option by clicking the option on the Ribbon. However, you can also use shortcut keys. A key name followed by a plus and a letter means to hold down the key while pressing the letter. For example, Ctrl+b means you should hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "b." A shorthand notation of the above would read as follows: Press Ctrl+b Typists who are slowed down by using a mouse usually prefer using keys.

Start a New Paragraph

When you type in Microsoft Word, you do not need to press a key to move to a new line. To start a new paragraph, press the Enter key.

Exit Word
You have completed Lesson One. Typically, you save your work before exiting.

EXERCISE 3 Close and SaveWindows Vista

1. 2.

Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Exit Word, which you can find in the bottom-right corner.

3.

You are prompted: "Do you want to save changes to Document1?" To save your changes, click Yes. Otherwise, click No. If you click Yes, the Save As dialog box appears.

4.

Move to the correct folder. Name your file by typing Lesson One.doc in the File Name field. Click Save. Word saves your file.

5.
6.

Close and SaveWindows XP

1. 2. 3. 4. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Exit Word, which is in the bottom-right corner. You will be prompted: "Do you want to save changes to Document1?" To save your changes, click Yes. Otherwise, click No. If you click Yes, the Save As dialog box appears. Specify the correct folder in the Save In box. Name your file by typing Lesson One.doc in the File Name field

5.

Lesson 2: Microsoft Word 2007 Basic Features

Lesson 1 familiarized you with the the Microsoft Word window. You are now ready to learn how to create a Word document. This lesson covers typing, using the Backspace key, using the Delete key, inserting text, bolding, underlining, and italicizing. To begin, open Microsoft Word.

Type, Backspace, and Delete

In Microsoft Word, you create documents by typing them. For example, if you want to create a report, you open Microsoft Word and then begin typing. You do not have to do anything when your text reaches the end of a line and you want to move to a new lineMicrosoft Word automatically moves your text to a new line. If you want to start a new paragraph, press Enter. Microsoft word creates a blank line to indicate the start of a new paragraph. To capitalize, hold down the Shift key while typing the letter you want to capitalize. If you make a mistake, you can delete what you typed and then type your correction. You can use the Backspace key to delete. Each time you press the Backspace key, Microsoft Word deletes the character that precedes the insertion point. The insertion point is the point at which your mouse pointer is located. You can also delete text by using the Delete key. First, you select the text you want to delete; then you press the Delete key.

EXERCISE 1 Type and Backspace

1.
2. 3. Type the following sentence: Joe has a very large house. Delete the word "house." Using either the arrow keys or the mouse, place the cursor between the period and the "e" in "house." Press the Backspace key until the word "house" is deleted. Type boat. The sentence should now read: "Joe has a very large boat."

4.

Delete
Delete the word "very" from the sentence you just typed. 1. 2. Select the word "very." You can place the cursor before the "v" in the word "very," press and hold down the Shift key, and then press the right arrow key until the word "very" is highlighted. Press the Delete key. The sentence should now read: "Joe has a large boat."

Insert and Overtype

While creating your document, you may find you need to insert textplace new text between existing text. Suppose, you type the sentence, "Joe has a large boat." After typing it, you decide you want to change the sentence to "Joe has a large blue boat." With Microsoft Word, inserting a word, phrase, or even several paragraphs is easy. Alternatively, you may want to overtype textreplace old text with new text. For example, suppose you type the sentence, "Joe has a large blue boat." After typing it, you decide you want to change the sentence to "Joe has a large gray boat." With Microsoft Word, overtyping the word blue with the word gray is also easy. Before you attempt to insert or overtype, you should check the mode you are inInsert or Overtype. You right-click the Status bar and then use the Customize Status Bar menu to place the Insert/Overtype button on the Status bar. You can then use the Insert/Overtype button to switch between Insert and Overtype mode. When you are in Insert mode, you can insert text. When you are in Overtype mode, you can overtype text. By default, Microsoft Word is in the Insert mode.

EXERCISE 2 Placing the Insert/Overtype button on the Status bar

1. 2. 3. 4. Right-click the Status bar. The Customize Status Bar menu appears. Click Overtype. The Insert/Overtype button appears on the Status bar. If the word Insert appears on the Status bar, you are in Insert mode. If the word Overtype appears on the Status bar, click the word Overtype and it will change to Insert, thereby changing Word to Insert mode.

Insert
Make sure you are in Insert mode before proceeding. You are going to insert the word "blue" between the words "large" and "boat." 1. Place the cursor after the space between the words "large" and "boat." Type the word blue. Press the spacebar to add a space. The sentence should now read: "Joe has a large blue boat."

2. 3.
4.

Overtype
You can type over the current text (replace the current text with new text) in the Overtype mode. Do the following to change to the Overtype mode.

Click "Insert" on the Status bar. The word Insert changes to Overtype.

Change the word "blue" to "gray." 1. Place the cursor before the letter "b" in "blue." Type the word gray. The sentence should now read: "Joe has a large gray boat."

2.
3.

Note: You can overtype text without changing to Overtype mode by selecting the text you want to overtype and then typing.

Bold, Italicize, and Underline

When creating a document, you may need to emphasize particular words or phrases by bolding, underlining, or italicizing. Also, certain grammatical constructs require that you bold, underline, or italicize. You can bold, underline, and italicize when using Word. You also can combine these featuresin other words, you can bold, underline, and italicize a single piece of text. When you need to perform a task in Microsoft Word, you can usually choose from several methods. The exercises that follow show you how to bold, underline, or italicize using four different methods: using the launcher, the Ribbon, the Mini-toolbar/context menu, and the keyboard.

EXERCISE 3
Type the following exactly as shown. Remember, pressing the Enter key starts a new paragraph. Press the Enter key at the end of each of the following lines to start a new paragraph. Launcher: Bold Italicize Underline these words. All three Regular Ribbon: Bold Italicize Underline these words. All three Regular Mini Toolbar: Bold Italicize Regular Keys: Bold Italicize Underline these words. All three Regular

Your screen should look similar to the one shown here.

Bold with the Dialog Box Launcher

1. 2. 3.

On the line that begins with Launcher, select the word "Bold." You can place the cursor before the letter "B" in "Bold." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until the entire word is highlighted. Choose the Home tab. Click the dialog box launcher in the Font group. The Font dialog box appears.

4.
5. 6.

Click Bold in the Font Style box. Note: You can see the effect of your action in the Preview window. To remove the bold, click Regular. Click OK to close the dialog box. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting. You have bolded the word bold.

Alternate MethodBold with the Ribbon

1. 2.

On the line that begins with "Ribbon," select the word "Bold." You can place the cursor before the letter "B" in "Bold." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until the entire word is highlighted. Choose the Home tab. Click the Bold button in the Font group. You have bolded the word bold. again.

3.
4.

Note: To remove the bold, you can select the text and then click the Bold button Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Alternate Method - Bold with the Mini Toolbar

1. 2.

On the line that begins with "Mini Toolbar," select the word "Bold." You can place the cursor before the letter "B" in "Bold."Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until the entire word is highlighted. Right-click. The Mini toolbar appears. Click the Bold button . You have bolded the word bold.

3.

Alternate MethodBold with Keys

1. On the line that begins with "Keys," select the word "Bold." You can place the cursor before the letter "B" in "Bold." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until the entire word is highlighted. Press Ctrl+b (hold down the Ctrl key while pressing b). Note: To remove the Bold, press Ctrl+b again. You can also remove formatting by pressing Ctrl+spacebar. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

2.
3.

Italicize with the Dialog Box Launcher

1. 2. 3.

On the line that begins with Launcher, select the word "Italicize." You can place the cursor before the letter "I" in "Italicize." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until the entire word is highlighted. Choose the Home tab. Click the dialog box launcher in the Font group. The Font dialog box appears.

4.
5. 6.

Click Italic in the Font Style box. Note: You can see the effect of your selection in the Preview window. To remove the italics, click Regular in the Font Style box. Click OK to close the Font dialog box. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting. You have italicized the word Italicize.

Alternate MethodItalicize with the Ribbon

1.
2.

On the line that begins with "Ribbon," select the word "Italicize." You can place the cursor before the letter "I" in "Italicize." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until the entire word is highlighted. Choose the Home tab. Click the Italic button on the Ribbon. You have italicized the word Italicize. again.

3.
4.

Note: To remove the italics, select the text and click the Italicize button Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Alternate MethodItalicize with the Mini Toolbar

1. 2.

On the line that begins with "Mini Toolbar," select the word "Italicize." You can place the cursor before the letter "I" in "Italicize." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until the entire word is highlighted. Right-click. The Mini toolbar appears. Click the Italic button . You have italicized the word Italicize.

3.

Alternate MethodItalicize with Keys

1. On the line that begins with "Keys," select the word "Italicize." You can place the cursor before the letter "I" in "Italicize." Press the Shift key; then press the right arrow key until the entire word is highlighted. Press Ctrl+i (hold down the Ctrl key while pressing i). Note: To remove italics, press Ctrl+i again. You can also remove formatting by pressing Ctrl+spacebar. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.You have italicized the word Italicize.

2.
3.

Underline with the Dialog Box Launcher

You can underline when using Word. Word provides you with many types of underlines from which to choose.The following are some of the underlines that are available if you

use the dialog box launcher: The following illustrates underlining with the dialog box launcher:

1. 2. 3.

On the line that begins with "Launcher," select the words "Underline these words." Choose the Home tab. Click the dialog box launcher in the Font group. The Font dialog box appears.

4.

In the Underline Style box, click the down arrow to open the pull-down menu. Click the type of underline you wish to use. Note: To remove an underline, you select None from the pull-down menu. Click OK to close the dialog box. The underline you selected appears under the words. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

5.
6. 7.

Alternate MethodUnderline with the Ribbon

1. 2.

On the line that begins with "Ribbon," select the words "Underline these words." Choose the Home tab. Click the Underline button of underline you want. in the Font group . Alternatively, you can press the down arrow next to the underline button and click to choose the type

3.
4.

Note: To remove the underlining, click the Underline button Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

again.

Alternate MethodUnderline with Keys

1. On the line that begins with "Keys," select the words "Underline these words."

2.
3.

Press Ctrl+u (hold down the Ctrl key while pressing u). Note: To remove the underlining, press Ctrl+u again. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

All Three with the Dialog Box Launcher

1. 2. 3. On the line that begins with "Launcher," select the words "All three." Choose the Home tab. Click the dialog box launcher in the Font group. The Font dialog box appears. In the Font Style box, click Bold Italic. Note: You can see the effect of your selection in the preview window. To turn off the Bold Italic, click Regular. In the Underline box, click to open the pull-down menu. Click the type of underline you want to use. Note: To remove an underline, select None from the pull-down menu. Click OK to close the dialog box. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

4. 5.
6. 7.

Alternate MethodAll Three with the Ribbon

1. 2. On the line that begins with "Ribbon," select the words "All three." Choose the Home tab. Click the Bold button Click the Italic button in the Font group. in the Font group.

3. 4. 5.
6.

Click the Underline button in the Font group. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

Alternate MethodAll Three with Keys

1. 2. 3. On the line that begins with "Keys," select the words "All three." Press Ctrl+b (bold). Press Ctrl+i (italicize). Press Ctrl+u (underline). Note: You can remove formatting by highlighting the text and pressing Ctrl+spacebar. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting.

4.
5.

Save a File and Close Word

You must save your documents if you wish to recall them later. You can use the Save option on the Microsoft Office menu, to save a document. You can also save a document by typing Ctrl+s. The first time you save a document, the Save As dialog box appears. Use the Save As dialog box to locate the folder in which you want to save your document and to give your document a name. After you have saved your document at least once, you can save any changes you make to your document simply by clicking the Save after you click the Microsoft Office button. The following exercise shows you how to save the file you just created and close Word. You will name your file Lesson Two.

EXERCISE 4 Save a FileWindows Vista:

1. 2.

Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Save. The Save As dialog box appears, if you are saving your document for the first time.

3.

Use the Address bar to locate the folder in which you want to save your file. Name your file by typing Lesson Two.docx in the File Name box. Click Save. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Exit Word, which is located in the bottom-right corner of the window. Word closes.

4.
5. 6. 7.

Save a FileWindows XP
1. 2. 3. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Save. The Save As dialog box appears if you are saving your document for the first time. Specify the correct folder in the Save In box. Name your document by typing Lesson Two in the File Name box. Click Save. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Exit Word, which is located in the bottom-right corner of the window. Word closes.

4.
5. 6. 7.

Every time you save your document, you overwrite the previous version of your document. For example, you create a document and save it. Later you delete several passages from the document and then save your changes. The passages from the first draft of the document no longer exist. If you want to save both the original draft of your document and the revised document, you must save the second draft of the document using a different name. To save the document using a different name, click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Save As. The Save As dialog box appears. Use the File Name box to give your document a new name.

Lesson 3: More Basic Features

The features in Word 2007 can make your work easier, make your documents more attractive, and/or enable you to work more efficiently. This Microsoft Word lesson teaches you how to open a file, cut, copy, paste, use AutoText, use spell check, use Find and Replace, and change fonts. All of these features either make your work easier or make your document more attractive.

Open a File
When you do not have time to complete your work or when you finish your work, you can save and close your file. After saving a file, you can later open it to revise or finish it. You learned how to save a file in Lesson 2. In the exercise that follows, you learn how to open the file you saved.

EXERCISE 1 Open a File with Windows Vista

If you are using Windows Vista: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Open Word 2007. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Open. The Open dialog box appears. Locate the folder in which you saved the file. The file is named Lesson Two.docx. Click Lesson Two.docx. Click Open. The file you created during the previous lesson appears.

Open a File with Windows XP

If you are using Windows XP: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Open Word 2007. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Open. The Open dialog box appears. Use the Look In field to move to the folder in which you saved the file. The file is named Lesson Two.docx. Click Lesson Two.docx. Click Open. The file you created during the previous lesson appears.

Alternate MethodOpening a File with Keys

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Open Word 2007. Press Ctrl+o. Locate the folder in which you saved your file. The file is named Lesson Two.docx Click Lesson Two.docx. Click Open. The file you created during the previous lesson appears.

Cut and Paste

You can use Word's Cut feature to remove information from a document. The you can use the Paste feature to place the information you cut anywhere in the same or another document. In other words, you can move information from one place in a document to another place in the same or different document by using the Cut and Paste features. The Office Clipboard is a storage area. When you cut, Word stores the data you cut on the Clipboard. You can paste the information that is stored on the Clipboard as often as you like.

EXERCISE 2 Cut with the Ribbon

1.
2. 3.

Type the following: I want to move. I am content where I am. Select "I want to move. " Choose the Home tab. Click the Cut button in the Clipboard group. Word cuts the text you selected and places it on the Clipboard. Your text should now read: "I am content where I am."

4.

Paste with the Ribbon

1. 2. 3.

Place the cursor after the period in the sentence "I am content where I am." Press the spacebar to leave a space. Choose the Home tab. Click the Paste button in the Clipboard group. Word pastes the text on the Clipboard. Your text should now read: "I am content where I am. I want to move."

4.

Alternate MethodCut with a Context Menu

1.
2.

Type the following: I want to move. I am content where I am. Select "I want to move. " Right-click. The Mini toolbar and a context menu appear.

3.

4.

Click Cut on the menu. Your text should now read: "I am content where I am."

Alternate MethodPaste with a Context Menu

1. 2. 3. 4.

Place the cursor after the period in the sentence "I am content where I am." Press the spacebar to leave a space. Right-click. A Mini toolbar and a context menu appear. Click Paste. Your text should now read: "I am content where I am. I want to move."

Alternate MethodCut with Keys

1.
2. 3. 4. Type the following: I want to move. I am content where I am. Select "I want to move." Press Ctrl+x. Your text should now read: " I am content where I am."

Alternate MethodPaste with Keys

1. 2. 3. 4. Place the cursor after the period in the sentence: "I am content where I am." Press the spacebar to leave a space. Press Ctrl+v. Your text should now read: "I am content where I am. I want to move."

Copy and Paste

In Microsoft Word, you can copy information from one area of a document and place the information you copied anywhere in the same or another document. In other words, after you type information into a document, if you want to place the same information somewhere else, you do not have to retype the information. You simple copy it and then paste it in the new location. As with cut data, Word stores copied data on the Clipboard.

EXERCISE 3 Copy with the Ribbon

1.
2. 3.

Type the following: You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need. Select "You will want to copy me." Choose the Home tab. Click the Copy button in the Clipboard group. Word copies the data you selected to the Clipboard.

4.

Paste with the Ribbon

1. 2. 3.

Place the cursor after the period in the sentence: "One of me is all you need." Press the spacebar to leave a space. Choose the Home tab. Click the Paste button in the Clipboard group. Word places the data you copied at the insertion point. Your text should now read: "You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need. You will want to copy me."

4.

Alternate MethodCopy with a Context Menu

1.
2. 3. 4.

Type the following: You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need. Select "You will want to copy me." Right-click. A Mini toolbar and a context menu appear. Click Copy. Word places the data you copied at the insertion point. Your text should now read: "You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need. You will want to copy me."

Alternate MethodPaste with a Context Menu

1. 2. 3. 4.

Place the cursor after the period in the sentence: "One of me is all you need." Press the spacebar to leave a space. Right-click. A context menu appears. Click Paste. Word pastes the information on the Clipboard into the document.

Alternate MethodCopy with Keys

1.
2. 3. Type the following: You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need. Select "You will want to copy me. " Press Ctrl+c. Word copies the information you selected to the Clipboard.

Alternate MethodPaste with Keys

1. 2. 3. 4. Place the cursor after the period in the sentence "One of me is all you need." Press the spacebar to leave a space. Press Ctrl+v. Your text should now read: "You will want to copy me. One of me is all you need. You will want to copy me."

Use the Clipboard

As you cut or copy, Word can store the information you have cut or copied on the Clipboard in a hierarchy. Then each time you cut or copy, the data you just cut or copied moves to the top of the Clipboard hierarchy and the data previously at the top moves down one level. When you choose Paste, the item at the top of the hierarchy is the item Word pastes into your document. The Clipboard can store up to 24 items. You can paste any item on the Clipboard into your document by placing your cursor at the insertion point, displaying the Clipboard pane, and then clicking the item. The Clipboard pane includes an Options button. You can click the Options button to set the Clipboard options described in the following table.

Option Show Office Clipboard Automatically Show Office Clipboard When Ctrl+c Pressed Twice

Description Shows the Clipboard automatically when you copy items. Shows the Clipboard when you press Ctrl+c twice.

Collect Without Showing Office Clipboard Show Office Clipboard Icon on Taskbar Show Status Near Taskbar When Copying

Copies to the Clipboard without displaying the Clipboard pane. Displays the Clipboard icon on your system taskbar. Displays the number of items copied on the taskbar when copying.

EXERCISE 4 Use the Clipboard

1. 2. 3. 4.

Place the cursor at the point at which you want to insert your text. Choose the Home tab. Click the Clipboard dialog box launcher to open the Clipboard. Click the item on the clipboard you want to insert into your document. Word pastes the Clipboard item into your document at the insertion point.

Create AutoText
Cut and Copy both store information on the Clipboard. Information you store on the Clipboard is eventually lost. If you want to store information permanently for reuse, use AutoText. AutoText permanently stores information for future use.

EXERCISE 5 Create AutoText

1.
2. 3. 4. 5.

Type the following: AutoText information is stored permanently. Select "AutoText information is stored permanently." Choose the Insert tab. Click Quick Parts in the Text group. A menu appears. Click Save Selection to Quick Part Gallery. The Create New Building Block dialog box appears.

6.
7. 8. 9. 10. 12.

Microsoft Word suggests a name. Change the name by typing AT in the Name field. Click OK. The dialog box closes. Click anywhere in the text area to remove the highlighting. Place the cursor between the period in the sentence you just typed and the paragraph marker (). Press the spacebar to leave a blank space. Press F3. Your text should now read: "AutoText information is stored permanently. AutoText information is stored permanently."

11. Type AT.

Note: Whenever you need the text, simply type the name (AT) and then press F3.

Use Spell Check

Word checks your spelling and grammar as you type. Spelling errors display with a red wavy line under the word. Grammar errors display with a green wavy line under the error. In Word 2007, you can use the Review tab's Spelling & Grammar button to initiate a spell and grammar check of your document.

EXERCISE 6 Use Spell Check

1.
2. 3. 4.

Type the following exactly as shown. Include all errors. Open thr door for Mayrala. She is a teacher from the town of Ridgemont. Select: "Open thr door for Mayrala. She is a teacher from the town of Ridgemont." Choose the Review tab. Click the Spelling & Grammar button. The Spelling and Grammar dialog box appears.

6. 7.

"The" is misspelled, so it is highlighted on the screen and noted in the Not in Dictionary box. Word suggests correct spellings. These suggestions are found in the Suggestions box. Click "the" in the Suggestions box. Click Change. Note: If the word is misspelled in several places, click Change All to correct all misspellings. The name "Mayrala" is not in the dictionary, but it is correct. Click Ignore Once to leave "Mayrala" in the document with its current spelling. Note: If a word appears in several places in the document, click Ignore All so you are not prompted to correct the spelling for each occurrence. "Ridgemont" is not found in the dictionary. If you frequently use a word not found in the dictionary, you might want to add that word to the dictionary by clicking the Add to Dictionary button. Word will then recognize the word the next time it appears. Click Add to Dictionary. The following should appear on your screen: "Word finished checking the selection. Do you want to continue checking the remainder of the document?" Click No. If you wanted Word to spell-check the entire document, you would have clicked Yes.

8. 9.
10. 11. 12.

Note: You can also press F7 to initiate a spelling and grammar check. If you don't have anything selected, Word checks the entire document.

Find and Replace

If you need to find a particular word or phrase in your document, you can use the Find command. This command is especially useful when you are working with large files. If you want to search the entire document, simply execute the Find command. If you want to limit your search to a selected area, select that area and then execute the Find command. After you find the word or phrase you are searching for, you can replace it with new text by executing the Replace command.

EXERCISE 7 Use Find with the Ribbon

1.
2. 3. 4. 5.

Type the following: Monica is from Easton. She lives on the east side of town. Her daughter attends Eastern High School. Select: "Monica is from Easton. She lives on the east side of town. Her daughter attends Eastern High School." Choose the Home tab. Click Find in the Editing group. A menu appears. Click the Find option on the menu. The Find and Replace dialog box appears.

6.
7. 8. 9. 10. 11. 12.

Type east in the Find What field. Click Find Next. Note that the "East" in Easton is highlighted. Click Find Next again. Note that "east" is highlighted. Click Find Next again. Note that the "East" in Eastern is highlighted. Click Find Next. The following message should appear: "Word has finished searching the selection. Do you want to search the remainder of the document?" Click No. Click Cancel.

Alternate MethodFind with Keys

1. 2. 3. Select: "Monica is from Easton. She lives on the east side of town. Her daughter attends Eastern High School." Press Ctrl+f. Follow steps 6 through 12 in the preceding section.

Use Replace with the Ribbon

1. 2. 3.

Select "Monica is from Easton. She lives on the east side of town. Her daughter attends Eastern High School." Choose the Home tab. Click Replace in the Editing group. The Find and Replace dialog box appears.

4. 5.
6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Type east in the Find What box. Type west in the Replace With box. Click Find Next. The East in Easton is highlighted. Click Replace. Word replaces the "East" in "Easton" with "West" and then highlights the word "east." Click Replace. Word replaces the word "east" with "west" and then highlights the word "Eastern." Click Close. Do not replace the "East" in "Eastern" with "West." Your text should now read, "Monica is from Weston. She lives on the west side of town. Her daughter attends Eastern High School."

Alternate MethodReplace with Keys

1. 2. 3. Select "Monica is from Easton. She lives on the west side of town. Her daughter attends Western High School." Press Ctrl+h. Follow steps 4 through 11 in the preceding section.

Change the Font Size

A font is a set of characters (text) represented in a single typeface. Each character within a font is created by using the same basic style. In Microsoft Word, you can change the size of your font. The following exercise illustrates changing the font size.

EXERCISE 8 Change the Font Size

1. 2.
3. 4. 5. 6.

Type the following: I can be any size you want me to be. Select "I can be any size you want me to be." Choose the Home tab. In the Font group, click the down arrow next to the Font Size box. A menu of font sizes appears. Move your cursor over the menu of font sizes. As you do, Word 2007 provides a live preview of the effect of applying each font size. Click 36 to select it as your font size.

Note: If you know the font size you want, you can type it in the Font Size field.

Alternate MethodChange the Font Size with Grow Font and Shrink Font
You can also change the size of your font by clicking the Grow Font and Shrink Font buttons. Selecting text and then clicking the Grow Font button makes your font larger. Selecting text and then clicking the Shrink Font button makes your font smaller.

1.
2. 3.

Type the following: Grow Shrink Select "Grow" Choose the Home tab. Click the Grow Font button Select Shrink. Click the Shrink Font button several times. You font becomes larger. several times. Your font becomes smaller.

4.
5.

6.

Change the Font

In Microsoft Word, you can change the font (the "family" of type you use for your text). This feature is illustrated in the following exercise:

EXERCISE 9 Change the Font with the Ribbon

1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Type the following: Changing fonts Select "Changing fonts." Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Font field. A menu of fonts appears. Move the cursor over the list of fonts. Word 2007 provides a live preview of what the font will look like if you select it. Click the font name to select the font you want.

Alternate MethodChange the Font with the Mini Toolbar

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Select "Changing fonts." Right-click. The Mini toolbar and a menu appears. Move to the Mini toolbar. Click the down arrow next to the Font field. A menu of fonts appears. Click the name of the font you want.

Save Your File

This is the end of Lesson 3. You can save your file and close Word. See Lesson 2 to learn how to save and close

Lesson 4: Formatting Paragraphs and Working with Styles

When you type information into Microsoft Word, each time you press the Enter key Word creates a new paragraph. You can format paragraphs. For example, you can indent the first line of a paragraph, you can set the amount of space that separates paragraphs, and you can align a paragraph left, right, center, or flush with both margins. Styles are a set of formats you can quickly apply to a paragraph. For example, by applying a style, you can set the font, set the font size, and align a paragraph all at once. In this lesson, you will learn about the various formats you can apply to a paragraph and about styles. When you are formatting a paragraph, you do not need to select the entire paragraph. Placing the cursor anywhere in the paragraph enables you to format it. After you format a paragraph, pressing the Enter key creates a new paragraph in the same format.

Open a Blank Document

To begin a new Word project, you start by opening a new document.To begin this lesson, open a blank document in Microsoft Word.

EXERCISE 1 Open a Blank Document

1.

Open Word 2007.

2. 3.

Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click New. The New Document dialog box appears.

4.

Click Blank Document. Click Create. A new blank document opens.

5.

Add Sample Text

This lesson uses sample text provided by Microsoft for training and demonstration purposes. You can type the text; however, there is a quicker way. You can use the rand function. Functions are used to obtain information. You tell the function what you want and the function returns that information to you. By default, in Word, when you type the rand function, Word returns three paragraphs. When working with functions, you use arguments to be specific about what you want the function to return. There are two arguments you can use with the rand function. The first one tells Word how many paragraphs you want, and the second one tells Word how many sentences you want in a paragraph. You place arguments between the parentheses and you separate them with a comma. For example, if you type =rand() and then press Enter, word returns three paragraphs. To tell Word you want two paragraphs with three sentences in each paragraph, you type =rand(2,3).

EXERCISE 2 Add Sample Text

1. 2. Type =rand(). Press the Enter key. The following text appears:

On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers, footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look. You can easily change the formatting of selected text in the document text by choosing a look for the selected text from the Quick Styles gallery on the Home tab. You can also format text directly by using the other controls on the Home tab. Most controls offer a choice of using the look from the current theme or using a format that you specify directly. To change the overall look of your document, choose new Theme elements on the Page Layout tab. To change the looks available in the Quick Style gallery, use the Change Current Quick Style Set command. Both the Themes gallery and the Quick Styles gallery provide reset commands so that you can always restore the look of your document to the original contained in your current template.

Add Space Before or After Paragraphs

When creating a document, space is often used to clearly identify where each paragraph begins and ends. By default, Word may place slightly more space between paragraphs than it does between lines in a paragraph. You can increase or decrease the amount of space that appears before and after paragraphs by entering amounts in the Before and After fields in the Paragraph section of the Page Layout tab. Use the up arrows next to the Before and After fields to increase the amount of space before or after each paragraph; use the down arrows to decrease the amount of space before or after each paragraph. The following illustrates:

EXERCISE 3 Add Space Before or After Paragraphs

1. 2. 3. 4.

Place your cursor anywhere in the second paragraph of the sample text you created in Exercise 2. Choose the Page Layout tab. The default spacing appears in the Spacing Before field. Click the up arrow next to the Spacing Before field to increase the space before the paragraph. Click the up arrow next to the Spacing After field to increase the amount of space after the paragraph.

Note: You can click the down arrows next to the Spacing Before and the Spacing After fields to decrease the amount of space before or after a paragraph. You can also type the amount of space you want to use directly into the fields. Space is measured in points. There are 72 points to an inch.

Change Line Spacing

Line spacing sets the amount of space between lines within a paragraph. The spacing for each line is set to accommodate the largest font on that line. If the lines include smaller fonts, there will appear to be extra space between lines where the smaller fonts are located. At 1.5, the line spacing is set to one-and-a-half times the single-space amount. At 2.0, the line spacing is set to two times the single-space amount (double space).

EXERCISE 4 Change Line Spacing

1. 2.

Place your cursor anywhere in the first paragraph of the sample text you created in Exercise 2. Choose the Home tab. Click the Line Spacing button in the Paragraph group. A menu of options appears. Click 2.0 to double-space the first paragraph.

3.
4.

Create a First-Line Indent

Some people and organizations delineate the start of a new paragraph by indenting the first line. If you want to indent the first line of your paragraphs, you can use the Paragraph dialog box to set the amount by which you want to indent. In the Special Field of the Paragraph dialog box, you tell Word you want to indent the first line by choosing First Line from the menu options. In the By field, you tell Word the amount, in inches by which you want to indent.

EXAMPLE: First-line Indent On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers, footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look.

EXERCISE 5 Create a First-line Indent

1. 2. 3.

Place your cursor anywhere within the first paragraph of the sample text you created in Exercise 2. Choose the Home tab. In the Paragraphs group, click the launcher. The Paragraph dialog box appears.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Choose the Indents and Spacing tab. Click to open the drop-down menu on the Special field. Click First Line. Enter 0.5" in the By field. Click OK. The first line of your paragraph is now indented half an inch.

Special Note: To remove the first line indent: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Place the cursor anywhere in the paragraph. Choose the Home tab. In the Paragraphs group, click the launcher. The Paragraph dialog box opens. Choose the Indents and Spacing tab. Click the down arrow next to the Special field and then click None. Click OK.

Indent Paragraphs
Indentation allows you to indent your paragraph from the left and/or right margin. You may find this necessary when you are quoting a large block of text. The following exercise shows you how to indent a paragraph 1 inch from each side.

EXAMPLE: Indentation On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers, footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look. You can easily change the formatting of selected text in the document text by choosing a look for the selected text from the Quick Styles gallery on the Home tab. You can also format text directly by using the other controls on the Home tab. Most controls offer a choice of using the look from the current theme or using a format that you specify directly.

EXERCISE 6 Indent Paragraphs

1. 2.

Place your cursor anywhere in the second paragraph of the sample text you created in Exercise 2. Choose the Page Layout tab. Type 1" in the Indent Left field or use the up or down arrows to set the field value to 1". Type 1" in the Indent Right field or use the up or down arrows to set the field value to 1". Your paragraph is now indented one inch from both the left and right margins, as in the example.

3. 4.

Align Paragraphs
Microsoft Word gives you a choice of several types of alignments. Left-aligned text is flush with the left margin of your document and is the default setting. Right-aligned text is flush with the right margin of your document, centered text is centered between the left and right margins, and Justified text is flush with both the left and right margins.

EXAMPLE: Left-Aligned
Sample Paragraph

On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers, footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look. EXAMPLE: Right-aligned Sample Paragraph On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers, footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look. EXAMPLE: Centered

Sample Paragraph On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers, footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look. EXAMPLE: Justified Sample Paragraph On the Insert tab, the galleries include items that are designed to coordinate with the overall look of your document. You can use these galleries to insert tables, headers, footers, lists, cover pages, and other document building blocks. When you create pictures, charts, or diagrams, they also coordinate with your current document look.

The following exercises demonstrate how to justify text.

EXERCISE 7 Create the Paragraphs

1. 2. 3. 4. Type Sample Paragraph. Press Enter. Type =rand(1) to create a paragraph. Press Enter.

Right-align

1. 2.

Select the paragraphs you created. Choose the Home tab. Click the Align-right button in the Paragraph group. Word right-aligns your paragraphs.

3.

Left-align
1. 2. Select the paragraphs you created. Choose the Home tab. Click the Align-left button in the Paragraph group. Word left-aligns your paragraph.

3.

Center
1. 2. Selected the paragraphs you created. Choose the Home tab. Click the Center button in the Paragraph group. Word centers your paragraph.

3.

Justify
1. 2. Select the paragraphs you created. Choose the Home tab. Click the Justify button in the Paragraph group. Word justifies your paragraph.

3.

Alternate MethodRight-Justify with Keys

1. 2. Select the paragraphs you created. Press Ctrl+r. The paragraph is now right-aligned.

Alternate MethodLeft-Justify with Keys

1. 2. Select the paragraphs you created. Press Ctrl+l. The paragraph is now left-aligned.

Alternate MethodCenter with Keys

1. 2. Select the paragraphs you created. Press Ctrl+e. The paragraph is now centered.

Alternate MethodJustify with Keys

1. 2. Select the paragraphs you created. Press Ctrl+j. The paragraph is now justified.

Create a Hanging Indent

The hanging indent feature indents each line except the first line by the amount specified in the By field, as shown in the example.

EXAMPLE:Hanging Indent Hanging Indent: The hanging indent feature indents the first line of the paragraph from the margin by the amount specified in the Left field. The amount in the Left field plus the amount specified in the By field indent all subsequent lines.

EXERCISE 8 Create a Hanging Indent

1. 2. 3. 4.

Type the following: Hanging Indent: The hanging indent feature indents the first line by the amount specified in the Left field. Subsequent lines are indented by the amount specified in the Left field plus the amount specified in the By field. Select the paragraph you just typed. Choose the Home tab. Click the launcher in the Paragraph group. The Paragraph dialog box appears.

5. 6. 7.

Choose the Indents and Spacing tab. In the Special field, click to open the pull-down menu. Click Hanging. In the By box, type 2". Click OK. Place the cursor after the colon following "Hanging Indent." Press the Tab key. Notice that the indentation changes.

8.
9. 10. 11.

Choose a Style Set

When working with Word, you can use styles to quickly format your documents. A style is a set of formats consisting of such things as fonts, font colors, font sizes, and paragraph formats. Word 2007 supplies you with predesigned style sets that contain styles for titles, subtitles, quotes, headings, lists and more. The sections that follow all

show you how to work with styles. The exercises are based on a file you must download. Right click here to download the file. Click Save Target As from the menu that appears, and save the linked file to a directory on your computer. The file will download as a zip file. A zip file is a file that is compressed. Compressed files are smaller and easier to download. To open the file: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Open the folder you downloaded the file to. Right-click on the file name. Click Extract All on the menu that appears. The Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders dialog box appears. Enter the folder you want to put the file in or except to suggested location. Click Extract. Windows Explorer extracts the file. You can use Microsoft Word to open the file.

EXERCISE 9 Choose a Style Set

1. 2. 3. 4.

Choose the Home tab. Click Change Styles in the Styles group. A menu appears. Click Style Set. A menu appears. You can choose from any of the styles listed on the menu. Click Simple. Word 2007 reformats all of the paragraphs into the Simple style by applying the Normal format to each paragraph.

Apply a Style
You can see of all the styles available to you in the style set by clicking the launcher in the Styles group and opening the Styles pane. You can leave the Styles pane open and available for use by docking it. To dock the Styles pane, click the top of the pane and drag it to the left or right edge of the Word window. You do not need to select an entire paragraph to apply a style. If the cursor is anywhere in the paragraph, when you click on the style, Word formats the entire paragraph.

EXERCISE 10 Apply the Title Style

1.

Choose the Home tab. Click the launcher in the Styles Group. The Styles pane appears. You can drag it to the side of the Word window to dock it. To close the Styles pane, click the Close button in the upper right corner of the pane . Click anywhere in the paragraph "Single-Parent FamilyCareer Help." Click Title in the Styles pane. Word 2007 applies the Title style to the paragraph.

2.
3. 4.

Headings and subheadings mark major topics within your document. With Word 2007, you can easily format the headings and subheadings in your document.

Apply Headings
1. 2. 3. Click anywhere in the paragraph "The Nature of Single Parenthood." In the Style box, click Heading 1. Word reformats the paragraph. Repeat steps 1 and 2 in the following paragraphs:

Types of Single Parents Career Development Needs of Single Parents Career Development Programs

Apply Subheadings
1. 2. 3. Click anywhere in the paragraph "Displaced Homemakers" In the Style box, click Heading 2. Word reformats the paragraph. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for the following paragraphs:

Displaced Homemakers Adolescent Mothers Single Fathers High School Dropout Prevention Established Education Sites

Alternate Method -- Apply Styles with the Ribbon

You can also choose styles by selecting the option you want from the Styles group on the Ribbon. First you must place your cursor in the paragraph to which you want to apply the style. Then you click the More button in the Styles group to see all of the styles in the currently selected set. As you roll your cursor over each of the styles listed, Word 2007 provides you with a live preview of how the style will appear when applied. 1. 2. 3. Select the paragraphs "Emotional Support" through "Parenthood Education" (they are probably on page two). Click the More button in the Styles group. Locate and click the List Paragraph style. Word applies the List Paragraph style to the paragraphs you selected.

Change Style Sets

Once you have applied styles, changing to another style set is easy. You simply open the Style Set gallery. As you move your cursor down the menu, Word 2007 provides you with a live preview of the effect of applying the style set. To choose a style set, you click it.

EXERCISE 11 Change Style Sets

1. 2. 3. Click Change Styles in the Styles group. A menu appears. Click Style Set. A menu appears. As you move your cursor down the menu Word 2007 provides you with a live preview of the effect of applying the Style set to your document. Click Formal. Word 2007 reformats all of the paragraphs into the Formal style applying the appropriate format to each paragraph.

This is the end of Lesson 3. You can save you file and close Word. See Lesson 2 to learn how to save and close

Lesson 5: Adding Bullets and Numbers, Undoing and Redoing, Setting Page Layouts and Printing Documents
If you have lists of data, you may want to bullet or number them. When using Microsoft Word, bulleting and numbering are easy. The first part of this lesson teaches you to bullet and number. After you have completed your document, you may want to share it with others. One way to share your document is to print and distribute it. However, before you print you may want to add page numbers and tell Word such things as the page orientation, the paper size, and the margin setting you want to use. In this lesson you will learn how to layout and how to print your documents.

Add Bullets and Numbers

In Microsoft Word, you can easily create bulleted or numbered lists of items. Several bulleting and numbering styles are available, as shown in the examples. You can select the one you wish to use. EXAMPLES: Numbering

EXAMPLES: Bulleting

EXERCISE 1 Bullets

1.

2. 3.

Type the following list as shown: Apple Orange Grape Mango Cherry Select the words you just typed. Choose the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to the Bullets button . The Bullet Library appears.

4. 5.

Click to select the type of bullet you want to use. Word adds bullets to your list. Note: As you move your cursor over the various bullet styles, Word displays the bullet style onscreen.

To remove the bulleting: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the list again. Choose the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to the Bullets icon. The Bullet dialog box appears. Click None. Word removes the bullets from your list.

Numbers

1.

2. 3.

Type the following list as shown: Apple Orange Grape Mango Cherry Select the words you just typed. Choose the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next to the Numbering button . The Numbering Library appears.

4. 5.

Click to select the type of numbering you want to use. Word numbers your list. Note: As you move your cursor over the various number styles, Word displays the number style onscreen.

To remove the numbering: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the list again. Choose the Home tab. In the Paragraph group, click the down arrow next yo the Numbering icon. The Number dialog box appears. Click None. Word removes the numbering from your list.

Undo and Redo

You can quickly reverse most commands you execute by using Undo. If you then change your mind again, and want to reapply a command, you can use Redo.

EXERCISE 2 Undo and Redo

1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Type Undo example. Click the Undo button on the Quick Access menu. The typing disappears. Click the Redo button on the Quick Access menu. The typing reappears. Select "Undo example." Press Ctrl+b to bold. Word bolds the text. Press Ctrl+i. Word italicizes the text. Press Ctrl+u Word underlines the text. Click the down arrow next to the Undo icon. You will see the actions you performed listed. To undo the underline, click Underline; to undo the underline and italic, click Underline Italic; to undo the underline, italic, and bold click Bold etc. To redo, click the Redo icon several times.

Alternate Method -- Undo & Redo by Using Keys

1.
2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Type Undo example. Press Ctrl+z. The typing disappears. Press Ctrl+y. The typing reappears. Select "Undo example." Press Ctrl+u to underline. Press Ctrl+z. The underline is removed. Press Ctrl+y. The underline reappears.

Set the Orientation

Before you print your document, you may want to change the orientation of your pages. There are two orientations you can use: portrait and landscape. Paper, such as paper sized 8 1/2 by 11, is longer on one edge than it is on the other. If you print in Portrait, the shortest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page. Portrait is the default option. If you print Landscape, the longest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page.

Portrait

Landscape

The exercises that follow use a file named SamplePrint.docx. Right click here to download the file. Click Save Target As from the menu that appears, and save the linked file to a directory on your computer. The file will download as a zip file. A zip file is a file that is compressed. Compressed files are smaller and easier to download. To open the file: 1. Open the folder you downloaded the file to.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Right-click on the file name. Click Extract All on the menu that appears. The Extract Compressed (Zipped) Folders dialog box appears. Enter the folder you want to put the file in or except to suggested location. Click Extract. Windows Explorer extracts the file. You can use Microsoft Word to open the file.

EXERCISE 3 Set the Orientation

1. 2. 3.

Choose the Page Layout tab. Click Orientation in the Page Setup group. A menu appears. Click Portrait. Word sets your page orientation to Portrait.

Set the Page Size

Paper comes in a variety of sizes. Most business correspondence uses 8 1/2 by 11 paper which is the default page size in Word. If you are not using 8 1/2 by 11 paper, you can use the Size option in the Page Setup group of the Page Layout tab to change the Size setting.

EXERCISE 4 Set the Page Size

1. 2. 3.

Choose the Page Layout tab. Click Size in the Page Setup group. A menu appears. Click Letter 8.5 x 11in. Word sets your page size.

Set the Margins

Margins define the amount of white space that appears at the top, bottom, left, and right edges of your document. The Margin option in the Page Setup group of the Page Layout tab provides several standard margin sizes from which you can choose.

EXERCISE 5 Set the Margins

1. 2. 3.

Choose the Page Layout tab. Click Margins in the Page Setup group. A menu appears. Click Moderate. Word sets your margins to the Moderate settings.

Add Page Numbers

Page numbers help you keep your document organized and enable readers to find information quickly. You can add page numbers to the top, bottom, or margins of your pages, and you can choose where the numbers appear. For example, numbers can appear at the top of the page, on the left, right, or center of the page. Word also offers several number styles from which you can choose.

EXERCISE 6 Add Page Numbers

1. 2. 3. 4.

Choose the Insert tab. Click the Page Number button in the Header & Footer group. A menu appears. Click Bottom of Page. Click the right-side option.

Insert Page Breaks

As you learned in Lesson 1, you can display your document in any of five views: Draft, Web Layout, Print Layout, Full Screen Reading, or Online Layout. In Print Layout view you see your document as it will appear when you print it. You can clearly see where each page ends and a new page begins. As you review your document, you may find that you want to change the point at which a new page begins. You do this by inserting a page break. For example, if a page heading appears on one page and the first paragraph under the heading appears on the next page, you may want to inser a page break before the heading to keep the heading and the first paragraph together.

EXERCISE 7 Change to Print View

1. 2.

Choose the View tab. Click Print Layout in the Document Views group. Your document changes to the Print Layout view.

Insert Page Breaks

1. 2. 3.

Place your cursor before the D in "Displaced Homemakers" Choose the Insert tab. Click Page Break. Word places a page break in your document.

To delete a page break, you select the page break and then press the Delete key.

Preview and Print Documents

When you have your margins, tabs, and so on the way you want them, you are ready to print. In Word, You can preview your document before you print. In the Preview mode, you can review each page, view multiple pages at the same time, zoom in on a page, and access the Size, Orientation, and Margin options. If you press the Zoom button while you are in Preview mode, the Zoom dialog box appears. In the Zoom dialog box you can set the sizes of the pages that display as well as the number of pages that display. When you are ready to print, you use the Print dialog box. In the Print Range area, choose All to print every page of your document, choose Current Page to print the page you are currently on, or choose Pages to enter the specific pages you want to print. Type the pages you want to print in the Pages field. Separate individual pages with commas (1,3, 13); specify a range by using a dash (4-9).

EXERCISE 8 Print Preview

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Highlight the Print option. The Preview and Print the Document menu appears. Click Print Preview. The Preview window appears, with your document in the window. Click One Page to view one page at a time. Click Two Pages to view two pages at a time. To view your document in normal size, click 100%. Click the Zoom Button. The Zoom dialog box appears. Select an option and then click OK. Perform this task for each option and note the results.

Note: As you review your document, if you see changes you would like to make to the layout, use the Margin, Orientation, or Page Size options to make the changes. If you want to make other types of changes to your document, click the Close Print Preview button, to return to your document. Once you are satisfied with your document, you are ready to print.

Print
1.
2. 3. Click the Print button. The Print dialog box appears. Click the down arrow next to the Name field and select the printer to which you want to print. Choose All as the page range.

4.

Click OK. Word prints your document.

Microsoft Excel 2007 Tutorial Free & Online

By Denise Etheridge You can use this free online tutorial to learn Microsoft Excel 2007. Click here to start the tutorial. If you are using an older version of Excel, click here for our Excel 2003/2002 tutorial or click here for our Excel 97 tutorial.

Lesson 1: Entering Text and Numbers

Microsoft Excel is an electronic spreadsheet that runs on a personal computer. You can use it to organize your data into rows and columns. You can also use it to perform mathematical calculations quickly. This tutorial teaches Microsoft Excel basics. Although knowledge of how to navigate in a Windows environment is helpful, this tutorial was created for the computer novice. This lesson will introduce you to the Excel window. You use the window to interact with Excel.

The Microsoft Excel Window The Microsoft Office Button The Quick Access Toolbar The Title Bar The Ribbon Worksheets The Formula Bar The Status Bar Move Around a Worksheet Go To Cells Quickly Select Cells Enter Data Edit a Cell Wrap Text Delete a Cell Entry Save a File Close Excel

Click here to start Lesson 1 Lesson 2: Entering Excel Formulas and Formatting Data
Lesson 1 familiarized you with the Excel 2007 window, taught you how to move around the window, and how to enter data. A major strength of Excel is that you can perform mathematical calculations and format your data. In this lesson, you learn how to perform basic mathematical calculations and how to format text and numerical data.

Set the Enter Key Direction Perform Mathematical Calculations AutoSum Perform Automatic Calculations Align Cell Entries Perform Advanced Mathematical Calculations Copy, Cut, Paste, and Cell Addressing Insert and Delete Columns and Rows Create Borders Merge and Center Add Background Color Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color Move to a New Worksheet Bold, Italicize, and Underline Work with Long Text Change a Column's Width Format Numbers

Click here to start Lesson 2 Lesson 3: Creating Excel Functions, Filling Cells, and Printing

By using functions, you can quickly and easily make many useful calculations, such as finding an average, the highest number, the lowest number, and a count of the number of items in a list. Microsoft Excel has many functions you can use. You can also use Microsoft Excel to fill cells automatically with a series.For example, you can have Excel automatically fill your worksheet with days of the week, months of the year, years, or other types of series. A header is text that appears at the top of every page of your printed worksheet. A footer is text that appears at the bottom of every page of your printed worksheet. You can use a header or footer to display among other things titles, page numbers, or logos. Once you have completed your Excel worksheet, you may want to print it. This lesson teaches you how to use functions, how to create a series, how to create headers and footers, and how to print.

Using Reference Operators Understanding Functions Fill Cells Automatically Create Headers and Footers Set Print Options Print

Click here to start Lesson 3 Lesson 4: Creating Charts

In Microsoft Excel, you can represent numbers in a chart. On the Insert tab, you can choose from a variety of chart types, including column, line, pie, bar, area, and scatter. The basic procedure for creating a chart is the same no matter what type of chart you choose. As you change your data, your chart will automatically Update. This lesson teaches you how to create a chart in Excel.

Create a Chart Apply a Chart Layout Add Labels Switch Data Change the Style of a Chart Change the Size and Position of a Chart Move A Chart to a Chart Sheet Change the Chart Type

Click here to start Lesson 4

Lesson 1: Entering Text and Numbers

The Microsoft Excel Window
Microsoft Excel is an electronic spreadsheet. You can use it to organize your data into rows and columns. You can also use it to perform mathematical calculations quickly. This tutorial teaches Microsoft Excel basics. Although knowledge of how to navigate in a Windows environment is helpful, this tutorial was created for the computer novice. This lesson will introduce you to the Excel window. You use the window to interact with Excel. To begin this lesson, start Microsoft Excel 2007. The Microsoft Excel window appears and your screen looks similar to the one shown here.

Note: Your screen will probably not look exactly like the screen shown. In Excel 2007, how a window displays depends on the size of your window, the size of your monitor, and the resolution to which your monitor is set. Resolution determines how much information your computer monitor can display. If you use a low resolution, less information fits on your screen, but the size of your text and images are larger. If you use a high resolution, more information fits on your screen, but the size of the text and images are smaller. Also, settings in Excel 2007, Windows Vista, and Windows XP allow you to change the color and style of your windows.

The Microsoft Office Button

In the upper-left corner of the Excel 2007 window is the Microsoft Office button. When you click the button, a menu appears. You can use the menu to create a new file, open an existing file, save a file, and perform many other tasks.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Next to the Microsoft Office button is the Quick Access toolbar. The Quick Access toolbar gives you with access to commands you frequently use. By default, Save, Undo, and Redo appear on the Quick Access toolbar. You can use Save to save your file, Undo to roll back an action you have taken, and Redo to reapply an action you have rolled back.

The Title Bar

Next to the Quick Access toolbar is the Title bar. On the Title bar, Microsoft Excel displays the name of the workbook you are currently using. At the top of the Excel window, you should see "Microsoft Excel - Book1" or a similar name.

The Ribbon

You use commands to tell Microsoft Excel what to do. In Microsoft Excel 2007, you use the Ribbon to issue commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the Excel window, below the Quick Access toolbar. At the top of the Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays several related command groups. Within each group are related command buttons. You click buttons to issue commands or to access menus and dialog boxes. You may also find a dialog box launcher in the bottom-right corner of a group. When you click the dialog box launcher, a dialog box makes additional commands available.

Worksheets

Microsoft Excel consists of worksheets. Each worksheet contains columns and rows. The columns are lettered A to Z and then continuing with AA, AB, AC and so on; the rows are numbered 1 to 1,048,576. The number of columns and rows you can have in a worksheet is limited by your computer memory and your system resources. The combination of a column coordinate and a row coordinate make up a cell address. For example, the cell located in the upper-left corner of the worksheet is cell A1, meaning column A, row 1. Cell E10 is located under column E on row 10. You enter your data into the cells on the worksheet.

The Formula Bar

Formula Bar If the Formula bar is turned on, the cell address of the cell you are in displays in the Name box which is located on the left side of the Formula bar. Cell entries display on the right side of the Formula bar. If you do not see the Formula bar in your window, perform the following steps: 1. 2. Choose the View tab. Click Formula Bar in the Show/Hide group. The Formula bar appears.

Note: The current cell address displays on the left side of the Formula bar.

The Status Bar

The Status bar appears at the very bottom of the Excel window and provides such information as the sum, average, minimum, and maximum value of selected numbers. You can change what displays on the Status bar by right-clicking on the Status bar and selecting the options you want from the Customize Status Bar menu. You click a menu item to select it. You click it again to deselect it. A check mark next to an item means the item is selected.

Move Around a Worksheet

By using the arrow keys, you can move around your worksheet. You can use the down arrow key to move downward one cell at a time. You can use the up arrow key to move upward one cell at a time. You can use the Tab key to move across the page to the right, one cell at a time. You can hold down the Shift key and then press the Tab key to move to the left, one cell at a time. You can use the right and left arrow keys to move right or left one cell at a time. The Page Up and Page Down keys move up and down one page at a time. If you hold down the Ctrl key and then press the Home key, you move to the beginning of the worksheet.

EXERCISE 1 Move Around the Worksheet The Down Arrow Key

Press the down arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves downward one cell at a time.

The Up Arrow Key

Press the up arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves upward one cell at a time.

The Tab Key

1. 2. Move to cell A1. Press the Tab key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the right one cell at a time.

The Shift+Tab Keys

Hold down the Shift key and then press Tab. Note that the cursor moves to the left one cell at a time.

The Right and Left Arrow Keys

1. 2. Press the right arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the right. Press the left arrow key several times. Note that the cursor moves to the left.

Page Up and Page Down

1. 2. Press the Page Down key. Note that the cursor moves down one page. Press the Page Up key. Note that the cursor moves up one page.

The Ctrl-Home Key

1. 2. 3. Move the cursor to column J. Stay in column J and move the cursor to row 20. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press the Home key. Excel moves to cell A1.

Go To Cells Quickly
The following are shortcuts for moving quickly from one cell in a worksheet to a cell in a different part of the worksheet.

EXERCISE 2 Go to -- F5
The F5 function key is the "Go To" key. If you press the F5 key, you are prompted for the cell to which you wish to go. Enter the cell address, and the cursor jumps to that cell. 1. Press F5. The Go To dialog box opens. Type J3 in the Reference field. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell J3.

2.
3.

Go to -- Ctrl+G
You can also use Ctrl+G to go to a specific cell. 1. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "g" (Ctrl+g). The Go To dialog box opens. Type C4 in the Reference field. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell C4.

2.
3.

The Name Box

You can also use the Name box to go to a specific cell. Just type the cell you want to go to in the Name box and then press Enter.

1.
2.

Type B10 in the Name box. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell B10.

Select Cells

If you wish to perform a function on a group of cells, you must first select those cells by highlighting them. The exercises that follow teach you how to select.

EXERCISE 3 Select Cells

To select cells A1 to E1: 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Go to cell A1. Press the F8 key. This anchors the cursor. Note that "Extend Selection" appears on the Status bar in the lower-left corner of the window. You are in the Extend mode. Click in cell E7. Excel highlights cells A1 to E7. Press Esc and click anywhere on the worksheet to clear the highlighting.

Alternative Method: Select Cells by Dragging

You can also select an area by holding down the left mouse button and dragging the mouse over the area. In addition, you can select noncontiguous areas of the worksheet by doing the following:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.

Go to cell A1. Hold down the Ctrl key. You won't release it until step 9. Holding down the Ctrl key enables you to select noncontiguous areas of the worksheet. Press the left mouse button. While holding down the left mouse button, use the mouse to move from cell A1 to C5. Continue to hold down the Ctrl key, but release the left mouse button. Using the mouse, place the cursor in cell D7. Press the left mouse button. While holding down the left mouse button, move to cell F10. Release the left mouse button. Release the Ctrl key. Cells A1 to C5 and cells D7 to F10 are selected. Press Esc and click anywhere on the worksheet to remove the highlighting.

Enter Data
In this section, you will learn how to enter data into your worksheet. First, place the cursor in the cell in which you want to start entering data. Type some data, and then press Enter. If you need to delete, press the Backspace key to delete one character at a time.

EXERCISE 4 Enter Data

1.

Place the cursor in cell A1. Type John Jordan. Do not press Enter at this time.

2.

Delete Data
The Backspace key erases one character at a time. 1. 2. Press the Backspace key until Jordan is erased. Press Enter. The name "John" appears in cell A1.

Edit a Cell
After you enter data into a cell, you can edit the data by pressing F2 while you are in the cell you wish to edit.

EXERCISE 5 Edit a Cell

Change "John" to "Jones." 1. 2. 3. Move to cell A1. Press F2. Use the Backspace key to delete the "n" and the "h." Type nes. Press Enter.

4.
5.

Alternate Method: Editing a Cell by Using the Formula Bar

You can also edit the cell by using the Formula bar. You change "Jones" to "Joker" in the following exercise.

1. 2.

Move the cursor to cell A1. Click in the formula area of the Formula bar.

3.

Use the backspace key to erase the "s," "e," and "n." Type ker. Press Enter.

4.
5.

Alternate Method: Edit a Cell by Double-Clicking in the Cell

You can change "Joker" to "Johnson" as follows:

1. 2. 3.

Move to cell A1. Double-click in cell A1. Press the End key. Your cursor is now at the end of your text.

3.

Use the Backspace key to erase "r," "e," and "k." Type hnson. Press Enter.

4.
5.

Change a Cell Entry

Typing in a cell replaces the old cell entry with the new information you type. 1. Move the cursor to cell A1. Type Cathy. Press Enter. The name "Cathy" replaces "Johnson."

2.
3.

Wrap Text
When you type text that is too long to fit in the cell, the text overlaps the next cell. If you do not want it to overlap the next cell, you can wrap the text.

EXERCISE 6 Wrap Text

1.

Move to cell A2. Type Text too long to fit. Press Enter.

2.
3.

4. 5.

Return to cell A2. Choose the Home tab. Click the Wrap Text button . Excel wraps the text in the cell.

6.

Delete a Cell Entry

To delete an entry in a cell or a group of cells, you place the cursor in the cell or select the group of cells and press Delete.

EXERCISE 7 Delete a Cell Entry

1. 2. Select cells A1 to A2. Press the Delete key.

Save a File
This is the end of Lesson1. To save your file: 1. 2. 3. Click the Office button. A menu appears. Click Save. The Save As dialog box appears. Go to the directory in which you want to save your file. Type Lesson1 in the File Name field. Click Save. Excel saves your file.

4.
5.

Close Excel
Close Microsoft Excel. 1. 2. Click the Office button. A menu appears. Click Close. Excel closes

Lesson 2: Entering Excel Formulas and Formatting Data

Lesson 1 familiarized you with the Excel 2007 window, taught you how to move around the window, and how to enter data. A major strength of Excel is that you can perform mathematical calculations and format your data. In this lesson, you learn how to perform basic mathematical calculations and how to format text and numerical data. To start this lesson, open Excel.

Set the Enter Key Direction

In Microsoft Excel, you can specify the direction the cursor moves when you press the Enter key. In the exercises that follow, the cursor must move down one cell when you press Enter. You can use the Direction box in the Excel Options pane to set the cursor to move up, down, left, right, or not at all. Perform the steps that follow to set the cursor to move down when you press the Enter key.

1. 2.

Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Excel Options in the lower-right corner. The Excel Options pane appears.

3. 4. 5. 6.

Click Advanced. If the check box next to After Pressing Enter Move Selection is not checked, click the box to check it. If Down does not appear in the Direction box, click the down arrow next to the Direction box and then click Down. Click OK. Excel sets the Enter direction to down.

Perform Mathematical Calculations

In Microsoft Excel, you can enter numbers and mathematical formulas into cells. Whether you enter a number or a formula, you can reference the cell when you perform mathematical calculations such as addition, subtraction, multiplication, or division. When entering a mathematical formula, precede the formula with an equal sign. Use the following to indicate the type of calculation you wish to perform: + Addition - Subtraction * Multiplication / Division ^ Exponential In the following exercises, you practice some of the methods you can use to move around a worksheet and you learn how to perform mathematical calculations. Refer to Lesson 1 to learn more about moving around a worksheet.

EXERCISE 1 Addition

1.
2.

Type Add in cell A1. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 1 in cell A2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 1 in cell A3. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type =A2+A3 in cell A4. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel adds cell A1 to cell A2 and displays the result in cell A4. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

3.
4.

5.
6.

7.
8.

Note: Clicking the check mark on the Formula bar is similar to pressing Enter. Excel records your entry but does not move to the next cell.

Subtraction

1.

Press F5. The Go To dialog box appears. Type B1 in the Reference field. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell B1.

2.
3.

4.
5.

Type Subtract. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 6 in cell B2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 3 in cell B3. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel subtracts cell B3 from cell B2 and the result displays in cell B4. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

6.
7.

8.
9. 11.

10. Type =B2-B3 in cell B4.

Multiplication
1. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "g" (Ctrl+g). The Go To dialog box appears. Type C1 in the Reference field. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell C1 Type Multiply. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 2 in cell C2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 3 in cell C3.

2.
3.

4.
5.

6.
7.

8.

9. 11.

Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel multiplies C1 by cell C2 and displays the result in cell C3. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

10. Type =C2*C3 in cell C4.

Division
1. Press F5. Type D1 in the Reference field. Press Enter. Excel moves to cell D1. Type Divide. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 6 in cell D2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 3 in cell D3. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Excel divides cell D2 by cell D3 and displays the result in cell D4. The formula displays on the Formula bar.

2.
3.

4.
5.

6. 7. 8.
9. 11.

10. Type =D2/D3 in cell D4.

When creating formulas, you can reference cells and include numbers. All of the following formulas are valid: =A2/B2 =A1+12-B3 =A2*B2+12 =24+53

AutoSum
You can use the AutoSum button on the Home tab to automatically add a column or row of numbers. When you press the AutoSum button , Excel selects the numbers it thinks you want to add. If you then click the check mark on the Formula bar or press the Enter key, Excel adds the numbers. If Excel's guess as to which numbers you want to add is wrong, you can select the cells you want.

EXERCISE 2 AutoSum
The following illustrates AutoSum:

1.

Go to cell F1. Type 3. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 3. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 3. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell to cell F4. Choose the Home tab. Click the AutoSum button in the Editing group. Excel selects cells F1 through F3 and enters a formula in cell F4.

2.
3.

4.
5.

6.
7. 8.

9.

10.

Press Enter. Excel adds cells F1 through F3 and displays the result in cell F4.

Perform Automatic Calculations

By default, Microsoft Excel recalculates the worksheet as you change cell entries. This makes it easy for you to correct mistakes and analyze a variety of scenarios.

EXERCISE 3 Automatic Calculation

Make the changes described below and note how Microsoft Excel automatically recalculates.

1.

Move to cell A2. Type 2. Press the right arrow key. Excel changes the result in cell A4. Excel adds cell A2 to cell A3 and the new result appears in cell A4. Move to cell B2. Type 8. Press the right arrow key. Excel subtracts cell B3 from cell B3 and the new result appears in cell B4. Move to cell C2. Type 4. Press the right arrow key. Excel multiplies cell C2 by cell C3 and the new result appears in cell C4. Move to cell D2. Press the Enter key. Excel divides cell D2 by cell D3 and the new result appears in cell D4.

2.
3. 4.

5.
6. 7.

8.
9. 10. 12.

11. Type 12.

Align Cell Entries

When you type text into a cell, by default your entry aligns with the left side of the cell. When you type numbers into a cell, by default your entry aligns with the right side of the cell. You can change the cell alignment. You can center, left-align, or right-align any cell entry. Look at cells A1 to D1. Note that they are aligned with the left side of the cell.

EXERCISE 4 Center
To center cells A1 to D1:

1. 2.

Select cells A1 to D1. Choose the Home tab. Click the Center button in the Alignment group. Excel centers each cell's content.

3.

Left-Align
To left-align cells A1 to D1:

1. 2.

Select cells A1 to D1. Choose the Home tab. Click the Align Text Left button in the Alignment group. Excel left-aligns each cell's content.

3.

Right-Align
To right-align cells A1 to D1:

1. 2.

Select cells A1 to D1. Click in cell A1. Choose the Home tab. Click the Align Text Right button. Excel right-aligns the cell's content. Click anywhere on your worksheet to clear the highlighting.

3.
4.

Note: You can also change the alignment of cells with numbers in them by using the alignment buttons.

Perform Advanced Mathematical Calculations

When you perform mathematical calculations in Excel, be careful of precedence. Calculations are performed from left to right, with multiplication and division performed before addition and subtraction.

EXERCISE 5 Advanced Calculations

1. Move to cell A7. Type =3+3+12/2*4. Press Enter.

2.
3.

Note: Microsoft Excel divides 12 by 2, multiplies the answer by 4, adds 3, and then adds another 3. The answer, 30, displays in cell A7.

To change the order of calculation, use parentheses. Microsoft Excel calculates the information in parentheses first. 1. Double-click in cell A7. Edit the cell to read =(3+3+12)/2*4. Press Enter.

2.
3.

Note: Microsoft Excel adds 3 plus 3 plus 12, divides the answer by 2, and then multiplies the result by 4. The answer, 36, displays in cell A7.

Copy, Cut, Paste, and Cell Addressing

In Excel, you can copy data from one area of a worksheet and place the data you copied anywhere in the same or another worksheet. In other words, after you type information into a worksheet, if you want to place the same information somewhere else, you do not have to retype the information. You simple copy it and then paste it in the new location. You can use Excel's Cut feature to remove information from a worksheet. Then you can use the Paste feature to place the information you cut anywhere in the same or another worksheet. In other words, you can move information from one place in a worksheet to another place in the same or different worksheet by using the Cut and Paste features. Microsoft Excel records cell addresses in formulas in three different ways, called absolute, relative, and mixed. The way a formula is recorded is important when you copy it. With relative cell addressing, when you copy a formula from one area of the worksheet to another, Excel records the position of the cell relative to the cell that originally contained the formula. With absolute cell addressing, when you copy a formula from one area of the worksheet to another, Excel references the same cells, no matter where you copy the formula. You can use mixed cell addressing to keep the row constant while the column changes, or vice versa. The following exercises demonstrate.

EXERCISE 6 Copy, Cut, Paste, and Cell Addressing

1. Move to cell A9. Type 1. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 1. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.

2. 3.

4.
5.

Type 1. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Move to cell B9. Type 2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell. Type 2. Press Enter. Excel moves down one cell.

6. 7. 8.

In addition to typing a formula as you did in Lesson 1, you can also enter formulas by using Point mode. When you are in Point mode, you can enter a formula either by clicking on a cell or by using the arrow keys. 1. Move to cell A12. Type =. Use the up arrow key to move to cell A9. Type +. Use the up arrow key to move to cell A10. Type +. Use the up arrow key to move to cell A11. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Look at the Formula bar. Note that the formula you entered is displayed there.

2.
3.

4.
5.

6.
7. 8.

Copy with the Ribbon

To copy the formula you just entered, follow these steps:

1. 2.

You should be in cell A12. Choose the Home tab. Click the Copy button in the Clipboard group. Excel copies the formula in cell A12.

3.

4.

Press the right arrow key once to move to cell B12. Click the Paste button in the Clipboard group. Excel pastes the formula in cell A12 into cell B12. Press the Esc key to exit the Copy mode.

5.
6.

Compare the formula in cell A12 with the formula in cell B12 (while in the respective cell, look at the Formula bar). The formulas are the same except that the formula in cell A12 sums the entries in column A and the formula in cell B12 sums the entries in column B. The formula was copied in a relative fashion. Before proceeding with the next part of the exercise, you must copy the information in cells A7 to B9 to cells C7 to D9. This time you will copy by using the Mini toolbar.

Copy with the Mini Toolbar

1. 2. 3.

Select cells A9 to B11. Move to cell A9. Press the Shift key. While holding down the Shift key, press the down arrow key twice. Press the right arrow key once. Excel highlights A9 to B11. Right-click. A context menu and a Mini toolbar appear. Click Copy, which is located on the context menu. Excel copies the information in cells A9 to B11.

4. 5. 6.

Move to cell C9. Right-click. A context menu appears. Click Paste. Excel copies the contents of cells A9 to B11 to cells C9 to C11.

7.

Press Esc to exit Copy mode.

Absolute Cell Addressing

You make a cell address an absolute cell address by placing a dollar sign in front of the row and column identifiers. You can do this automatically by using the F4 key. To illustrate: 1. Move to cell C12. Type =. Click cell C9. Press F4. Dollar signs appear before the C and the 9. Type +. Click cell C10. Press F4. Dollar signs appear before the C and the 10. Type +. Click cell C11. Press F4. Dollar signs appear before the C and the 11. Click the check mark on the formula bar. Excel records the formula in cell C12.

2.
3. 4.

5.
6. 7.

8.
9. 10. 11.

Copy and Paste with Keyboard Shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts are key combinations that enable you to perform tasks by using the keyboard. Generally, you press and hold down a key while pressing a letter. For example, Ctrl+c means you should press and hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "c." This tutorial notates key combinations as follows: Press Ctrl+c.

Now copy the formula from C12 to D12. This time, copy by using keyboard shortcuts. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Move to cell C12. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "c" (Ctrl+c). Excel copies the contents of cell C12. Press the right arrow once. Excel moves to D12. Hold down the Ctrl key while you press "v" (Ctrl+v). Excel pastes the contents of cell C12 into cell D12. Press Esc to exit the Copy mode.

Compare the formula in cell C12 with the formula in cell D12 (while in the respective cell, look at the Formula bar). The formulas are exactly the same. Excel copied the formula from cell C12 to cell D12. Excel copied the formula in an absolute fashion. Both formulas sum column C.

Mixed Cell Addressing

You use mixed cell addressing to reference a cell when you want to copy part of it absolute and part relative. For example, the row can be absolute and the column relative. You can use the F4 key to create a mixed cell reference. 1. Move to cell E1. Type =. Press the up arrow key once. Press F4. Press F4 again. Note that the column is relative and the row is absolute. Press F4 again. Note that the column is absolute and the row is relative. Press Esc.

2.
3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Cut and Paste

You can move data from one area of a worksheet to another.

1. 2.

Select cells D9 to D12 Choose the Home tab.

3.
4.

Click the Cut Move to cell G1.

button.

5.

Click the Paste button

. Excel moves the contents of cells D9 to D12 to cells G1 to G4.

The keyboard shortcut for Cut is Ctrl+x. The steps for cutting and pasting with a keyboard shortcut are: 1. 2. 3. 4. Select the cells you want to cut and paste. Press Ctrl+x. Move to the upper-left corner of the block of cells into which you want to paste. Press Ctrl+v. Excel cuts and pastes the cells you selected.

Insert and Delete Columns and Rows

You can insert and delete columns and rows. When you delete a column, you delete everything in the column from the top of the worksheet to the bottom of the worksheet. When you delete a row, you delete the entire row from left to right. Inserting a column or row inserts a completely new column or row.

EXERCISE 7 Insert and Delete Columns and Rows

To delete columns F and G:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Click the column F indicator and drag to column G. Click the down arrow next to Delete in the Cells group. A menu appears. Click Delete Sheet Columns. Excel deletes the columns you selected. Click anywhere on the worksheet to remove your selection.

To delete rows 7 through 12:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Click the row 7 indicator and drag to row 12. Click the down arrow next to Delete in the Cells group. A menu appears. Click Delete Sheet Rows. Excel deletes the rows you selected. Click anywhere on the worksheet to remove your selection.

To insert a column: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click on A to select column A. Click the down arrow next to Insert in the Cells group. A menu appears. Click Insert Sheet Columns. Excel inserts a new column. Click anywhere on the worksheet to remove your selection.

To insert rows: 1. 2. 3. 4. Click on 1 and then drag down to 2 to select rows 1 and 2. Click the down arrow next to Insert in the Cells group. A menu appears. Click Insert Sheet Rows. Excel inserts two new rows. Click anywhere on the worksheet to remove your selection.

Your worksheet should look like the one shown here.

Create Borders
You can use borders to make entries in your Excel worksheet stand out. You can choose from several types of borders. When you press the down arrow next to the Border button , a menu appears. By making the proper selection from the menu, you can place a border on the top, bottom, left, or right side of the selected cells; on all sides; or around the outside border. You can have a thick outside border or a border with a single-line top and a double-line bottom. Accountants usually place a single underline above a final number and a double underline below. The following illustrates:

EXERCISE 8 Create Borders

1.

Select cells B6 to E6.

2.

Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Borders button . A menu appears. Click Top and Double Bottom Border. Excel adds the border you chose to the selected cells.

3.
4.

Merge and Center

Sometimes, particularly when you give a title to a section of your worksheet, you will want to center a piece of text over several columns or rows. The following example shows you how.

EXERCISE 9 Merge and Center

1.

Go to cell B2. Type Sample Worksheet. Click the check mark on the Formula bar. Select cells B2 to E2. Choose the Home tab. Click the Merge and Center button in the Alignment group. Excel merges cells B2, C2, D2, and E2 and then centers the content.

2.
3. 4. 5.

6.

Note: To unmerge cells: 1. 2. Select the cell you want to unmerge. Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Merge and Center button. Click Unmerge Cells. Excel unmerges the cells. A menu appears.

3.
4.

Add Background Color

To make a section of your worksheet stand out, you can add background color to a cell or group of cells.

EXERCISE 10 Add Background Color

1.

Select cells B2 to E3.

2.

Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Fill Color button . Click the color dark blue. Excel places a dark blue background in the cells you selected.

3.
4.

Change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color

A font is a set of characters represented in a single typeface. Each character within a font is created by using the same basic style. Excel provides many different fonts from which you can choose. The size of a font is measured in points. There are 72 points to an inch. The number of points assigned to a font is based on the distance from the top to the bottom of its longest character. You can change the Font, Font Size, and Font Color of the data you enter into Excel.

EXERCISE 11 Change the Font

1. Select cells B2 to E3.

2.

Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Font box. A list of fonts appears. As you scroll down the list of fonts, Excel provides a preview of the font in the cell you selected. Find and click Times New Roman in the Font box. Note: If Times New Roman is your default font, click another font. Excel changes the font in the selected cells.

3. 4.

Change the Font Size

1. 2. 3. 4.

Select cell B2. Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Font Size box. A list of font sizes appears. As you scroll up or down the list of font sizes, Excel provides a preview of the font size in the cell you selected. Click 26. Excel changes the font size in cell B2 to 26.

Change the Font Color

1. 2.

Select cells B2 to E3. Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Font Color button .

3.

4.

Click on the color white. Your font color changes to white.

Your worksheet should look like the one shown here.

Move to a New Worksheet

In Microsoft Excel, each workbook is made up of several worksheets. Each worksheet has a tab. By default, a workbook has three sheets and they are named sequentially, starting with Sheet1. The name of the worksheet appears on the tab. Before moving to the next topic, move to a new worksheet. The exercise that follows shows you how.

EXERCISE 12 Move to a New Worksheet

Click Sheet2 in the lower-left corner of the screen. Excel moves to Sheet2.

Bold, Italicize, and Underline

When creating an Excel worksheet, you may want to emphasize the contents of cells by bolding, italicizing, and/or underlining. You can easily bold, italicize, or underline text with Microsoft Excel. You can also combine these featuresin other words, you can bold, italicize, and underline a single piece of text. In the exercises that follow, you will learn different methods you can use to bold, italicize, and underline.

EXERCISE 13 Bold with the Ribbon

1.
2. 3.

Type Bold in cell A1. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar. Choose the Home tab. Click the Bold button Click the Bold button . Excel bolds the contents of the cell. again if you wish to remove the bold.

4. 5.

Italicize with the Ribbon

1.
2. 3.

Type Italic in cell B1. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar. Choose the Home tab. Click the Italic button Click the Italic button . Excel italicizes the contents of the cell. again if you wish to remove the italic.

4. 5.

Underline with the Ribbon

Microsoft Excel provides two types of underlines. The exercises that follow illustrate them. Single Underline:

1.
2. 3.

Type Underline in cell C1. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar. Choose the Home tab. Click the Underline button Click the Underline button . Excel underlines the contents of the cell. again if you wish to remove the underline.

4. 5.

Double Underline

1.
2. 3.

Type Underline in cell D1. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar. Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Underline button button changes to the button shown here and then click Double Underline. Excel double-underlines the contents of the cell. Note that the Underline

4.

, a D with a double underline under it. Then next time you click the Underline button, you will get a double and then choose Underline.

5.

underline. If you want a single underline, click the down arrow next to the Double Underline button Click the double underline button again if you wish to remove the double underline.

Bold, Underline, and Italicize

1.
2. 3. Type All three in cell E1. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar. Choose the Home tab. Click the Bold button Click the Italic button Click the Underline button . Excel bolds the cell contents. . Excel italicizes the cell contents. . Excel underlines the cell contents.

4. 5. 6.

Alternate Method: Bold with Shortcut Keys

1.
2. 3. 4. Type Bold in cell A2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "b" (Ctrl+b). Excel bolds the contents of the cell. Press Ctrl+b again if you wish to remove the bolding.

Alternate Method: Italicize with Shortcut Keys

1.
2. 3. 4. Type Italic in cell B2. Note: Because you previously entered the word Italic in column B, Excel may enter the word in the cell automatically after you type the letter I. Excel does this to speed up your data entry. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "i" (Ctrl+i). Excel italicizes the contents of the cell. Press Ctrl+i again if you wish to remove the italic formatting.

Alternate Method: Underline with Shortcut Keys

1.
2. 3. 4. Type Underline in cell C2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "u" (Ctrl+u). Excel applies a single underline to the cell contents. Press Ctrl+u again if you wish to remove the underline.

Bold, Italicize, and Underline with Shortcut Keys

1.
2. 3. 4. 5. Type All three in cell D2. Click the check mark located on the Formula bar. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "b" (Ctrl+b). Excel bolds the cell contents. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "i" (Ctrl+i). Excel italicizes the cell contents. Hold down the Ctrl key while pressing "u" (Ctrl+u). Excel applies a single underline to the cell contents.

Work with Long Text

Whenever you type text that is too long to fit into a cell, Microsoft Excel attempts to display all the text. It left-aligns the text regardless of the alignment you have assigned to it, and it borrows space from the blank cells to the right. However, a long text entry will never write over cells that already contain entriesinstead, the cells that contain entries cut off the long text. The following exercise illustrates this.

EXERCISE 14 Work with Long Text

1.

Move to cell A6. Type Now is the time for all good men to go to the aid of their army. Press Enter. Everything that does not fit into cell A6 spills over into the adjacent cell.

2.
3.

4.

Move to cell B6. Type Test. Press Enter. Excel cuts off the entry in cell A6.

5.
6.

7. 8.

Move to cell A6. Look at the Formula bar. The text is still in the cell.

Change A Column's Width

You can increase column widths. Increasing the column width enables you to see the long text.

EXERCISE 15 Change Column Width

1. 2. 3. 4.

Make sure you are in any cell under column A. Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to Format in the Cells group. Click Column Width. The Column Width dialog box appears. Type 55 in the Column Width field. Click OK. Column A is set to a width of 55. You should now be able to see all of the text.

5.
6.

Change a Column Width by Dragging

You can also change the column width with the cursor.

1. 2.
3.

Place the mouse pointer on the line between the B and C column headings. The mouse pointer should look like the one displayed here Move your mouse to the right while holding down the left mouse button. The width indicator Release the left mouse button when the width indicator shows approximately 20. Excel increases the column width to 20.

, with two arrows.

appears on the screen.

Format Numbers
You can format the numbers you enter into Microsoft Excel. For example, you can add commas to separate thousands, specify the number of decimal places, place a dollar sign in front of a number, or display a number as a percent.

EXERCISE 16 Format Numbers

1.

Move to cell B8. Type 1234567. Click the check mark on the Formula bar.

2.
3.

4. 5. 6.

Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Number Format box. A menu appears. Click Number. Excel adds two decimal places to the number you typed.

7. 8. 9.

Click the Comma Style button

. Excel separates thousands with a comma. . Excel adds a dollar sign to your number. to change the number format to four decimal places.

Click the Accounting Number Format button Click twice on the Increase Decimal button

10. Click the Decrease Decimal button

if you wish to decrease the number of decimal places.

Change a decimal to a percent.

1.

Move to cell B9. Type .35 (note the decimal point). Click the check mark on the formula bar.

2.
3.

4.

Choose the Home tab. Click the Percent Style button . Excel turns the decimal to a percent.

5.

This is the end of Lesson 2. You can save and close your file. See Lesson 1 to learn how to save and close a file

Lesson 3: Creating Excel Functions, Filling Cells, and Printing

By using functions, you can quickly and easily make many useful calculations, such as finding an average, the highest number, the lowest number, and a count of the number of items in a list. Microsoft Excel has many functions that you can use.

Using Reference Operators

To use functions, you need to understand reference operators. Reference operators refer to a cell or a group of cells. There are two types of reference operators: range and union. A range reference refers to all the cells between and including the reference. A range reference consists of two cell addresses separated by a colon. The reference A1:A3 includes cells A1, A2, and A3. The reference A1:C3 includes cells A1, A2, A3, B1, B2, B3, C1, C2, and C3. A union reference includes two or more references. A union reference consists of two or more numbers, range references, or cell addresses separated by a comma. The reference A7,B8:B10,C9,10 refers to cells A7, B8 to B10, C9 and the number 10.

Understanding Functions
Functions are prewritten formulas. Functions differ from regular formulas in that you supply the value but not the operators, such as +, -, *, or /. For example, you can use the SUM function to add. When using a function, remember the following: Use an equal sign to begin a formula. Specify the function name. Enclose arguments within parentheses. Arguments are values on which you want to perform the calculation. For example, arguments specify the numbers or cells you want to add. Use a comma to separate arguments. Here is an example of a function: =SUM(2,13,A1,B2:C7) In this function: The equal sign begins the function. SUM is the name of the function. 2, 13, A1, and B2:C7 are the arguments.

Parentheses enclose the arguments. Commas separate the arguments. After you type the first letter of a function name, the AutoComplete list appears. You can double-click on an item in the AutoComplete list to complete your entry quickly. Excel will complete the function name and enter the first parenthesis.

EXERCISE 1 Functions
The SUM function adds argument values.

1.

Open Microsoft Excel. Type 12 in cell B1. Press Enter. Type 27 in cell B2. Press Enter. Type 24 in cell B3. Press Enter. Type =SUM(B1:B3) in cell A4. Press Enter. The sum of cells B1 to B3, which is 63, appears.

2.
3.

4.
5.

6.
7.

8.
9.

Alternate Method: Enter a Function with the Ribbon

1.
2.

Type 150 in cell C1. Press Enter. Type 85 in cell C2. Press Enter. Type 65 in cell C3. Choose the Formulas tab. Click the Insert Function button. The Insert Function dialog box appears.

3.
4.

5.
6. 7.

8. 9. 10.

Choose Math & Trig in the Or Select A Category box. Click Sum in the Select A Function box. Click OK. The Function Arguments dialog box appears.

12. Type C1:C3 in the Number1 field, if it does not automatically appear.
13. Click OK. The sum of cells C1 to C3, which is 300, appears.

Format worksheet

1.

Move to cell A4. Type the word Sum. Select cells B4 to C4. Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the Borders button Click Top and Double Bottom Border. .

2.
3. 4.

5.
6.

As you learned in Lesson 2, you can also calculate a sum by using the AutoSum button

Calculate an Average
You can use the AVERAGE function to calculate the average of a series of numbers.

1.

Move to cell A6. Type Average. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B6. Type =AVERAGE(B1:B3). Press Enter. The average of cells B1 to B3, which is 21, appears.

2. 3.
4.

Calculate an Average with the AutoSum Button

In Microsoft Excel, you can use the AutoSum button to calculate an average.

1. 2.

Move to cell C6. Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the AutoSum button Click Average. .

3.
4.

5. 6.

Select cells C1 to C3. Press Enter. The average of cells C1 to C3, which is 100, appears.

Find the Lowest Number

You can use the MIN function to find the lowest number in a series of numbers.

1.

Move to cell A7.

2.
3.

Type Min. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B7. Type = MIN(B1:B3). Press Enter. The lowest number in the series, which is 12, appears.

4.
5.

Note: You can also use the drop-down button next to the AutoSum button

to calculate minimums, maximums, and counts.

Find the Highest Number

You can use the MAX function to find the highest number in a series of numbers.

. 1. Move to cell A8. Type Max. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B8. Type = MAX(B1:B3). Press Enter. The highest number in the series, which is 27, appears.

2.
3.

4.
5.

Count the Numbers in a Series of Numbers

You can use the count function to count the number of numbers in a series.

1.

Move to cell A9. Type Count. Press the right arrow key to move to cell B9. Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the AutoSum button . Click Count Numbers. Excel places the count function in cell C9 and takes a guess at which cells you want to count. The guess is incorrect, so you must select the proper cells.

2.
3. 4.

5.
6.

7. 8.

Select B1 to B3. Press Enter. The number of items in the series, which is 3, appears.

Fill Cells Automatically

You can use Microsoft Excel to fill cells automatically with a series. For example, you can have Excel automatically fill your worksheet with days of the week, months of the year, years, or other types of series.

EXERCISE 2 Fill Cells Automatically

The following demonstrates filling the days of the week:

1. 2.

Click the Sheet2 tab. Excel moves to Sheet2. Move to cell A1. Type Sun. Move to cell B1. Type Sunday. Select cells A1 to B1. Choose the Home tab. Click the Bold button . Excel bolds cells A1 to B1. Find the small black square in the lower-right corner of the selected area. The small black square is called the fill handle. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to fill cells A1 to B14. Note how the days of the week fill the cells in a series. Also, note that the Auto Fill Options button appears.

3.
4.

5.
6. 7.

8.
9. 10.

Copy Cells

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Click the Auto Fill Options button. The Auto Fill Options menu appears. Choose the Copy Cells radio button. The entry in cells A1 and B1 are copied to all the highlighted cells. Click the Auto Fill Options button again. Choose the Fill Series radio button. The cells fill as a series from Sunday to Saturday again. Click the Auto Fill Options button again. Choose the Fill Without Formatting radio button. The cells fill as a series from Sunday to Saturday, but the entries are not bolded. Click the Auto Fill Options button again. Choose the Fill Weekdays radio button. The cells fill as a series from Monday to Friday.

Adjust Column Width

Some of the entries in column B are too long to fit in the column. You can quickly adjust the column width to fit the longest entry.

1.

Move your mouse pointer over the line that separates column B and C. The Width Indicator appears.

2.

Double-click. The Column adjusts to fit the longest entry.

After you complete the remainder of the exercise, your worksheet will look like the one shown here.

Fill Times
The following demonstrates filling time:

1.
2. 3.

Type 1:00 into cell C1. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells C1 to C14. Note that each cell fills, using military time. Press Esc and then click anywhere on the worksheet to remove the highlighting.

To change the format of the time: 1. 2. Select cells C1 to C14. Choose the Home tab. Click the down arrow next to the number format box Click Time. Excel changes the format of the time. . A menu appears.

3.
4.

Fill Numbers
You can also fill numbers. Type a 1 in cell D1. 1. 2. 3. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells D1 to D14. The number 1 fills each cell. Click the Auto Fill Options button. Choose the Fill Series radio button. The cells fill as a series, starting with 1, 2, 3.

Here is another interesting fill feature. 1. Go to cell E1. Type Lesson 1. Grab the fill handle and drag with your mouse to highlight cells E1 to E14. The cells fill in as a series: Lesson 1, Lesson 2, Lesson 3, and so on.

2.
3.

Create Headers and Footers

You can use the Header & Footer button on the Insert tab to create headers and footers. A header is text that appears at the top of every page of your printed worksheet. A footer is text that appears at the bottom of every page of your printed worksheet. When you click the Header & Footer button, the Design context tab appears and Excel changes to Page Layout view. A context tab is a tab that only appears when you need it. Page Layout view structures your worksheet so that you can easily change the format of your document. You usually work in Normal view. You can type in your header or footer or you can use predefined headers and footers. To find predefined headers and footers, click the Header or Footer button or use the Header & Footer Elements group's buttons. When you choose a header or footer by clicking the Header or Footer button, Excel centers your choice. The table shown here describes each of the Header & Footer Elements group button options.

Header & Footer Elements Button Page Number Number of Pages Current Time File Path File Name Sheet Name Picture Purpose Inserts the page number. Inserts the number of pages in the document. Inserts the current time. Inserts the path to the document. Inserts the file name. Inserts the name of the worksheet. Enables you to insert a picture.

Both the header and footer areas are divided into three sections: left, right, and center. When you choose a Header or Footer from the Header & Footer Elements group, where you place your information determines whether it appears on the left, right, or center of the printed page. You use the Go To Header and Go To Footer buttons on the Design tab to move between the header and footer areas of your worksheet.

EXERCISE 3 Insert Headers and Footers

1. 2.

Choose the Insert tab. Click the Header & Footer button in the Text group. Your worksheet changes to Page Layout view and the Design context tab appears. Note that your cursor is located in the center section of the header area.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Click the right side of the header area. Click Page Number in the Header & Footer Elements group. When you print your document, Excel will place the page number in the upper-right corner. Click the left side of the Header area. Type your name. When you print your document, Excel will place your name in the upper-left corner. Click the Go To Footer button. Excel moves to the footer area.

8. 9.

Click the Footer button. A menu appears. Click the path to your document. Excel will place the path to your document at the bottom of every printed page.

Return to Normal View

To return to Normal view: 1. Choose the View tab. Click the Normal button in the Workbook Views group.

2.

Set Print Options

There are many print options. You set print options on the Page Layout tab. Among other things, you can set your margins, set your page orientation, and select your paper size. Margins define the amount of white space that appears on the top, bottom, left, and right edges of your document. The Margin option on the Page Layout tab provides several standard margin sizes from which you can choose. There are two page orientations: portrait and landscape. Paper, such as paper sized 8 1/2 by 11, is longer on one edge than it is on the other. If you print in Portrait, the shortest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page. Portrait is the default option. If you print in Landscape, the longest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page.

Portrait

Landscape
Paper comes in a variety of sizes. Most business correspondence uses 8 1/2 by 11 paper, which is the default page size in Excel. If you are not using 8 1/2 by 11 paper, you can use the Size option on the Page Layout tab to change the Size setting.

EXERCISE 4 Set the Page Layout

1. 2. 3.

Choose the Page Layout tab. Click Margins in the Page Setup group. A menu appears. Click Wide. Word sets your margins to the Wide settings.

Set the Page Orientation

1. 2. 3.

Choose the Page Layout tab. Click Orientation in the Page Setup group. A menu appears. Click Landscape. Excel sets your page orientation to landscape.

Set the Paper Size

1. 2. 3.

Choose the Page Layout tab. Click Size in the Page Setup group. A menu appears. Click the paper size you are using. Excel sets your page size.

Print
The simplest way to print is to click the Office button, highlight Print on the menu that appears, and then click Quick Print in the Preview and Print the Document pane. Dotted lines appear on your screen, and your document prints. The dotted lines indicate the right, left, top, and bottom edges of your printed pages. You can also use the Print Preview option to print. When using Print Preview, you can see onscreen how your printed document will look when you print it. If you click the Page Setup button while in Print Preview mode, you can set page settings such as centering your data on the page. If your document is several pages long, you can use the Next Page and Previous Page buttons to move forward and backward through your document. If you check the Show Margins check box, you will see margin lines on your document. You can click and drag the margin markers to increase or decrease the size of your margins. To return to Excel, click the Close Print Preview button. You click the Print button when you are ready to print. The Print dialog box appears. You can choose to print the entire worksheet or specific pages. If you want to print specific pages, enter the page numbers in the From and To fields. You can enter the number of copies you want to print in the Number of Copies field.

EXERCISE 5 Open Print Preview

1. 2. 3.

Click the Office button. A menu appears. Highlight Print. The Preview and Print The Document pane appears. Click Print Preview. The Print Preview window appears, with your document in the center.

Center Your Document

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Click the Page Setup button in the Print group. The Page Setup dialog box appears. Choose the Margins tab. Click the Horizontally check box. Excel centers your data horizontally. Click the Vertically check box. Excel centers your data vertically. Click OK. The Page Setup dialog box closes.

Print

1. 2. 3.

Click the Print button. The Print dialog box appears. Click the down arrow next to the name field and select the printer to which you want to print. Click OK. Excel sends your worksheet to the printer.

This is the end of Lesson 3. You can save and close your file

Lesson 4: Creating Charts

In Microsoft Excel, you can represent numbers in a chart. On the Insert tab, you can choose from a variety of chart types, including column, line, pie, bar, area, and scatter. The basic procedure for creating a chart is the same no matter what type of chart you choose. As you change your data, your chart will automatically update. You select a chart type by choosing an option from the Insert tab's Chart group. After you choose a chart type, such as column, line, or bar, you choose a chart sub-type. For example, after you choose Column Chart, you can choose to have your chart represented as a two-dimensional chart, a three-dimensional chart, a cylinder chart, a cone chart, or a pyramid chart. There are further sub-types within each of these categories. As you roll your mouse pointer over each option, Excel supplies a brief description of each chart sub-type.

Create a Chart

To create the column chart shown above, start by creating the worksheet below exactly as shown.

After you have created the worksheet, you are ready to create your chart.

EXERCISE 1 Create a Column Chart

.
1.
2. 3. 4. Select cells A3 to D6. You must select all the cells containing the data you want in your chart. You should also include the data labels. Choose the Insert tab. Click the Column button in the Charts group. A list of column chart sub-types types appears. Click the Clustered Column chart sub-type. Excel creates a Clustered Column chart and the Chart Tools context tabs appear.

Apply a Chart Layout

Context tabs are tabs that only appear when you need them. Called Chart Tools, there are three chart context tabs: Design, Layout, and Format. The tabs become available when you create a new chart or when you click on a chart. You can use these tabs to customize your chart. You can determine what your chart displays by choosing a layout. For example, the layout you choose determines whether your chart displays a title, where the title displays, whether your chart has a legend, where the legend displays, whether the chart has axis labels and so on. Excel provides several layouts from which you can choose.

EXERCISE 2 Apply a Chart Layout

1. 2. 3. 4.

Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available. Choose the Design tab. Click the Quick Layout button in the Chart Layout group. A list of chart layouts appears. Click Layout 5. Excel applies the layout to your chart.

Add Labels
When you apply a layout, Excel may create areas where you can insert labels. You use labels to give your chart a title or to label your axes. When you applied layout 5, Excel created label areas for a title and for the vertical axis.

EXERCISE 3 Add labels

Before
1.

After

Select Chart Title. Click on Chart Title and then place your cursor before the C in Chart and hold down the Shift key while you use the right arrow key to highlight the words Chart Title. Type Toy Sales. Excel adds your title. Select Axis Title. Click on Axis Title. Place your cursor before the A in Axis. Hold down the Shift key while you use the right arrow key to highlight the words Axis Title. Type Sales. Excel labels the axis. Click anywhere on the chart to end your entry.

2.
3.

4.
5.

Switch Data
If you want to change what displays in your chart, you can switch from row data to column data and vice versa.

EXERCISE 4 Switch Data

Before
1. 2. 3. Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available. Choose the Design tab. Click the Switch Row/Column button in the Data group. Excel changes the data in your chart.

After

Change the Style of a Chart

A style is a set of formatting options. You can use a style to change the color and format of your chart. Excel 2007 has several predefined styles that you can use. They are numbered from left to right, starting with 1, which is located in the upper-left corner.

EXERCISE 5 Change the Style of a Chart

1. 2.

Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available. Choose the Design tab. Click the More button in the Chart Styles group. The chart styles appear.

3.

4.

Click Style 42. Excel applies the style to your chart.

Change the Size and Position of a Chart

When you click a chart, handles appear on the right and left sides, the top and bottom, and the corners of the chart. You can drag the handles on the top and bottom of the chart to increase or decrease the height of the chart. You can drag the handles on the left and right sides to increase or decrease the width of the chart. You can drag the handles on the corners to increase or decrease the size of the chart proportionally. You can change the position of a chart by clicking on an unused area of the chart and dragging.

EXERCISE 6 Change the Size and Position of a Chart

1. 2.

Use the handles to adjust the size of your chart. Click an unused portion of the chart and drag to position the chart beside the data.

Move a Chart to a Chart Sheet

By default, when you create a chart, Excel embeds the chart in the active worksheet. However, you can move a chart to another worksheet or to a chart sheet. A chart sheet is a sheet dedicated to a particular chart. By default Excel names each chart sheet sequentially, starting with Chart1. You can change the name.

EXERCISE 7 Move a Chart to a Chart Sheet

1. 2. 3.

Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available. Choose the Design tab. Click the Move Chart button in the Location group. The Move Chart dialog box appears.

4. 5.

Click the New Sheet radio button. Type Toy Sales to name the chart sheet. Excel creates a chart sheet named Toy Sales and places your chart on it.

Change the Chart Type

Any change you can make to a chart that is embedded in a worksheet, you can also make to a chart sheet. For example, you can change the chart type from a column chart to a bar chart.

EXERCISE 8 Change the Chart Type

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Click your chart. The Chart Tools become available. Choose the Design tab. Click Change Chart Type in the Type group. The Chart Type dialog box appears. Click Bar. Click Clustered Horizontal Cylinder. Click OK. Excel changes your chart type.

You have reached the end of Lesson 4. You can save and close your file

Microsoft Access 2007 TutorialFree & Online

By Denise Etheridge You can use this free online tutorial to learn Microsoft Access 2007.Click here to start the tutorial.

Lesson 1: Getting Familiar with Microsoft Access 2007 for Windows

Microsoft Access is a database software package. A database is an organized collection of records. Telephone and address books are examples of paper databases. With Access, you can create a computerized database. For example, you can use Access to organize the students who attend a school, the courses they take, and the instructors who teach them. After you create an Access database, you can search it, manipulate it, and extract information from it. This lesson introduces you to Access windows and teaches you how to create a database.

Getting Started Understanding Security The Navigation Pane The Microsoft Office Button The Quick Access Toolbar The Title Bar The Ribbon Access Objects Change Views Close a Database and Exit Access Create a Database Create a Blank Database

Lesson 2: Creating Microsoft Access Tables

Tables are the foundation of an Access database. Access stores data in tables. This lesson teaches you how to create a table, add fields to a table, assign data types to fields, and set field properties.

Understanding Tables Name and Save a Table Understanding Data Types Explicitly Assign Data Types and Formats Understanding Design View Create a Lookup Column

Lesson 3: Working with Microsoft Access Tables

After you create an Access table, you can modify it, enter data into it manually or import data from somewhere else, such as Excel. This lesson teaches you how to modify a table and enter data.

Enter Records

Import a Table into Access from Excel

Modify a Table Move around a Table Select Columns and Rows Delete a Record Resize a Column or Row

Lesson 4: Sorting, Filtering, and Creating Relationships

You can sort Access data so you can view records in the order you want to view them, and you can filter data so you only see the records you want to see. This lesson teaches you how to sort and filter an Access table. Access data is stored in multiple tables. Relationships join tables together so you can work with the data from multiple tables. This lesson also teaches you how to create relationships.

Sort a Table Filter a Table Apply a Specialized Filter

Hide Columns Freeze Columns Format a Table Compute Totals Find and Replace Create Relationships

Lesson 5: Creating Microsoft Access Queries

You can use a query to view a subset of your data or to answer questions about your data. For example, if you want to view a list of student names and email addresses, but you do not want to see addresses and other data, you can create a query that displays the students first name, last name, and email address only. Alternatively, if you want to know which students live in DE, you can restrict your list to those students. This lesson teaches you how to create a query.

Open Tables or Queries in Query Design View Display All Records and All Fields Change from Datasheet View to Query Design View Retrieve a Single Column Retrieve Multiple Columns Sort a Query Sort Multiple Columns in a Query Retrieve Specific Records Apply Multiple Criteria Create a Query That Uses Two or More Tables Save a Query Modify a Query Use a Query to Make a Table Create a Parameter Query

Lesson 6: Creating Forms

Access forms are much like paper forms: you can use them to enter, edit, or display data. They are based on tables. When using a form, you can choose the format, the arrangement, and which fields you want to display. This lesson teaches you how to create forms.

Using the Form Button Create a Split Form Create a Multiple Items Form Modify a Form

Lesson 7: Creating Reports

Reports organize and summarize data for viewing online or for printing. A detail report displays all of the selected records. You can include summary data such as totals, counts, and percentages in a detail report. A summary report does not list the selected records but instead summarizes the data and presents totals, counts, percentages, or other summary data only. Access has several report generation tools that you can use to create both detail and summary reports quickly. This lesson teaches you how to create reports.

Use the Report Button Use the Report Wizard Modify a Report Create Mailing Labels Print a Report

Lesson 1: Getting Familiar with Microsoft Access 2007 for Windows

Microsoft Access is a database software package. A database is an organized collection of records. Telephone and address books are examples of paper databases. With Access, you can create a computerized database. For example, you can use Access to organize the students who attend a school, the courses they take, and the instructors who teach them. After you create an Access database, you can search it, manipulate it, and extract information from it. This lesson introduces you to Access windows and teaches you how to create a database.

Getting Started
You use windows to interact with Access. To begin, start Access 2007. You screen will look similar to the one shown here.

Northwind is a sample database you can download from the Microsoft website. I will use the Northwind database to introduce you to Access windows. If the Northwind database is already on your system, open it, otherwise download it and then open it.

To open Northwind:
1. 2. 3. 4. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Open. The Open dialog box appears. Locate the Northwind database. Click the Open button. Access opens the Northwind database.

To download Northwind, connect to the Internet and then follow these steps:

1. 2.

Click Sample. The Northwind 2007 icon appears in the center of the window. Click the Northwind icon.

3. 4. 5. 6.

Click the Browse button. The File New Database window appears. Locate the folder in which you want to save the Northwind database. Click OK. The File New Database window closes. Click Create. Access creates the Northwind database and opens it.

Understanding Security
It is possible for an Access database to contain malicious code, such as a computer virus. Access has security settings that disable code and display a security warning when you open a database. If you know a database is trustworthy, you can perform the following steps to enable it. You may need to enable the Northwind database.

To enable a database:

1. 2. 3.

Click the Options button. The Microsoft Office Security Options dialog box appears. Click Enable This Content. Click OK. Access enables the content. If you are enabling the Northwind database, the Login dialog box appears.

4.

Click Login. Access opens the Northwind database.

If you know a database is safe, you can store it in a trusted location. Databases stored in trusted locations do not require you to enable security.

To create a trusted location:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Access Options in the bottom-right corner. The Access Options pane appears. Click Trust Center. Click Trust Center Settings. Click Trusted Locations. Click Add New Locations. The Microsoft Office Trusted Location dialog box appears. Enter the path to the location you want to trust, or click Browse to locate the folder. If you want to trust subfolders, select The Subfolders Of This Location Are Also Trusted. Click OK. The location is now a trusted location.

10. 11.

Click OK again. Click OK. You have created a trusted location.

The Navigation Pane

The Access window used in this example has been set up to make it easier to explain. This section shows you how to set up your window so that it matches the example. If you are not already logged in to Northwind, click the Login button. An Access database consists of the following objects: tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and modules. The Navigation pane displays the objects in a database.

To manipulate the Navigation pane:

Click the double right-arrows Click the double left-arrows

to open it. The arrows change to double left-arrows to close it. The arrows change to double right-arrows

. .

In this example, the objects are organized by type, which is not the default setting. You may want to organize the objects in your database by type also. You can use the downarrow on the top of the Navigation pane to change the manner in which objects are organized.

To organize objects by type:

1. Click the All Access Objects button on the Navigation pane. A menu appears. Click Object Type. Access displays the objects in the database by type.

2.

The Access window with the Northwind database open is shown here.

Note: Your window probably does not look exactly like the one shown. In Access 2007, the window display depends on the size of the window, the size of your monitor, and the resolution to which your monitor is set. Resolution determines how much information your computer monitor can display. If you use a low resolution, you can fit less information on your screen, but the size of your text and images are larger. If you use a high resolution, you can fit more information on your screen, but the size of the text and images are smaller. Also, you can use settings in Access 2007, Windows Vista, and Windows XP to change the color and style of your windows.

The Microsoft Office Button

In the upper-left corner of the Access window is the Microsoft Office button. When you click the button, a menu appears. You can use the menu to create a new file, open an existing file, save a file, and perform many other tasks.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Next to the Microsoft Office button is the Quick Access toolbar. The Quick Access toolbar provides you with access to commands you frequently use. By default, Save, Undo, and Redo appear on the Quick Access toolbar. You use Save to save an object, Undo to roll back an action you have taken, and Redo to reapply an action you have rolled back.

The Title Bar

The Title bar is located at the top in the center of the Access window. The Title bar displays the name of the database on which you are currently working.

The Ribbon

You use commands to tell Access what to do. In Access 2007, you use the Ribbon to issue commands. The Ribbon is located near the top of the Access window, below the Quick Access toolbar. At the top of the Ribbon are several tabs; clicking a tab displays related command groups. Within each group are related command buttons. You click buttons to issue commands or to access menus and dialog boxes. You may also find a dialog box launcher box launcher , a dialog box makes additional commands available. in the bottom-right corner of a group. When you click the dialog

Access Objects

To view or hide the objects on the Navigation pane:

You click the double down-arrows You click the double up-arrows

to view objects. The double down-arrows change to double up-arrows to hide objects. The double up-arrows change to double down-arrows .

As stated earlier, the Navigation pane stores the objects in your database: tables, queries, forms, reports, macros, and modules. Objects always display with an icon to the right. The icon tells you the object type: table, query, form, report, macro, and module.

Tables

Queries

Forms

Reports

Macros

Objects In Access, data is stored in tables. A table is a set of columns and rows, with each column referred to as a field. Each value in a field represents a single type of data. Each row of a table is referred to as a record. You use queries to retrieve specific data from your database and to answer questions about your data. For example, you can use a query to find the names of the employees in your database who live in a particular state. Forms give you the ability to choose the format and arrangement of fields. You can use a form to enter, edit, and display data. Reports organize or summarize your data so you can print it or view it onscreen. You often use reports when you want to analyze your data or present your data to others. Macros give you the ability to automate tasks. You can use a macro to add functionality to a form, report, or control.

Modules

Like macros, modules give you the ability to automate tasks and add functionality to a form, report, or control. Macros are created by choosing from a list of macro actions, whereas modules are written in Visual Basic for Applications.

You double-click an object to open the object. You right-click an object to view a menu of options. You can use the menu to do such things as open objects, rename objects, and delete objects. Objects that are open appear on tabs. Right-click a tab to view a menu of options you can perform, such as save the object, close the object, or change the view.

Change Views

A view is a way of looking at an object. For example, in Access, data is stored in tables. Two of the possible ways you can view a table are Datasheet view and Design view. You can see the data contained in a table in Datasheet view. You can see the design of a table in Design view. When you open an object, buttons appear in the lower-right corner of the Access window. You can use the View button on the Home tab to change views, or you can click the proper button in the lower-right corner of the window.

Close a Database and Exit Access

This completes the introduction to Access using the Northwind database. The following describes how you close a database and exit Access.

To close a database:
1. 2. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Close Database. Access closes the database.

To exit Access:
1. 2. Click the Microsoft Office button. A menu appears. Click Exit Access. You exit Access.

Create a Database
When you start Access, the Getting Started With Microsoft Office Access screen appears. You can use this screen to create a database. Within a database, you can do such things as enter data, create reports, and retrieve data. You can create a blank database or you can use one of the templates provided by Microsoft. When you use a template, Access creates forms you can use to enter data, reports you can use to retrieve data, and more. You can modify the forms, reports, and other objects to suit your needs. This tutorial will teach you how.

The following templates are included with Access: Assets, Contacts, Events, Faculty, Issues, Marketing Projects, Projects, Sales Pipeline, Students, and Tasks. Other templates are available online. Each template creates a database related to the title. For example, the Faculty template creates a faculty database that includes tables, queries, forms, and reports related to faculty. In Access, you use tables to store data, queries to retrieve data, forms to enter data, and reports to display data.

To use a template to create a database:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Start Access. The Getting Started With Microsoft Office Access screen appears. Click Local Templates. Icons representing local templates appear in the center of the window. Click the icon for the template you want to use. Click the Browse button. The File New Database window appears. Locate the folder in which you want to store your database. Click OK. Click Create. Access creates and opens your database.

8.

Open the Navigation pane. Access displays the tables, queries, forms, reports and other objects related to the database you selected. You may wish to display the objects by type.

How do I create a database based on the templates that are found online? Online templates fall into the following categories: Business, Education, Personal, and Non-profit. To create a database based on one of these templates: 1. 2. 3. 4. Start Access. The Getting Started With Microsoft Office Access screen appears. Make sure you are connected to the Internet. Click the category for the template you want to create. Icons representing Internet templates appear in the center of the window. Click the icon for the template you want to use to create your database. Click the Browse button . Locate the folder in which you want to store your database. Click Download. Access prompts you. Click Continue. Access downloads and opens your database. Open the Navigation pane. Access displays the tables, queries, forms, reports, and other objects related to your database.

5.
6. 7.

8.
9.

How do I open an existing database? 1. 2. 3. Click the Office button. A menu appears. Click Open. Locate the folder in which you stored your database. Click the database name. Click Open. Access opens the database.

4.
5.

Tip: You can also open an existing database by pressing Ctrl-O and then following steps 3 through 5.

Create a Blank Database

A blank database is a database with nothing in it. You must create all the tables, forms, reports, queries, and so on. If you cannot find a template that suits your needs, create a blank database. After you create the database, Access opens to a datasheet and makes available the tools you need to create objects. Creating tables is the first step in building a database. You will learn more about creating tables in the next lesson.

To create a blank database:

1.

Start Access.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Click Blank Database. Type the name you want to give your database in the File Name field. Access will automatically append .accdb to the name. Click the Browse button. The File New Database window appears. Locate the folder in which you want to store your database. Note that the name of the file appears in the File Name field. Click OK. Click the Create button. Access creates the database and opens a datasheet with the Table Tools available to you.

Note the Table Tools in the upper-right portion of the Ribbon.

What is a Datasheet? In Access, data is stored in tables. A datasheet displays the information stored in a table in columns and rows. The columns are called fields and the rows are called records. You can use a datasheet to create a table, enter data, retrieve data, and perform other tasks

Lesson 2: Creating Microsoft Access Tables

Tables are the foundation of an Access database. Access stores data in tables. This lesson teaches you how to create a table, add fields to a table, assign data types to fields, and set field properties.

Understanding Tables
A table is a set of columns and rows. Each column is called a field. Within a table, each field must be given a name and no two fields can have the same name. Each value in a field represents a single category of data. For example, a table might have three fields: Last Name, First Name, and Phone Number. The table consists of three columns: one for last name, one for first name, and one for phone number. In every row of the table, the Last Name field contains the last name, the First Name field contains the first name, and the Phone Number field contains the phone number. Each row in a table is called a record.

All of the data in a table should refer to the same subject. For example, all of the data in the Employees table should refer to employees, all of the data in the Students table should refer to students, and all of the data in the Courses table should refer to courses. You can view an Access database as a collection of related tables. For example, in a database that contains tables for Employees, Students, and Courses, the Employees table lists the employees, the Students table lists students, and the Courses table lists the courses students can take. After Access creates a blank database, it opens in Datasheet view and makes available the tools you need to create a table. Datasheet view displays a table as a set of columns and rows. When you view a blank database for the first time in Datasheet view, you see a column named ID. This column is by default the primary key field. A primary key is a field or combination of fields that uniquely identify each record in a table. No two records in a table should have the same values in every field. For example, the following should not occur in a table.

Last Name

First Name

City

Smith Smith

John John

Jonestown Jonestown

In the real world, it is possible to have two people from the same city with the same first and last name. In cases like this, you can use the ID field as the primary key field and use it to make each record unique. The ID field has a data type of AutoNumber; as a result, Access automatically creates a unique number for each record in the database. The resulting table will look like the one shown here.

ID 1 2

Last Name Smith Smith

First Name John John

City Jonestown Jonestown

Access provides several methods for creating a table. One method is to use the Rename option with the Add New Field column label to give each column the field name you want it to have and then to type or paste your data into the table. Field names can include letters, numbers, and spaces and can be up to 64 characters long. When choosing a field name, try to keep it short. When you save your table for the first time, Access gives you the opportunity to name your table. Each table name must be unique; hence, two tables in the same database cannot have the same name. The table name should describe the data in the table; can consist of letters, numbers, and spaces; and can be up to 64 characters long. When choosing a table name, try to keep it short. You can save a table by clicking the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar or by right-clicking the Tables tab and then choosing Save from the menu that appears.

To add fields to a table:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Or 1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Click the Add New Field column label. Activate the Datasheet tab. Click Rename in the Fields & Columns group. Type the field name. Press Enter. Access creates the field. Type the next field name. Access creates the field. Continue until you have created all of the fields in your table. Press Enter without entering a field name to end your entries.

Right-click the Add New Field column label. A menu appears. Click Rename Column. Type the field name. Press Enter. Access creates the field. Type the next field name. Access creates the field. Continue until you have created all of the fields in your table.

Name and Save a Table

After you create a table, you must name and save it.

To name and save a table:

1. 2. 3.

Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. The Save As dialog box appears. Type the name you want to give your table. Click OK. Access names your table.

Tip: You can use the Rename option at any time to rename any column. For example, you can rename the ID column Employee ID.

Understanding Data Types

In Access, you use data types to specify the type of data each field can capture. A field with a data type of text can store alphabetic characters and numbers. Generally speaking, you cannot perform mathematical calculations by using a text field. For example, you can use a text field to store a street address. Unless you do some manipulation, you cannot use the numbers in the street address in mathematical calculations. You will not be able to sum or average the numbers in an address field, which is fine, because you probably do not want to. Alternatively, you can assign a Test Score field a data type of Number. You can enter numbers into the field and then average, sum, or perform other calculations with the numbers. However, you cannot enter an alphabetic character in a number field.

Data Types Data Type Text Use Notes Alphanumeric data. Use for . text and for numbers that are not used in mathematical calculations. Use for names, addresses, and other relatively short pieces of text. Can store up to 255 characters. Long text. Use for long pieces of text, such as notes and long descriptions. Can store up to 64,000 characters. Numeric data. Use for If you are working numbers you want to use in with currency, use mathematical calculations. the currency type. Use for dates and times. Use for currency. Unique sequential numbers or random numbers automatically inserted when you create a record. Use to create a primary key. Logical data. Use when only one of two values is valid. Prevents rounding during calculation.

Memo

Number

Date/Time Currency AutoNumber

Yes/No

Yes/No, True/False, etc. Hyperlink Attachment OLE Object Use to store hyperlinks. Use to store attachments. Use to attach an OLE object such as a Word document, Excel spreadsheet, or PowerPoint presentation.

After you create the fields for a table, you can enter data by typing in each field. As you type, Access assigns a data type to each field based on your entry.

Assigned Data Types Sample Entry Smith http://www.website.com 10000 10,000 10,000.99 10000.999 Data Type Assigned Text Hyperlink Number, Long Integer Number, Long Integer Number, Double Number, Double

01/01/2009 Date/Time The date and time formats recognized are those of your user locale. January 1, 2009 12:10:33 12:30 am 16:50 100.50 25.00% 1.23E+02 Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time Date/Time Number, Double Number, Double Number, Double

Explicitly Assign Data Types and Formats

You may want to change the data type Access assigned to a field, or you may want to explicitly assign a data type to each field. You can do so by choosing the Datasheet tab and then selecting the proper option in the Data Type field in the Data Type & Formatting group. Some data types allow you to select the formatting you want. By formatting, you determine how data in a field displays. For example, if you choose a data type of number and a format of Euro, any number you enter will appear with a Euro sign in front. Windows regional settings enable you to display information such as dates, times, and currency that match the standards or language used in the country in which you live. For example, if you live in the United States, the currency setting uses a dollar sign.

Regional Settings for English (United States) Number Currency Time Short Date Long Date 123,456,789.00 $123,456,789.00 3:39:44 PM 7/28/2008 Monday, July 28, 2008

Use the Windows Control panels Regional and Language options to view or change regional settings.

Data Types Data Type Number Format General Number Currency Euro Fixed Standard Percent Scientific Currency General Number Currency Euro Fixed Standard Percent Scientific Date/Time General Date How Numbers Display As typed. Uses thousands separator. Follows regional settings. Uses currency format with Euro symbol. Displays at least one digit. Follows regional settings. Uses thousands separator. Follows regional setting. Converts entry to percent. Uses scientific notation. As typed. Uses thousands separator. Follows regional settings. Uses currency format with Euro symbol. Displays at least one digit. Follows regional settings. Uses thousands separator. Follows regional setting. Converts entry to percent. Uses scientific notation. Date values display as numbers and time values as hours, minutes, and seconds followed by AM or PM. Follows regional settings. Uses the Long Date format specified in your Windows regional settings. Uses dd/mmm/yy, using the date separator specified in your Windows regional settings. Uses the Short Date format specified in your Windows regional settings. Uses hours, minutes, and seconds followed by AM or PM. Uses the separator specified in the Time setting in your Windows regional settings. Displays hours and minutes followed by AM or PM. Uses the separator specified in the Time setting in your Windows regional settings. Uses hours and minutes. Uses the separator specified in the Time setting in your Windows regional settings. Yes/No True/False On/Off

Long Date Medium Date

Short Date Long Time

Medium Time

Short Time

Yes/No

To explicitly assign a data type or format to a field:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Click the field label for the field to which you want to assign a data type. Activate the Datasheet tab. Click the down-arrow next to the Data Type field and then choose a data type. Click the down-arrow next to the Format field and then choose a format. Access assigns a data type and format to the field you selected.

Tip: If you want every record in a field to be unique, check the Unique box on the Datasheet tab in the Data Type & Formatting group. If you do not want the user to leave a field blank, check the Is Required box.

Tip: In the Data Type & Formatting group, there are several formatting options you can apply to numbers. If you want to use the Currency format, click the Currency button ; if you want to use the Percent format, click the Percent button ; if you want to use a Comma number format, click the Comma button or Decrease Decimal button . ; or if

you want to increase or decrease the number of decimal place, click the Increase Decimal

Tip: You can create a new table at any time by activating the Create tab and then clicking Table.

Understanding Design View

Access provides several ways to view the objects in your database. You can use Design view to create or modify an Access table. You can use the View button on the Home tab or the Table Design button on the Create tab to change to Design view. Using Design view is the preferred method for creating a table because it provides you with the most options and enables you to precisely define your table. In addition to selecting a data type, you can set all of the following options in Design view.

Design View Options Field Property Field Size Data Type Text Comments Enables you to restrict the number of characters stored in a text field to 0 to 255 characters. The default is 255. Enables you to select the type of number stored in a field. Values Stored 0 to 255. (No fractions) 9.999... x 1027 through +9.999... x 1027 32,768 to +32,767 (No fractions) 2,147,483,648 to

Number Number Types Byte Decimal Integer Long Integer

+2,147,483,647 Single 3.4 x 1038 to +3.4 x 1038 numeric floating point values. Up to seven significant digits. 1.797 x 10308 to +1.797 x 10308 1038 numeric floating point values. Up to fifteen significant digits. Globally Unique Identifier (GUID). Used by Access to establish a unique identifier for replication. Determines how numbers display. When you use the currency, fixed, standard, and percent formats. Access follows the settings specified in Regional Settings in the Windows Control Panel for negative amounts, decimal and currency symbols, and decimal places. Displays as typed. Uses thousands separator. Follows regional setting. Uses currency format with Euro symbol. Displays one digit. Follows regional settings. Uses thousands separator. Follows regional settings. Converts entry to percent. Uses scientific notation. Displays date and time. Example: 01/02/99, 06:28:21 PM Displays Day of Week and Date: Example: Saturday, January 02, 1999 Example: 02-Jan-99 Example: 01/02/99 Example: 6:28:21 PM Example: 6:28 PM Example: 18:28 Text character required. Text character not required. Changes all characters to lowercase. Changes all characters to uppercase. If the Lookup Display Control is a text box, displays Yes/No. If the Lookup Display Control is a text box, displays True/False. If the Lookup Display Control is a text box, displays On/Off.

Double

Replication ID

Format

Number

Currency Number

General Number Currency Euro Fixed Standard Percent Scientific

Date/Time

General Date Long Date

Medium Date Short Date Long Time Medium Time Short Time Text and Memo @ & < > Yes/No Yes/No True/False On/Off

Decimal Places

Determines number of decimal places Access displays.

Auto. Number of decimals displayed depends on the format setting. 015. Used with format property. Determines the number of digits that display to the right of the decimal point.

Input Mask

Special characters used to control the values the user can input. Field name displayed on forms. Sets the value that appears in the field by default when a record is created. Sets the requirements for user input. Text for error messages that are sent when validation rules are broken. Specifies whether the field is required or not. Determines whether a zero-length field is a valid entry. Yes: Required No: Not Required Yes: Is valid No: Not valid

Caption
Default Value

Validation Rule Validation Text

Required Allow Zero Length

Index

Specifies whether an Yes: Create index. index should be created No: Do not create index. in a field. Indexes speed up queries.

To use Design view to create a new table:

1. 2.

Activate the Create tab. Click Table Design in the Tables group. Access changes to Design view and the Table Tools become available.

3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Type the first field name in the Field Name field. Press the Tab key. Click the down-arrow that appears when you click in the Data Type field and then select a data type. Click Primary Key if the column you created is a primary key. A small key appears next to the field name. Press the Tab key.

8. 9. 10.

Type a description. The description is optional. Press the Tab key. Access moves to the Field Name field. Repeat steps 3 through 10 until you have created all of your fields.

To set field properties:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Click the field for which you want to set the field properties. Activate the General tab in the Field Properties area. Set the properties you want to set. Repeat steps 1 through 3 until you have set all the properties for all fields.

You can use Design view to create or modify a table. After you finish the task, you must save the table by clicking the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. 1. 2. 3. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. Access saves the table unless you are saving for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box appears. Type the name you want to give your table. Click OK. Access saves the table. You can now access the table by using the Navigation pane.

What are views? Views are different ways of looking at the same object. Tables have four views: Datasheet view, Pivot Table view, Pivot Chart view, and Design view. You use Datasheet view to create a table, edit data, or view data; Pivot Table view to create a pivot table; Pivot Chart view to create a pivot chart; and Design view to create a table or modify an existing table.

To change the view:

1. 2. 3. Activate the Home tab. Click the down-arrow under the View button. A menu appears. Click the view you want. Access changes to the view you chose.

Tip: You can also use a template to create a table. Access has several templates from which you can choose. When using a template, you create the table and then modify it to suit your needs. 1. 2. 3. Activate the Create tab. Click the Table Templates button in the Tables group. A menu appears. Click the template you want to use. Access creates a table based on the template.

Create a Lookup Column

If a field can contain a finite list of values, you can create a Lookup Column and users can select the value they want from a list. For example, if the employees at a school can only work in one of the following departments: Administration, Computer Science, English, History, or Math. You can create a table Departments table that lists the departments and then use the list in the Employee table to assign each employee to a department.

Departments Department ID Primary Key 1 2 3 4 5 Administration Computer Science English History Math Department

Access has a wizard to help you create lookup columns. Creating a Lookup column creates a relationship between two tables. See the section Create Relationships in Lesson 3 to learn more about relationships.

To use the Lookup Wizard to create a lookup column: Open the Lookup Wizard

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Open the table to which you want to add a lookup column. Click the field label for the field before which you want to add a lookup column. Activate the Datasheet tab. (You must be in Datasheet view.) Click the Lookup Column button in the Fields & Columns group. The Lookup Wizard appears. Make sure the radio button next to I want the lookup column to look up the values in a table or query. is selected.

6.

Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Select your table or query

A lookup column can be based on a table, a query, or a list of values you type. If you base your lookup column on a table or query, you must create the table or query before creating the lookup column. A query is a list of rows and columns based on one or more tables. A query only displays the rows and columns you specify.

1. 2. 3.

Click a radio button to select what you want to base your lookup column on. Choose from Tables, Queries, or Both. Click to select the table or query you want. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Select fields
You choose the fields you want to appear in your lookup column. Be sure to include the primary key.

1.

Click the field you want. Click the single right-arrow button . Access places the field in the Selected Fields column. Repeat this process to select additional fields. If you want all the fields in the table, click the double right-arrow button . Note: Use the single left-arrow and the double left-arrows to deselect fields. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

2.
3.

Sort fields
The Lookup Wizard allows you to sort the records in a lookup column. You can display records in order, either ascending (alphabetical from A to Z, lowest number to highest number, earliest date to latest date) or descending (alphabetical from Z to A, highest number to lowest number, latest date to earliest date). You can also sort within a sort. For example, you can sort by state and then within each state by city, and then within each city by street address. If you are creating a sort within a sort, create the highest level sort on line one, the next level sort on line two, and so on. In the state, city, and street address example, you create the state on line one, the city on line two, and the street address on line three.

1. 2. 3.

Click the down-arrow and then select the field you want to sort by. Click to select a sort direction (the button toggles between ascending and descending). You can sort within a sort for up to four levels. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Adjust column widths

A key column is the column that connects one table or query to another table or query. For example, you can use the Department ID field in the Employees table and the Department ID field in the Departments table to connect the two tables. You may, however, want to display the name of the department when you view the table but not the department ID; if so, leave the Hide Key Column box checked.

1. 2. 3.

Deselect Hide Key Column, if you wish. Adjust the column widths by dragging or double-clicking the right vertical border for the column. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Specify the Key Field (if you deselected Hide Key Column)
A key field is a field that uniquely identifies a record. If you deselected Hide Key column, you must tell Access which field is the key field.

1. 2.

Click the key field. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page.

Name the column

Field names appear at the top of each column. On this page of the Wizard you tell Access what you want to name your lookup column. In Access 2007, multiple values can appear in a field; click the Allow Multiple Values checkbox if you want to allow multiple values.

1. 2. 3.

Type the name you want to give the column. Click if you want to allow multiple values in the field. Click Finish. Access creates the lookup column.

How do I create a lookup column by typing a list? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Activate the Datasheet tab. (These instructions assume you are in the Datasheet view.) Click the Lookup Column button in the Fields & Columns group. The Lookup Wizard appears. Click the radio button next to I will type the values I want. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page. Type the number of Columns you want in the Number Of Columns field. Type the values you want under the column heading. Click Next. The Lookup Wizard moves to the next page. Type the column label you want. Click Finish. Access creates a lookup column based on your list

Lesson 3: Working with Microsoft Access Tables

After you create an Access table, you can modify it, enter data into it manually or import data from somewhere else, such as Excel. This lesson teaches you how to modify a table and enter data.

Enter Records
After you have created a table, you can enter data into it.

To enter data into an AutoNumber field:

Press the Tab key. When you make an entry into another field in the record, Access will automatically make an entry into the AutoNumber field.

To enter data into fields that have a lookup list:

1. 2. 3.

Click the down-arrow that appears when you click in the field. Click to select the entry you want. Press the Tab key.

To enter data into a Yes/No field:

Click the checkbox for Yes; leave the checkbox unchecked for No.

To add an attachment to an attachment field:

1. 2.

Double-click in the attachment field. The Attachments dialog box appears. Click Add. The Choose File dialog box appears.

3. 4.

Click the file you want to add. Click Open. The Choose File dialog box closes.

5.

Click OK. Access attaches the file.

Note: You can attach multiple files to a single attachment field.

To enter data into a date field:

Or Type the date.

Select the date from the calendar that appears to the left of the field when you click in the field. You click the calendar to open it. Use the left-arrow at the top of the calendar to move to the previous month; use the right-arrow at the top of the calendar to move to the next month. When you reach the proper month, click the proper date.

To add data to an OLE Object field:

An OLE object is an object such as a Word document or an Excel Spreadsheet.

1. 2.

Right-click in the field. A menu appears. Click Insert Object. The Microsoft Office Access dialog box appears.

Create New:

3.

Click the Create New radio button if you want to create a new object.

a.
b. c.

Click the object type you want to create. Click OK. Access opens the program for the object type you selected. You can create the object. Create the object and then close the program for the object type you selected. Access links to the object.

Create From File:

3.

Click the Create From File radio button if you want to use an existing file. a. Type the path to the file or click the Browse button and locate the file. b. Click OK. Access links to the object.

To add data to other field types:

For all other fields, type your entry and then press the Tab key.

Import a Table into Access from Excel

Excel organizes data into columns and rows. If you have data in Excel that you want to use in Access, you can import those columns and rows into Access by using the Excel Spreadsheet Wizard.

To import data from Excel:

Open the Excel Spreadsheet Wizard

1. 2. 3.

Activate the External Data tab. Click the Excel button in the Import group. The Get External Data Excel Spreadsheet Wizard appears. Click the Browse button. The File Open window appears.

4.

Locate the spreadsheet you want to import. Click the Open button. The path to the file you selected appears in the File Name field. Click OK. Access moves to the next page.

5.
6.

Choose the sheet or named range you want to import

When importing from Excel, you can import an entire worksheet or a named range. To import a worksheet, click the Show Worksheets radio button and then click the worksheet you want. To import a named range, click the Show Named Ranges radio button and then click the named range you want.

1. 2. 3.

Click Show Worksheets to import a worksheet, or click Show Named Ranges to import a named range. Click the worksheet or named range you want to import. Click Next. Access moves to the next page.

Make the first row your field names

When you create a worksheet in Excel, the first row can contain column headings. If this is the case, click First Row Contains Column Headings, otherwise click Next.

1. 2.

Click First Row Contains Column Headings if the first row of your Excel spreadsheet contains column headings. Click Next. Access moves to the next page.

Set data types

Access attempts to assign the correct data type to each column. You can view the assignment made by Access and then make changes. An Index speeds up Accesss ability to search a column. You can use the Indexed field to assign an index. The Yes (Duplicates OK) option creates an index in which duplicate values in the field are allowed; the Yes (No Duplicates) option creates an index in which duplicate values in the field are not allowed. The primary key should be indexed and you should use the Yes (No Duplicates) option. You can also skip fields you do not want to import.

1.

2.

Click a column heading to select a column. a. Type the Access tables column heading in the Field Name field. b. Choose a Data type. c. Indicate if the field should be indexed and, if so, select the type of index. d. Check the Do Not Import Field box for any column you do not want to import. Click Next. Access moves to the next page.

Choose a primary key

You can let Access assign the primary key, choose the primary key yourself, or have no primary key by selecting the correct option on this page. 1. 2. Click to choose the proper radio button. If you want Access to add the primary key, click Let Access Add Primary key. If you want to add the primary key, click Choose My Own Primary Key and then click the down-arrow and select the field you want to use as the key field. If you do not want to add a primary key, click No Primary Key. Click Next. Access moves to the next page.

Name your table

1. 2. 3.

Type the name you want to give your table. Click Finish. Access moves to the next page. Click Close. Access imports the table.

Modify a Table
After you create a table, you may need to modify it. You can delete columns, insert columns, or move columns. Delete Columns The Delete option permanently deletes columns and all the data contained in them. You cannot undo a column delete.

To delete columns:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Click and drag to select the columns you want to delete. Activate the Datasheet tab. Click Delete in the Fields & Columns group. A prompt appears. Click Yes. Access deletes the columns you selected.

Insert Columns The Insert option inserts a column before the selected column.

To insert a column:

1. 2. 3.

Click the column head of the column before which you want to insert a column. Activate the Datasheet tab. Click Insert in the Fields & Columns group. Access inserts a new column.

Tip: If you right-click a column label, you can use the menu that appears to insert or delete columns.

To delete a column:
1. 2. Right-click the column head you want to delete. A menu appears. Click Delete Column.

To insert a column:
1. 2. Right-click the column head before which you want to insert a column. A menu appears. Click Insert Column.

Move a Column You can use the Move option to move a column from one location to another.

To move a column:
1. 2. 3. 4. Move your mouse pointer over the horizontal line under the column label. Your mouse pointer turns into a four sided arrow. Press your left mouse button Click and drag the field to the new location. A dark line appears at the new location. Release you left mouse button. Access moves the column.

Move around a Table

Access provides several methods for moving around a table. On the Home tab, there is a Go To button. When you click it, a menu of options appears. You can use the menu to go to the first, last, previous, or next record in your table. You can click the New option to add a new record. You can also use special keys and the navigation bar in Access to move around a table. The navigation bar appears at the bottom of the table.

To use the Go To button to move around a table:

1. 2. 3.

Activate the Home tab. Click the Go To button in the Find group. A menu appears. Click First to go to the first record, Previous to go to the previous record, Next to go to the next record, Last to go to the last record, or New to create a new record.

Tip: You can also create a new record by choosing the Home tab and then clicking New in the Records group.

To use keys to move around a table:

Key to Press Tab Action Moves to the next field to the right. If you are in the last field in a record, moves you to the next record. If you are in the last record in a table, creates a new record. Moves to the next field to the left. If you are in the first field in a record, moves you to the previous record. Moves to the previous field. If you are in the first field in a record, moves you to the previous record. Moves to the next field. If you are in the last field in a record, moves you to the next record. If you are in the last record in a table, creates a new record. Moves you up one record. Moves you down one record. Creates a new record.

Left-Arrow Shift+Tab Right-Arrow

Up-Arrow Down-Arrow Ctrl++

To use the Navigation bar to move around a table:

1 2 3 4 5 6

Go to First Record Go to Previous Record The Current Record Go to Next Record Go to Last Record Create a New (Blank) Record

Select Columns and Rows

Before you can perform an operation on a column or row, you must select it. To select a column, click the column head. To select several columns, click a column head and then drag. To select a row, click the blank area to the left of the row. To select several rows, click the blank area to the left of a row and then drag. To select the entire table, click the Select All button in the upper-left corner of the table.

Delete a Record
If enter a record by error, you can delete it.

To delete a record:
1. 2. 3. 4. Or Select the record you want to delete. Activate the Home tab. Click Delete in the Records group. A prompt appears. Click the Yes button.

Select the record you want to delete. Right-click. A menu appears. Click Delete Record. A prompt appears. Click the Yes button.

Resize a Column or Row

If all of the information in a column or row does not display, you may want to make the column or row larger. If you want to fit more information on the screen, you may want to make a column or row smaller. In either case, you can click and drag to increase or decrease column width or row height.

To resize a column or row:

1. 2. Place the cursor over the line that separates two columns or two rows. The cursor turns into a double-sided arrow. Hold down the left mouse button and drag to increase or decrease the width of a column or the height of all of the rows.

Lesson 4: Sorting, Filtering, and Creating Relationships

You can sort Access data so you can view records in the order you want to view them, and you can filter data so you only see the records you want to see. This lesson teaches you how to sort and filter an Access table. Access data is stored in multiple tables. Relationships join tables together so you can work with the data from multiple tables. This lesson also teaches you how to create relationships.

Sort a Table
By sorting, you can put a column of information in alphabetical, numerical, or date order. You can sort in ascending order (alphabetical from A to Z, lowest number to highest number, earliest date to latest date) or descending order (alphabetical from Z to A, highest number to lowest number, latest date to earliest date). You can also sort within a sort. For example, you can sort by state and then sort within each state by city. When sorting within a sort, perform the innermost sort first. For example, if you are sorting by state and then city, sort the city first and then sort by state.

To add a sort:

1. 2.

Click the column label for the column you want to sort. Activate the Home tab. Click the Ascending or Descending button in the Sort & Filter group. Access sorts the column in ascending or descending order.

3.

To remove a sort:
1. Activate the Home tab. Click the Clear All Sorts button in the Sort & Filter group. Access clears all of the sorts you have applied.

2.

Filter a Table
You can apply a filter to see only the records you want to see. For example, perhaps your database contains students from the states of DE, NJ, and PA and you only want to see the students from DE. You can filter your data so only DE students display. Each time you apply a filter to a column, it replaces any previous filter you applied to that column. For example, if you apply a filter so you only see students in DE, and later you apply a filter so you only see students in NJ, Access clears the DE filter and then applies the NJ filter. You can apply filters to multiple columns in the same table. For example, by applying a filter first to the State field and then to the Last Name field, you can see all of the students in the state of DE whose last names are Adams.

To apply a filter:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Click the column label for the column you want to filter. Activate the Home tab. Click the Filter button. A menu appears. Uncheck the items you do not want to appear, making sure only the items you want are checked. Click OK. Access filters your data and displays the word Filtered at the bottom of the window.

To remove a filter:
1. 2. 3. Activate the Home tab. Click Advanced in the Sort & Filter group. A menu appears. Click Clear All Filters. Access clears all the filters you have applied.

Tip: After you apply a filter, you can use the Toggle Filter button to toggle the application of the filter on and off.

Apply a Specialized Filter

In addition to simply searching for a specific value, you can apply several specialized filters. For example, you can find all of the records that do not equal the value you specify or you can find all of the records that fall between two dates. The following are lists of specialized filters.

Text Filters Equals Finds every record in the table where the fields value equals the value you enter.

Does Not Equal

Finds every record in the table where the fields value does not equal the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value begins with the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value does not begin with the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value contains the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value does not contain the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value ends with the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value does not end with the value you enter.

Begins With

Does Not Begin With

Contains

Does Not Contain

Ends With

Does Not End With

Number Filters Equals Finds every record in the table where the fields value equals the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value does not equal the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value is less than the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value is greater than the value you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value is between the values you enter.

Does Not Equal

Less Than

Greater Than

Between

Date Filters Equals Finds every record in the table where the fields value equals the date you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value does not equal the date you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields value is before the date you enter.

Does Not Equal

Before

Greater Than

Finds every record in the table where the fields value is greater than (comes after) the date you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields date is between the dates you enter. Finds every record in the table where the fields date is in the period you enter.

Between

All Dates in a Period

To apply a specialized filter:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Click the Last Name column label. Activate the Home tab. Click the Filter button. A menu appears. Click the Text Filters option. A menu appears. Click the option you want. A Custom Filter dialog box appears.

6. 7.

Enter the appropriate information. Click OK. Access filters your data and displays the word Filtered at the bottom of the window.

Hide Columns
There may be times when you may not want to display a certain column or set of columns. In such cases, you can temporarily hide the column or columns from view. Later, if you want to display them column again, you can unhide them.

To hide columns:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Select the columns you want to hide. Activate the Home tab. Click the More button in the Records group. A menu appears. Click Hide Columns. Access hides the columns you selected.

In the figure, the Birth Date, Street Address, City, State, and Zip fields are hidden. Or 1. 2. 3. Select the columns you want to hide. Right-click. A menu appears. Click Hide Columns.

To unhide columns:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. or Activate the Home tab. Click the More button in the Records group. A menu appears. Click Unhide Columns. The Unique Columns dialog box appears. Select the column you want to display. Click Close. Access displays the columns you chose.

1. 2. 3. 4.

Right-click any column label. A menu appears. Click Unhide columns. Select the columns you want to display. Click the Close button. Access displays the columns you selected.

Freeze Columns
If your table has a large number of columns, you may want to freeze columns so the frozen columns stay in view as you scroll across the page. For example, if you have a Students table and you want the Student Number, First Name, and Last Name to remain onscreen as you scroll across the table, you can freeze the Student Number, First Name, and Last Name fields. When you freeze a column, Access moves it to the far left side of your table. If you want it to remain there, you must save the table.

To freeze columns:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Select the columns you want to freeze. Activate the Home tab. Click the More button in the Records group. A menu appears. Click Freeze. Access freezes the columns. As you scroll, the frozen columns remain stationary.

To unfreeze columns:
1. 2. 3. Activate the Home tab. Click the More button in the Records group. A menu appears. Click Unfreeze. Access unfreezes the columns.

Format a Table
You can use the features in the Font group on the Home tab to apply a variety of formats to your table.

Format a Table Button Function Apply a font to all of the data in a table. Apply a font size to all of the data in a table. Bold all of the data in a table. Italicize all of the data in a table. Underline all of the data in a table. Left-align a column. Right-align a column. Center a column.

Change the font color. Change the background color. By default, the background color is white. Change the gridlines. Gridlines separate columns and rows. This option allows you to display gridlines for columns only (vertical), gridlines for rows only (horizontal), gridlines for both columns and rows, or no gridlines at all. Change the alternating color. For example, on a datasheet you can have every other row appear in an alternating color.

To bold, italicize, or underline:

1. 2. 3. Place the cursor anywhere within the table. Activate the Home tab. Click the button for the format you want to apply. Access applies the format.

To left-align, right-align, or center:

1. 2. 3. Place the cursor anywhere within the column you want to left-align, right-align, or center. Activate the Home tab. Click the button for the format you want to apply. Access applies the format.

To change the font, font size, or gridlines:

1. 2. 3. 4. Place the cursor anywhere within the table. Activate the Home tab. Click the down-arrow to the right of the option you want to apply. A menu appears. Select the option you want. Access changes the font, font size, or gridlines.

To change the font color, background color, or alternating color:

1. 2. 3. 4. Place the cursor anywhere within the table. Activate the Home tab. Click the down-arrow to the right of the option you want to apply. A menu of colors appears. Select the color you want. Access changes the font color or the alternating color.

Compute Totals
On the Home tab, you can use the Total button in the Records group to compute the sum, average, count, minimum, maximum, standard deviation, or variance of a number field; the count, average, maximum, or minimum of a date field; or the count of a text field.

To compute totals:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Open the table or query for which you want to compute totals. Activate the Home tab. Click the Totals button in the Records group. A Total line appears at the bottom of the table or query. Click on the Total line under the column you want to total. A down-arrow appears on the left side of the field. Click the down-arrow and then choose the function you want to perform. Access performs the calculation and displays the results in the proper column on the Totals row.

Find and Replace

If you need to find a sequence of characters, a word, or a phrase in a table or field, you can use the Find command. In Access, the Find command has three options: You can find all instances in a table or field that match a sequence of characters, all instances that begin with a sequence of characters, or all instances that contain a sequence of characters. For example, you can find all students with the last name Smith, all students whose last name begins with S, or all instances of 08 anywhere in the field. After you find the word, phrase, or sequence of characters you are searching for, you can replace it with a new sequence of characters by executing the Replace command.

To do a Find:

1. 2. 3.

Place your cursor in the column you want to search. Activate the Home tab. Click the Find button in the Find group. The Find and Replace dialog box appears.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9.

Activate the Find tab. Type what you want to find in the Find What field. Choose the name of the table you want to search in the Look In field if you want to search the entire table or select the field you selected in step 1 if you want to search that field. If you want to search another field, click in that field and then select it in the Look In field. Choose Any Part Of Field if you want to search for your entry anywhere within a field, choose Whole Field if you want the field to match the sequence of characters you entered, or choose Start Of Field if you want the field to begin with a sequence of characters you entered. Choose All in the Search field if you want to search the entire table, Up to search upward from your current location, or Down to search downward from your current location. Click Find Next to begin your search. Access finds the first entry that matches your find criteria. Continue clicking Find Next to find additional matches.

Note: If you want to find and replace, open the Find and Replace dialog box (follow steps 1 through 3) and then activate the Replace tab. In the Replace With field, enter the sequence of characters you want to use to replace what you find. Complete the other fields on the tab the same as you would if you were doing a Find. Click Find Next to find the first instance for which you are searching. Click Replace to replace that instance. Click Replace All to replace every instance.

Create Relationships
In Access, you store data in multiple tables and then use relationships to join the tables. After you have created relationships, you can use data from all of the related tables in a query, form, or report.

A primary key is a field or combination of fields that uniquely identify each record in a table. A foreign key is a value in one table that must match the primary key in another table. You use primary keys and foreign keys to join tables togetherin other words, you use primary keys and foreign keys to create relationships. There are two valid types of relationships: one-to-one and one-to-many. In a one-to-one relationship, for every occurrence of a value in table A, there can only be one matching occurrence of that value in table B, and for every occurrence of a value in table B, there can only be one matching occurrence of that value in table A. One-to-one relationships are rare because if there is a one-to-one relationship, the data is usually stored in a single table. However, a one-to-one relationship can occur when you want to store the information in a separate table for security reasons, when tables have a large number of fields, or for other reasons. In a one-to-many relationship, for every occurrence of a value in table A, there can be zero or more matching occurrences in table B, and for every one occurrence in table B, there can only be one matching occurrence in table A. When tables have a one-to-many relationship, the table with the one value is called the primary table and the table with the many values is called the related table. Referential integrity ensures that the validity of the relationship between two tables remains intact. It prohibits changes to the primary table that would invalidate an entry in the related table. For example, a school has students. Each student can make several payments, but each payment can only be from one student. The Students table is the primary table and the Payments table is the related table.

Students Student ID Primary Key 1 2 3 Payments Payment ID Primary key 1 2 3 4 5

Last Name John Mark Valerie

First Name Smith Adams Kilm

Student ID Foreign key 1 2 3 2 3

Amount Due 500 700 500 400 250

Amount Paid 500 300 250 300 250

If you delete Student ID 1 from the Students table, Student ID 1 is no longer valid in the Payments table. Referential integrity prevents you from deleting Student ID 1 from the Students table. Also, if the only valid Student IDs are 1, 2, and 3, referential integrity prevents you from entering a value of 4 in the Student ID field in the Payments table. A foreign key without a primary key reference is called an orphan. Referential integrity prevents you from creating orphans.

To create relationships:
1. Close all tables and forms. (Right-click on the tab of any Object. A menu appears. Click Close All.)

2. 3.

Activate the Database Tools tab. Click the Relationships button in the Show/Hide group. The Relationships window appears.

4. 5.

If anything appears in the relationships window, click the Clear Layout button in the Tools group. If you are prompted, click Yes. Click the Show Table button in the Relationships group. The Show Table dialog box appears.

6. 7. 8.

Activate the Tables tab if your relationships will be based on tables, activate the Queries tab if your relationships will be based on queries, or activate the Both tab if your relationships will be based on both. Double-click each table or query you want to use to build a relationship. The tables appear in the Relationships window. Click the Close button to close the Show Table dialog box.

9.

Drag the Primary tables primary key over the related tables foreign key. After you drag the primary key to the related tables box, the cursor changes to an arrow. Make sure the arrow points to the foreign key. The Edit Relationships Dialog box appears.

10. 11.

Click the Enforce Referential Integrity checkbox. Click Create. Access creates a one-to-many relationship between the tables.

12.

Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar to save the relationship.

Tip: When you create a relationship, you can view the related table as a subdatasheet of the primary table. Open the primary table and click the plus (+) in the far left column. The plus sign turns into a minus (-) sign. If the Insert Subdatasheet dialog box opens, click the table you want to view as a subdatasheet and then click OK. Access displays the subdatasheet each time you click the plus sign in the far left column. Click the minus sign to hide the subdatasheet.

Tip: After a relationship has been created between two tables, you must delete the relationship before you can make modifications to the fields on which the relationship is based. To delete a relationship: 1. 2. Click the line that connects the tables. Press the Delete key.

Tip: When you create a lookup column, Access creates a relationship between the tables

Lesson 5: Creating Microsoft Access Queries

You can use a query to view a subset of your data or to answer questions about your data. For example, if you want to view a list of student names and email addresses, but you do not want to see addresses and other data, you can create a query that displays the students first name, last name, and email address only. Alternatively, if you want to know which students live in DE, you can restrict your list to those students. This lesson teaches you how to create a query.

Open Tables or Queries in Query Design View

A query can be based on tables or on other queries. To create a query, you open the tables or queries on which you are going to base your query in Query Design view, and then use the options in Design view to create your query. You then click the Run button to display the results. You can save queries for later use.

To open tables or queries in Query Design view:

1.

Activate the Create tab.

2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Click the Query Design button in the Other group. The Show Table dialog box appears. Activate the Tables tab if you want to base your query on tables, activate the Queries tab if you want base your query on queries or activate the Both tab if you want to base your query on both tables and queries. Click to choose the table or query on which you want to base your query. Click Add. The table appears in the window. a. Click to choose the next table or query on which you want to base your query. b. Continue clicking tables or queries until you have all the tables and queries you plan to use. Click Close. Access changes to Query Design view.

Display All Records and All Fields

In Query Design view, each table has an option that allows you to display all of the fields and all of the records in a table. This option appears on the field line on the drop-down menu as the table name followed by a period and an asterisk (tablename.*).

To display all records and all fields:

1.

Open a table or query in Query Design view. Click the down-arrow in the first field on the Field row and then select the tablename.* option. The table name appears on the table line. Click the Run button. Access retrieves all of the fields and records for the table and displays them in Datasheet view.

2.
3.

Change from Datasheet View to Query Design View

After you run a query, you can easily change back to Query Design view and make modifications to your query or create a new query.

To change to Query Design view:

1. 2. 3.

Activate the Home tab. Click the down-arrow below View in the Views group. A menu appears. Click Design View. Access changes to Query Design view. You can modify your query.

Tip: You can also click the Design button

in the lower-right corner of the Access window to change to Design view.

Retrieve a Single Column

You can use an Access query to retrieve a single column of data. Instead of choosing the tablename.* option on the Field line in Query Design view, choose the name of the field you want to retrieve.

To retrieve a single column:

1. 2. 3.

Open a table or query in Query Design view. Choose the field name you want to display in the field line. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the column you chose.

Retrieve Multiple Columns

You can use an Access query to retrieve multiple columns of data. On the Field line in Query Design view, choose the field name of each field you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them.

To retrieve multiple columns:

1. 2. 3.

Open a table or query in Query Design view. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose.

Sort a Query
When creating a query, you can sort the rows you retrieve in ascending or descending order by choosing the option you want on the Sort row in Query Design view.

To perform a sort:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Open a table or query in Query Design view. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them. Under the field you want to sort, click the down-arrow and then choose Ascending or Descending. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in the order you specified.

Sort Multiple Columns in a Query

As you learned in the previous section, you can sort the rows your query returns. You can also create sorts within a sort. For example, you can sort by state and then within a state, you can sort by last name and then by first name. You specify the sort in the order you want the sort to occur. If you want to sort by state and then by last name within a state and then by first name within last name, you enter the sort in the following order: city, last name, first name. Your sort order may not agree with the order in which you want to display fields. In such a case, you can use fields that do not display to enter your sort order. To prevent a field from displaying, deselect the Show box on the Show row.

To sort multiple columns:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Open a table or query in Query Design view. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them. Choose the field names you want to sort by in the order you want to sort. Under the fields you want to sort by, choose Ascending or Descending. Deselect the Show button for the columns you do not want to display. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in the order you specified.

Retrieve Specific Records

In the examples so far, you have been retrieving all of the records (rows) in your table. You can, however, specify which records you wish to retrieve. For example, you can retrieve only those students who live in DE, only the student whose student number is 5, or only those students whose birth date is 2/16/88. You use logical operators such as = (equal), <> (not equal), > (greater than), or < (less than) to restrict the records you retrieve. For example, if you only want to display students who live in DE, enter = "DE" in the State column on the Criteria line. Access will only retrieve records where the value in the State column is equal to DE. Selection criteria are not case-sensitive, so Access will retrieve records where the entry is DE, de, De, or dE.

Logical Operators Operator Meaning = Equal to

<>

Not equal to

>

Greater than

>=

Greater than or equal to Less than

<

<=

Less than or equal to Equal to any item in a list

In

Field Type Character Number Date Character Number Date Character Number Date Character Number Date Character Number Date Character Number Date Character Number Date

Not In

Not equal to Character any item in a Number list Date Between two Character values, Number greater than or Date equal to one and less than or equal to the other Not between Character two values Number Date The value is missing from the field The value is not missing from the field Like a specified pattern. * means any series of characters. ? means any single character. Not like a Character Number Date Character Number Date Character Number Date

Between

Entry Format = "DE" =5 = #2/16/88# <> "DE" <> 5 <> #2/16/88# > "DE" >5 > #2/16/88# > = "DE" >=5 > = #2/16/88# < "DE" <5 < #2/16/88# <= "DE" <= 5 <= #2/16/88# In ("DE", "NJ") In (5, 9, 17) In (#2/16/88#, #2/3/90#, #12/15/88#) Not In ("DE", "NJ") Not In (5, 9, 17) Not In (#2/16/88#, #2/3/90#, #12/15/88#) Between "C" And "F" Between 5 And 10 Between #1/1/88# And #12/31/88#

Not Between

Is Null

Is Not Null

Like

Not Between "C" And "F" Not Between 5 And 10 Not Between #1/1/88# And #12/31/88# Is Null Is Null Is Null Is Not Null Is Not Null Is Not Null Like "S*" Like "1*" Not Applicable

Not Like

Character

Like "S*"

specified Number pattern. Date * means any series of characters. ? means many single character.

Like "1*" Not Applicable

When using the Like and Not Like criteria, where you place the asterisk(*) or question mark (?) determines the type of search Access performs. Like "Jo*" finds all records in the field that begin with Jo. It would find Jones, Johnson, and Jordan. Like "*son" finds all records in the field that end with son. It would find Stevenson, Jackson, and Peterson. Like "*456*" finds all records that contain 456 anywhere in the field. It would find 456123789, 123456789, and 123789456. The sequence Like "?en" finds all three character field entries where the second and third characters are en. It would find Ben, Len, and Jen. The sequence Like "Jo?" finds all three character field entries where the first and second characters are Jo. It would return Joe, Joy, and Jon. The sequence Like "T?m" finds all three character field entries where the first and third characters are T and m. It would return Tim, Tom, and Tam.

To retrieve specific records:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Open a table or query in Query Design view. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them. Choose the field names you want to sort by in the order you want to sort. Under the fields you want to sort by, choose Ascending or Descending. Deselect the Show button for columns you do not want to display. Enter your selection criteria on the Criteria line. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in the order you specified.

Apply Multiple Criteria

You can apply multiple criteria to the same table. If you place two criteria on the same line, Access will only retrieve records where both criteria are met. For example, if you want all records where the State is equal to "DE" and the Last Name is equal to Smith, you would set the State field to = "DE" and the Last Name field to = "Smith" and you would place both criteria on the same line. If you place one set of criteria on the Criteria line and the second set of criteria on the Or line, Access will retrieve records if either criteria are met. For example, you want all records where the State is equal to "DE" or the Last Name is equal to Smith. You would set the State field to = "DE" and the Last Name field to = "Smith" and you would place one set of criteria on the Criteria line and the other set of criteria on the Or line. Access will bring back all records where the state equals DE and all records where the Last Name is equal to Smith no matter what the State is. You can add additional and and or statements by using the lines below the Or line. For And clauses, place the criteria on the same line; for Or clauses, place the criteria on separate lines.

To apply multiple criteria:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7.

Open a table or query in Query Design view. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them. Choose the field names you want to sort by in the order you want to sort. Under the fields you want to sort by, choose Ascending or Descending. Enter your selection criteria on the Criteria line and the Or line, as needed. Deselect the Show button for columns you do not want to display. Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in the order you specified.

Create a Query That Uses Two or More Tables

If you want to view data from two or more tables or queries, you can create a query that pulls the data from multiple tables or queries. The tables and queries from which you pull your data should have a relationship.

To create a query that uses two or more tables:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Open the tables and/or queries you want to use in Query Design view. Choose the field names you want to retrieve in the order you want to retrieve them. Choose the field names you want to sort by in the order you want to sort. Under the fields you want to sort by, choose Ascending or Descending. Enter your selection criteria, if necessary (Not applicable in this example). Deselect the Show button for columns you do not want to display (Not applicable in this example). Click the Run button. Access retrieves the columns you chose and displays the rows in the order you specified.

Save a Query
After you create a query, you can save it. You can rerun a saved query at any time. If you change the data on which the saved query is based, you will see the changes when you rerun the query.

To save a query:

1. 2. 3.

Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. Access saves the query unless you are saving for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box appears. Type the name you want to give your query. Click OK. Access saves the query. You can now access the query by using the Navigation pane.

Tip: You can also save by right-clicking a querys tab and then selecting Save from the menu that appears. Access saves the query unless you are saving for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box appears. Type the name you want to give the query and then click OK. Access saves the query. You can now access the query by using the Navigation pane.

Tip: After you have saved a query, you can run it by opening the Navigation pane and then clicking the name of the query.

Modify a Query
Once created, a query can be modified. Simply open the query in Query Design view and make the changes. You can add columns, change the sort order, change the criteria, and make other changes. In Query Design view, the Query Setup group offers several options that can assist you. Use the Insert Rows button to insert a row in the criteria area. Click anywhere in the row before which you want to insert a new row and then click the Insert Rows button.

Use the Insert Columns button

to insert a column. Click anywhere in the column before which you want to insert a column and then click the Insert Column button .

Use the Delete Rows button

to delete a row in the criteria area. Click anywhere in the row you want to delete and then click the Delete Row button.

Use the Delete Columns button

to delete a column. Click anywhere in the column you want to delete and then click the Delete Column button

Use a Query to Make a Table

You can use a query to create a table. This is useful when you want to create a new table that includes the fields and data from an existing table.

To create a table:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6.

Open the table or query on which you want to base your new table on in Query Design view. Enter the criteria on which you want to base your new table. Click the Make Table button. The Make Table dialog box appears. Type the name you want to give your new table. Click OK. Click Run. You see the following prompt.

7. 8. 9.

Click Yes. Close the query. (Right-click the querys tab and then click Close.) Double-click the new tables name in the Navigation pane to view the new table.

Create a Parameter Query

If instead of entering predetermined criteria, you want to prompt users when a query runs, you can create a parameter query. You create a parameter query by enclosing a question in square brackets ([]). For example, if you want to create a parameter query that asks users which State they want to use from the Students table, you would type [Which State?] on the Criteria line under the State column. When the query runs, Access will prompt the user for the answer to your question.

To create a parameter query:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Open a table or query in Query Design view. Create your query. On the Criteria line, type the prompt within square brackets. Click the Run button. Access prompts you.

5. 6.

Respond to the prompt. Click OK. Access displays the results of your query in Datasheet view.

Note: If you want to make your user prompt more flexible, use one of the following formats.

Like "*" & [Prompt] & "*"

Returns all records that contain the value you enter. Example: If you enter ad, Access returns all records that include the sequence ad anywhere in the field.

Like "*" & [Prompt]

Like [Prompt] & "*"

> [Prompt]

Returns all records that end with the value you enter. Example: If you enter S, Access returns all records that end with S. Returns all records that begin with the value you enter. Example: If you enter S, Access returns all records that begin with S. Find all records with a value greater than the value you enter. Example: If you enter 5, Access returns all records that are greater than 5.

Note: You can also use < (less than) ,<= (less than or equal to) >=, >= (greater than or equal to), or <> (not equal)

Lesson 6: Creating Forms

Access forms are much like paper forms: you can use them to enter, edit, or display data. They are based on tables. When using a form, you can choose the format, the arrangement, and which fields you want to display. This lesson teaches you how to create forms.

Using the Form Button

Access can automatically create several types of forms. For example, when you click the Form button on the Create tab, Access places all fields in the selected table on a form. If the table has a one-to-many relationship with one other table or query, Access creates a stacked form (the records are displayed in a column) for the primary table and a datasheet for the related table. If there are several tables with a one-to-many relationship, Access does not create the datasheet.

To create a form:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Open the Navigation pane. Click the table or query on which you want to base your form. Activate the Create tab. Click Form in the Forms group. Access creates a form.

You can use the Navigation bars to move through the records on a form.

1 2 3 4 5 6

Go to First Record Go to Previous Record The Current Record Go to Next Record Go to Last Record Create a New (Blank) Record

Tip: After you create a form, you can save it. You can open a saved form at any time. To save a form: 1. 2. 3. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. Access saves the form unless you are saving for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box appears. Type the name you want to give the form. Click OK. Access saves the form. You can now access the form by using the Navigation pane.

You can also save by right-clicking a forms tab and then selecting Save from the menu that appears. Access saves the form unless you are saving for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box appears. Type the name you want to give the form and then click OK. Access saves the form. You can now access the form by using the Navigation pane.

Create a Split Form

A split form is a form in which the same data is displayed in two views simultaneously. One part of the form displays in Form view (stacked fields), while the other part displays in Datasheet view. The two views are synchronized, so as you select a field in one view, it is automatically selected in the other view. You can add, change, or delete the data in either view. Using a split form gives you the benefits of two types of forms in a single form. For example, you can use the datasheet portion to locate records and the form portion to edit records.

To create a split form:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Open the Navigation pane. Click the table or query on which you want to base your form. Activate the Create tab. Click Split Form in the Forms group. Access creates a split form.

Create a Multiple Items Form

You can use the Multiple Items button on the Forms tab to create a form that displays multiple records, one record per row.

To create a multiple items form:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Open the Navigation pane. Click the table or query on which you want to base your form. Activate the Create tab. Click Multiple Items in the Forms group. Access creates a multiple items form.

Tip: A view is a way of looking at an Access object. Forms have three views: Form view, Layout view, and Design view. You can enter, edit, and view data in Form view. You can modify a form in Layout view or Design view. In Layout view, you can see your data, and the form you see closely resembles what your form will look like when you view it in Form view. You can make most, but not all, changes to your form in Layout view. Design view displays the structure of your form. In this view you cannot see the underlying data, but you can perform some tasks in Design view that you cannot perform in Layout view. This tutorial focuses on Layout view.

To change the view:

1. 2. 3. 4. Open the form. Activate the Format tab. Click the down-arrow under the View button. A menu appears. Click the view you want.

Modify a Form
After you create a form, it opens in Layout view, where you can modify it.

To change the size of a field:

1. 2. Click a side of the field and drag to change the width of the field. Click the top or bottom of a field and drag to change the height of a field.

To move a datasheet:
1. 2. Click the datasheet to select it. Click and drag the four-sided arrow in the upper-right corner to move the datasheet.

To resize a datasheet:
1. 2. 3. Click the datasheet to select it. Click a side of the datasheet and drag to change the width. Click the top or bottom of the datasheet and drag to change the height.

To apply an AutoFormat:
The AutoFormat option on the Format tab enables you to apply formats quickly, such as background colors, field colors, field label colors, and fonts. 1. 2. 3. Activate the Format tab. Click AutoFormat. The AutoFormat menu appears. Click the format you want to apply.

To change a form title:

When you create a form, by default, Access uses the form name as the title. You can change the title. 1. 2. 3. Activate the Format tab. Click the Title button. Type the new title.

To add the date and time:

You can easily add the date and time to your form. 1. 2. Activate the Format tab. Click the Date and Time button. The Date and Time dialog box appears. Select the date and time format you want. The date and time appear on your form.

Change Fonts and Formats You can use options on the Format tab to manually apply individual formats to your report. However, before you can apply a format to a field or field label, you must select it. To select a field or field label, click it. To select multiple items, hold down the Shift key and then click each item you want to select. A box surrounds selected items.

Change Fonts and Formats Button Shortcut Function Key Apply a font to the current selection. Set the size of the font for the current selection. Ctrl-b Ctrl-i Ctrl-u Ctrl-l Ctrl-r Ctrl-e Bold the current selection. Italicize the current selection. Underline the current selection. Left-align the selection. Right-align the selection. Center the selection. Change the font color. Change the background color. Change the alternating color. For example, you can have every other row on a datasheet appear in an alternating color. Layout ViewFormat Tab, Formatting Group Apply a Number format. Use a currency symbol. Change to percent. Use thousand separators. Increase decimal places. Decrease decimal places. Layout ViewFormat Tab, Gridlines Group

Layout ViewFormat Tab, Font Group

Add gridlines.

Change the weight of gridlines. Change the style of gridlines. Change the color of gridlines. Layout ViewFormat Tab, Controls Group Add a logo.

Add or change a title. Add a date and time. Set line thickness. Set line style. Set line color.

Lesson 7: Creating Reports

Reports organize and summarize data for viewing online or for printing. A detail report displays all of the selected records. You can include summary data such as totals, counts, and percentages in a detail report. A summary report does not list the selected records but instead summarizes the data and presents totals, counts, percentages, or other summary data only. Access has several report generation tools that you can use to create both detail and summary reports quickly. This lesson teaches you how to create reports.

Use the Report Button

The Report button creates a simple report that lists the records in the selected table or query in a columnar format.

To use the Report button:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Open the Navigation pane. Click the table or query on which you want to base your report. Activate the Create tab. Click the Report button in the Reports group. Access creates your report and displays your report in Layout view. You can modify the report.

Tip: After you create a report, you can save it. 1. Click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar. Access saves the report unless you are saving for the first time. If you are saving for the first time, the Save As dialog box appears. 2. Type the name you want to give your report. 3. Click OK. Access saves the report. You can now access the report by using the Navigation pane. As with other objects, you can also save a report by right-clicking the reports tab and selecting Save. Saved reports appear in the Navigation pane. Tip: Reports created by using the Report button are plain and simple. The Modify a Report section of this lesson teaches you how to customize a report to meet your needs.

Tip: Access reports created simply by using the Report button have several sections. They are detailed in the following table. Sections of a Report Report Header Appears at the top of the first page and displays the report title. Appears at the top of every page and displays the headings (field labels) for each column. Appears at the bottom of every page and displays the

Page Header

Page Footer

page number and total number of pages. Detail Section Appears between the page header and page footer and displays the records from the table or query. This section is optional. Appears on the last page of the report and displays summary information such as grand totals.

Report Footer

Use the Report Wizard

You can also use the Report Wizard to create a report. The Report Wizard provides you with more flexibility than you get by using the Report button. You can choose the tables and fields, group the data, sort the data, summarize the data, choose a layout and orientation, apply a style, and title your report. Follow the steps shown here to create a report by using the Report Wizard:

To create a report by using the Report Wizard:

Open the Report Wizard

1. Activate the Create tab. 2. Click Report Wizard in the Reports group. The Report Wizard appears.

Select tables, queries and fields

When using the Report Wizard, you can use fields from multiple tables and/or queries if the tables/queries have a relationship.

1. Click the down-arrow next to the Table/Queries field and then click the table from which you want to select fields. 2. Click a field and then click the single-right arrow to select a single field, click the double-right arrows to select all fields, click a field and then click the single-left arrow to deselect a single field, or click the double-left arrow to deselect all fields. 3. Repeat steps 1 and 2 for each table from which you want to select fields. 4. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Group
When using the Report Wizard, you can group data. Grouping puts all of the values in a field into a group based on the fields value. For example, if your data is grouped by the Department field and the records in the Department field have values such as Administration, Computer Science, and English. Access will group all of the data for the Administration department together, all of the data for the Computer Science department together, and all of the data for the English department together.

1. Click to select the field by which you want to group your data. You may not see this page of the wizard if you are selecting data from a single table. 2. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

3. Click a field you want to group by. 4. Click the right-arrow to select a field; click a field and then click the left arrow to deselect a field. Use the up- and down-arrows to change the order of the groupings. If you are only using one table, this may be your first opportunity to select a field to group by. 5. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for each field you want to group by. 6. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Sort and summarize

By using the Report Wizard, you can create up to four levels of sort. Access sorts the first level, and then sorts the second level within that sort, and so on. If you have grouped your data, you can summarize it by displaying the sum, average, and minimum or maximum value for each numeric field. You can choose to have your report display just the summary data or each detail line and the summary data. There is also an option that allows you to display the percent the sum of each group is of the grand total. All of the fields in your report may not fit on a single page. You can have Access automatically adjust the size of the font so that every field fits.

1. Click the down-arrow and then select the field you want to sort by. 2. Click the button to choose ascending or descending order. Clicking the button toggles between Ascending and Descending. You can sort up to four levels. 3. Click the Summary Options button. The Summary Options window appears.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Click to select the summary data you want. Click to select whether you want detail and summary data or if you want summary data only. Click if you want to calculate the percent to the total for sums. Click OK. The Summary Options window closes. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Layout and orientation

You can choose the layout and orientation of your report. The layout determines where each field appears on the page. Access provides three options to choose from: Stepped, Block, and Outline. When you choose an option, the left side of the window displays a graphic of the layout. Orientation determines whether Access creates the report in portrait or landscape. Most paper, such as paper sized 8 1/2 by 11, is longer on one edge than it is on the other. If you print in Portrait, the shortest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page. Portrait is the default option. If you print Landscape, the longest edge of the paper becomes the top of the page.

1. Click to select a layout. 2. Click to select a page orientation. 3. Choose the Adjust The Field Width So All Fields Fit On A Page option if you want all fields to fit on a single page. 4. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Style
A style is a set of formats consisting of such things as background colors, fonts, font colors, and font sizes. Access supplies predesigned styles that format titles, labels, and more. When you choose a style, the left side of the window displays a preview.

1. Click to select a style. 2. Click Next. The Report Wizard moves to the next page.

Create a title
On the final page of the Report Wizard, you can title your report. The title appears at the top of the report and on the Navigation pane.

1. Type the title you want to give the report. 2. Click Finish. Access creates, saves, and opens your report in Layout view.

Tip: Reports created with the Report Wizard may have the following two sections in addition to the sections found in reports created by using the Report button. Sections of a Report Group Header Appears before a group and displays information about the group. Appears after a group and summarizes the group data.

Group Footer

Modify a Report
After you create a report, you can modify it. You can add groups or sorts, add fields, change labels, and perform many other tasks. You can view a report in Report view, Layout view, Design view, and Print Preview. You can modify a report in Layout view or Design view. In Layout view, you can see your data, and the report you see closely resembles how your report will look when you print it. You can make most, but not all, changes to your report in Layout view. Design view displays the structure of your report. In this view you cannot see the underlying data, but you can perform some tasks in Design view that you cannot perform in Layout view. This tutorial focuses on Layout view.

To change to Layout view:

1. 2. 3. 4. Open your report. Activate the Home tab. Click the View button. A menu appears. Click Layout View. Access changes to Layout view.

Change the Size of a Field or Label If the data in a field or label seems crowded, if some of the data in the field or label does not appear, or if the data appears as pound signs (####), the field or label is too small.

To change the size of a field or label:

1. Click the field or label. A border appears around it. 2. Click a side of the border and drag outward to increase the width. Click a side of the border and drag inward to decrease the width.

Tip: Incidentally, if you want to change the height of records, click the top or bottom of a field border and drag upward or downward. Add a Group or Sort When you create a report by clicking the Report button, you are not given options that enable you to group or sort. You can use the Group & Sort button on the Format tab to create a group or sort. When you create a report by using the Report Wizard, you can use the Group & Sort button to add or modify a group or sort.

To Group or Sort: Open the Group, Sort, and Total pane

1. Open your report in Layout view. 2. Activate the Format tab. 3. Click Group & Sort in the Grouping and Totals group. The Group, Sort, and Total pane appears.

Add a group

4. Click Add A Group and then select the field by which you want to group. Access groups and sorts the field.

Add a sort

5. Click Add A Sort and then select the field on which you want to sort. Access sorts the field. Groups and sorts display in the Group, Sort, and Total pane in levels. Access performs the highest-level group or sort first, the second level next, and so on.

After you have added a group or sort, you can set several options by clicking the More button and then clicking the down-arrow next to each option and making your choices. Group, Sort, and Total Pane Options Option Description Sort order Use these options to With A on top choose from ascending or From smallest to descending order. largest From oldest to newest Group interval Set how you want to group. For example, if you want to group by the first letter of the last name so that all As are together, all Bs are together. etc., you can select By First Character. Select the field you want to total on and the type of total you want. Your total can be a sum, average, count, etc. You can also choose whether you want to show a grand total, totals as a percentage of a grand total, display totals in the header, or display totals in the footer.

Totals

Title With or without a header section

Allows you to add or change the field label. Group headers precede each group. This option allows you to determine whether you want a header section. Group footers are printed at the bottom of each group. This option allows you to determine whether you want a footer section. Use these options to determine where a page break will occur when you print: Do not keep group together on one page. This option allows page breaks within a group. Keep whole group together on one page. This option prevents page breaks within a group. Keep header and first record together on one page. This option prevents a header from printing at the bottom of a page with no records.

With or without a footer section

Keep group together

There are three buttons on the right side of the Group, Sort, and Total pane. If you want to delete a group or sort, click the group or sort you want to delete and then click the Delete button. Groups and sorts execute in the order they are listed in the Group, Sort, and Total pane. If you want to change the order of execution, click the group or sort you want to move up or down and then click the Move Up or Move Down button to move a group or sort up or down a level.

To add a field:

1. 2. 3. 4.

Open your report in Layout view. Activate the Format tab. Click the Add Existing Fields button in the Controls group. The Field List pane appears. Click Show All Tables if the field you want to add does not appear.

5. Click the field you want to add and drag it onto your report. A thick line appears on the report. Access places the field before the line. If you want the field to appear in the detail area, be sure to drag it to the detail area.

To delete a field:
1. Open your report in Layout view.

2. Click the field you want to delete. 3. Press the Delete key. Access deletes the field.

To move a column:
1. Open your report in Layout view. 2. Click the column label. 3. Drag the column to the new location. Access moves the column to the new location.

To change a title:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Open your report in Layout view. Double-click in the Title field. Click and drag to select the current title. Type a new title. Click anywhere outside the Title field. Access changes the title.

To change a field label:

1. 2. 3. 4. 5. Open your report in Layout view. Double-click the field label. Click and drag to select the label name. Type the new label name. Click anywhere outside the label. Access changes the field label.

To change the paper size:

1. 2. 3. 4. Open your report in Layout view. Activate the Page Setup tab. Click the Size button in the Page Layout group. A menu appears. Click the size of the paper you are going to print on.

To change paper orientation:

1. Open your report in Layout view. 2. Activate the Page Setup tab. 3. Click Portrait or Landscape to choose the orientation you want to use. Access changes the page orientation.

To change margins:
1. 2. 3. 4. Open your report in Layout view. Activate the Page Setup tab. Click the Margins button in the Page Layout group. A menu appears. Click the margin size you want. Access changes the page margin.

To add page numbers:

1. 2. 3. 4. Open your report in Layout view. Activate the Format tab. Click the Insert Page Number button in the Controls group. The Page Numbers dialog box appears. Click a radio button to choose a format.

5. 6. 7. 8.

Click a radio button to choose a position. Click the down-arrow in the Alignment field and then choose an alignment. Deselect Show Number On First Page if you do not want the page number to appear on the first page. Click OK. Access places the page number in your report.

To add current date or time:

1. Open your report in Layout view. 2. Activate the Format tab. 3. Click the Date and Time button in the Controls group. The Date and Time dialog box appears.

4. 5. 6. 7. 8.

Deselect the Include Date box if you do not wish to include the date. Click to select a format if you are including the date. Deselect the Include Time box if you do not wish to include the time. Click to select a format if you are including the time. Click OK. Access places the date and/or time in your report.

Apply an AutoFormat You can use the AutoFormat option on the Format tab to apply formats such as background colors, fonts, and font sizes quickly.

To apply an AutoFormat:
1. Activate the Format tab. 2. Click AutoFormat. The AutoFormat menu appears. 3. Click the format you want to apply. Change Fonts and Formats You can use options on the Format tab to manually apply formats to your report. However, before you can apply a format to a field or field label, you must select the field or field label by clicking it. To select multiple items, hold down the Shift key and then click each item you want to select. A box surrounds selected items.

Change Fonts and Formats Button Shortcut Key Function

Layout ViewFormat Tab, Font Group Apply a font to the current selection. Set the size of the font for the current selection. Ctrl-b Ctrl-i Ctrl-u Ctrl-l Ctrl-r Ctrl-e Bold the current selection. Italicize the current selection. Underline the current selection. Left-align the selection. Right-align the selection. Center the selection. Change the font color. Change the background color. Change the alternating color. For example, you can have every other row in the detail area appear in alternating colors. Layout ViewFormat Tab, Formatting Group Apply a Number format. Use a currency symbol. Change to percent. Use thousand separators. Increase decimal places. Decrease decimal places. Layout ViewFormat Tab, Gridlines Group Add gridlines.

Change the weight of gridlines. Change the style of gridlines. Change the color of gridlines. Layout ViewFormat Tab, Controls Group Add a logo.

Add a title. Set line thickness. Set line style. Set line color.

Tip: After you modify your report, you must save it if you want to keep the changes. To save, click the Save button on the Quick Access toolbar or right-click the reports tab and then click Save.

Create Mailing Labels

In Access, the easiest way to create a mailing label is to use the Label Wizard. The Label Wizard extracts name and address data from your database and formats it so you can print it on commercially available labels. Each time you view or print labels, the data are extracted from the database, so as you update your database, Access updates your labels.

To create labels:
Open the Labels Wizard

1. Click the table or query you want to use to create a label. 2. Activate the Create tab. 3. Click Labels in the Reports group. The Labels Wizard appears.

Choose a product number

Most commercially available labels have a product number. You should be able to find the number on the box. You use the product number to tell Access the dimensions of your labels and the number of columns and rows that are on a page.

1. Click to select the Product Number in the Product Number field. 2. Click Next. The Label Wizard moves to the next page.

Choose a font, font size, font weight, and color

A font is a set of characters (text) represented in a single typeface. Each character within a font is created by using the same basic style. The Label Wizard has options that allow you to select a font, font size, weight, and color. You can also choose to italicize or underline the text in your labels.

1. Click the down-arrow next to the Font Name field and then select the font. A preview appears in the Sample box. 2. Click the down-arrow next to the Font Size field and then select the font size. A preview appears in the Sample box. 3. Click the down-arrow next to the Font Weight field and then select the font weight. A preview appears in the Sample box. 4. Click the button next to the Text Color field and then select a color you want your text to have. A preview appears in the Sample box. 5. Click the Italic box if you want to italicize. A preview appears in the Sample box.

6. Click the Underline box if you want to underline. A preview appears in the Sample box. 7. Click Next. The Label Wizard moves to the next page.

Create a layout
You create the layout of your labels by selecting fields and placing them in the Prototype Label box. You type any text or spaces that you want to appear on your label.

1. 2. 3. 4. 5.

Click a field name and then click the right-arrow to place the field on the prototype label. Press the spacebar to leave spaces. Press the Enter key to move to a new line. Type any text you want to appear on the label. Click Next. The Label Wizard moves to the next page.

Sort
When creating labels, you can sort on any field and you can have multiple levels of sort. For example, you can sort by last name and then by first name.

1. Click to choose the fields you want to sort by. Click the single right-arrow to select a single field, click the double right-arrow to select all fields, click the single left-arrow to deselect a single field, click the double left-arrow to deselect all fields. 2. Click Next. The Label Wizard moves to the next page.

Title the report

1. Type a title for your report. The title will appear in the Navigation pane. 2. Click Finish. Access displays the labels in Print Preview.

Tip: When you complete your labels you may get the following message. When printing mailing labels, you can usually ignore this message. Click the Show Help button to read the following: This message may be the result of using a report created with the Label Wizard. This error message is commonly encountered when printing to label pages that have three or more labels per row. Usually this message can be ignored. If you do need to change the layout, try one or both of the following:

Reduce the width of the controls on the report. Reduce the width of the report to make sure the report is not wider than the printable area of the page.

Note that page size is dependent on the printer and the physical size of the paper you are printing to. In some cases it is necessary to rotate the page orientation from portrait to landscape to accommodate the selected print width.

Tip: When you view labels in Report view, they may appear in a single column. To see how your labels will appear when printed, use Print Preview.

Print a Report
Often, the people who use Access data only see a printed report. In Print Preview, you can see exactly how your report will look when printed, you can make changes to it, and you can print it. To print, click the Print button in the Print group. The Print dialog box opens and you can select your print options.

To change to Print Preview:

1. 2. 3. 4. Open your report. Activate the Home tab. Click the down-arrow under the View button. A menu appears. Click Print Preview. Access changes to Print Preview.

Several options are available to you in Print Preview. Print Preview Options Print Displays the Print dialog box. You can select such options as the printer, print range, and number of copies. Use this option to print your report. Click the Size button to set the size of the paper you are going to print on. Click the Portrait button to print with the shortest side of the paper as the top. Click the Landscape button to print with the longest side of the paper as the top. Click the Margins button to select a margin size of Normal, Wide, or Narrow. Margins define the amount of white space that surrounds your report. Prints the report data without other elements such as titles, and labels. Changes the cursor to a magnifying glass. When the magnifying glass displays a minus sign (), you can zoom out. When the magnifying glass displays a plus sign (+), you can zoom in. Click the down-arrow under the Zoom button to display a menu and choose a zoom level. Displays one page of the report in the Access window. Displays two pages of the report in the Access window. Displays a menu from which you can choose the number of page you want to display.

Size Portrait Landscape Margins

Print Data Only Zoom

One Page Two Page More Pages

Tip: To view a report online, use Report view. Open your report. Activate the Home tab. Click the down-arrow under the View button. Click Report view. Your report displays in Report view