How to Use Excel - Excel Tutorials for Beginners

How to Use Excel is a Series of Excel Tutorials designed with the absolute beginner in mind. These tutorials will show you how to use Excel to produce a complete spreadsheet. The tutorials cover:
This article identifies the main parts of the Excel spreadsheet work area. There are links from each label to glossary items describing each part in greater detail.

Definition: A spreadsheet is a table used to store various types of data. The data is arranged in rows and columns to make it easier to store, organize, and analyze the information.

A spreadsheet application is a computer program such as Excel, Lotus 1-2-3, OpenOffice Calc, or Google Spreadsheets. It has a number of built in features and tools, such as functions, formulas, charts, and data analysis tools that make it easier to work with large amounts of data.

Definition: Data is information that is stored in any spreadsheet program such as Excel.

Data is stored in cells in a worksheet.

In addition to being stored in the spreadsheet, the data can be used in calculations, displayed in graphs, or sorted and filtered to find specific information.

There are three types of data in Excel: values, labels, and date/time.

Examples: To help keep data organized in a worksheet, enter data into rows from left to right. Each row of data should have a heading on the left identifying what the data is.

Definition: Rows run horizontally in an Excel worksheet. They are identified by a number in the row header.

In Excel 2003, there are 65,536 rows in each worksheet. In Excel 2007, there are more than one million rows.

The intersection point between a row and a column is a cell.

Cells are the basic storage unit for data in a spreadsheet.

Examples: If you increase the size of the font in an Excel spreadsheet, the rows will automatically increase in size to accomodate the larger font.

Spreadsheet Terms - Spreadsheet Definitions - Software Glossary

Common spreadsheet terms and definitions used in programs such as Excel, Google Spreadsheets, OpenOffice Calc, and EditGrid are listed here. Navigate through this handy glossary to refer to definitions of some of the common terms used in spreadsheets. Learn spreadsheet terms and definitions easily.

Definition: Columns are a fundamental part of any spreadsheet program such as Excel. Columns run vertically in a spreadsheet and help to identify the location of data. Each column is identified by a letter in the column header.

There are 256 columns in an Excel 2003 worksheet. In Excel 2007, there are more than 16,000.

The intersection point between a column and a row is a cell.

Cells are the basic storage unit for data in a spreadsheet.

Examples: If the number is too wide for the cell, widen the column so that the entire number can be seen.