Excel definitions - Chapter One

Chart Styles button

A button that displays options for setting the style and color scheme for a chart.

Chart Elements button

A button that enables you to add, remove, or change chart elements such as the title, legend, gridlines, and data labels.

Chart Filters button

A button that enables you to change which data displays in the chart.

legend

A chart element that identifies the patterns or colors that are assigned to the categories in the chart.

Column Chart

A chart useful for showing how data changes over a period of time or for illustrating comparisons among items.

Data Marker

A column, bar, area, dot, pie slice, or other symbol in a chart that represents a single data point. Related data points form a data series

Context sensitive command

A command associated with the currently selected or active object; often activated by right-clicking a screen item.

Show Formulas

A command that displays the formula in each cell instead of the resulting value.

Cell style

A defined set of formatting characteristics, such as font, font size, font color, cell borders, and cell shading.

AutoCalculate

A feature that displays three calculations in the status bar by default—Average, Count, and Sum—when you select a range of numerical data.

AutoComplete

A feature that speeds your typing and lessens the likelihood of errors; if the first few characters you type in a cell match an existing entry in the column, Excel fills in the remaining characters for you.

Chart Styles gallery

A group of predesigned chart styles that you can apply to an Excel chart.

value axis

A numerical scale on the left side of a chart that shows the range of numbers for the data points; also referred to as the y-axis.

picture element

A point of light measured in dots per square inch on a screen; 64 pixels equals 8.43 characters, which is the average number of characters that will fit in a cell in an Excel worksheet using the default font.

SUM function

A predefined formula that calculates the total of values contained in two or more cells.

Rounding

A procedure in which you determine which digit at the right of the number will be the last digit displayed and then increase it by one if the next digit to its right is 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9.

normal view

A screen view that maximizes the number of cells visible on your screen and keeps the column letters and row numbers close to the columns and rows.

fill handle

A small square in the lower, right corner of a selected cell or range of cells. Used mainly to copy data to adjacent cells.

number format

A specific way in which Excel displays numbers in a cell.

Sparkline

A tiny chart in the background of a cell that gives a visual trend summary alongside your data; makes a pattern more obvious.

Quick Analysis tool

A tool that displays in the lower right corner of a selected range with which you can analyze your data by using Excel tools such as charts, color-coding, and formulas.

Data point

A value that originates in a worksheet cell and that is represented in a chart by a data marker

Range Finder

An Excel feature that outlines cells in color to indicate which cells are used in a formula; useful for verifying which cells are referenced in a formula.

excel pointer

An Excel window element with which you can display the location of the pointer.

Expand Formula Bar button

An Excel window element with which you can increase the height of the Formula Bar to display lengthy cell content.

Expand horizontal scroll bar button

An Excel window element with which you can increase the width of the horizontal scroll bar.

AutoFit

An automatic determination of the best width for a column or the best height for a row, based on its contents.

formula bar

An element in the Excel window that displays the value or formula contained in the active cell; here you can also enter or edit values or formulas.

name box

An element of the Excel window that displays the name of the selected cell, table, chart, or object.

label

Another name for a text value, and which usually provides information about number values.

Spreadsheet

Another name for a worksheet.

cell content

Anything typed into a cell.

Sheet tab scrolling buttons

Buttons to the left of the sheet tabs used to display Excel sheet tabs that are not in view; used when there are more sheet tabs than will display in the space provided.

Absolute Cell Reference

Cell reference that does not adjust to the new cell location when copied or moved

format

Changing the appearance of cells and worksheet elements to make a worksheet attractive and easy to read.

text values

Constant values consisting of only text, and which usually provide information about number values; also referred to as labels.

Displayed Value

Data that displays in a cell

Underlying Value

Data that displays in the formula bar, calculations based on this.

Category labels

Excel uses row titles. Text that displays along the bottom of a chart to identify the categories of data.

Relative cell reference

In a formula, the address of a cell based on the relative position of the cell that contains the formula and the cell referred to.

constant value

Numbers, text, dates, or times of day that you type into a cell.

Data series

Related data points represented by data markers; each data series has a unique color or pattern represented in the chart legend.

Comma Style

The Excel number format that inserts thousand comma separators where appropriate and applies two decimal places; Comma Style also leaves space at the right to accommodate a parenthesis when negative numbers are present.

Pixel

The abbreviated name for a picture element.

Category Axis

The area along the bottom of a chart that identifies the categories of data; also referred to as the x-axis

Numbered row headings

The area along the left edge of a worksheet that identifies each row with a unique number.

Status Bar

The area along the lower edge of the Excel window that displays, on the left side, the current cell mode, page number, and worksheet information; on the right side, when numerical data is selected, common calculations such as Sum and Average display.

lettered column headings

The area along the top edge of a worksheet that identifies each column with a unique letter or combination of letters.

left alignment

The cell format alignment default for text entries

Active Cell

The cell, surrounded by a boarder, ready to receive data or be affected by the next Excel command.

Chart Layout

The combination of chart elements that can be displayed in a chart such as a title, legend, labels for the columns, and the table of charted cells.

Underlying value

The data that displays in the Formula bar

general format

The default format that Excel applies to numbers; this format has no specific characteristics—whatever you type in the cell will display, with the exception that trailing zeros to the right of a decimal point will not display.

Underlying formula

The formula entered in a cell and visible only on the Formula Bar.

cell reference

The identification of a specific cell by its intersecting column letter and row number.

Cell

The intersection of a row and a column

Sheet tabs

The labels along the lower border of the Excel window that identify each worksheet.

Chart Style

The overall visual look of a chart in terms of its graphic effects, colors, and backgrounds; for example, you can have flat or beveled columns, colors that are solid or transparent, and backgrounds that are dark or light.

Arithmetic Operators

The symbols +, -, *, /, %, and ^ used to denote addition, subtraction (or negation), multiplication, division, percentage, and exponentiation in an Excel formula.

Operators

The symbols with which you can specify the type of calculation you want to perform in an Excel formula.

Chart Types

Various chart formats used in a way that is meaningful to the reader; common examples are column charts, pie charts, and line charts.

Switch Row/Column

a charting command to swap the data over the axis - data being charted on the vertical axis will move to the horizontal axis and vice versa

Column heading

a column letter above the grid that identifies each column

worksheet grid area

a part of the excel window that displays the columns and rows that intersect to form the worksheet's cells.

fuction

a predefined formula - a formula that Excel has already built for you that performs calculations by using specific values in a particular order

theme

a predefined set of colors, fonts, lines and fill effects that will coordinate with each other

Cell address

aka cell reference

Auto Fill

an excel feature that extends values into adjacent cells based on the values of selected cells

Value

another name for constant value

Recommended Charts

displays a customized set of charts that, according to Excel's calculations, will best fit your data based on the range of data that you select.

64 pixels

equals 8.43 characters, the average number which will fit in a cell in an Excel worksheet using the default font

Accounting Number Format

the Excel number format that applies a thousand comma separator where appropriate, inserts a fixed U.S. Dollar sign aligned at the left edge of the cell, applies two decimal places, and leaves a small amount of space at the right edge of the cell to accommodate a parenthesis for negative numbers.

Displayed value

the data that displays in a cell

X-axis

the horizontal axis on a coordinate plane

point and click method

the technique of constructing a formula by pointing to and then clicking cells; this method is convenient when referenced cells are not adjacent to one another

y-axis

the vertical axis on a coordinate plane

Range

two or more selected cells on a worksheet that are adjacent or nonadjacent; because the range is treated as a single unit, you can make the same changes or combination of changes to more than one cell at a time