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CONTENTS

Spreadsheet Software 3
Spreadsheets 3
How to produce spreadsheets that are complex in terms of content and analysis as
well as the understanding, skills and techniques needed to produce them. 3
Generate Random Numbers 3
So Many Worksheets, So Little Space 4
Quick Graph 4
Insert Current Date and Time 4
Using Only Keyboard 4
Moving Cells with Data 4
Show All Formulas 4
Entering same data in Multiple Sheets 4
Creating Duplicate worksheets 5
Display the Current Date or Time 5
Top Secret: Do Not Print 5
Quick Arithmetic Without Formulas 5
Shade Alternate Rows 6
Add a Drop-Down List 6
Zap the Numbers, Keep the Formulas 7
Protect and Hide Your Formulas 7
Spot Duplicate Entries 8
Skip From Cell to Cell 8
Hide Those %&@# Formula Errors 9
Copy Speed in Excel 9
Headers and footers in Excel spreadsheets 9
Quick Calculator Excel 9

Keyboard Shorcuts 10
Function Keys 10
Shift + Function Keys 11
Ctrl + Function Keys 11
Other + Function Keys 12
Ctrl + Numbers 13
Ctrl + Letters 14
Other + Letters 15
Entering Data 16
Editing Data 17
Selecting Data 18
Extending Data 19
Formatting Data 19
Manoeuvring 20
Manoeuvring within a selection 21
Redundant Shortcut Keys (2003) 21
Other 22

Analyse and Interpret 23


What methods can be used to analyse simple and complex data? 23
Using Pivot Tables for Data Analysis 24
Making a Pivot Table 24
Making a Pivot Chart 27
Making a Regular Chart using Pivot Table Data 29

Using Goal Seek 30


Using Scenario Manager to Project Various Outcomes 34
Setting up a default scenario 34
Adding Scenarios 35
Displaying Scenarios 35
Creating Summary Reports 36
Merging Scenarios 36

Statistical Analysis Tools 37


Analysis Tool Pak 37

Trendlines 41
Types of Trendline 41
Adding a Trendline 44
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Change the Format of a Trendline 45
Specifying the number of periods in a forecast 45
Specify the point where the trendline crosses the vertical (value) axis 45
Display the Trendline Equation on a Chart 45
Display the R2 Value for a Trendline 45
Removing a Trendline 46

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Spreadsheet Software
Spreadsheets
How to produce spreadsheets that are complex in terms of content and
analysis as well as the understanding, skills and techniques needed to
produce them.
To produce spreadsheets that are complex in terms of the understanding, skills, and techniques used to create
them, you must become an expert in the use of the spreadsheet program. This is done by taking classes about the
use of the program, and by using the program in a variety of applications to gain practice and familiarity. You
should also obtain complex spreadsheets and "de-construct" them, pulling them apart to learn how the various
effects have been obtained.

To produce any document, spreadsheet or otherwise, that is complex in terms of its content, meaning and analysis,
you must become knowledgeable in the topic being written about, and also learn how to write clearly about
complex and subtle concepts. This requires study of the topic, and frequent practice in production of tables, charts,
graphs, etc where your results are reviewed by someone else who is more experienced in creating spreadsheets
than you are.

Microsoft’s popular spreadsheet package Microsoft Excel, persists as one of the most widely used desktop
applications in the business world today. For many, Microsoft Excel is the default spreadsheet application and the
most popular due to its accessibility, simple interface and advanced capabilities when dealing with data. From
simple calculations, tables, charts and data management, through to complex financial models and custom built
spreadsheet based applications utilising VBA and macros, Microsoft Excel has shown itself to be familiar, flexible,
transparent and powerful when in the right hands.

As a business tool, spreadsheet applications such as Microsoft Excel have some distinct advantages:

• Fast to setup and design


• Quick and easy to update and or override logic
• Data from multiple systems can be combined and analysed
• Pivot tables and filtering allows for data base style queries
• Facilitates low cost system when development combined with VBA
• Output is familiar making it easier for business decision makers
• Allows for graphical representation of data through charts
• Microsoft Excel has one of the largest user communities in the world
• Microsoft Excel is inexpensive and often pre-installed on business desktops within the Microsoft Office family

It is no wonder then, that Microsoft Excel spreadsheets have pervaded the worldwide business community and
successfully embedded themselves to become one of the essential 'tools of the trade' for many Accountants,
Actuaries, Analysts, Auditors, Bookkeepers, Bankers, Consultants, Engineers, Finance Professionals and Tax
Agents.

In the hands of an experienced consultant, financial analyst or financial model builder, spreadsheets are a powerful
decision support tool, used extensively by the world’s largest organizations to crunch the numbers behind important
business decisions.

Microsoft Excel is a simply huge application and it is beyond the remit of this assignment paper to conduct a
walkthrough of every single feature needed to produce simple and complex workbooks that would counter for every
occasion. I would end up simple writing a book! Instead, to satisfy the requirements of this unit, I will outline
twenty two ‘top tips’ that would be very useful for users to learn and apply in the production of their masterpieces.

Generate Random Numbers

If we need to generate random numbers to simulate a scenario it can get a little irritating to keep on typing random
digits all the time.

To generate a random number, use the RAND() command. For example, to generate a number between 0 and
500, =RAND()*500

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Similarly, randomly generating numbers between any two numbers can be done using RANDBETWEEN (bottom,
to top).

Bottom is the smallest integer RANDBETWEEN will return. Top is the largest integer RANDBETWEEN will return.
For example: =RANDBETWEEN(50,100) will generate random numbers between 50 and 100.

So Many Worksheets, So Little Space

Have you ever had an Excel workbook with multiple sheets, for example, January to December?

Rather quickly, you get to the point where you no longer can see all the tabs in one view. Of course, you can use
the built-in tabs navigation buttons, and go the next, previous, first, or last sheet, but wouldn’t it be great if there
was a way to see all the sheets and be able to click on the one you want to work on?

Simply right-click the tabs navigation buttons and a floating list of all the worksheets in the workbook will appear. It
is especially useful when sheet names are long.

You can also use two great keyboard shortcuts:


CTRL+PageUp activates the previous sheet in your workbook.
CTRL+PageDown activates the next one.

Quick Graph

One expects to go through a dozen steps in a Wizard to make a graph. Assuming that the graph data is basic,
simply pressing (F11) will create a graph with the selected cells instantaneously.

That’s not all! In case you don’t like the graph that’s been created for you because it’s chosen the wrong fields or
the style doesn’t suite it, you can right-click on the graph and change the graph type or the cells selected.

Insert Current Date and Time

This can be done using shortcuts.


Pressing (Ctrl) + (;) will add the date.
Pressing (Ctrl) + (Shift) + (:) will add the time.

Using Only Keyboard

Moving a mouse to the different menus and toolbars very often during your work can be a little inefficient at times.
The easy-to-use shortcuts are highly recommended. One does not have to remember three key combinations to do
a particular task.

Press (Alt) key to know the shortcuts of all ribbons. All the shortcuts will be displayed on the ribbons.

Pressing (Alt) + (R), for example, will show you the Review Ribbon along with the additional keys for each of the
tools on it. So pressing (C) now will create a new comment. Once you get used to this technique and slowly start
remembering the keys it can save a lot of time.

Moving Cells with Data

Moving a certain cell with data around would mean cutting and pasting the value onto another cell. Actually you can
do it in another easy way. One can move chosen cells around is by moving the mouse pointer over the border of a
particular cell till it becomes an arrow. Then move the cells to the chosen destination and let go of the left-click.

Show All Formulas

Normally, viewing the formula used in a cell includes clicking on each and every cell. Instead of doing this, a view
for looking at all the formulas on the worksheet at one glance can be enabled by clicking on the Formula ribbon and
then on Show Formulas. All the formulas in each cell on the worksheet are immediately displayed.

Entering same data in Multiple Sheets

Multiple worksheets can be allowed to receive the same data being added to a particular sheet.

Press (Ctrl) and go on left-clicking on the worksheets that you want to add data to. Then enter the text or numbers
on the first sheet which will then be automatically replicated onto all the sheets which you have selected.
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Dividing the Worksheet Space

Worksheets are bound to get very large, and navigating through one can get hectic, for example, you got a table
from A to Z and you are comparing the B and Y cells, then you have to scroll here and there. The best way to
reduce the large amount of scrolling required to move from one corner of the table to another is to split the
worksheet. It makes a window, so to speak, which lets you view one area of the worksheet while you use the main
region as well.

To do this, look for a tab at the right bottom of the screen where the two scrollbars meet, click on it, and drag it. The
newly-created division can also be disabled by clicking on the divider and moving it to the extreme end of the
screen.

Creating Duplicate worksheets

There may be cases where a copy of an existing worksheet is required as a blueprint to work on another worksheet
in a same file. It can be done by making a copy of it by pressing (Ctrl) and left-clicking on it and dragging it to the
location where you need it.

Display the Current Date or Time

You may be familiar with Excel's NOW function, which plugs the current date and time into your spreadsheet. Just
enter =NOW() into any cell, and Excel displays the date and time formatted according to the regional options
you've set for Windows. If you just want to see the date, use the TODAY function, =TODAY(), instead.

But if you want to use either of these functions as a type of "timestamp" you'll find that they don't do the job,
because they're automatically updated whenever your worksheet is calculated or re-opened. The cell that displays
today's date will display tomorrow's date when you open the spreadsheet tomorrow.

To insert a fixed date into a cell - a date that you don't want to change - hold down Ctrl while you press the
semicolon ( ;) key. To insert the current time (without a date), press Ctrl-Shift-Semicolon.

These commands are useful if you like to document your work. For example, you might want to keep track of when
you added new data to your worksheet.

Top Secret: Do Not Print

When it's time to print your Excel worksheet, you may prefer that some information is left unprinted. For example,
you may have some confidential information (such as employee salaries) in a column, or your sheet may have
some intermediate calculations that the top brass aren't interested in seeing.

To avoid printing specific rows or columns, just hide them before printing. To hide rows, select them by clicking the
row numbers (click and drag to select a block of rows; hold down Ctrl while clicking to select non-adjacent rows).
Then right-click one of the highlighted border row numbers and click Hide. Use the same procedure to hide
columns (but right-click a highlighted column letter to choose Hide).

When you're finished printing, you can quickly unhide all rows or columns by selecting the entire worksheet (click
the blank gray box formed by the intersection of the row and column borders at the top left corner of your
spreadsheet). Then right-click a row or column border and choose Unhide.

Quick Arithmetic Without Formulas

If you want to do arithmetic with Excel it is a common misconception that this can only be done by using formulas.
It is useful to be familiar with Excel's Paste Function dialog box, and learn how to perform a variety of basic
arithmetic operations without a single formula. Consider this scenario: Your company's product price list stored in a
worksheet. Your boss informs you that, effective immediately, all prices must be increased by 5 percent.

You could create some formulas to do the math, and then convert the formulas to values, and then copy and paste
the new prices over the old prices. Or, you could use this more efficient method:

1. Enter 1.05 into any blank cell. This is the "multiplier" that will increase the prices by 5 percent.

2. Select the cell you used in Step 1, and choose Edit, Copy or press Ctrl-C.

3. Select the range of values to be changed, and choose Edit, Paste Special to display the Paste Special dialog
box.
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4. Choose the Multiply option and click OK.

Hey Presto the values are changed in an instant. You can then delete the cell that contains the 1.05 multiplier.

Note that the Paste Special dialog box lets you carry out other mathematical operations - like add and subtract, for
instance - so you can use this technique for a variety of other calculations.

Shade Alternate Rows

If you are looking for a way to simulate a green-banded computer paper on screen, or similar then one can use
Excel's Conditional Formatting feature, which has many uses, and this one is particularly handy. Conditional
Formatting makes it simple to apply cell shading (green or otherwise) to every other row in a worksheet range. For
a lengthy list, shading alternate rows can improve legibility.

Here's how to do it:

1. Highlight the range of cells or rows or columns that you want to format.

2. Choose Format, Conditional Formatting to display the Conditional Formatting dialog box.

3. Select Formula Is from the first drop-down list box, and enter =MOD(ROW(),2)=0 in the second box.

4. Click the Format button to bring up the Format Cells dialog box.

5. Select the Patterns tab and specify a color for the shaded rows. You'll probably want to choose a light color, so
that the default black text will still be legible. Or, you can go all out and change the text color as well (do this in
the Font tab of the Format Cells dialog box). For example, you might select a dark blue background,
accompanied by a mellow yellow text color.

6. Click OK twice to return to your worksheet.

The best part is that the row shading is dynamic: the alternate row shading persists even if you insert or delete
rows within the original range. If the user gets tired of this new look and wants to get things back to normal, he or
she just needs to select the range, choose Format, Conditional Formatting, and click the Delete button in the
Conditional Formatting dialog box.

Add a Drop-Down List

Inserting a drop-down list to a cell is a slick trick that can add a touch of professionalism to your worksheets - and
also ensure that erroneous data is not entered into the cell. And best of all: Macros are not required!

Assume that you have an input cell in which the user is supposed to enter a month name: January, February, and
so on. Here's how to add a drop-down list to that cell to make data entry a breeze - and save some keystrokes.

1. Enter the items for your drop-down list into a list on the worksheet, one item per cell. In this example, I'll
assume that the month names start in cell E1 and extend down to E12, but they can be in any out-of-the-way
location on the worksheet. In Excel terminology, a rectangular group of cells (such as E1 to E12) is called a
range.

2. Select the cell that will contain the drop-down list. If you'd like more than one cell to display the same list, just
select them all now rather than setting them up one at a time. (Click and drag to select a range; hold down Ctrl
while you click to select non-adjacent cells.)

3. Choose Data, Validation to display the Data Validation dialog box.

4. Click the Settings tab.

5. In the Allow field, select List.

6. In the Source field, specify the range that contains the list items. In this example, the items are in cells E1 to
E12, so type =E1:E12 into the field.

7. Click OK.

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After performing these steps, you'll see a drop-down arrow whenever any of the drop-down cells you just defined is
"active" (that is, selected and awaiting input). Click the arrow and choose a month from the list. If you try to type
something else into the cell, you'll get scolded in the form of a pop-up message.

If you'd like to provide your own wording for invalid entries, use the Error Alert tab in the Data Validation dialog box,
and enter your own text in the 'Error message' field.

If your list of items is relatively small, you can bypass Step 1 and enter the list items directly into the Source field in
Step 6. Just separate each list item with a comma.

Zap the Numbers, Keep the Formulas

One common type of spreadsheet is a fill-in-the-blanks template. Typically, such a sheet will have a number of
input cells, and a number of formula cells. You enter your data in the input cells, and the formula cells kick into
action and use those values to display some type of (usually) useful result.

For example, you may have a worksheet set up to calculate a loan amortization table. Input cells would include
items such as loan amount, interest rate, loan term, and so on. Formulas in other cells use this information to
display the calculated results.

At some point, you may want to clear the slate and delete all the values in the input cells. Rather than scroll around
and look for the non-formula cells, you can take advantage of an often-overlooked Excel feature that lets you select
cells in a "special" way:

1. Select Edit, Go To (or press Ctrl-G or F5) to bring up the Go To dialog box.

2. Click the Special button to show the Go To Special dialog box.

3. Choose the Constants option, then clear all of the check boxes except Numbers (if some of the input cells in
the spreadsheet accept text, leave the check mark next to Text).

4. Click OK, and Excel will select all of the non-formula cells that contain a value.

5. Press the Delete key, and those numbers are history - but the formulas remain intact.

Protect and Hide Your Formulas

When a cell contains a formula, the formula is visible for all to see. Just activate the cell and glance up at the
Formula bar. In some cases, you many want to hide your formulas to give your worksheet a cleaner look - or to
keep others from seeing how your calculations are done.

You can hide the formulas by setting the Hide option for the formula cells and protecting the sheet. But before you
protect the sheet, you need to "unlock" all non-formula cells (by default, all cells are locked).

Here's how to hide the formula cells:

1. Select Edit, Go To (or press Ctrl-G or F5) to bring up the Go To dialog box.

2. Click the Special button to show the Go To Special dialog box.

3. Choose the Formulas option, and make sure the four check boxes are all checked.

4. Click OK, and Excel selects all cells that contain a formula.

5. Choose Format, Cells, and click the Protection tab.

6. Place a check mark next to the Hidden option, and make sure that there is a check mark next to the Locked
option. Click OK.

Here's how to unlock the non-formula cells:

1. Repeat Steps 1 and 2 above to show the Go To Special dialog box.

2. Choose the Constants option, and make sure the four check boxes are all checked.

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3. Click OK, and Excel selects all non-empty cells that don't contain a formula.

4. Choose Format, Cells, and click the Protection tab.

5. Remove the check mark next to the Locked option. Click OK.

At this point, the formula cells are set to Hide, and the non-formula cells are set to Unlock. But these settings have
no effect unless the sheet is protected. Choose Tools, Protection, Protect Sheet to protect the worksheet. You can
enter a password if you like.

After performing these steps, you can select any formula cell, and the formula will not be displayed in the Formula
bar. Furthermore, the formula cannot be changed. But the cells that contain other information can be changed.

It's important to understand that protecting a worksheet - even if you use a password - is a very weak form of
security. Password-cracking utilities are widespread on the Internet.

Spot Duplicate Entries

This tip describes a way to use the Conditional Formatting feature to quickly identify duplicates in a range.

Say that you've been saddled with the job of organising the seating list for the company dinner party. You have the
list of assignments in range, for example, A1:B18. Obviously, the same person should not be assigned to more
than one table.

Here's a quick way to determine if the range contains duplicate names.

1. Select the range (in this case, A1:B18).

2. Choose Format, Conditional Formatting to display the Conditional Formatting dialog box.

3. Select Formula Is from the first drop-down list box, and enter =COUNTIF($A$1:$B$18,A1)>1 in the second
box.

4. Click the Format button to bring up the Format Cells dialog box.

5. Select the Patterns tab, and specify a background color.

6. Click OK twice to return to your worksheet.

If the range contains any duplicate entries, they will be flagged with the background color you chose in Step 5.

You can adapt this technique to any other worksheet by changing the ranges used in the COUNTIF function. The
first argument should be the full address of the range you selected - and make sure that you use the dollar signs to
signify an absolute reference. The second argument should be the address of the upper left cell of your range,
expressed as a relative reference (no dollar signs).

Skip From Cell to Cell

You may have a spreadsheet set up with a number of data input cells. Wouldn't it be nice if the user could just
press the Tab key to jump to the next input cell?

This type of thing is fairly easy to set up. The key is to unlock the input cells, and then protect the worksheet. Here's
how to do it:

1. Select all of the input cells on your worksheet. (To select non-adjacent cells, hold down Ctrl while you select
the cells.)

2. Select Format Cells to display the Format Cells dialog box.

3. Click the Protection tab and remove the check mark from the Locked check box.

4. Click OK.

Keep in mind that all cells are locked by default. But also remember that locking or unlocking cells has no effect
unless the worksheet is protected. To protect the worksheet, select Tools, Protection, Protect Sheet. If you're using
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Excel 2002, you'll be able to specify some additional options. Specifically, you can remove the check mark from the
Select locked cells option.

When the sheet is protected, you'll find pressing Tab moves the heavy-bordered active cell indicator to the next
unlocked cell. Be aware that this does not prevent the user from selecting unlocked cells using the cursor keys -
unless you're using Excel 2002 and you removed the check mark from 'Select locked cells' as described above.

Hide Those %&@# Formula Errors

If you've dabbled with formulas, you've probably encountered the dreaded formula error. Rather than return a
numeric result, the formula cell displays a weird message such as #VALUE! or #DIV/0!.

Most of the time, this means you need to track down the source of the error and fix it. But sometimes a formula
error simply means that the data used by the formula is not yet available. For example, say you run a small
telemarketing company. You might have a spreadsheet set up to track your daily sales as a percentage of calls
made.

You can avoid displaying formula errors by re-writing your formula to use an IF and an ISERROR function. For
example, =IF(ISERROR(C4/B4),"", C4/B4) displays a blank if the division operation results in an error (cell B4 is
empty or contains 0), yet still displays valid results.

Although this formula looks complex, when you break it down, it's not that daunting. In plain English: If you get an
error performing the formula, then display an empty string (that is, nothing); otherwise, display the result of the
formula.

It's actually easy to adapt this technique to any formula you might have. The original formula serves as the
argument for the ISERROR function, and it repeats as the last argument of the IF function, like this:
=IF(ISERROR(OriginalFormula),"",OriginalFormula)

If you prefer, you can replace the empty string ("") with other text of your choice--just make sure the text is enclosed
in quote marks.

Copy Speed in Excel

To quickly copy a cell in a row or column, select the cell you want to copy, then move the mouse until it is
positioned above the lower right corner of the cell. The cursor will turn into a plus sign (+).

Now, hold the left mouse button and drag it by the row or column until you’ve selected all the cells you want to
paste. Release the button and the first cell is copied to all selected cells

Headers and footers in Excel spreadsheets

Did you know that you can print your Excel spreadsheet with headers and footers? Just click on the File menu and
select Page Setup. Now select the top / bottom of file. Experience the Custom header and footer options as well.

Quick Calculator Excel

How many times have you worked in Excel have had to go to Accessories for the Calculator? Simply select View /
Toolbars / Customize Excel. In the Customize screen, select the Commands tab, then select Tools from the
Categories list. Scroll through the list of icons that you see the calculator. It is the custom label. Drag it to your
toolbar, and you have it right there in the Toolbar.

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Keyboard Shorcuts
Keyboard Shortcuts can certainly make things easier but there are such a lot of tem to remember. Below I have listed them for reference purposes.

Function Keys

F1 Displays the Office Assistant or (Help > Microsoft Excel Help)


F2 Edits the active cell, putting the cursor at the end (only available with Tools > Options, Edit Tab, Edit directly in cell)
F3 Displays the (Insert > Name > Paste) dialog box
F4 Repeats the last worksheet action (Edit > Repeat)
F5 Displays the (Edit > GoTo) dialog box
F6 Moves to the next pane in a workbook (if the window is split)
F7 Displays the (Tools > Spelling) dialog box
F8 Toggles whether to extend a selection with the arrow keys
F9 Calculates All the worksheets in All the open workbooks
F10 Toggles the activation of the Menu Bar
F11 Displays the (Insert > Chart) dialog box that creates a chart (on a chart sheet) using the highlighted range
F12 Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box

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Shift + Function Keys

Shift + F1 Activates the context sensitive Whats this ? prompt (Help > Whats This)
Shift + F2 Inserts or edits a cell comment (Insert > Comment)
Shift + F3 Displays the (Insert > Function) dialog box
Shift + F4 Repeats the last Find, the same as (Edit > Find Next)
Shift + F5 Displays the (Edit > Find) dialog box
Shift + F6 Moves to the previous pane in a workbook (if the window is split)
Shift + F8 Toggles between switching Add Mode on or off (allows you to select non contiguous blocks of cells using the keyboard)
Shift + F9 Calculates just the active worksheet
Shift + F10 Displays the (Shortcut) menu for the selected item
Shift + F11 Inserts a new worksheet (before the active sheet) into the active workbook (Insert > Worksheet)
Shift + F12 Saves, Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box if a new workbook

Ctrl + Function Keys

Ctrl + F1 Closes and reopens the current task pane


Ctrl + F3 Displays the (Insert > Name > Define) dialog box
Ctrl + F4 Closes the selected workbook window
Ctrl + F5 Restores the size of the active workbook or window
Ctrl + F6 Moves to the next open workbook or window
Ctrl + F7 Activates the Move window command
Ctrl + F8 Activates the Resize window command
Ctrl + F9 Minimises the size of the active workbook or window
Ctrl + F10 Maximises the size of the active workbook or window
Ctrl + F12 Displays the (File > Open) dialog box

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Other + Function Keys

Alt + F1 Creates a chart (on a chart sheet) using the highlighted range
Alt + F2 Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box
Alt + F4 Closes all the workbooks (saving first) and exits Excel (File > Exit)
Alt + F8 Displays the (Tools > Macro > Macros) dialog box
Alt + F11 Toggles between the Visual Basic Editor window and the Excel window
Alt + Ctrl + F9 Calculates All cells on All worksheets in All workbooks
Alt + Shift + F1 Inserts a new worksheet (before the active sheet) into the active workbook (Insert > Worksheet)
Alt + Shift + F2 Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box
Alt + Shift + F4 Closes all the workbooks (saving first) and exits Excel (File > Exit)
Alt + Shift + F10 Displays the drop-down menu for the corresponding smart tag
Alt + Shift + F11 Activates the Microsoft Script Editor window
Ctrl + Shift + F3 Displays the (Insert > Name > Create) dialog box
Ctrl + Shift + F6 Moves to the previous open workbook or window
Ctrl + Shift + F10 Activates the Menu Bar or Displays the (View > Toolbars) dialog box
Ctrl + Shift + F12 Displays the (File > Print) dialog box
Insert + F4 Read spelling errors and suggestions ??

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Ctrl + Numbers

Ctrl + 0 Hides the columns in the current selection (Format > Column > Hide)
Ctrl + 1 Displays the (Format > Cells) dialog box
Ctrl + 2 Toggles bold on the current selection
Ctrl + 3 Toggles italics on the current selection
Ctrl + 4 Toggles underlying on the current selection
Ctrl + 5 Toggles the strikethrough of text on the current selection
Ctrl + 6 Toggles between hiding, displaying or displaying just placeholders (objects)
Ctrl + 7 Toggles the display of the Standard toolbar
Ctrl + 8 Toggles the display of Outline symbols on the active worksheet
Ctrl + 9 Hides the rows in the current selection (Format > Row > Hide)
Ctrl + Shift + 0 Unhides the columns in the current selection
Ctrl + Shift + 2 Enters the value from the cell directly above into the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + 8 Selects the current region (surrounded by blank rows and columns)
Ctrl + Shift + 9 Unhides the rows in the current selection

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Ctrl + Letters

Ctrl + A Displays the formula palette given a function name or selects the whole worksheet
Ctrl + B Toggles bold on the current selection
Ctrl + C Copies the current selection to the clipboard (Edit > Copy)
Ctrl + D Copies the first cell in the selection downwards (Edit > Fill > Down)
Ctrl + E Goto current Error ??
Ctrl + F Displays the (Edit > Find) dialog box
Ctrl + G Displays the (Edit > GoTo) dialog box
Ctrl + H Displays the (Edit > Replace) dialog box
Ctrl + I Toggles italics on the current selection
Ctrl + J Toggles calculation between Manual and Automatic ??
Ctrl + K Displays the (Insert > Hyperlink) dialog box
Ctrl + L (Added in 2003) Displays the Create List dialog box
Ctrl + N Creates a new workbook (File > New)
Ctrl + O Displays the (File > Open) dialog box
Ctrl + P Displays the (File > Print) dialog box
Ctrl + R Copies the leftmost cell in the selection to the right (Edit > Fill > Right)
Ctrl + S Saves, Displays the (File > Save As) dialog box if a new workbook
Ctrl + U Toggles underlining on the current selection
Ctrl + V Pastes the entry from the clipboard (Edit > Paste)
Ctrl + W Closes the active workbook or window (File > Close)
Ctrl + X Cuts the current selection to the clipboard (Edit > Cut)
Ctrl + Y Repeats the last workbook action (Edit > Repeat)
Ctrl + Z Undo the last workbook action (Edit > Undo)

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Other + Letters

Alt + C Move the selected field into the Column area (Pivot Table)
Alt + D Displays the (Data) menu
Alt + E Displays the (Edit) menu
Alt + F Displays the (File) menu
Alt + H Displays the (Help) menu
Alt + I Displays the (Insert) menu
Alt + L Displays the Pivot Table Field dialog box ??
Alt + O Displays the (Format) menu
Alt + P Move the selected field into the Page area (Pivot Table)
Alt + R Move the selected field into the Row area (Pivot Table)
Alt + T Displays the (Tools) menu
Alt + U Activates the AutoShapes submenu on the Drawing toolbar (assumes the drawing toolbar is visible)
Alt + V Displays the (View) menu
Alt + W Displays the (Window) menu
Alt + Shift + B Report on the cell borders ??
Alt + Shift + G Report the gridline status ??
Ctrl + Shift + A Inserts argument names given a function in the formula bar.
Ctrl + Shift + C List cells in current column ???
Ctrl + Shift + F Activates the Font Name drop-down list on the Formatting toolbar
Ctrl + Shift + H Selects all the hyperlinks ?? where
Ctrl + Shift + O Selects all the cells with comments
Ctrl + Shift + P Activates the Font Size drop-down list on the Formatting toolbar
Ctrl + Shift + R List cells in the current row ???
Ctrl + Shift + S List all the worksheets ??

15
Entering Data

Enter Enters the contents of the active cell and moves to the cell below (by default)
Shift + Enter Enters the contents of the active cell and moves to the cell above (by default)
Tab Enters the contents of the active cell and moves one cell to the right
Shift + Tab Enters the contents of the active cell and moves one cell to the left
Alt + = Enters the SUM() function (AutoSum) to sum the adjacent block of cells
Alt + 0128 Enters the euro symbol (€) (using Number keypad)
Alt + 0162 Enters the cent symbol (¢) (using Number keypad)
Alt + 0163 Enters the pound sign symbol (£) (using Number keypad)
Alt + 0165 Enters the yen symbol (¥) (using Number keypad)
Alt + Enter Enters a new line (or carriage return) into a cell
Ctrl + ' Enters the formula from the cell directly above into the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + 2 Enters the value from the cell directly above into the active cell
Ctrl + ; Enters the current date into the active cell
Ctrl + Enter Enters the contents of the active cell to the selected region
Ctrl + Shift + ; Enters the current time into the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + Enter Enters the formula as an Array Formula
Shift + Insert Enters the data from the clipboard
Alt + Down Arrow Displays the Pick From List drop-down list
Esc Cancels the cell entry and restores the original contents

16
Editing Data

Delete Deletes the selection or one character to the right


Backspace Deletes the selection or one character to the left
Shift + Delete Cuts the selection to the clipboard
Ctrl + Delete Deletes text to the end of the line
Ctrl + - Displays the (Edit > Delete) dialog box
Ctrl + Shift + = Displays the (Insert > Cells) dialog box

17
Selecting Data

Ctrl + \ Selects the cells in a selected row that do not match the value in the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + \ Selects the cells in a selected column that do not match the value in the active cell
Ctrl + / Selects the array containing the active cell ??
Alt + ; Selects the visible cells in the current selection
Ctrl + Enter Selects the first object / chart ??
Ctrl + Shift + (8 or *) Selects the current region (surrounded by blank rows and columns)
Ctrl + * Selects the current region (using the * on the number keyboard)
Ctrl + [ Selects all the cells that are directly referred to by the formula in the active cell (precedents)
Ctrl + Shift + [ Selects all the cells that are directly (or indirectly) referred to by the formula in the active cell
Ctrl + ] Selects all the cells that directly refer to the active cell (dependents)
Ctrl + Shift + ] Selects all the cells that directly (or indirectly) refer to the active cell
Ctrl + Shift + Page Down Selects the active worksheet and the one after it
Ctrl + Shift + Page Up Selects the active worksheet and the one before it
Ctrl + Shift + Spacebar Selects all the objects on the worksheet when an object is selected or selects the whole worksheet
Ctrl + Backspace Selects the current active cell (scrolling if necessary)
Ctrl + Spacebar Selects the current column
Shift + Arrow keys Selects the active cell and the cell in the given direction
Shift + Backspace Selects the active cell when multiple cells are selected
Shift + Spacebar Selects the current row

18
Extending Data

Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Key Extends the selection to the next cell adjacent to a blank cell in that direction
Ctrl + Shift + End Extends the selection to the last used cell on the worksheet
Ctrl + Shift + Home Extends the selection to the beginning of the worksheet
Shift + Arrow Keys Extends the selection by one cell in that direction
Shift + Home Extends the selection to the first column
Shift + Page Down Extends the selection down one screen
Shift + Page Up Extends the selection up one screen
End, Shift + Arrow Keys Extends the selection to the next non-blank cell in that direction
End, Shift + End Extends the selection to the last cell in the current row (only available with Tools > Options, Transition tab, Transition
Navigation Keys)
End, Shift + Home Extends the selection to last used cell on the worksheet

Formatting Data

Alt + ' Displays the (Format > Style) dialog box


Ctrl + Shift + ( ' or ¬) Applies the Time format "hh:mm" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (1 or !) Applies the Comma separated format "#,##0.00" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (4 or $) Applies the Currency format "£#,##0.00" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (5 or %) Applies the Percentage format "0%" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (6 or ^) Applies the Exponential format "#,##E+02" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (# or ~) Applies the General format to the selection
Ctrl + (# or ~) Applies the Custom Date format "dd-mmm-yy" to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (7 or &) Applies the outline border to the selection
Ctrl + Shift + (- or _ ) Removes all the borders from the selection

19
Manoeuvring

Arrow Keys Moves to the next cell in that direction


Ctrl + Tab Moves to the next open workbook or window
Alt + Tab Moves to the next application open on your computer
Alt + Shift + Tab Moves to the previous application open on your computer
Enter Moves to the cell directly below
Tab Moves to the next cell on the right (or unprotected cell)
Home Moves to the first column in the current row
End, Arrow Keys Moves to the next non empty cell in that direction
End, Enter Moves to the last cell in the current row that is not blank
End + Home Moves to the last used cell on the active worksheet*
End, Home Moves to the last used cell on the active worksheet*
Page Down Moves to the next screen of rows down
Page Up Moves to the previous screen of rows up
Shift + Enter Moves to the cell directly above (opposite direction to Enter)
Shift + Tab Moves to the cell directly to the left (opposite direction to Tab)
Alt + Page Down Moves you one screen of columns to the right
Alt + Page Up Moves you one screen of columns to the left
Ctrl + Home Moves to cell "A1" on the active sheet
Ctrl + End Moves to the last used cell on the active worksheet (only updated when the workbook is closed)
Ctrl + Up Arrow Moves to the first row in the current region
Ctrl + Down Arrow Moves to the last row in the current region
Ctrl + Left Arrow Moves to the first column in the current region
Ctrl + Right Arrow Moves to the last column in the current region
Ctrl + Page Up Moves to the previous worksheet in the workbook
Ctrl + Page Down Moves to the next worksheet in the workbook

20
Ctrl + Shift + Tab Moves to the previous open workbook or window
Ctrl + Backspace Moves to the display the active cell
Scroll Lock + Arrow Keys Moves the workbook or window one cell the corresponding direction
Scroll Lock + End Moves to the last cell in the current window
Scroll Lock + Home Moves to the first cell in the current window
Scroll Lock + Page Down Moves you down one screen (current selection unchanged)
Scroll Lock + Page Up Moves you up one screen (current selection unchanged)

Manoeuvring within a selection

Enter Moves from top to bottom within a selection


Tab Moves from left to right within a selection
Ctrl + . Moves clockwise to the next corner within a selection
Shift + Tab Moves from right to left within a selection (opposite direction to Tab)
Alt + Ctrl + Left Arrow Moves to the left between non adjacent cells in a selection
Alt + Ctrl + Right Arrow Moves to the right between non adjacent cells in a selection

Redundant Shortcut Keys (2003)

Ctrl + F2 Displays the Info Window (redundant)


Ctrl + F11 Inserts an Excel 4.0 macro sheet (redundant)

21
Other

= Starts a Formula
Ctrl + ` Toggles between the value layer and the formula layer
Ctrl + Delete Deletes to the end of the line
Ctrl + Insert Copies the current selection to the clipboard
Ctrl + Shift + ( Unhides any hidden rows within the selection
Ctrl + Shift + ) Unhides any hidden columns within the selection
Ctrl + Shift + / Copy value from cell above / select the array ??
Ctrl + Shift + \ Select unequal cells
Alt Toggles the activation of the Menu Bar
Alt + Shift + Left Arrow Displays the (Data > Group and Outline > UnGroup) dialog box
Alt + Shift + Right Arrow Displays the (Data > Group and Outline > Group) dialog box
Alt + Backspace Undo the last action (Edit > Undo) ??
Alt + Spacebar Activates the Control Box in the top left hand corner
Alt + - Displays the Excel application control menu
End Toggles between switching End Mode on or off
Scroll Lock Toggles between switching Scroll Lock on or off
Shift + Insert Pastes the entry from the clipboard

22
Analyse and Interpret
What methods can be used to analyse simple and complex data?
Microsoft's popular Excel spreadsheet program is not only an excellent tool for data collection and management. It
also can conduct many of the statistical procedures performed by more specialized statistical software. Excel's
wide availability and user-friendliness make it a great analysis tool for most users. It offers a variety of wizards to
guide users through the analysis, and by simply clicking and dragging on a particular cell or column, you can
choose the range of data and variables you want analyzed.

To demonstrate this I will attempt a walkthrough, as below:

1. Open a spreadsheet and enter your data. Give some thought as to how you organise your spreadsheet,
setting it up in such a way as to make your analysis easier. Let each variable be a column and each row a
line of data. For example, a spreadsheet of data on a classroom of 30 students might include columns with
such variables as the student's ethnicity, gender, grade level and grades in tests and courses.

2. Visually examine your data with the chart/graphic wizard. Excel's tool bar features one tool that looks like a
small bar chart. Click this to open the chart wizard, which will guide you, step by step, to build a variety of
charts and graphics, including bar charts, pie charts and line charts.

3. Summarise your data with pivot tables, a convenient way to summarize information about different
variables (called "fields" in Excel). Pivot tables can provide counts, averages and totals. Select the
command "Data" in Excel, then select "Pivot Table Report." To obtain a count of students in each grade by
gender, for example, you would highlight these columns in your spreadsheet. The Pivot Table wizard then
shows you a blank template of a table, as well as the variables (or fields) you selected. In this example, we
chose grade level and gender. You then lay out your table by clicking a field and dragging it to the template
as either a row or column. In this example, we'll make grade level the row and gender the column. Once
you've laid out your table, click "Finish." Excel will then generate a completed Pivot Table that shows you
the number of male and female students in each grade level.

4. Explore your data further with more complex analyses than the descriptive types done with Pivot Tables.
To do this, you need to get the data analysis tool from Excel. Under the "Tools" menu, select "Add-ins."
Then click the box next to "Analysis ToolPak" and click "OK." Once you've done this, the data analysis tool
should appear in your tools menu.

5. Select the analytical procedure you want to run, based on what you want to learn from the data in your
spreadsheet. To choose a procedure, select the "Data Analysis" tool in the "Tools" menu. A menu will then
open, showing a range of possible analytical procedures. Choices include analysis of variance, correlation,
covariance, descriptive statistics, and linear regression. Choose the procedure you want and follow the
steps in the data analysis wizard. When you select "Finish," Excel will run the procedure and show the
results on a new worksheet for you to interpret.

Depending on the type of analysis you do, you may have to organise your data differently, such as moving columns
in your spreadsheet so that they are adjacent. Multiple analyses often require multiple spreadsheet
reorganisations.

23
Using Pivot Tables for Data Analysis
Pivot Tables just might be the single most powerful tool in Excel for financial reporting, budgeting, and data
analysis. A pivot table creates an interactive summary from many records, for example, you may have hundreds of
invoice entries in a list on your worksheet.

A pivot table can total the invoices by customer, product or date. You create the pivot table by using a wizard - no
need for complicated formulas! You can quickly rearrange the information in the pivot table by dragging the
buttons to a new position.

Before you can create a Pivot Table or Pivot Chart, organise your data in a table that Excel can understand.

Use Headings: The first row must have headings. Use a different heading for each column.
Keep It Together: Keep all the data together - don't include any blank rows or columns in the table.
Isolate It: Leave at least one blank row and one blank column between the data table and any other information on
the worksheet.

Making a Pivot Table

To make a pivot table, select either the entire source data


range, or a single cell within this range, and choose Pivot
Table and Pivot Chart Report... from the Data menu. The
various parts of the Pivot Table Wizard verify that the data is
from an Excel database and ask whether to create a pivot
table or pivot chart, then ask whether the pivot table shall be
created on a new worksheet or on an existing sheet. It may be
easier to create the pivot table alone, and add a pivot chart (or
regular chart) later. If I am making a relatively small pivot table
from a small database, I usually place the pivot table onto the
same sheet as the database; otherwise I'll put the pivot table
onto its own sheet.

The most important part of a pivot table is its layout. The layout
can be designed by clicking the Layout button on the last step
of the Pivot Table Wizard, or directly within the worksheet.
Drag the Pivot Field buttons into the appropriate area (Page,
Row, Column, or Data) of the pivot table.

24
A sample pivot table is shown below: the Month and Region fields are in the Row area of the pivot table, the Rep
field is in the column area, and the Amount field is in the data area. There are no page fields identified in this
example. The data area of the pivot table allows several options for the fields it contains, including Sum, Average,
Min, Max, and Count; this example keeps the default Sum of Amount.

Note that when a cell within a pivot table is


selected, the different areas of the pivot table
are highlighted with a thick blue border.

The default pivot table has row and column


grand totals, and intermediate subtotals for the
Months. The Pivot Table menu on the Pivot
Table toolbar has some useful items: Wizard
which reruns the Pivot Table Wizard on the
active pivot table, Table Options which
includes whole-table settings, such as row and
column totals, and Field Settings which
includes formatting and subtotal settings for
the individual pivot fields. Double clicking on a
pivot field button also invokes the Field
Settings dialog.

I like to simplify my pivot tables by removing subtotals and grand totals, as shown in the following example.

25
The dropdown arrows on the pivot field buttons display a list of pivot items belonging to that field. You can change
whether a pivot item is visible using the checkboxes in the list.

The layout of an existing pivot table can be changed by rerunning the Pivot Table Wizard, or by dragging the pivot
field buttons within the pivot table. The following arrangement was made by dragging the Rep field button to the
row area of the pivot table.

The best way to become familiar and comfortable with pivot


tables is to practice on a few samples, experimenting with the
different options.

26
Making a Pivot Chart

There are a number of ways to create a Pivot Chart from a pivot table.

• Click the Chart Wizard button on the Standard Toolbar


• Click the Chart Wizard button on the Pivot Table Toolbar
• Select the Chart... item on the Insert menu
• Select the PivotChart item on the Pivot Table menu (on the Pivot Table toolbar)

A pivot chart is by default created on its own chart sheet. You can move it to a worksheet using the Location... item
on the Chart menu, choosing As object in:, and selecting a sheet from the dropdown list. I generally place the pivot
chart onto the same sheet as the pivot table.

The first simplified pivot table is recreated below with its associated pivot chart.

27
Notice that the pivot chart has the same pivot field buttons as the pivot table. These field buttons can be dragged or
double clicked with the same functionality as those in the pivot table. The dropdown arrows allow selection of
specific pivot items as in the pivot table. When the items in the pivot chart are changed, the associated pivot table
changes the same way. Realigning the pivot fields of the pivot chart changes the pivot table and pivot chart as
shown below (a few formatting changes have also been made).

Notice a few "features" of pivot charts:

1. There is a lot of white space around the chart, but moving and resizing of the plot area are disabled.

2. Moving and resizing of the legend are disabled, except for positioning in the five default legend positions.

3. Certain chart types - scatter, bubble, and stock charts - are not allowed in pivot charts.

4. All data (except subtotals and totals) in the pivot table must appear in the pivot chart.

5. No data from outside the pivot table may be added to the pivot chart.

6. The pivot chart always plots series by column; plotting by row is not possible.

7. When a pivot table and chart are rearranged or refreshed, the default series formatting is reapplied, wiping out
any custom formatting applied by the user.

28
Making a Regular Chart using Pivot Table Data

It is possible to make a regular chart from pivot table data, even though Excel makes it difficult. A regular chart will
not properly update the way a pivot chart does if the shape of a pivot table changes when it is updated, but a
regular chart overcomes all of the drawbacks of pivot charts listed above. In most cases I prefer to use a regular
chart, redrawing it or redefining its data ranges when the pivot table changes.

To create a regular chart from a pivot table, select a blank cell that doesn't touch the pivot table, and start the chart
wizard. In step 1 of the wizard, choose a chart type. In step 2 of the wizard, click on the Series tab, and add each
series and its data ranges individually. If you select a range using the Data Range tab, your chart will revert to a
pivot chart. Complete the chart wizard as usual.

An alternative technique is to start with a regular chart based on other data, select Source Data from the Chart
menu, and click on the Series tab to change the source data to ranges within the pivot table.

A third alternative is to copy the pivot table, select a cell in a blank range, and use Paste Special from the Edit
menu, and use the Values option. Delete the contents of the cells corresponding to the pivot field buttons. Now
select the table and use the chart wizard to create your chart.

Pivot charts 1 and 2, as above, are reproduced below next to their regular chart equivalents. The regular charts are
able to portray the information more clearly in a smaller space. Some of the greater space within a pivot chart is
required to contain the pivot field buttons, but some is due to the excessively wide, unchangeable margins around
the chart elements.

29
Using Goal Seek
Goal Seek is used when you know what answer you want, but don't know the exact figure to input for that answer.
For example, you're quite certain that 8 multiplied by something equals 56. You just not sure what that missing
number is. Is it 8 multiplied by 6? Or Is it 8 multiplied by 7? Goal Seek will tell you the answer.

For the purposes of demonstration I will conduct a walkthrough example, as follows:

Before one can use Goal Seek, Excel needs certain things from us. First it needs some sort of formula to work with.
In the image above is the simple formula =B1 * B2. We've put this in cell B3. But the answer is wrong for us. We
had a Goal of 56 (8 times something). We want to know which number you have to multiply 8 by in order to get the
answer 56. We tried 8 times 6, and that gave the answer of 48. So we have to try again.

Instead of us puzzling the answer out, we can let Goal Seek handle it. So you will need to do the following:

1. From the Excel menu bar, click on Tools


2. From the drop down menu, click on Goal Seek

A dialogue box pops up like the one below:

The dialogue box needs a little explaining. "Set cell" is the answer you're looking for, this is the Goal. Set cell needs
a formula or function to work with. Our formula is in cell B3, so if your "Set cell" text box does not say B3, click
inside it and type B3.

"To Value" is the actual answer you're looking for. With "Set cell", you're just telling Excel where the formula is.
With "To Value" you have to tell Excel what answer you're looking for. We wanted an answer of 56 for our formula.
So click inside the "To Value" text box and type 56.

"By Changing Cell" is the missing bit. This is the part of the formula that needs to change in order to get the answer
you want. In our formula we have an 8 and a 6. Clearly, the 6 is the number that has to go. So the cell that needs to
change is B2. So go ahead and enter B2 in the "By Changing Cell" text box. Your dialogue box should now look
like this:

30
Click OK when your dialogue box looks like the one above. Excel will then Set the cell B3 to the Value of 56, and
change the figure in cell B2. You'll also get a dialogue box like the one below:

Click OK on the dialogue box. Your new spreadsheet will look like this one:

So Goal Seek has given us the answer we wanted: it is 7 that when times by 8 equals 56.

Practical Example

To further illustrate the functionality of Goal Seek I have provided another example based on a Voting Scenario, as
follows:

Votes % of Votes
YES 4478 63.90 *
NO 2530 36.10
Total 7008 100
2
* Needs approval from /3 of the voters
2
In the example above, the YES votes are a majority, but shy of the required /3 approval to win the election. People
quickly realize they were close, but which item do they change to find out how close. What would've made a
difference?

Using Goal Seek we can change the value of various cells to see how the results change. This would allow you to
answer these types of questions.

• How many “NO” voters needed to be converted to YES to win the election?
• How many more votes were needed by the YES team to win the election?
• If 500 more people voted could the YES team have won?
2
In each of these questions, the goal is to change a data value to see if the YES percentage went over that /3 mark
or 66.67%. Rather than haphazardly changing cell values to see the results, Goal Seek can find the answers.

The walkthrough for this is as follows, step by step:

1. Create a spreadsheet in Excel that contains your


data.

31
2. Click the cell you want to change. This is called the “Set cell”.

3. From the Tools menu, select Goal Seek…

4. In the Goal Seek dialog, enter the new “what if” amount in the To value text box (remember to add the
percentage sign if you have one).

In this example, we're asking Excel to replace the contents of cell D4 which is 63.90% with 66.67%. This is the
percentage needed to win the election.

5. We also need to tell Excel which cell to change. Since we wanted to know the number of YES votes, we'll click
C4.

32
6. Click OK. Excel will overwrite the previous cell value with the new one.

7. If you wish to accept the new value, click OK.

As this example shows, Goal Seek is a nice tool that can quickly find the answers to different situations. Although
this was a simple example, you can use the same tool for complicated spreadsheets containing many variables
and formulas.

33
Using Scenario Manager to Project Various Outcomes
To model problems that are more complicated than data tables can handle, involving as many as 32 variables, you
can call on the services of the Scenario Manager in Microsoft Office Excel 2003. A scenario is a named
combination of values that is assigned to one or more variable cells in a what-if model. You can use the Scenario
Manager to enter variable figures in your what-if model and watch the effect on dependent computed values.

Excel's Scenario Manager is a tool that can be used to determine different projected outcomes of data by
changing different cells within a Worksheet model.

A scenario is a specific set of values that Excel can save for you and automatically substitute into your Worksheet.
This means that you could have a spreadsheet displaying numerical data that is relevant to a certain date, month,
topic or whatever and using the Scenario Manager you can enter different values into the worksheet to forecast
the outcome of the data. These values (or Scenarios) can be retained for future use and are stored in a hidden part
of the workbook which can be retrieved by asking the Scenario Manager to show the Scenario that uses those
specific values.

Remember, all that Scenarios are just a different version of the same worksheet with each different version using a
different set of input values in the nominated cells.

Here are some of the things you can do with the Scenario Manager in Excel:

• Create multiple scenarios for a single what-if model, each with its own sets of variables. You can create as
many scenarios as your model necessitates.

• Distribute a what-if model to members of your team so that they can add their own scenarios. Then you can
collect the versions and merge all the scenarios onto a single worksheet.

• Using Scenario Summary, examine relationships between scenarios created by multiple users.

An example of a scenario you might want to create is this: You've worked out your budget, and find you have
barely enough left for a night out. The question is, what can you cut back on to give yourself more spending
money?

Setting up a default scenario

For Scenarios to work correctly, you should first set up a base or default Scenario, on a worksheet in Excel. It is
from this default Scenario that all other Scenarios are defined.

1. Go to Tools >Scenarios to activate the Scenario Manager. You will see a message telling you "No
Scenarios are defined".

2. Choose Add to add your default Scenario.

3. Give your Scenario a name, Base, Original or


Default or a name you can easily identify will be fine.

4. Click in the next box Changing cells: You will notice


here that the cell that was your active cell in the
Workbook will be referenced here.

In the Changing cells box, either enter the cell


references that you plan to vary or place the
insertion point in the Changing cells box. On your
worksheet, select the cells that you want to change.
Use the CTRL key to select nonadjacent cells and
ranges. Separate cell references by using commas.

*As soon as you enter cell references in the Add


Scenario dialog box, the title of the dialog box
changes to Edit Scenario.

5. Click the collapse dialog button to collapse this


dialog box up so that you can easily select the cells

34
from the Worksheet that you wish to reference.
6. Click on the collapse dialog button again to expand the full Scenario Manager box.

It's a good idea to create a scenario that defines the values that you begin with before changing the values
in the Scenario Values dialog box. If you don't create a starting scenario, you'll lose your original what-if
assumptions when you apply the new scenarios to your worksheet.

7. If you wish to type a comment in, then click into the Comment: box and do so.

There are two options at the bottom of this dialog box. They are Prevent changes and Hide, with Prevent changes
being the default. If you select Prevent changes, then all your Scenarios will be locked and will be unable to be
edited. It is important to note here that you MUST also protect your Worksheet via the Tools > Protection > Protect
sheet option for this option to take effect. If you then with to edit your Scenarios, you must first unprotect your
Worksheet, then de-select the Prevent changes option to proceed. The Hide option when selected will do exactly
as said and Hide your Scenarios. This option also requires sheet protection for it to take effect.

Click the OK button. Once you click on the OK button the Scenario Values dialog box will appear. This is where you
must enter values into the scenario cells. As the first scenario is your default Scenario, the values in the cells that
we specified in the Changing Cells: box have been picked up so we need to make no changes here, we need only
click the OK button. This will now take us back to the Scenario Manager and you will see the name of your
Scenario.

Adding Scenarios

There is no limit to the number of Scenarios that you can apply to your worksheet model. Adding a scenario is done
in basically the same way as creating a default scenario.

1. Go to Tools > Scenarios to display the Scenario Manager dialog box and select Add to display the Add
Scenario dialog box.

2. Under Scenario name: give your new Scenario a name. You need make no changes to the Changing cells:
box as the cells we nominated in your Default scenario show here.

3. Click OK. This will show the Scenario values dialog box and this time you will need to change the values.

4. To save the scenarios on a worksheet, click Save on the toolbar or click OK. Scenarios are saved with all other
worksheet data.

You will now have two Scenarios available you.

Displaying Scenarios

Now you can display your Scenarios to show how they change the outcome of your data by asking the Scenario
Manager to show a particular scenario.

1. Select Tools > Scenarios.

2. Click on the Scenario name you want to see.

3. Click Show. The Scenario Manager replaces your current worksheet values with the values that you specified
when you created the scenario. (The Scenario Manager dialog box is displayed on the screen while you use
the Show button).

4. Drag the dialog box out of the way and have a look at the values in the worksheet. One you have done this,
click on the next Scenario name and then Show, and again peruse the values in the worksheet.

5. Click on Close or ESC when you no longer wish to view your Scenarios. The values from the last scenario that
you viewed remain on the worksheet.

35
Creating Summary Reports

Excel will allow you to create a Scenario Summary Report or a Scenario PivotTable Report of your scenarios with
relative ease. The Summary Report is always created on a new Worksheet within the Workbook and will list all of
the input cells and their values.

To do this:

1. Select Tools>Scenarios.

2. Click on Summary to display the Scenario Summary dialog box.

3. Ensure that Scenario summary is selected under Report type.

4. In the Result cells box, enter the cells that you want to appear in the report, separate them by commas, and
then click OK. Choose cells that are dependent on the most changing cells

5. Click OK.

The Scenario Summary worksheet compares the changing cell values of all the scenarios that you have created.

Click one of the plus symbols located both above and to the left of the summary report. The contents in the
Comment box in the Scenario Manager dialog box appear, including the creation date and modification date of
each scenario.

Creating a Scenario PivotTable report works in the same way, except you MUST nominate your result cells for this
type of report. The quickest and easiest way to do this is:

1. Go to Tools > Scenarios > Edit.

2. Highlight any Scenario.

3. Select the cells under Changing Cells.

4. Select Ctrl + C.

5. Select Cancel, then Summary, then select Scenario PivotTable Report.

6. Click in Result Cells, then select Ctrl + V to paste in the values of the result cells.

7. Select OK.

Your Summary PivotTable Report will be presented to you on a separate Worksheet within the workbook.

Merging Scenarios

If you wanted to, you could bring together similar scenarios that you have set up in different Workbooks into your
current Worksheet. This will only work however if the input cells are exactly the same as those nominated in your
current Worksheet. Merging scenarios can be great for recycling and analysing a previous years set of figures with
the current year, or you may have different areas within a company that can make use of the same scenarios. This
can be done by the following steps.

1. Activate your current or default workbook.

2. Select Tools > Scenarios to display the Scenario Manager.

3. Click on the Merge button and the Merge Scenarios dialog box will appear. If you are using the current
workbook, there are no changes to make in the first box.

4. Click in the second box Sheet: and highlight the name of the Scenario you wish to merge with.

5. Click OK, but note before you do this that you have a message at the bottom of this dialog box telling you how
many scenarios are in the source sheet that you selected.

You will be returned to the Scenario Manager and you should see both scenarios added together.
36
Statistical Analysis Tools
Analysis Tool Pak

In addition to the many functions that are built in to Excel itself, there are dozens of additional functions for Dates,
Statistics, Education, Business, Finance, and Engineering, etc. that are provided by the Analysis Tool Pack (ATP).
This is an add-in module that must be installed before you can use the function in it. You provide the data and
parameters for each analysis; the tool uses the appropriate statistical or engineering macro functions and then
displays the results in an output table. Some tools generate charts in addition to output tables

To use it in Excel, however, you need to load it first.

1. On the Tools menu, click Add-Ins.

2. In the Add-Ins available box, select the check box next to Analysis Toolpak, and then click OK.

(If Analysis Toolpak is not listed, click Browse to locate it).

3. If you see a message that tells you the Analysis Toolpak is not currently installed on your computer, click
Yes to install it.

4. Click Tools on the menu bar. When you load the Analysis Toolpak, the Data Analysis command is added to
the Tools menu.

As one can see from the picture on the left there are several more
add-ins available such as Euro Currency Tools, Look Up Wizard and
a Solver Add-in. These are very advanced functions for high level
users such as developers, mathematicians and statisticians.

Once the Analysis Toolpak is installed, to


access it we need to go to the Tools menu
and select Data analysis..., a dialogue box
will appear (as seen here on the right) where
we can select the option that interests us
most

To know more about each analysis function we can select it and click on Help.
Besides these tools in the functions section it will have installed new, and more technical functions like
Engineering, Date and Time, Finance, etc, into each category. Each and every one of these has its own help menu
which explains its functionality, and usually come with an example included.

You input the data and parameters for each analysis; the tool uses the appropriate statistical functions and then
displays the results in an output table. Some tools generate charts in addition to output tables.

Before using an analysis tool, you must arrange the data you want to analyze in columns or rows on your
worksheet. This is called the input range.
37
The data analysis tools in the Toolpak are for the use of mathematicians and statisticians. Although they are
1
outside the understanding of myself and out of the remit of this unit I have listed them as below .

Correlation
The CORREL and PEARSON worksheet functions both calculate the correlation coefficient between two
measurement variables when measurements on each variable are observed for each of N subjects. (Any missing
observation for any subject causes that subject to be ignored in the analysis.) The Correlation analysis tool is
particularly useful when there are more than two measurement variables for each of N subjects. It provides an
output table, a correlation matrix, showing the value of CORREL (or PEARSON) applied to each possible pair of
measurement variables.

The correlation coefficient, like the covariance, is a measure of the extent to which two measurement variables
“vary together.” Unlike the covariance, the correlation coefficient is scaled so that its value is independent of the
units in which the two measurement variables are expressed. (For example, if the two measurement variables are
weight and height, the value of the correlation coefficient is unchanged if weight is converted from pounds to
kilograms.) The value of any correlation coefficient must be between -1 and +1 inclusive.

You can use the correlation analysis tool to examine each pair of measurement variables to determine whether the
two measurement variables tend to move together— that is, whether large values of one variable tend to be
associated with large values of the other (positive correlation), whether small values of one variable tend to be
associated with large values of the other (negative correlation), or whether values of both variables tend to be
unrelated (correlation near zero).

Covariance
The Correlation and Covariance tools can both be used in the same setting, when you have N different
measurement variables observed on a set of individuals. The Correlation and Covariance tools each give an output
table, a matrix, showing the correlation coefficient or covariance, respectively, between each pair of measurement
variables. The difference is that correlation coefficients are scaled to lie between -1 and +1 inclusive,
Corresponding covariances are not scaled. Both the correlation coefficient and the covariance are measures of the
extent to which two variables “vary together.”

The Covariance tool computes the value of the worksheet function, COVAR, for each pair of measurement
variables. (Direct use of COVAR rather than the Covariance tool is a reasonable alternative when there are only
two measurement variables, i.e. N=2.) The entry on the diagonal of the Covariance tool’s output table in row i,
column i is the covariance of the i-th measurement variable with itself; this is just the population variance for that
variable as calculated by the worksheet function, VARP.

You can use the covariance tool to examine each pair of measurement variables to determine whether the two
measurement variables tend to move together— that is, whether large values of one variable tend to be associated
with large values of the other (positive covariance), whether small values of one variable tend to be associated with
large values of the other (negative covariance), or whether values of both variables tend to be unrelated
(covariance near zero).

Descriptive Statistics
The Descriptive Statistics analysis tool generates a report of univariate statistics for data in the input range,
providing information about the central tendency and variability of your data.

Exponential Smoothing
The Exponential Smoothing analysis tool predicts a value based on the forecast for the prior period, adjusted for
the error in that prior forecast. The tool uses the smoothing constant a, the magnitude of which determines how
strongly forecasts respond to errors in the prior forecast.

Note Values of 0.2 to 0.3 are reasonable smoothing constants. These values indicate that the current forecast
should be adjusted 20 to 30 percent for error in the prior forecast. Larger constants yield a faster response but can
produce erratic projections. Smaller constants can result in long lags for forecast values.

F-Test Two-Sample for Variances


The F-Test Two-Sample for Variances analysis tool performs a two-sample F-test to compare two population
variances.

For example, you can use the F-test tool on samples of times in a swim meet for each of two teams. The tool
provides the result of a test of the null hypothesis that these two samples come from distributions with equal
variances against the alternative that the variances are not equal in the underlying distributions.

1
Details taken from Microsoft Online
38
The tool calculates the value f of an F-statistic (or F-ratio). A value of f close to 1 provides evidence that the
underlying population variances are equal. In the output table, if f < 1 “P(F <= f) one-tail” gives the probability of
observing a value of the F-statistic less than f when population variances are equal and “F Critical one-tail” gives
the critical value less than 1 for the chosen significance level, Alpha. If f > 1, “P(F <= f) one-tail” gives the
probability of observing a value of the F-statistic greater than f when population variances are equal and “F Critical
one-tail” gives the critical value greater than 1 for Alpha.

Fourier Analysis
The Fourier Analysis tool solves problems in linear systems and analyzes periodic data by using the Fast Fourier
Transform (FFT) method to transform data. This tool also supports inverse transformations, in which the inverse of
transformed data returns the original data.

Histogram
The Histogram analysis tool calculates individual and cumulative frequencies for a cell range of data and data bins.
This tool generates data for the number of occurrences of a value in a data set.

For example, in a class of 20 students, you could determine the distribution of scores in letter-grade categories. A
histogram table presents the letter-grade boundaries and the number of scores between the lowest bound and the
current bound. The single most-frequent score is the mode of the data.

Moving Average
The Moving Average analysis tool projects values in the forecast period, based on the average value of the
variable over a specific number of preceding periods. A moving average provides trend information that a simple
average of all historical data would mask. Use this tool to forecast sales, inventory, or other trends. Each forecast
value is based on the following formula.

where:

N is the number of prior periods to include in the moving average


Aj is the actual value at time j
Fj is the forecasted value at time j
Random Number Generation

The Random Number Generation Analysis Tool


This fills a range with independent random numbers drawn from one of several distributions. You can characterize
subjects in a population with a probability distribution.

For example, you might use a normal distribution to characterize the population of individuals' heights, or you might
use a Bernoulli distribution of two possible outcomes to characterize the population of coin-flip results.

Rank and Percentile


The Rank and Percentile analysis tool produces a table that contains the ordinal and percentage rank of each
value in a data set. You can analyze the relative standing of values in a data set. This tool uses the worksheet
functions, RANK and PERCENTRANK. RANK does not account for tied values. If you wish to account for tied
values, use the worksheet function, RANK, together with the correction factor suggested in the help file for RANK.

Regression
The Regression analysis tool performs linear regression analysis by using the "least squares" method to fit a line
through a set of observations. You can analyze how a single dependent variable is affected by the values of one or
more independent variables.

For example, you can analyze how an athlete's performance is affected by such factors as age, height, and weight.
You can apportion shares in the performance measure to each of these three factors, based on a set of
performance data, and then use the results to predict the performance of a new, untested athlete.

The Regression tool uses the worksheet function, LINEST.

Sampling
The Sampling analysis tool creates a sample from a population by treating the input range as a population. When
the population is too large to process or chart, you can use a representative sample. You can also create a sample
that contains only values from a particular part of a cycle if you believe that the input data is periodic.

For example, if the input range contains quarterly sales figures, sampling with a periodic rate of four places values
from the same quarter in the output range.
39
t-Test
The Two-Sample t-Test analysis tools test for equality of the population means underlying each sample. The three
tools employ different assumptions: that the population variances are equal, that the population variances are not
equal, and that the two samples represent before treatment and after treatment observations on the same subjects.

For all three tools below, a t-Statistic value, t, is computed and shown as “t Stat” in the output tables. Depending on
the data, this value, t, can be negative or non-negative. Under the assumption of equal underlying population
means, if t < 0, “P(T <= t) one-tail” gives the probability that a value of the t-Statistic would be observed that is more
negative than t. If t >=0, “P(T <= t) one-tail” gives the probability that a value of the t-Statistic would be observed
that is more positive than t. “t Critical one-tail” gives the cutoff value so that the probability of observing a value of
the t-Statistic greater than or equal to “t Critical one-tail” is Alpha.

“P(T <= t) two-tail” gives the probability that a value ot the t-Statistic would be observed that is larger in absolute
value than t. “P Critical two-tail” gives the cutoff value so that the probability of an observed t-Statistic larger in
absolute value than “P Critical two-tail” is Alpha.

t-Test: Two-Sample Assuming Equal Variances This analysis tool performs a two-sample student's t-test. This t-
test form assumes that the two data sets came from distributions with the same variances. It is referred to as a
homoscedastic t-test. You can use this t-test to determine whether the two samples are likely to have come from
distributions with equal population means.

t-Test: Two-Sample Assuming Unequal Variances This analysis tool performs a two-sample student's t-test. This t-
test form assumes that the two data sets came from distributions with unequal variances. It is referred to as a
heteroscedastic t-test. As with the Equal Variances case above, you can use this t-test to determine whether the
two samples are likely to have come from distributions with equal population means. Use this test when the there
are distinct subjects in the two samples. Use the Paired test, described below,when there is a single set of subjects
and the two samples represent measurements for each subject before and after a treatment.

The following formula is used to determine the statistic value t.

The following formula is used to calculate the degrees of freedom, df. Because the result of the calculation is
usually not an integer, the value of df is rounded to the nearest integer to obtain a critical value from the t table. The
Excel worksheet function, TTEST, uses the calculated df value without rounding since it is possible to compute a
value for TTEST with a non-integer df. Because of these different approaches to determining degrees of freedom,
results of TTEST and this t-Test tool will differ in the Unequal Variances case.

t-Test: Paired Two Sample For Means You can use a paired test when there is a natural pairing of observations in
the samples, such as when a sample group is tested twice— before and after an experiment. This analysis tool and
its formula perform a paired two-sample student's t-test to determine whether observations taken before a
treatment and observations taken after a treatment are likely to have come from distributions with equal population
means. This t-test form does not assume that the variances of both populations are equal.

(Among the results generated by this tool is pooled variance, an accumulated measure of the spread of data about
the mean, derived from the following formula).

z-Test
The z-Test: Two Sample for Means analysis tool performs a two-sample z-test for means with known variances.
This tool is used to test the null hypothesis that there is no difference between two population means against either
one-sided or two-sided alternative hypotheses . If variances are not known, the worksheet function, ZTEST, should
be used instead.

When using the z-Test tool, one should be careful to understand the output. “P(Z <= z) one-tail” is really P(Z >=
ABS(z)), the probability of a z-value further from 0 in the same direction as the observed z value when there is no
difference between the population means. “P(Z <= z) two-tail” is really P(Z >= ABS(z) or Z <= -ABS(z)), the
probability of a z-value further from 0 in either direction than the observed z-value when there is no difference
between the population means. The two-tailed result is just the one-tailed result multiplied by 2. The z-Test tool can
also be used for the case where the null hypothesis is that there is a specific non-zero value for the difference
between the two population means.

For example, you can use this test to determine differences between the performances of two car models.

40
Trendlines
Trendlines are used to graphically display trends in data and to help analyse problems of prediction. Such analysis
is also named regression analysis. By using regression analysis, you can extend a trendline in a chart beyond the
actual data to predict future values. (Regression analysis is a form of statistical analysis used for forecasting. And
regression analysis estimates the relationship between variables so that a given variable can be predicted from one
or more other variables.). For example, the following chart uses a simple linear trendline that is forecasting two
quarters ahead to clearly show a trend toward increasing revenue.

• You can also create a moving average, which smoothes


out fluctuations in data and shows the pattern or trend
more clearly.

• If you change a chart or data series so that it can no


longer support the associated trendline — for example,
by changing the chart type to a 3-D chart or by changing
the view of a PivotChart report or associated PivotTable
report — the trendline no longer appears on the chart.

• For line data without a chart, you can use AutoFill or one
of the statistical functions, such as GROWTH() or
TREND(), to create data for best-fit linear or exponential
lines.

Types of Trendline

When you want to add a trendline to a chart in Microsoft Office Excel, you can choose any one of these six different
trend or regression types: linear trendlines, logarithmic trendlines, polynomial trendlines, power trendlines,
exponential trendlines, or moving average trendlines. The type of data that you have determines the type of
trendline that you should use.

A trendline is most accurate when its R-squared value is at or near 1. (R-squared value: A number from 0 to 1 that
reveals how closely the estimated values for the trendline correspond to your actual data. A trendline is most
reliable when its R-squared value is at or near 1. Also known as the coefficient of determination.) When you fit a
trendline to your data, Excel automatically calculates its R-squared value. If you want to, you can display this value
on your chart.

Linear trendlines
A linear trendline is a best-fit straight line that is used with simple linear data sets. Your data is linear if the pattern
in its data points resembles a line. A linear trendline usually shows that something is increasing or decreasing at a
steady rate.

In the following example, a linear trendline illustrates that refrigerator sales have consistently risen over a 13-year
period. Notice that the R-squared value is 0.979, which is a good fit of the line to the data.

41
Logarithmic trendlines
A logarithmic trendline is a best-fit curved line that is used when the rate of change in the data increases or
decreases quickly and then levels out. A logarithmic trendline can use both negative and positive values.

The following example uses a logarithmic trendline to illustrate predicted population growth of animals in a fixed-
space area, where population leveled out as space for the animals decreased. Note that the R-squared value is
0.933, which is a relatively good fit of the line to the data.

Polynomial trendlines
A polynomial trendline is a curved line that is used when data fluctuates. It is useful, for example, for analyzing
gains and losses over a large data set. The order of the polynomial can be determined by the number of
fluctuations in the data or by how many bends (hills and valleys) appear in the curve. An Order 2 polynomial
trendline generally has only one hill or valley. Order 3 generally has one or two hills or valleys. Order 4 generally
has up to three hills or valleys.

The following example shows an Order 2 polynomial trendline (one hill) to illustrate the relationship between driving
speed and fuel consumption. Notice that the R-squared value is 0.979, which is a good fit of the line to the data.

42
Power trendlines
A power trendline is a curved line that is used with data sets that compare measurements that increase at a
specific rate — for example, the acceleration of a race car at 1-second intervals. You cannot create a power
trendline if your data contains zero or negative values.

In the following example, acceleration data is shown by plotting distance in meters by seconds. The power
trendline clearly demonstrates the increasing acceleration. Note that the R-squared value is 0.986, which is an
almost perfect fit of the line to the data.

Exponential trendlines
An exponential trendline is a curved line that is used when data values rise or fall at constantly increasing rates.
You cannot create an exponential trendline if your data contains zero or negative values.

In the following example, an exponential trendline is used to illustrate the decreasing amount of carbon 14 in an
object as it ages. Note that the R-squared value is 0.990, which means that the line fits the data almost perfectly.

43
Moving average trendlines
A moving average trendline smoothes out fluctuations in data to show a pattern or trend more clearly. A moving
average uses a specific number of data points (set by the Period option), averages them, and uses the average
value as a point in the line. For example, if Period is set to 2, the average of the first two data points is used as the
first point in the moving average trendline. The average of the second and third data points is used as the second
point in the trendline, etc..

In the following example, a moving average trendline shows a pattern in number of homes sold over a 26-week
period.

Adding a Trendline
2
On an unstacked, 2-D, area, bar, column, line, stock, xy (scatter), or bubble chart, click the data series to which
you want to add a trendline or moving average, or do the following to select the data series from a list of chart
elements:

1. Click anywhere in the chart.

This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

2. On the Format tab, in the Current Selection group, click the arrow next to the
Chart Elements box, and then click the chart element that you want.

(If you select a chart that has more than one data series without selecting a data series, Excel displays the
Add Trendline dialog box. In the list box, click the data series that you want, and then click OK).

3. On the Layout tab, in the Analysis group, click Trendline.

4. Do one of the following:

a) Click a predefined trendline option that you want to use, (this applies a trendline without enabling you
to select specific options).

2
Data series: Related data points that are plotted in a chart. Each data series in a chart has a unique colour or
pattern and is represented in the chart legend. You can plot one or more data series in a chart. Pie charts have
only one data series.
44
b) Click More Trendline Options, and then in the Trendline Options category, under Trend/Regression
Type, click the type of trendline that you want to use.

Change the Format of a Trendline

On an unstacked, 2-D, area, bar, column, line, stock, xy (scatter), or bubble chart, click the trendline that you want
to change, or do the following to select it from a list of chart elements.

1. Click anywhere in the chart.

This displays the Chart Tools, adding the Design, Layout, and Format tabs.

2. On the Format tab, in the Current Selection group, click the arrow next to the Chart Elements box, and then
click the chart element that you want.

3. On the Layout tab, in the Analysis group, click Trendline, and then click More Trendline Options.

4. To change the colour, style, or shadow options of the trendline, click the Line Colour, Line Style, or Shadow
category, and then select the options that you want.

Specifying the number of periods in a forecast

As above steps 1 to 3 and then:

4. To specify the number of periods that you want to include in a forecast, under Forecast, click a number in
the Forward periods or Backward periods box.

Specify the point where the trendline crosses the vertical (value) axis

As above steps 1 to 3 and then:

4. Select the Set Intercept = check box, and then in the Set Intercept = box, type the value to specify the point
on the vertical (value) axis where the trendline crosses the axis. (You can do this only when you use an
exponential, linear, or polynomial trendline).

Display the Trendline Equation on a Chart

As above steps 1 to 3 and then:

4. To display the trendline equation on the chart, select the Display Equation on chart check box.

Note: You cannot display trendline equations for a moving average.

The trendline equation is rounded to make it more readable. However, you can change the number of digits for a
selected trendline label in the Decimal places box on the Number tab of the Format Trendline Label dialog box.
(Format tab, Current Selection group, Format Selection button).
2
Display the R Value for a Trendline

On an unstacked, 2-D, area, bar, column, line, stock, xy (scatter), or bubble chart, click the trendline for which you
want to display the R-squared value, or do the following to select the trendline from a list of chart elements:

As above steps 1 to 3 and then:

4. On the Trendline Options tab, select Display R-squared value on chart.


2
Note: You cannot display R values for a moving average.

45
Removing a Trendline

As above steps 1 to 3 and then do one of the following:

4. On the Layout tab, in the Analysis group, click Trendline, and then click None.

OR

Press DELETE.

You can also remove a trendline immediately after you add it to the chart by clicking Undo on the Toolbar, or by
pressing CTRL+Z.

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