Excel Data Entry, Ranges and Formatting

Before you calculate anything, you need to enter data correctly and select it in the right way.

Types of Data

Excel recognises what you type:

If a number is aligned to the left, Excel may be treating it as text, and it will not be added in totals. This often happens with data copied from websites.

Entering Data

1. Click a cell
2. Type the value
3. Press Enter to move down, or Tab to move right

Press Esc to cancel while typing, and F2 to edit an existing cell.

Ranges

A range is a group of cells. You write it as the first cell, a colon, and the last cell:

A1:A5      cells A1, A2, A3, A4, A5 (one column)
A1:C1      cells A1, B1, C1 (one row)
A1:C3      a block of 9 cells, 3 columns by 3 rows

To select a range, click the first cell and drag, or click the first cell and Shift + click the last one.

AutoFill

AutoFill copies or continues a pattern. Type a value, then drag the small square at the bottom right of the cell (the fill handle).

The last row is very useful: write a formula once and AutoFill it down for every row.

A Small Example Sheet

Ali enters stock for his shop:

In D2 he types a formula and fills it down to D4:

=B2*C2

Formatting Numbers

Formatting changes how a value looks, not the value itself. Select cells, then use Home > Number, or press Ctrl + 1 for all options.

For example, with a joining date in A1 and today's date in B1:

=B1-A1

Formatting Cells

Make your sheet easy to read:

• Bold the header row (Ctrl + B)
• Add borders from Home > Font > Borders
• Use Wrap Text for long text
• Use Format as Table (Ctrl + T) for automatic colours and filters
• Freeze Panes (View > Freeze Panes > Freeze Top Row) keeps headers visible when scrolling

Exercise