Working with Excel Fundamentals

Before you can write any formulas or crunch any numbers, you have to know where the data goes. And how to find it again. We wouldn’t want your data to get lost! Knowing how worksheets store your data and present it is critical to

your analysis efforts.

Understanding workbooks and worksheets

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workbook is the same as a file. Excel opens and closes workbooks, just as a word processor program opens and closes documents. Click the Microsoft Office button, found at the upper left of your Excel screen, to view the selections found under the File menu in earlier versions of Excel. Figure 1-1 shows the new look for accessing basic functions such as opening, saving, printing, and closing your Excel files (not to mention a number of other nifty functions to boot!). Excel 2010 (and Excel 2007) files have the .xlsx extension. Older version Excel files have the .xls extension. When Excel starts up, it displays a blank workbook ready for use. If at any time you need another new workbook, click the Microsoft Office button and click on New. You will be presented with a plateful of templates, including a blank workbook. That’s the baby you want, so give it a click to select it and then click the Create button. A new workbook will open. When you have more than one workbook open, you pick the one you want to work on by selecting it in the Windows Taskbar. A worksheet is where your data actually goes. A workbook contains at least one worksheet.