Excel 2007 For Dummies

by Harvey, Greg

• ISBN13: 9780470037379
• ISBN10: 0470037377
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2006-12-26
• Publisher: For Dummies

Summary

One look at Excel 2007, with its new Office Button, Quick Access toolbar, and Ribbon, and you realize you're not in Kansas anymore. Well, have no fear- Excel 2007 for Dummies is here! If you've never worked with a computer spreadsheet, or if you've had some experience with earlier versions of Excel but need help transitioning, here you'll find everything you need to create, edit, format, and print your own worksheets (without sacrificing your sanity!). Excel 2007 for Dummies covers all the fundamental techniques, concentrating on only the easiest, most user-friendly ways to get things done. You'll discover how to: Rearrange, delete and insert new information Keep track of and organize data in a single worksheet Transfer data between the sheets of different workbooks Create a chart using the data in a worksheet Add hyperlinks and graphics to worksheets And more! Plus, in keeping with Excel 2007's more graphical and colorful look, Excel 2007 for Dummies has taken on some color of its own, with full-color plates in the mid-section of the book illustrating exactly what you'll see on your screen. Whether you read it from cover to cover or skip to the sections that answer your specific questions, the simple guidance in this book will have you excelling at home or in the office no time.

Author Biography

Greg Harvey has authored tons of computer books, the most recent being Excel Workbook For Dummies and Roxio Easy Media Creator 8 For Dummies, and the most popular being Excel 2003 For Dummies and Excel 2003 All-In-One Desk Reference For Dummies. He started out training business users on how to use IBM personal computers and their attendant computer software in the rough and tumble days of DOS, WordStar, and Lotus 1-2-3 in the mid-80s of the last century. After working for a number of independent training firms, Greg went on to teach semester-long courses in spreadsheet and database management software at Golden Gate University in San Francisco.
His love of teaching has translated into an equal love of writing. For Dummies books are, of course, his all-time favorites to write because they enable him to write to his favorite audience: the beginner. They also enable him to use humor (a key element to success in the training room) and, most delightful of all, to express an opinion or two about the subject matter at hand.
Greg received his doctorate degree in Humanities in Philosophy and Religion with a concentration in Asian Studies and Comparative Religion last May. Everyone is glad that Greg was finally able to get out of school before he retired.

Table of Contents

Introduction	1	(1)
About This Book	1	(1)
How to Use This Book	2	(1)
What You Can Safely Ignore	2	(1)
Foolish Assumptions	3	(1)
How This Book Is Organized	3	(2)
Part I: Getting In on the Ground Floor	3	(1)
Part II: Editing Without Tears	4	(1)
Part III: Getting Organized and Staying That Way	4	(1)
Part IV: Digging Data Analysis	4	(1)
Part V: Life Beyond the Spreadsheet	4	(1)
Part VI: The Part of Tens	5	(1)
Conventions Used in This Book	5	(3)
Keyboard and mouse	5	(2)
Special icons	7	(1)
Where to Go from Here	8	(1)
Part I: Getting In on the Ground Floor	9	(88)
The Excel 2007 User Experience	11	(40)
Excel's Ribbon User Interface	12	(17)
Manipulating the Office Button	12	(2)
Bragging about the Ribbon	14	(4)
Adapting the Quick Access toolbar	18	(3)
Having fun with the Formula bar	21	(1)
What to do in the Worksheet area	22	(5)
Showing off the Status bar	27	(2)
Starting and Exiting Excel	29	(4)
Starting Excel from the Windows Vista Start menu	29	(1)
Starting Excel from the Windows XP Start menu	29	(1)
Pinning Excel to the Start menu	30	(1)
Creating an Excel desktop shortcut for Windows Vista	30	(1)
Creating an Excel desktop shortcut for Windows XP	31	(1)
Adding the Excel desktop shortcut to the Quick Launch toolbar	32	(1)
Exiting Excel	32	(1)
Help Is on the Way	33	(1)
Migrating to Excel 2007 from Earlier Versions	34	(17)
Cutting the Ribbon down to size	35	(6)
Finding the Standard Toolbar buttons equivalents	41	(2)
Finding the Formatting Toolbar buttons equivalents	43	(2)
Putting the Quick Access toolbar to excellent use	45	(4)
Getting good to go with Excel 2007	49	(2)
Creating a Spreadsheet from Scratch	51	(46)
So What Ya Gonna Put in That New Workbook of Yours?	52	(1)
The ins and outs of data entry	52	(1)
You must remember this	53	(1)
Doing the Data-Entry Thing	53	(3)
It Takes All Types	56	(14)
The telltale signs of text	56	(2)
How Excel evaluates its values	58	(6)
Fabricating those fabulous formulas!	64	(3)
If you want it, just point it out	67	(1)
Altering the natural order of operations	67	(1)
Formula flub-ups	68	(2)
Fixing Up Those Data Entry Flub-Ups	70	(3)
You really AutoCorrect that for me	70	(1)
Cell editing etiquette	71	(2)
Taking the Drudgery out of Data Entry	73	(10)
I'm just not complete without you	73	(2)
Fill'er up with AutoFill	75	(5)
Inserting special symbols	80	(1)
Entries all around the block	81	(1)
Data entry express	82	(1)
How to Make Your Formulas Function Even Better	83	(7)
Inserting a function into a formula with the Function Wizard button	84	(3)
Editing a function with the Function Wizard button	87	(1)
I'd be totally lost without AutoSum	87	(3)
Making Sure That the Data Is Safe and Sound	90	(5)
The Save As dialog box in Windows Vista	91	(1)
The Save As dialog box in Windows XP	92	(1)
Changing the default file location	93	(1)
The difference between the XLSX and XLS file format	94	(1)
Saving the Workbook as a PDF File	95	(1)
Document Recovery to the Rescue	96	(1)
Part II: Editing Without Tears	97	(104)
Making It All Look Pretty	99	(42)
Choosing a Select Group of Cells	100	(7)
Point-and-click cell selections	100	(4)
Keyboard cell selections	104	(3)
Having Fun with the Format as Table Gallery	107	(2)
Cell Formatting from the Home Tab	109	(4)
Formatting Cells Close to the Source with the Mini Toolbar	113	(1)
Using the Format Cells Dialog Box	114	(9)
Getting comfortable with the number formats	114	(5)
The values behind the formatting	119	(2)
Make it a date!	121	(1)
Ogling some of the other number formats	122	(1)
Calibrating Columns	123	(3)
Rambling rows	124	(1)
Now you see it, now you don't	125	(1)
Futzing with the Fonts	126	(2)
Altering the Alignment	128	(10)
Intent on indents	130	(1)
From top to bottom	130	(1)
Tampering with how the text wraps	131	(2)
Reorienting cell entries	133	(1)
Shrink to fit	134	(1)
Bring on the borders!	135	(1)
Applying fill colors, patterns, and gradient effects to cells	136	(2)
Do It in Styles	138	(1)
Creating a new style for the gallery	138	(1)
Copying custom styles from one workbook into another	138	(1)
Fooling Around with the Format Painter	139	(2)
Going through Changes	141	(32)
Opening the Darned Thing Up for Editing	142	(8)
The Open dialog box in Excel 2007 running on Windows Vista	142	(2)
The Open dialog box in Excel 2007 running on Windows XP	144	(2)
Opening more than one workbook at a time	146	(1)
Opening recently edited workbooks	146	(1)
When you don't know where to find them	147	(2)
Opening files with a twist	149	(1)
Much Ado about Undo	150	(1)
Undo is Redo the second time around	150	(1)
What ya gonna do when you can't Undo?	151	(1)
Doing the Old Drag-and-Drop Thing	151	(4)
Copies, drag-and-drop style	153	(1)
Insertions courtesy of drag and drop	154	(1)
Formulas on AutoFill	155	(9)
Relatively speaking	156	(1)
Some things are absolutes!	157	(2)
Cut and paste, digital style	159	(1)
Paste it again, Sam	160	(1)
Keeping pace with the Paste Options	160	(1)
Paste it from the Clipboard task pane	161	(1)
So what's so special about Paste Special?	162	(2)
Let's Be Clear about Deleting Stuff	164	(2)
Sounding the all clear!	164	(1)
Get these cells outta here!	165	(1)
Staying in Step with Insert	166	(1)
Stamping Out Your Spelling Errors	167	(2)
Stamping Out Errors with Text to Speech	169	(4)
Printing the Masterpiece	173	(28)
Taking a Gander at the Pages in Page Layout View	174	(1)
Checking the Printout with Print Preview	175	(2)
Printing the Worksheet	177	(1)
Printing the Worksheet from the Print Dialog Box	178	(3)
Printing particular parts of the workbook	179	(2)
Setting and clearing the Print Area	181	(1)
My Page Was Set Up!	181	(8)
Using the buttons in the Page Setup group	182	(6)
Using the buttons in the Scale to Fit group	188	(1)
Using the Print buttons in the Sheet Options group	188	(1)
From Header to Footer	189	(7)
Adding an Auto Header or Auto Footer	190	(2)
Creating a custom header or footer	192	(4)
Solving Page Break Problems	196	(2)
Letting Your Formulas All Hang Out	198	(3)
Part III: Getting Organized and Staying That Way	201	(52)
Maintaining the Worksheet	203	(28)
Zeroing In with Zoom	204	(2)
Splitting the Difference	206	(3)
Fixed Headings Courtesy of Freeze Panes	209	(3)
Electronic Sticky Notes	212	(4)
Adding a comment to a cell	212	(2)
Comments in review	214	(1)
Editing the comments in a worksheet	215	(1)
Getting your comments in print	216	(1)
The Cell Name Game	216	(4)
If I only had a name	216	(1)
Name that formula!	217	(1)
Naming constants	218	(2)
Seek and Ye Shall Find	220	(3)
You Can Be Replaced!	223	(1)
Do Your Research	224	(2)
You Can Be So Calculating	226	(1)
Putting on the Protection	227	(4)
Maintaining Multiple Worksheets	231	(22)
Juggling Worksheets	232	(4)
Sliding between the sheets	232	(3)
Editing en masse	235	(1)
Don't Short-Sheet Me!	236	(4)
A worksheet by any other name	237	(1)
A sheet tab by any other color	238	(1)
Getting your sheets in order	239	(1)
Opening Windows on Your Worksheets	240	(5)
Comparing Two Worksheets Side by Side	245	(1)
Moving and Copying Sheets to Other Workbooks	246	(3)
To Sum Up	249	(4)
Part IV: Digging Data Analysis	253	(32)
Doing What-If Analysis	255	(14)
Playing what-if with Data Tables	256	(5)
Creating a one-variable data table	256	(3)
Creating a two-variable data table	259	(2)
Playing What-If with Goal Seeking	261	(3)
Examining Different Cases with Scenario Manager	264	(5)
Setting up the various scenarios	264	(2)
Producing a summary report	266	(3)
Playing with Pivot Tables	269	(16)
Pivot Tables: The Ultimate Data Summary	269	(1)
Producing a Pivot Table	270	(3)
Formatting a Pivot Table	273	(2)
Refining the Pivot Table style	274	(1)
Formatting the values in the pivot table	275	(1)
Sorting and Filtering the Pivot Table Data	275	(3)
Filtering the report	276	(1)
Filtering individual Column and Row fields	276	(2)
Sorting the pivot table	278	(1)
Modifying a Pivot Table	278	(3)
Modifying the pivot table fields	278	(1)
Pivoting the table's fields	279	(1)
Modifying the table's summary function	280	(1)
Get Smart with a Pivot Chart	281	(4)
Moving a pivot chart to its own sheet	282	(1)
Filtering a pivot chart	283	(1)
Formatting a pivot chart	283	(2)
Part V: Life Beyond the Spreadsheet	285	(70)
Charming Charts and Gorgeous Graphics	287	(32)
Making Professional-Looking Charts	287	(12)
Creating a new chart	288	(2)
Moving and resizing an embedded chart in a worksheet	290	(1)
Moving an embedded chart onto its own chart sheet	290	(1)
Customizing the chart type and style from the Design tab	291	(1)
Customizing chart elements from the Layout tab	292	(3)
Editing the titles in a chart	295	(1)
Formatting chart elements from the Format tab	296	(3)
Adding Great Looking Graphics	299	(15)
Telling all with a text box	300	(2)
The wonderful world of Clip Art	302	(3)
Inserting pictures from graphics files	305	(1)
Editing Clip Art and imported pictures	305	(1)
Formatting Clip Art and imported pictures	305	(2)
Adding preset graphics shapes	307	(1)
Working with WordArt	308	(2)
Make mine SmartArt	310	(3)
Theme for a day	313	(1)
Controlling How Graphic Objects Overlap	314	(3)
Reordering the layering of graphic objects	314	(1)
Grouping graphic objects	315	(1)
Hiding graphic objects	315	(2)
Printing Just the Charts	317	(2)
Getting on the Data List	319	(24)
Creating a Data List	319	(10)
Adding records to a data list	321	(8)
Sorting Records in a Data List	329	(4)
Sorting records on a single field	330	(1)
Sorting records on multiple fields	331	(2)
Filtering the Records in a Data List	333	(6)
Using readymade number filters	334	(1)
Using readymade date filters	335	(1)
Getting creative with custom filtering	336	(3)
Importing External Data	339	(4)
Querying an Access database table	339	(2)
Performing a New Web query	341	(2)
Hyperlinks and Macros	343	(12)
Using Add-Ins in Excel 2007	343	(2)
Adding Hyperlinks to a Worksheet	345	(3)
Automating Commands with Macros	348	(7)
Recording new macros	348	(4)
Running macros	352	(1)
Assigning macros to the Quick Access toolbar	353	(2)
Part VI: The Part of Tens	355	(10)
Top Ten New Features in Excel 2007	357	(4)
Top Ten Beginner Basics	361	(2)
The Ten Commandments of Excel 2007	363	(2)
Index	365