What IF?

What’s the hardest function you might ask?  The hardest function (in my opinion) is the IF function.  What it does?  You can use it to program a game or something.  The IF function returns one value if a condition you specify evaluates to TRUE, and another value if that condition evaluates to FALSE. For example, the formula =IF(A1>10,"Over 10","10 or less") returns "Over 10" if A1 is greater than 10, and "10 or less" if A1 is less than or equal to 10.  The IF function is like this:  =IF(logical_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false]). The parts of the IF function are here as follows:

·     logical_test - Any value or expression that can be evaluated to TRUE or FALSE. For example, A10=100 is a logical expression; if the value in cell A10 is equal to 100, the expression evaluates to TRUE. Otherwise, the expression evaluates to FALSE. This argument can use any comparison calculation operator.

·     value_if_true - The value that you want to be returned if the logical_test argument evaluates to TRUE. For example, if the value of this argument is the text string "Within budget" and the logical_test argument evaluates to TRUE, the IF function returns the text "Within budget." If logical_test evaluates to TRUE and the value_if_true argument is omitted (that is, there is only a comma following the logical_test argument), the IF function returns 0 (zero). To display the word TRUE, use the logical value TRUE for the value_if_true argument.

·     value_if _false - The value that you want to be returned if the logical_test argument evaluates to FALSE. For example, if the value of this argument is the text string "Over budget" and the logical_test argument evaluates to FALSE, the IF function returns the text "Over budget." If logical_test evaluates to FALSE and the value_if_false argument is omitted, (that is, there is no comma following the value_if_true argument), the IF function returns the logical value FALSE. If logical_test evaluates to FALSE and the value of the value_if_false argument is omitted (that is, in the IF function, there is no comma following the value_if_true argument), the IF function returns the value 0 (zero).

The IF function is hard to understand at first, but as soon as you get to know Excel, you might even make a vector image or make a game in that piece of software.

Functionality

                Well here’s the easiest part in solving mathematical formulas.  Using functions instead of formulas.  Imagine if you would want to add all the numbers in column A, and you are using formulas.  Well that would be very tiring.  For example:  =A1+A2+A3+A4+A5+… That is very unpractical.  That is one of the reasons that functions are commonly used instead of formulas.  Some examples that our teacher told us are:

·         =SUM(A1:A5)

·         =PRODUCT(A1:A5)

·         =QUOTIENT(A1,A2)

       For using subtraction, the function is the same as addition but instead of subtracting positive numbers, try adding negative numbers.

Formulas

             What is a formulae?  To perform calculations, you have to type in a mathematical formula.  A formula must start with = followed by a combination of cell names numbers and operators.  Example formulas:

Addition	=C6+A12
Subtraction	=B3-A1
Multiplication	=S4*P9
Division	=G4/W2
Exponentiation	=Q2^D6
Percentage	=L9*32%

             You can do this in any cell, provided that the cells you are calculating have a numerical value in it.

Cell Sizes

           We might want to adjust or re-adjust sizes of cells (columns, rows, or all of them!). It’s so simple!  To adjust column A and B, simply hover the mouse to the line between column A and B, and two arrowheads will appear.  Then, drag the arrowhead to the width you would want.  Same for the rows, simply drag the line between row 1 and 2.  These are very helpful when the font size is very big because it will not fit in the cell therefore you will need to adjust the size of the cell.

            As for the whole worksheet, for example, you want each column and row to be if equal length, click on the little triangle beside column A and on the top of row 1.  That will select all cells.  Then adjust the columns and rows!  All columns and rows will have the same specific length.

Dates and Times

         Some companies need to track their expenses that day or time so they need to enter dates or times in their spreadsheets (e.g. Excel).  Imagine, companies need to enter dates or times, every day or every time (Gets?), well that may be very tiring and stressful.  So, Excel has a shortcut key to automatically enter the date or the time.  To enter the current date, just press CTRL + ; (semicolon).  To enter the current time, just press CTRL + SHIFT + ; (semicolon) or simply saying CTRL + : (colon). Well, there  you got it!  The shortcut key to enter dates and times.

The Power

        Sometimes, we need to multiply numbers by ten to the x powers.  For example, we want to multiply all numbers we enter in a cell by ten to the 5^th power, if we entered the number 1 in a cell, it will become 100000.  Excel can make this easy by clicking Options inside the Office button.  Click Advanced, and then under Editing options, select the Automatically insert a decimal point check box.  In the Places box, enter a positive number for digits to the right of the decimal point or a negative number for the digits to the left of the decimal point.  For example, if you want to turn 100 into 1 automatically, enter 2 in the Places box as mentioned earlier.  Or 100 into 10000, just put a negative number like -2.  It’s just easy!

EXCELlent!

At first, you might think that Microsoft Excel might be boring with all those boxes (I mean cells), right?  Who would not be?  I, myself at first, also thought that Excel is not interesting, so unexciting. But…

That day, (just a normal day), our Computer Science teacher (Mr. Tom Secundo) told us we will be having a lesson in Microsoft Excel.  He explained that Microsoft Excel is a piece of software which allows us to create professional spreadsheets and charts.  He told us that a workbook is composed of several worksheets (I still do not understand).  Then, he showed us the basic information about Excel and I think I can still recall it, umm...:

• Workbook – an Excel file is called a workbook.
• Worksheet – the page you work on which is made up of grid cells. (Ahh, so the boxes are called               grid cells. Got it!)
• Cell/Selected cell – where you type data/formulae (What’s formulae again? Okay, I’ll ask it later.) into.  Cells are arranged in numbered rows and lettered columns.  You have to select a cell to add data  to it.  Data/formulae can also be typed into the formula bar. (What’s the formula bar for?)
• Column/Row heading – use the column/row headings to identify a cell’s position on the worksheet i.e. A12, B6. Click heading buttons to select a whole column/row of cells.
• Name Box – holds a cell’s selected reference number – its position on the worksheet.
• Worktab Sheet – click the tabs to work between worksheets.
• Scroll Bars – use them to display hidden parts of the worksheet.

j               What?  You want more?  Well, that's the only ones I can recall!