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Formatting an Excel Workbook: practical skills

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Format and redesign a Microsoft Excel workbook using formula, cell styles, advanced data types and templates.

This Formatting in Excel course consists of 8 sections with a total of 31 lectures. This course is unique in that it uses a sequential approach so that you can be faster at using Excel and develop skills to create more user friendly and error free workbooks.

What you’ll learn

Course Content

Requirements

This Formatting in Excel course consists of 8 sections with a total of 31 lectures. This course is unique in that it uses a sequential approach so that you can be faster at using Excel and develop skills to create more user friendly and error free workbooks.

SECTION 1 INTRODUCTION

Section 1 is an introduction. You will be able to understand what skills you are expected to gain in this course and be able to identify many problems in an existing workbook so that these issues can later be rectified. You will also learn some basic Excel functions.

It is split into 4 lectures:

Lecture 1 Formatting an Excel Workbook Introduction

The lecture provides: an overview of the course, objectives, skills to be gained, skills not covered, the basic structure of the course with 5 main sections or parts mentioned. These main parts are Introduction, Formatting an existing workbook, Formatting skills, Redesigning an existing workbook and Closing comments.

You will learn:

Lecture 2 Introducing a Demo Workbook

Introduces presenters and the Unformatted Excel workbook. A summary of the problems with an existing Excel workbook is provided.

You will learn what to focus on to improve and develop an Excel workbook.

Lecture 3 Relative Referencing, Autofill

You will gain skills in:

By default, in Excel a cell reference is a relative reference, which means that the reference is relative to the location of the cell.

Learn how to:

Lecture 4 IF Statements

The IF function in Excel performs a logical comparison between two values. The result of the IF function is either TRUE or FALSE. You will see a basic application of the IF statement.

SECTION 2 BASIC FORMULAE

You will learn many basic formatting skills (e.g. borders, aligning data, basic data types, copy and paste, COUNT function) that are taught through 3 main demonstrations presented in 7 lectures.

Lecture 5 Formatting Demo 1 Borders

This lecture focuses on the creation of space and addition of outside borders to improve the Unformatted Excel workbook.

You will learn:

Lecture 6 Formatting Demo 1 Aligning Data

This lecture focuses on further ways to improve the Unformatted Excel workbook by aligning the data.

You will practice:

Lecture 7 Formatting Demo 2 Basic Data Types

You will learn the importance of selecting basic Data Types consistently and appropriately to improve Unformatted1 Excel workbook. You will learn the purpose of basic data types in Excel.

You will practice:

Lecture 8 Formatting Demo 2 Percentages

This lecture explores Percentages in greater detail to improve this type of data on the Unformatted1 Excel workbook. You will learn the importance of zeros in an Excel workbook .

You will practice:

Lecture 9 Formatting Demo 3 Copying Links, Data & Formats

The focus of this lecture is on copying links, data and formats on the Unformatted2 Excel workbook. You will also develop further skills in using merge and center and inserting rows.

You will practice:

Lecture 10 Formatting Demo 3 Using COUNT Function

This lecture focuses on using the COUNT function to improve the Unformatted2 Excel  workbook.

You will learn the following skills:

· How to use the COUNT function

Lecture 11 Formatting Demo 3 Consistent Columns

Creation of consistent columns to improve the Unformatted2 Excel workbook is the focus of this lecture.

You will learn the following Excel skills:

SECTION 3 MAKING CONSISTENT FORMULAE

This section consists of two lectures which demonstrate how to modify equations for consistency.

You will learn to modify equations for consistency and practice using the IF function in the Unformatted3 Excel workbook.

You will learn to:

Lecture 12 Modifying Equations for consistency – Using Equations Consistently

The focus of this lecture is using equations consistently in the Unformatted3 Excel workbook. The importance of this consistency is explained.

You will learn the following Excel skills:

Lecture 13 Modifying Equations for consistency- Example of Consistent Equations using IF function.

This lecture presents the example of consistent equations through use of the IF function in the Unformatted3 Excel workbook.

You will learn:

SECTION 4 CELL STYLES

This section focuses on using cell styles to improve an Excel workbook.

You will learn to use standard cell styles, create and modify cell styles and apply a wide range of cell styles to an Excel workbook.

There are 3 lectures:

Lecture 14 Standard Cell Styles

This lecture introduces the use of standard cell styles in order to improve the Unformatted4 Excel Workbook.

You will gain skills in:

Lecture 15 Customising Cell Styles

This lecture demonstrates the use of other standard cell styles and how to modify cell styles in order to improve the Unformatted5 Excel workbook.

You will learn:

Lecture 16 Applying Cell Styles

Applying a greater variety of cell styles and the creation of cell styles are the main topics of this lecture. A greater range of cell styles are sourced from a dedicated Excel workbook called MMColourCode. These cell styles are then applied to improve Unformatted6 Excel workbook.

You will learn skills in:

SECTION 5 ADVANCED DATA TYPES

This section demonstrates the use of advanced data types to improve Unformatted7 Excel workbook.

You will learn to use conditional formatting, various types of dates, useful data validation options, text and text formula to improve an Excel workbook.

There are 4 lectures in this section:

Lecture 17 Conditional Formatting

This lecture focuses on conditional formatting to improve an Excel Workbook. A comparison is provided between use of conditional formatting and use of cell styles.

You will learn the following skills:

Lecture 18 Using Dates

This lecture demonstrates the use of dates in an Excel workbook. Advantages and reasons for using certain types of dates are provided.

You will learn to:

Lecture 19 Data Validation

The use of Data Validation is demonstrated in this lecture on an Excel workbook. The benefits of using data validation is explained.

You will gain skills in:

Lecture 20 Using Text and Text Formula

This lecture provides examples of using text and text formula in an Excel workbook. The use of text formula provides a way to automate Text written in cells rather than using less efficient manual approaches.

SECTION 6 TEMPLATES

This section demonstrates the effective use of templates for efficient and accurate use of Excel.

You will learn to create an original template, set up, adjust and copy template clones for efficient and accurate use of Excel. You will also learn skills in redesigning of templates.

There are 7 lectures in this section:

Lecture 21 Template Concepts

This lecture explains template concepts in preparation for following lectures.

You will learn:

Lecture 22 Creating a Template

Here a table is set up (using Unformatted7 Excel workbook) that is to be copied to form clones. Here we set up the original template. This allows for efficient redesigning of tables.

You will therefore learn skills in setting up an original template.

Lecture 23 Setting up Clone Template

This lecture demonstrates setting up a clone template in Unformatted8 Excel  workbook. Here a clone is similar to the original template but has some modifications.

You will therefore learn skills in setting up a clone template.

Lecture 24 Clone Template Use

This lecture demonstrates the use of the clone template to create other tables of the same style in the Unformatted8 Excel workbook. By doing this Excel is used more efficiently.

You will learn skills in:

Lecture 25 Templates Formula for Status

This lecture demonstrates the use of Templates Formula for status in the Unformatted9 Excel workbook. You will learn to use nested IF statements applied to text.

Lecture 26 Templates Percent Available

In this lecture we consider what the original developer is trying to achieve. Here a minor redesign is demonstrated in Unformatted9 Excel workbook by adding a calculation.

Lecture 27 Templates Percent Lost

This lecture demonstrates appropriate redesigning in the Unformatted9 Excel workbook by making equations much simpler. An equation with some 20 terms is converted to one with about 5. A key part of formatting Excel is to use equations in such a manner that they are as simple as possible. This allows templates to be both efficient and clear.

SECTION 7 THEMES IN EXCEL

In this section you will learn how to enhance the visual appeal and consistency of your Excel workbooks using built-in and custom themes. This section covers how to apply and modify themes, including colours, fonts, and effects, to ensure your spreadsheets have a polished, professional look. You’ll also discover how themes can help maintain brand consistency across reports and presentations. By the end of this section, you’ll be able to create cohesive and visually engaging documents with ease.

Lecture 28 Themes

In this lecture, you are given a brief explanation of themes – both the advantages and disadvantages.

Whilst themes have advantages in terms of enhancing visual appeal, one needs to be aware of what theme is being used to avoid confusion surrounding different colours for cell styles (for example).

Excel users do not commonly use themes. The most common theme is ‘Microsoft Office’, which is the default.

Lecture 29 Themes Exercise

In this lecture we apply themes to an initially empty workbook. We notice how themes will change both the colour of cells and the fonts.

It is also explained how to create cell styles so that the colour and font do not change.

SECTION 8 CLOSE

This section comprises 2 lectures:

You will understand what skills you have gained and what other courses are available and being developed to build on these skills. You will have access to a Formatted1 Excel workbook and will have gained the skills to transform the original Unformatted Excel workbook to the Formatted1 Excel workbook during the course.

Lecture 30 Close

This lecture includes:

Lecture 31