Organizing and Managing Data in Excel Microsoft SkillPath a division of the Graceland College Center for Professional Development and Lifelong Learning, Inc. All rights reserved, including the right to reproduce this material or any part thereof in any manner.
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING DATA IN MICROSOFT EXCEL Design Tips Each column should contain a minimal amount of information. Put city, state and ZIP code information in separate columns Put first names and last names in separate columns or in reverse order (Smith, Joe) if in the same column Enter dates with slashes or hyphens, e.g., 9/15/12, 9/15/2012, 9-15-12 Don t put multiple dates (like starting and ending dates) in the same cell The list shown below is poorly organized you cannot sort by last name, state or ZIP code. The date entries make it difficult to analyze with Excel functions. Each column should contain a minimal amount of information. For optimal use of sorting, subtotals, filtering, PivotTables and many other Excel features, adhere to these concepts: 1. Create a single title row containing unique field names as the top row of the data. 2. Structure data collections with no empty rows and no empty columns within the data. The list below is structured to optimize the use of many of Excel s data management tools. 2
PARTICIPANT NOTEBOOK Text to Columns Split Names Into Multiple Columns 1. Insert an empty column to the right of one containing first and last names. 2. Highlight the names you wish to split into separate columns. 3. Click Data > Text to Columns. 4. In Step 1 of the Convert Text to Columns Wizard, click Delimited. 5. In Step 2, select Space and click the Finish button. Realign City/State/ZIP Data From One to Three Columns Select the addresses to be separated into columns. 1. Click Data > Text to Columns. 2. On Step 2, click Space and Comma. 3. Click Finish. City, State and ZIP are in separate columns. 3
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING DATA IN MICROSOFT EXCEL Functions to Combine Data Into a Cell Use the Ampersand (&) Operator or the CONCAT Function to Pull Together Data From Different Locations To combine data from different locations, like cells A2, B2 and C2, use CONCAT. =E5&, &F5& &G5 or =CONCAT(A5,, B5) 4
PARTICIPANT NOTEBOOK Use Tables to Organize Data Convert Database-like Data to an Excel Table 1. On the Home tab in the Ribbon, click Format as Table and select a style. 2. The Table Style Options group gives you designer-quality, professional formatting options. 3. Adding adjacent columns to the right or rows below automatically expands a table. 4. New formulas are automatically copied. 5. Apply special formatting for banded rows, total rows and first/last columns. Use Tables to Create Dynamic Data Entry Tables Convert data range to table Add Data Validation Use the VLOOKUP function to pull data from other tables 5
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING DATA IN MICROSOFT EXCEL Sorting Sort Data in Multiple Fields 1. On the Data tab in the Ribbon, click the Sort button. 2. Click Add Level and select up to 64 fields. 3. Click the arrow under Sort On to select Cell Color, Font Color or Cell Icon. 4. Click the arrow under Order and select A to Z, Z to A, Largest to Smallest, etc. Sort Data in Random Order Perhaps you need to sort a list in a random order. You can use the RAND() function to generate random numbers and use them as the basis for your sort. Caution: The RAND() function recalculates a random value every time the worksheet recalculates. 1. Add a new column and fill it with the RAND function. 2. Sort based on this column. 6
PARTICIPANT NOTEBOOK Sort Data by Rearranging Columns 1. In the Sort dialog box, click the Options button. 2. In the Sort Options dialog box, select Sort left to right. Sort Based on the Order of Data in a Custom List 1. Create a Custom List that comprises data in an order meaningful to you. 2. Click the File tab in the Ribbon and select Options and Advanced. 3. Click the Edit Custom Lists button and type the list entries. 4. Click Add. In the Sort dialog box, select Custom List under Order to use a previously created list. 7
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING DATA IN MICROSOFT EXCEL Subtotals Insert Subtotals Automatically Based on Sorted Data You must sort your data by the column you are subtotalling by. 1. In the Outline group of the Data tab in the Ribbon, click Subtotal. 2. Select the change field, the tabulating function and the fields to be totaled. 8
PARTICIPANT NOTEBOOK Use Outlining Features to Expand/Collapse a Subtotaled List 1. Click outlining Level 3: Display details and subtotals together (see image below). 2. Click outlining Level 2: Display subtotals and grand total only (see image below). Add Additional Subtotal Levels Click the Subtotal button in the Ribbon again, selecting a different field. Reminder: Uncheck the box Replace current subtotals Copy Subtotals Only From a Collapsed List Select the collapsed list and press Alt+semicolon (to select visible cells only) and then copy or paste data. 9
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING DATA IN MICROSOFT EXCEL Filter Filter Data to Show Just the Rows You Need 1. Click the Filter button on the Data tab in the Ribbon. 2. Use Filter arrows on one or more columns as desired. Use Custom AutoFilter for Expanded Power in Defining the Data You Need to See 10
PARTICIPANT NOTEBOOK Use Context-sensitive Filters for These Kinds of Fields Text Number Date Use the Top 10 feature on number fields to show only significant data. 11
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING DATA IN MICROSOFT EXCEL Set Up Criteria Ranges for Expanded Functionality 1. Copy field names into an open area outside of the source data. 2. Enter criteria on separate rows to set up OR combinations. 3. Click Advanced Filter on the Data tab in the Ribbon. The Advanced Filter below will filter all records where the Division is South or the Position is Admin. Assist. 12
PARTICIPANT NOTEBOOK Use Hyperlinks to Link to Other Files and Web Sites Link to Other Excel Files or Word and PowerPoint Files 1. On the Insert tab in the Ribbon, click Hyperlink. 2. In the Edit Hyperlink dialog box, select Existing File or Web Page. 3. Select the file you want to be able to open. Link to Web Sites 1. In the Edit Hyperlink dialog box, select Existing File or Web Page. 2. Click Browsed Pages to select a recently visited site or type a URL in the Text to display panel. 13
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING DATA IN MICROSOFT EXCEL Use Hyperlinks to Set Up a Table of Contents for Multi-sheet Workbooks On the First Worksheet in a Workbook, List All Worksheet Names in Separate Cells 1. Select a cell containing a sheet name and press Ctrl+K. 2. In the Insert Hyperlink dialog box, select Place in This Document. 3. In the panel to the right showing sheet names, click the appropriate sheet name, then click OK. 4. Repeat for each sheet name. 14
PARTICIPANT NOTEBOOK Using Excel Outlines To Break Data Into Summaries Determine whether the outline will be done manually or using the Auto Outline feature. Manual Outline 1. Select Columns or Rows to summarize. 2. Select the Data tab. 3. Select the Group drop-down arrow in Outline group. 4. Press Group. To Clear Outline 1. Select the Data tab. 2. Select the Ungroup drop-down arrow in Outline group. 3. Select Clear Outline. In the example above, columns B, C and D were selected, along with rows 3 through 8. Auto Outline 1. Click anywhere in the data range. 2. Select the Data tab. 3. Select the Group drop-down arrow in Outline group. 4. Select Auto Outline. 15
ORGANIZING AND MANAGING DATA IN MICROSOFT EXCEL Removing Duplicates 1. Select the Data tab. 2. In the Data Tools group, select Remove Duplicates. 3. Select the Columns that contain duplicates. 4. Press OK. 16
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