One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

Lesson 1: Getting Started with Excel

Introduction

Excel is a spreadsheet program that allows you to store, organize, and analyze information. While you may think Excel is only used by certain people to process complicated data, anyone can learn how to take advantage of the program's powerful features. Whether you're keeping a budget, organizing a training log, or creating an invoice, Excel makes it easy to work with different types of data.

Watch the video below to learn more about Excel.

About this tutorial

The procedures in this tutorial will work for all recent versions of Microsoft Excel, including Excel 2019, Excel 2016, and Office 365. There may be some slight differences, but for the most part these versions are similar. However, if you're using an earlier version, you may want to refer to one of our other Excel tutorials instead.

The Excel Start Screen

When you open Excel for the first time, the Excel Start Screen will appear. From here, you'll be able to create a new workbook, choose a template, and access your recently edited workbooks.

  • From the Excel Start Screen, locate and select Blank workbook to access the Excel interface.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

The parts of the Excel window

Some parts of the Excel window (like the Ribbon and scroll bars) are standard in most other Microsoft programs. However, there are other features that are more specific to spreadsheets, such as the formula barname box, and worksheet tabs.

Click the buttons in the interactive below to become familiar with the parts of the Excel interface.

Working with the Excel environment

The Ribbon and Quick Access Toolbar are where you will find the commands to perform common tasks in Excel. The Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening a file, printing, and sharing your document.

The Ribbon

Excel uses a tabbed Ribbon system instead of traditional menus. The Ribbon contains multiple tabs, each with several groups of commands. You will use these tabs to perform the most common tasks in Excel.

  • Each tab will have one or more groups.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  • Some groups will have an arrow you can click for more options.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  • Click a tab to see more commands.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  • You can adjust how the Ribbon is displayed with the Ribbon Display Options.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

Certain programs, such as Adobe Acrobat Reader, may install additional tabs to the Ribbon. These tabs are called add-ins.

To change the Ribbon Display Options:

The Ribbon is designed to respond to your current task, but you can choose to minimize it if you find that it takes up too much screen space. Click the Ribbon Display Options arrow in the upper-right corner of the Ribbon to display the drop-down menu.

One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

There are three modes in the Ribbon Display Options menu:

  • Auto-hide Ribbon: Auto-hide displays your workbook in full-screen mode and completely hides the Ribbon. To show the Ribbon, click the Expand Ribbon command at the top of screen.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  • Show Tabs: This option hides all command groups when they're not in use, but tabs will remain visible. To show the Ribbon, simply click a tab.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  • Show Tabs and Commands: This option maximizes the Ribbon. All of the tabs and commands will be visible. This option is selected by default when you open Excel for the first time.

The Quick Access Toolbar

Located just above the Ribbon, the Quick Access Toolbar lets you access common commands no matter which tab is selected. By default, it includes the Save, Undo, and Repeat commands. You can add other commands depending on your preference.

To add commands to the Quick Access Toolbar:

  1. Click the drop-down arrow to the right of the Quick Access Toolbar.
  2. Select the command you want to add from the drop-down menu. To choose from additional commands, select More Commands.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  3. The command will be added to the Quick Access Toolbar.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

How to use Tell me:

The Tell me box works like a search bar to help you quickly find tools or commands you want to use.

One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  1. Type in your own words what you want to do.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  2. The results will give you a few relevant options. To use one, click it like you would a command on the Ribbon.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

Worksheet views

Excel has a variety of viewing options that change how your workbook is displayed. These views can be useful for various tasks, especially if you're planning to print the spreadsheet. To change worksheet views, locate the commands in the bottom-right corner of the Excel window and select Normal view, Page Layout view, or Page Break view.

One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  • Normal view is the default view for all worksheets in Excel.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  • Page Layout view displays how your worksheets will appear when printed. You can also add headers and footers in this view.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  • Page Break view allows you to change the location of page breaks, which is especially helpful when printing a lot of data from Excel.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

Backstage view

Backstage view gives you various options for saving, opening a file, printing, and sharing your workbooks.

To access Backstage view:

  1. Click the File tab on the Ribbon. Backstage view will appear.

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

Click the buttons in the interactive below to learn more about using Backstage view.

Challenge!

  1. Open Excel.
  2. Click Blank Workbook to open a new spreadsheet.
  3. Change the Ribbon Display Options to Show Tabs.
  4. Using the Customize Quick Access Toolbar, click to add New, Quick Print, and Spelling.
  5. In the Tell me bar, type the word Color. Hover over Fill Color and choose yellow. This will fill a cell with the color yellow.
  6. Change the worksheet view to the Page Layout option.
  7. When you're finished, your screen should look like this:

    One of the ways to change your view of the worksheet window is by using the VIEW tab on the Ribbon

  8. Change the Ribbon Display Options back to Show Tabs and Commands.
  9. Close Excel and Don't Save changes.

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Can you use buttons on the Insert tab of the ribbon to create a chart?

A chart must be located in a specific cell or at a specific address range. You can use buttons on the INSERT tab of the Ribbon to create a chart. Any data changed in the worksheet is automatically updated in the chart.

Which feature on the Excel 2016 ribbon is used to navigate to the last cell of a worksheet?

Which feature on the Excel 2016 ribbon is used to navigate to the last cell of a worksheet? Explanation: The Go To Special Excel feature on the ribbon is used to navigate to the last cell of a worksheet. The answer is found in the Found & Select drop-down menu.

Which of the following elements of an Excel worksheet contains the tabs with commands and buttons?

The ribbon in Excel is made up of four basic components: tabs, groups, dialog launchers, and command buttons. Ribbon tab contains multiple commands logically sub-divided into groups.

What formatting is automatically updated if you change data in the worksheet?

Explain conditional formatting. You can use formatting to highlight important aspects of the data itself. Conditional formatting automatically applies different formats depending on conditions you specify. The formatting is updated if you change any data in the worksheet.