September 2007 - Spreadsheet Basics

MICROSOFT WORKS SPREADSHEET BASICS

Parts of the Microsoft Works Spreadsheet Screen

· Active Cell - In a spreadsheet, the cell with the black outline. Data is always entered into the active cell.
· Formula Bar- Located above the column header in the spreadsheet, this area displays the contents of the active cell. It can also be used for entering or editing data and formulas.
· Column Letter - Columns run vertically on a spreadsheet and each one is identified by a letter in the column header.
· Row Number - Rows run horizontally in a Works spreadsheet and are identified by a number in the row header.
· Zoom Control - The zoom control in the bottom right corner of the Works spreadsheet screen is used to increase (click on + sign) or decrease (click on - sign) the size of the work area.
· Toolbar - The icons or buttons on the toolbar are shortcuts to commonly performed tasks in a Microsoft Works spreadsheet. There are shortcuts for opening new files, saving the current spreadsheet, printing, and for common formatting options.

Planning a Works Spreadsheet

Entering data into a Microsoft Works spreadsheet is as easy as clicking on a cell, typing a number, a date, or some text and then pressing the ENTER key on the keyboard.
Even though it is easy to enter data, it is a good idea to do a bit of planning before you begin to type.
Points to consider:
1. What is the purpose of the spreadsheet?
2. What information needs to be included?
3. What headings are needed to explain the information in the Works spreadsheet?
4. What is the best layout for the information?


Cell References in Microsoft Works Spreadsheets

· Data is stored in cells in a Microsoft Works spreadsheet.
· Each small rectangle in a Works spreadsheet is a cell.
· A cell is the intersection point of a column and a row in a spreadsheet.

Spreadsheet Facts
Columns run vertically in a spreadsheet and are identified by a letter.
Rows run horizontally and are identified by a number.
There are 16,384 rows, over 200 columns, and almost 4 million cells in each Works spreadsheet.
Cell Reference Facts
To keep track of all these cells, each cell has a cell reference or address.
A cell reference is a combination of the column letter and the row number.
The active cell reference is shown in the name box above column A.

Microsoft Works Spreadsheets Data Types

There are three main types of data used in Microsoft Works Spreadsheets:
labels
values
dates/times
A label is an entry that is usually used for headings, names, and for identifying columns of data. Labels can contain letters and numbers.
A value contains numbers and can be used in calculations.
Date/time data is just that, a date or the time entered into a cell.

Widen Columns in Microsoft Works Spreadsheets

Sometimes data is too wide for the cell it is located in. When this happens, the data may or may not spill over into the cell beside it.
· If a label is too long for a cell but there is nothing in the cell to the right of it the label simply spills over into the space to the right.
· If a label is too long for the cell but there is data in the cell to the right, the label is cut off. The rest of label is still present, there just isn’t room to display it.
· If a label is cut off, you can widen the column to display it. In Microsoft Works spreadsheets, you can't widen individual cells, you must widen the entire column.

In Microsoft Works Spreadsheets, if a value is too long for a cell, it does not spill over to adjacent cells even if those cells are empty. The column needs to be widened before the value can be displayed. Number signs in a cell (####) indicate that there is a value (number) in that cell that can only be displayed if the column is widened.

To widen a column, place your mouse pointer on the line between columns in the column header. When the pointer changes to a double headed arrow, click with the mouse button and drag to the right.

Editing Cells in Microsoft Works Spreadsheets

In Microsoft Works spreadsheets to change the contents of a cell, click on the cell, type over the existing entry, and press the ENTER key on the keyboard.
Change Part of the Cell Contents
· Method 1
o Click on the cell to make it the active cell.
o Click on the data in the formula bar.
o Delete the part to be changed and type in the new data.
o Press the ENTER key.

· Method 2
o Double click on the cell.
o Edit the part of the cell you want to change.
o Press the ENTER key.