A new worksheet is a grid of rows and columns. The rows are labeled with numbers, and the columns are labeled with letters. Each intersection of a row and a column is a cell. Each cell has an address, which is the column letter and the row number. The arrow on the worksheet to the right points to cell A1, which is currently highlighted, indicating that it is an active cell. A cell must be active to enter information into it. To highlight (select) a cell, click on it. To select more than one cell: Click on a cell (e.g. A1), then hold the shift key while you click on another (e.g. D4) to select all cells between and including A1 and D4. Click on a cell (e.g. A1) and drag the mouse across the desired range, unclicking on another cell (e.g. D4) to select all cells between and including A1 and D4. To select several cells which are not adjacent, press "control" and click on the cells you want to select. Click a number or letter labeling a row or column to select that entire row or column. One worksheet can have up to 256 columns and 65,536 rows, so it'll be a while before you run out of space.

Each cell can contain a label, value, logical value, or formula.

• Labels can contain any combination of letters, numbers, or symbols.
• Values are numbers. Only values (numbers) can be used in calculations. A value can also be a date or a time
• Logical values are "true" or "false."
• Formulas automatically do calculations on the values in other specified cells and display the result in the cell in which the formula is entered (for example, you can specify that cell D3 is to contain the sum of the numbers in B3 and C3; the number displayed in D3 will then be a funtion of the numbers entered into B3 and C3).

  Entering Data

To enter information into a cell, select the cell and begin typing. Note that as you type information into the cell, the information you enter also displays in the formula bar. You can also enter information into the formula bar, and the information will appear in the selected cell. When you have finished entering the label or value: Press "Enter" to move to the next cell below (in this case, A2) Press "Tab" to move to the next cell to the right (in this case, B1) Click in any cell to select it

Entering Labels

Unless the information you enter is formatted as a value (see below) or a formula (see Using Formulas), Excel will interpret it as a label, and defaults to align the text on the left side of the cell. To reformat a label, see the section on Formatting and Editing Data.

If you are creating a long worksheet and you will be repeating the same label information in many different cells, you can use the AutoComplete function. This function will look at other entries in the same column and attempt to match a previous entry with your current entry. For example, if you have already typed "Wesleyan" in another cell and you type "W" in a new cell, Excel will automatically enter "Wesleyan." If you intended to type "Wesleyan" into the cell, your task is done, and you can move on to the next cell. If you intended to type something else, e.g. "Williams," into the cell, just continue typing to enter the term.

To turn on the AutoComplete function, click on "Tools" in the menu bar, then select "Options," then select "Edit," and click to put a check in the box beside "Enable AutoComplete for cell values."

Another way to quickly enter repeated labels is to use the Pick List feature. Right click on a cell, then select "Pick From List." This will give you a menu of all other entries in cells in that column. Click on an item in the menu to enter it into the currently selected cell.

Entering Values

A value is a number, date, or time, plus a few symbols if necessary to further define the numbers [such as: . , + - ( ) % $ / ].

Numbers are assumed to be positive; to enter a negative number, use a minus sign "-" or enclose the number in parentheses "( )".

Dates are stored as MM/DD/YYYY, but you do not have to enter it precisely in that format. If you enter "aug 9" or "aug-9", Excel will recognize it at August 9 of the current year, and store it as 8/9/2000. Enter the four-digit year for a year other than the current year (e.g. "aug 9, 1999"). To enter the current day's date, press "control" and ";" at the same time.

Times default to a 24 hour clock. Use "a" or "p" to indicate "am" or "pm" if you use a 12 hour clock (e.g. "8:30 p" is interpreted as 8:30 PM). To enter the current time, press "control" and ":" (shift-semicolon) at the same time.

An entry interpreted as a value (number, date, or time) is aligned to the right side of the cell. To reformat a value, see the section on Formatting and Editing Data.

Next: Formatting and Editing Data