Table of contents
1.
Introduction
2.
What is Microsoft Excel?
2.1.
Need to Learn Excel
2.2.
Process to Open MS Excel
2.3.
Cell in Excel
2.4.
Spreadsheet or Worksheet
3.
Features and Ribbon of MS Excel
3.1.
Ribbon
3.2.
Features
3.3.
Advantages of MS Excel
3.4.
Disadvantages of MS Excel
3.5.
 MS Excel Shortcuts
4.
FAQs
5.
Key Takeaways
Last Updated: Mar 27, 2024

Introduction to Excel

Author Naman Kukreja
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Introduction

The modern world is all about data, and to be up to date with the world, one should know how to manage data and work with tables.

So how can one understand and practice working on tables using different operations and formulas?

The answer to the above question is by using MS excel. It can be understood as a spreadsheet that stores, analyzes, works, edits, and deletes the data. In this blog, We will learn all about MS excel that will be enough for you to start with it, and in preceding blogs, we will discuss each topic in detail.

So without wasting any further time, let’s get on with our topic.

What is Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel is a program that uses spreadsheets to analyze and record statistical and numerical data. Microsoft Excel provides multiple features like graph tools, mathematical operators, macro programming, etc. It is compatible with almost all OS like macOS, Windows, IOS, Android.

An Excel spreadsheet is the collection of rows and columns. The alphabets are referred to as the columns, and the numbers are referred to as the rows. As shown in the following image:

Need to Learn Excel

One should learn Excel as it is beneficial in managing and doing the task. It can easily make your expenses table so that you can have a look at all your expenses. And directly or indirectly, almost all companies require excellent skills in their work, so if you have it earlier, it will act as a plus point in your resume.

Process to Open MS Excel

Follow the given steps to open MS Excel on your computer. 

  • Click on Start.
  • Then click on all programs.
  • Now click on the MS office.
  • At last, select MS Excel from it and click on it.

Or you can just click on the start button and then type MS Excel and press enter.

If you are not able to see the MS Office icon on your computer, then make sure you have installed it otherwise, install it first, and after that, follow the above steps.

Cell in Excel

As the spreadsheet contains only rows and columns. The cell is referred to as the intersection of the row and column. Every junction of these two creates a different cell.

In the above image, all the rectangular boxes visible are cells.

The cell can be identified or referred to by its address known as cell address. We can use cell address by row and column-like row 5 column D.

Spreadsheet or Worksheet

A worksheet or spreadsheet is the collection of cells in a workbook where we perform all the operations. Its name is represented at the bottom of the page.

We can perform many operations on the worksheet like creating a new worksheet, deleting any created worksheet, renaming, copying, etc.

For a proper detailed explanation of the worksheet, you must refer to this blog. Here, you will understand its feature, definition, use, etc.

Features and Ribbon of MS Excel

Here we will discuss different features of excel and all about ribbon from scratch.

Ribbon

The ribbon is the topmost row in MS Excel that provides many different features and functions/ facilities to use. The following is the image of the ribbon tab in MS Excel.

Now we will understand the feature of each option in the ribbon tab.

  • Home Tab: It provides different features like changing the size and font of text and editing the worksheet's cells. Here users can also use the option of format painter, which enables the user to directly copy all the properties of some part to the other part.
  • Insert Tab: As the name suggests, it provides different insert features like graphs, tables, pivot tables, images, charts, etc.
  • Page Layout: It will contain and provide properties related to the worksheet like size, margin, orientation, background, height, width, themes. And the changes made here will also be visible on the hard copy of the sheet.
  • Formulas: It is the collection of different formulas available to the user to use in the cells for calculation or any other work. It has a function library in which various procedures are grouped according to their work or usage.
  • Data: In this tab, you can perform different operations on the set of data like analyzing the data using if-else conditions also can import or access data from other locations like text files, web, etc. use for removing duplicate data and transposing columns and rows.
  • Review: This tab provides different facilities like checking spellings thesaurus, helping in sharing and protecting the worksheet, and also helping to translate the text.
  • View: It contains different commands like zoom, arranging the sheets, switching between windows, ruler, managing the view, adding macros, freezing panes, etc.

Features

Excel provides different features and ribbon tab features are also a few of them. Here we will discuss some more features.

  • Add header and footer: MS Excel allows the user to have a header and footer in the worksheet, which helps him make the file more specified.
  • Find and Replace Command: This is one of the basic and still most used commands as it allows you to find and work with specified data. It saves a lot of time.
  • Password Protection: Excel allows you to set the password on your file to protect it.
  • Data Filtering: Filtering is an efficient way of working, and it allows filtering. We can use an auto filer for more straightforward data or an advanced filter for more complex data.
  • Built-in formulae: Excel provides the library of different formulas that can be used in our operations.

Advantages of MS Excel

  • Tables: Tables are necessary and have many features like easy to create, dynamic, calculated columns that can easily be selected.
  • Office Work: It is sued for doing daily accounting work and also used for saving daily data and for making credit and debit sheets.
  • Sharing: You can also share files between different users via email and open the same file on a PC or phone.
  • Multiple Spreadsheets: As all the work is done in a spreadsheet, we can create as many spreadsheets we want in a single workbook.
  • Password Protection: It provides the ability to change or set passwords so that only verified users can access our file.

Disadvantages of MS Excel

  • Virus threat: As Excel has a feature of macros in it, by accessing macros, the virus can enter our software.
  • High Price: This software is a bit expensive. A user who wants it for everyday use cannot afford it.
  • Becomes Slow: If you have too much data in Excel, it will become slow.
  • Handling errors: You have to be careful while applying the formula. If you used the wrong formula, your answer would be incorrect, and it would be very difficult for excel to rectify the error.
  • Difficult to learn: Compared to MS word, it is a bit difficult to understand, but if someone knows it, then it all a matter of time to use it is as a super easy software.

 MS Excel Shortcuts

  • Ctrl + N:  Create a new workbook.
  • Ctrl + S: Saves the current workbook.
  • Ctrl + O: Used to open a saved workbook.
  • Ctrl + C: Use to copy the selected cells.
  • Ctrl + V: Used to paste the copied cells.
  • Ctrl + W: Used to close the workbook.
  • Ctrl + X: used to cut the selected cells.
  • Ctrl + P: Used to print the workbook.
  • Delete: Used to remove all the content from the selected cell.
  • Ctrl + Z: To undo the operation.

FAQs

1. What attributes does the Excel workbook contain?
Excel workbook is a collection of worksheets and charts.
 

2. Write some of the main features of MS Excel?
There are many features, but the main ones are inserting tables, graphs, using formulas, and working with extensive data.
 

3. How can you call for help in MS Excel?
You can call for or can use help by using the keyword F1.
 

4. What is a cell Tip?
Cell Tip refers to the cells which contain comments.

Key Takeaways

In this article, we have extensively discussed the introduction to MS Excel, which will act like a headstart for you to work with it. We have also discussed ribbon, features, advantages, disadvantages of Excel, and much more in-depth along with the introduction.

We hope that this blog has helped you enhance your knowledge regarding software reliability measurement techniques and if you would like to learn more, check out our articles on Code studio. Do upvote our blog to help other ninjas grow.

 “Happy Coding!”

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