LEARNING MICROSOFT EXCEL 2000
Copyright CIT, 1999-2000. All rights reserved.

CHAPTER 2. BUILDING A SIMPLE SPREADSHEET/1

Entering Numbers
In this exercise you will practise entering numbers into cells.

Ordinarily the cursor appears as a cross.

You use this to point at the cell. When you click on a cell, the cell is highlighted like this (it has a bold outline around the cell).

Step 2.1 Point at cell A1 to highlight the cell. Once cell A1 is selected, use the keyboard to enter a value, for example 15.

Figure 2.1

Notice that as you enter the value it is repeated in the formula bar. If the number is correct, just click on the Enter button (or press the Enter key). If the number is not correct, click on the Cancel button and re-enter the number.

Step 2.2 To clear the number, point at the cell and press Del (the delete key) on the keyboard.

Step 2.3 Enter the numbers as follows

Figure2.2

All you have done so far is to enter four numbers into the spreadsheet. The value 10 has been placed into cell B2.

Question
What is the cell reference number that contains the value 40?

You will know Excel has recognised the values as numbers because it has placed them on the right hand side of the cell. If you made a mistake just click on the cell containing the wrong number, then re-enter the number.

Exercise one
Change cell C2(value 50) to a value of 20.

Moving and copying
In this exercise you will move and copy a number of cells from one location to another. To select a block of cells, follow the next step.

Step 2.4 Point at cell B2, keep your finger pressed on the left button and drag to enclose the required block.

Figure 2.3

To move a block of cells

Step 2.5 Point the cursor at one of the enclosing edges of the highlighted block of cells. The cursor turns to a white arrow. Drag the block to where you want to go. For this example move it up into the top left-hand corner.

Figure 2.4

To copy a block of cells

Step 2.6 Highlight the block of cells from A1 to B2 as shown in Figure 2.4. Point the cursor at one of the enclosing edges of the highlighted block of cells. The cursor turns to a white arrow. Keep the Ctrl button pressed (a small + will appear beside the white arrow). Drag the block, so that top left hand corner is D3.

Figure 2.5

To clear a block of cells

Step 2.7 To delete a block of cells, highlight the block and then press Del (the Delete key) on the keyboard. Clear the block of cells D3 to E4. Clear the block of cells A1 to B2.

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