Home Tab in MS Excel

Home tab in MS Excel : Excel is a spreadsheet application developed and published by Microsoft. It is part of the Microsoft Office Suite of productivity software. It allows you to store, organize, and analyze information. While you may believe Excel is only used by certain people to process complicated data, anyone can learn how to take advantage of the program’s powerful features. Whether you are keeping a budget, organizing a training log, or creating an invoice, Excel make it easy to work with different types of data.

Groups of Home Tab

There are seven groups in Home Tab in word :

1. Clipboard Group
2. Font Group
3. Alignment Group
4. Numbers Group
5. Styles Group
6. Cells Group
7. Editing Group

Clipboard Group

This tool group contains the commands which are used to cut, copy and paste a certain selected text or range of text or values.

In the Clipboard Group, there are four options:

1. Paste
2. Cut
3. Copy
4. Format Painter

Paste (Ctrl + V)

By using this option, you can paste the copied and cut data.

Copy (Ctrl +C)

By using this option, you can copy the data.

Cut (Ctrl + X)

This option allows you to cut a certain data.

To copy and paste cell content

In Excel, by default when you copy and paste the range of cells, it will copy the data as well as formatting such as font, number format, borders, background colour, etc.

To copy a range, select the first cell in your range.

Now to copy the cells, press Ctrl + C. You will see a dotted border appear around the range of cells indicating that the cells are in the clipboard and ready to be pasted to another location in your spreadsheet.

To paste the range of cell, press Ctrl + V. Now you will see the pasted range in the new location in the worksheet.

To cut and paste cell content

Unike copying and pasting, which duplicates cell content, cutting allows you to move content between cells.

Here the steps to cut and paste cell content:

1. Select the cell you want to cut. Click the Cut command on the Home tab, or Press Ctrl + X on the keyboard. The cut cells will now have a dashed box around them.
2. Select the cells where you want to paste the content. Click the Paste command on the Home tab, or press Ctrl+V on the keyboard.
3. The cut content will be removed from the original cell and pasted into the selected cells.

Format Painter

This option allows you to copy and paste any formatting that you like or want to apply in different cells.

Here are the following steps:

1. Select the formatted content you like.
2. Click the Format Painter in The Home Tab.
3.  Select the cell to paste the formatting.

Font Group

This group of tools is used for font formatting of a selected text or values like changing font, size and colour of the text values and making them bold, Italic or Underline.

Changing Font, Size and Style

Excel have number of commands and tools available to change the font face, Size and its style appearance.

To change the font style:

1. Select the cell you want to modify.
2. Click the Font Style command on the Home tab.
3. Select the desired font.

To change the Font Size:

1. Select the cell you want to modify.
2. Click the Font Size command on the Home tab.
3. Select the desired Font Size.

To change the Font Color:

1. Select the cell you want to modify.
2. Click the Font Color command on the Home tab.
3. Select the desired font color.

Increasing and Decreasing Font Size

You can also use the Increase Font Size and Decrease Font Size command or enter a Custom Font Size using your keyboard.

Using Bold, Italic and Underline command

To use bold command do follow the steps:

1. Select the cell you want to modify.
2. Click the Bold command on the Home tab.

The selected style will be applied to the text.

To use Italic command do follow the steps:

1. Select the cell you want to modify.
2. Click the Italic command on the Home tab.

The selected style will be applied to the text.

 To use Underline command do follow the steps:

1. Select the cell you want to modify.
2. Click the Underline command on the Home tab.

The selected style will be applied to the text.

Borders 

You can place border around cell or lines. This is to add emphasis as well as to define data entry areas. This also helps to mark total and sub total to appear distinct.

Steps to add borders in cells :

1. Select the cell or range of cell.
2. Under the Home tab, in the Font group, click Borders.
3. Select the desired border.

The selected cell or range of cells is now bordered with the selected border.

Fill Color

It colours the background of selected cells.

Steps to fill colors in the cells :

1. Select the cell you want to fill color.
2. Select Fill Color option from the Font Group in the Home tab.
3. Select the desired color you want to fill.

The selected color will be filled in the cell.

Alignment Group

This group of tools is used to manipulate a paragraph or sentence in the workbook like setting alignment, Paragraph Indent, Wrapping the text etc.

Alignment 

In an unformatted cell, you would have noted that text aligns against to the left edge of the column and numbers align against the right edge. However you can align value or format result so that they are left right or centre aligned in a cell. Aligning a title across a selection of cells enables you to centre heading over a report or table.

There are various type of Alignment styles :

• Top Align
• Middle Align
• Bottom Align
• Align Left
• Align Right
• Center

Steps to align cell entries :

1. Select the cell or range of cells you want to format.
2. In the Cell group, under the Home tab select the align style that you want to apply.

The selected align style will be applied to the cell or cell range.

Orientation

It rotates the text to a diagonal angle or vertical orientation. This is often used for labelling narrow columns.

There are many types of orientation in Excel :

• Angle Counterclockwise
• Angle Clockwise
• Vertical Text
• Rotate Text Up
• Rotate Text Down
• Format Cell Alignment

Decrease Indent (Ctrl+Shift+Alt+Tab)

It decrease the margin between the border and the text in the cell.

Increase Indent(Ctrl+Alt+Tab)

It increase the margin between the border and the text in the cell.

Left To Right Text Direction

It sets the direction of the text to be displayed from left to right. It has three options :

• Left to Right
• Right to Left
• Context

Wrap Text

Excel gives you the option to wrap the text and to adjust it like a paragraph fitting within a cell. The cell’s height increases to accommodate many such lines.

Here are the following steps to wrap text within the cells:

1. Select the cell or range of cells containing the text you want to wrap.
2. Under Home tab, click Cell group and then click the Wrap Text option.
3. Click OK.

Merging the Cells

The Merge Cell option enables you to select a range of cells and include them into just one cell.

The Merge Cell option has four commands:

• Merge & Center
• Merge Across
• Merge Cells
• Unmerge Cells

Steps to merging the cells:

1. Select the range of cells you want to merge.
2. In the Home tab, under the Alignment group, select the Merge cells option.

Steps to Unmerge the cells:

1. Select the merged cells you want to unmerge.
2. In the Home tab, under the Alignment group, select the Unmerge Cell option.

Number Group

This group tools is used to take use of functions and formulas in the cells of worksheet.

Number Format

Choose how the values in a cell are displayed; as a percentage, as a currency, as a date and time, etc.

Accounting Number Format

This option allows you to format the numbers as dollar, euro, and other currency.

Percentage Style (Ctrl+Shift+%)

This option formats the number into percent.

Comma Style

Formats with a thousand separator.

Increase Decimal

Show more decimal places for a more precise values.

Decrease Decimal

It shows fewer decimal places.

Styles Group

This contains the worksheet or cell formatting tools, help formatting of a cell or worksheet as per the need.

Conditional Formatting

Conditional Formatting is the process of formatting cells automatically based on the data they contain. When the data changes and triggers a pre determined condition, Excel automatically changes the cell’s format. It may help you to highlight interesting cells or range of cells, emphasize unusual values by using databars, color scales and icon sets.

Color Scale

Colour scales in Excel are visual guides that help you to understand data distribution and variation. A colour scale help you to compare a range of cells by using a gradation of two or three colors. The shade of the colour represents higher, middle or lower values.

Steps to format cells using Color Scale:

1. Select range of cells in which you want to apply formatting.
2. Under Home tab, in the Style group, click on Conditional Formatting and then click on Colors Scales.
3. Select the Colour Scale that you want to apply.

Format Cell using Data Bars

Data Bar helps you to view see the value of a cell relative to other cells. The length of a data bar represent the value in the cell. A longer bar represent a higher value and the shorter bar represent a lower value. Data bars are useful in spotting higher and lower numbers especially with large values of data items.

Steps to Format Cells using Data Bar :

1. Select range of cells in which you want to apply formatting with data bars.
2. Under the Home tab, in the Style group, select the Conditional Formatting and then click on Data Bar.
3. Select the specific type of data bar you want. Accordingly bars will appear.

Format cell by Icon Sets

Icon set helps you to annotate and classify data into three to five categories separated by a threshold value. Each icon represents a range of values.

Steps to format cells using Icon Set:

1. Select the range of cells in which you want to apply formatting.
2. Under the Home tab in the Style group, select Conditional Formatting and then click on Icon Sets.
3. Select the Icon Set which you want. After selection, icon sets will appear. Click OK.

Format as Table

Excel provides numerous predefined table styles that you can use to quickly format a table. If the predefined table styles do not meet your needs, you can also create and apply of custom table style. 

Here are the steps to apply table style at the time of table creation:

1. Select the range of cells in which you want to apply formatting.
2. Under Home tab, in the Style group, click Format as Table.
3. Select the table style that you want to use.

Cells Style

To apply several format in one step and to ensure that cells have consistent formatting, you can use style facility available in Excel. To prevent anyone from making changes to specific cells you can also use a cell style that lock cells. Excel has several built in cell styles that you can apply or modify. You can also modify or duplicate a cell style to create your own custom cell style.

To apply cell style, do this :

1. Select the cells that you want to format.
2. Under Home tab, in the Style group click Cell Styles.
3. Select and click the cell style that you want to apply.

Cells Group

This contains the tools used to manipulate the cells in the worksheet like Insertion, Deletion and Formatting of a cell.

There are few options under Cell group :

• Insert
• Delete
• Format

Inserting Cells, Rows or Column

Sometimes you may need to insert cells, rows or columns to make place for new formulas or data. You can insert cells, rows or columns as easily as you can delete them.

Inserting a New Cell

Steps to Insert a New Cell :

1. Select a cell or range of cells where you need new cells inserted.
2. Select Insert Cell option from the Insert dropped on list of the Cells Group of the Home tab.
3. To insert cells, select the direction you want selected cell to be inserted.
4. Click OK.

Inserting Columns or Rows:

Steps to Inserting Rows or Columns :

1. Select cell in the rows or columns where you want to insert new rows or columns.
2. Select Insert Sheet Rows from Insert drop down list of the Cell group of the Home tab to insert Rows.
3. Select Insert Sheet Column from Insert drop down list of the Cells group of the Home tab to insert columns.

Inserting a Worksheet (Shift+F11)

We can insert a new worksheet in the workbook as our need.

Here are the following steps to insert a new sheet in the workbook:

1. Go to Home tab in MS Excel, and click Insert tool in Cells group.
2. Select Insert Sheet command.

The  new worksheet will be inserted.

Deleting Cells, Rows and Columns

The Delete command completely removes cells, rows, or columns from the worksheet. This is different from the Clear command in the Editing Group. The Clear command removes the cell’s contents, format, or Comment, but it leaves the cell intact.

Deleting a Cell :

Steps to delete a cell:

1. Select the cells or range of cells to be deleted or select cells in the rows and columns to be deleted.
2. Click on the Home tab and then click arrow next to Delete button under the Cells group and then select Delete Cell.
3. To delete cells select the direction in which you want remaining cells to move.
4. Click OK.

Delete a Worksheet

We can delete a worksheet from the workbook as per our need, if you feel any sheet created in workbook is useless then you can go ahead deleting the unnecessary sheet from the workbook.

Here are the following steps to delete a worksheet:

1. Go to the sheet you want to delete.
2. Then go to Home tab in MS Excel and click Delete tool in the Cell group.
3. Select Delete Sheet command.

The selected worksheet will be deleted.

Format

Change the row height or column width, organize sheets, or protect or hide cells.

Row Height

By using this option, you can adjust the Row Height according to your choice.

AutoFit Row Height

Excel adjusts rows height automatically. By using this command, you can adjust your Row height in default size.

Column Width

By using this option, you can adjust the Column width according to your choice.

AutoFit Column Width

This option adjusts the column width automatically.

Default Width

This option would adjust to the default column width for all the selected columns.

Hide & Unhide

By using this command ,you can hide or unhide rows and columns.

There are following options in Hide and Unhide :

• Hide Rows
• Hide Columns
• Hide Sheet
• Unhide Rows
• Unhide Columns
• Unhide Sheet

Rename Sheet

With the help of this option, you can rename your sheet.

Move or Copy Sheet

Suppose that you use a budget worksheet in one workbook and the same worksheet is also required for another workbook. You could re-create the worksheet in the new workbook or copy the data from one workbook to another, but it would be much easier if you just copy the entire worksheet of other workbook.

Tab Color 

By using this option, you can color your sheet tab which you want.

Protect Sheet

With Excel, you can protect cell, graphical objects, sheets, windows and even and entire workbook. To prevent unauthorised people from changing the protection status or the display of hidden information you can also use the facility for password.

Lock Cell

Lock the selected cells to keep people from making changes to them.

You must turn on Protect Sheet in order for this feature to work.

 

Editing Group

These group of tools is used to take use of commands like Find & Replace, Data Validation, Sorting & Filtering etc.

AutoSum

Auto sum is used to total a range of numeric cells. This icon is available in standard toolbar. To use this icon, block the numeric cells and click on the auto sum icon.

Fill

When you have a lot of data to enter in your Excel spreadsheet and that data consist of some type of repeatable pattern or series, you can save your time by using AutoFill. Excel makes it very easy to enter a series of dates, numbers or text. You can fill cells in any direction and into any range of adjacent cells.

There are many options available in AutoFill:

• Down
• Right
• Up
• Left
• Across worksheet
• Series
• Justify

Clearing Cell Content

You can clear or erase everything in a cell or erase the format only or erase the formulas only or erase the comment only.

There are the following options in Clear :

• Clear All
• Clear Formats
• Clear Contents
• Clear Comments
• Clear Hyperlinks

Steps to clear cell content:

1. Select the cell or range of cell we want to clear.
2. Click on the Home tab and then click Clear button under the Editing group and then select the option that you want.

Sort and Filter

Arrange data so that it is easier to analyze. You can sort the selected data in ascending or descending order, or you can temporarily filter out specific values.

Find and Select

Find and select specific text formatting or type of information within the document. You can also replace the information with new text or formatting.

There are the following options in Find and Select command:

1. Find
2. Replace
3. Go To
4. Go To Special
5. Formulas
6. Comments
7. Conditional Formatting
8. Constants
9. Data Validation
10. Select Objects
11. Selection Pane

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