What is Excel
Excel uses columns and rows to store data. The data is entered in cells by way of texts, numbers or formulas. Excel allows one to store data, correct/clean data and also transform the same data to useful information and present the same by way of charts and graphs.
Overview of Excel
Excel is arranged around a ribbon. The ribbon contains toolbar section which is found at the top of the window. The ribbon contains the following tabs where each tab has further array of commands;
- Home
- Insert
- Page Layout
- Formulas
- Data
- Review
- View
Excel Navigation
Now lets understand how to move around excel.
Excel is structured as a workbook. It is the entire excel file. In the workbook, you will find worksheet. The worksheet is a single sheet within the workbook take it as a page within a book. The sheets are accessible at the bottom of excel. In each sheet, the data is arranged in columns and rows. The columns are named alphabetically from A,B, C, D, and so on. The rows are titled by numbers from 1,2,3 and so on. Where the column and row meet, they form a small box which we refer to as the cell, and therefore each cell will have an address of its column and the row position.
The cell address will be displayed just below the ribbon and next to the cell address you will find the formula bar.
Entering data and formatting data
To work on the excel work sheet, one simply needs to click on a particular cell and input data. Data can be numbers or texts. Excel is able to clearly understand the type of data being given. At a glance, you will notice that texts are usually aligned on the left while numbers are aligned on the right.
Formatting data refers to altering the way data appears to make it easier to understand and analyse. Formatting of data is usually done from the Home tab on the ribbon section.
As a general rule, its very important to enter data correctly and format the same appropriately because it will ease excel interprets information and analyse.
Data Cleaning
Once the data is entered and formatted, the next important step is to clean your data before you can process and analyse it. Just as the name suggests, data cleaning is correcting anomalies in your data so that your records are consistent and accurate. Some of the functions to clean data are;
- Identifying duplicates and deleting them
- Identifying blank cells and providing them with relevant values
- Trim data to identify dashes
- Replace (Ctrl+H)
- Upper and Lower functions to standardise tests
- Check length of texts using (LEN). Its useful for spotting inconsistencies.
- Sort
- Filter
- Capitalise first letter of your data using (PROPER) function
- Join texts from different cells using (CONCAT) function
- Extract characters from the start of a cell using (LEFT) function
- Extract characters from end of a cell using (RIGHT) function
Conclusion
Based on above knowledge, I am able to manoeuvre through excel, input data and check correctness of my data. This will come in handy when am working on my data to come up with accurate presentation of the data.
For those interested in learning more about excel, the following youtube video provides additional resource.
https://youtu.be/0tdlR1rBwkM?list=PLmHVyfmcRKyx1KSoobwukzf1Nf-Y97Rw0
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