Spreadsheet Basics
Senior 2 · ICT
Spreadsheet Basics
Lesson 2 of 5
18 min
Let's begin
The school shop's price list is in a spreadsheet, but the title is squeezed into one cell, the prices have different numbers of decimal places, and a supplier's phone number has lost its first zero. This lesson shows how to enter, select, insert and delete data, and how to format cells so a sheet is correct and easy to read.
| To select | Do this |
|---|---|
| A range | Drag from the first cell to the last, or click the first and Shift+click the last. |
| Cells that are not next to each other | Hold Ctrl and click each one. |
| A whole column or row | Click its header letter or number. |
| The whole sheet | Press Ctrl+A. |
Select the cells, then choose Format > Cells or press Ctrl+1 (the same in Excel). The Format Cells dialog has tabs:
Merge and Center (Format > Merge and Unmerge Cells, or the toolbar button) joins selected cells into one and centres the contents. It is ideal for a title across a table, but avoid merging cells inside the data: it can upset formulas and sorting.
Tip
Left means text. If a number you typed lines up on the left, the spreadsheet thinks it is text, and it will not be added up.
A cell shows ### after you type 1250000. What is wrong, and how do you fix it?
Solution: The column is too narrow to show the number. Widen it, for example by double-clicking the border to the right of the column header.
Gatete formats 7.456 to show 1 decimal place. What does the cell show, and what value is used in calculations?
Solution: It shows 7.5, but calculations still use 7.456. Formatting changes only the appearance.
Column C holds data you no longer need. What happens to column D's data when you delete column C?
Solution: It moves left into column C, and every column to the right moves left by one.
How do you select cells A2, C2 and E2 at the same time?
Solution: Click A2, then hold Ctrl and click C2 and E2.
Remember
Sources and credits
