Entering and Editing Data in excel

In Excel there are four distinct types of data that can reside in a cell. These types of data are:

a. Text

b. Numerals

c. Logical values

d. Error

Here we discuss about the all type of data in brief.

Text: -

The behavior of the text data are following

1. Text in a cell can contain any combination of letters, numbers, and keyboard symbols.

2. A cell can contain up to 32,000 characters.

3. If column width prevents a text string from fitting visually in a cell, the display extends over neighboring cells. However, if the neighboring cells are occupied the display is truncated.

Numerals: -

As the name of the data types it is clear that this data can contain all the decimal digits such as 0 to 9 which you ca addition, subtraction, multiplication, divides and also many mathematical and statistical calculation. We are most commonly used excel for use numerical calculation.

· Date and time are also numbers but they are in a special formatting. Let after formatting a cell if u enter 1-9 as a text string. Excel will interpret this as a date and display it as 9-jan or etc

· When a unformatted number does not fit in a cell, it is displayed in scientific notation.

· When a formatted number does not fit in a cell, number signs like hash (###) are displayed.

Logical Values: -

Excel support logical values like TRUE or FALSE in to cells. Logical values are often used in writing conditional formulas. Also there are many condition and formulas which are return logical values example if you say 3 = 4 the result is FALSE.

Error: -

It is a distinct type of data. Let in a formula you are try to divide a number by zero then the result is #DIV/0

Error value, some time when you enter a formula you can see a error which is #N/A its mean the formula is not applicable in this situation.

Date and Time in Excel

Hi friends today we are discuss about Date and Time format in Excel. Excel automatically understands date and time typed in most of the common ways. Normally when you entered a date or time in a cell Excel automatically converts it in a serial number. The serial number represents the number of days from the beginning of the century until the date you type.


If your entry is recognized as a valid date or time format you will se the date or time on screen. Correctly entered date appear in the formula bar with the format mm/dd/yyyy, regardless of how the cell is formatted.


To enter a date, do this:
1. Select the cell in which you want to enter the date.
2. Type the date into the cell with any of these formats. For example to enter a date 5th January 2008 type:
1/05/2008
05-Jan-08
05-Jan
Jan-08
Also you can enter more many types how much you can think to enter a date in Excel. And with newer version of Excel the types of entered a date format is also increased.
You must be separate a date entry with the following things /,-, or use a space to separate a date but we recommended that u must be separate with a / or -.


To Enter a Time, do this;
1. Select the cell on which you want to enter the time.
2. Type the time in any of the following formats. For example to enter 1:32 PM, type:
13:32
13:32:00
1:32 PM
1:32:00 PM
The first two examples are from a 24-hour clock. If use a 12-hour clock. Follow the time with a space and A, AM, P, PM in either upper or lower case.


To enter the current date/time in a cell, do this: -

1. To enter current date in a cell first select the cell and press Ctrl + ; keys together
2. To Enter current time in a cell first select the cell and press Ctrl + : keys together


Tips: - To format a cell in default date format, select the cell and press Ctrl + # (means Ctrl +Shift + #)
To format a cell in default time format, select the cell and press Ctrl + @ (means Ctrl +Shift +@)


Now I think all of you become expert in a date and time format of Excel. We are quickly start our one most important step which name is Formulas of Excel, it is a long lesson so friend be prepared.

Working in a workbook part III

Grouping sheets for Editing, Formatting: -

Excel gives you a great flexibility of formatting or reorganizing of your grouping sheets in workbook. That means if you have to same formatting on your three sheets then you don’t want to format the three sheets individually. You can format the three sheets simultaneously for this you must be known about the grouping of sheets. So our today’s matter of discussion is grouping worksheets.

To select a group of sheets, do this;
1) Select the first sheet tab
2) if you want to select the sheets in a adjacent then press and hold down the Shift button on your keyboard and then click on the last sheet tabs in the group the you seen the all sheet tabs between the first and the last sheet become on a group including the same. If you want to select non adjacent sheets then select the sheet first and press and hold down the Ctrl key on the keyboard and click on the other sheet, do this for each sheet tab you want to select.

To select all the sheet tabs point you mouse to the sheet tab and right click of mouse from the shortcut menu click on the Select all sheets….

Scrolling with your keyboard in Excel: -

You also know about how to scroll in Excel with your keyboard. If you think that is like moving or select a cell with you keyboard then you wrong.
For scrolling with the keyboard; do this:
To avoid change your cell selections press the Scroll Lock button on your keyboard. And then you are ready for scrolling with the key combination or individual key the list of key given following.

Key Movement direction

Up Scrolls up to one row.
Down Scrolls down one row.
Left Scrolls left one column.
Right Scrolls left one column.
PgUp Scrolls up one screen.
PgDn Scrolls down one screen.
Alt+PgUp Scrolls right one window.
Alt+PgDn Scrolls left one window.
Home Moves to the beginning of the row.
Ctrl+Home Moves to the beginning of the worksheet.



Using Go Command to move or select a cell (F5);

Hi friend this is my next lesson. I want that any person who read this blog he could understand my blog. That is not a matter he is a beginner or master in Excel. I am also trying to give you all tips.

To use the Go to command; do this:

1) Click the Edit menu and choose Go To ……or press F5. Or press Ctrl+G. The Go to dialog box appears.
2) In the Reference text box, type the cell address or range you want to go to, or select from the Go to: list box the Named location Click OK or press Enter.
3) Click Ok or press Enter.


Tips: - If you want to see the active cell, but you unable to see it in the excel window, press Ctrl+Backspace, the window scrolls to show the active cell.