This document discusses various Excel skills including cell referencing, isolating assumptions, using the fill handle, and inserting comments. Absolute cell references remain constant when copied while relative references adjust. Assumptions should be isolated in clearly labeled cells to allow easy editing. The fill handle can copy formulas to contiguous cells. Comments provide explanations for values and formulas. The assignment is to complete a payroll worksheet using these techniques.
1. Exploring Microsoft Excel 2003 Committed to Shaping the Next Generation of IT Experts. Chapter 2 – Gaining Proficiency: The Web and Business Applications Robert Grauer and Maryann Barber
7. Absolute and Relative Cell References Use relative cell references for each employees gross pay Use absolute cell references for withholding rate and FICA rate
13. Pointing Use the mouse to select the cells to be included in the formula Notice the color coding between the borders around the selected cells and the formula in the formula bar
14. Using the Fill Handle Select cells E2:H2. Dragging the fill handle will copy all four cells to lower rows. Border around selected area. Release the mouse and formulas are copied
Format all dollar amounts with a dollar sign and two decimal places and all percentages as percent format with no decimal places.
Notice that assumptions are clearly labeled and isolated from the body of the worksheet. This makes editing the values at a later date much easier.
When demonstrating how to use the fill handle, pay particular attention to the shape of the cursor. It must be a crosshair to use the fill handle to copy cells. Students often end up selecting a cell range rather than using the fill handle. Remind them they must release the mouse button to copy the cells. Also, the fill handle can only be used to copy to contiguous cells. Comments can be used to explain why certain values were chosen, the logic behind formulas, the creator of the workbook, along with the date it was created, or any other free-form text entry. In that way, they are much like creating comments when writing computer code.
The cursor will change to a black crosshair. Students sometimes confuse the crosshair with the larger plus sign that indicates that a cell is selected.
Comments are indicated by a small triangle in the upper right corner of a cell.
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