36 Excel
I
n this chapter you’ll learn how to enter data in Excel through the
keyboard and by importing data from text fi les and databases. You’ll
learn how to create Excel formulas and functions to perform simple
calculations.
You’ll be introduced to cell references and learn how to refer to cell
ranges using range names. Finally, you’ll learn how to examine your data
through the use of queries and sorting.Data Entry
One of the many uses of Excel is to facilitate data entry. Error-free data
entry is essential to accurate data analysis. Excel provides several methods
for entering your data. Data sets can be entered manually from the key-
board or retrieved from a text fi le, database, or online Web sources. You
can also have Excel automatically enter patterns of data for you, saving you
the trouble of creating these data values yourself. You’ll study all of these
techniques in this chapter, but fi rst you’ll work on entering data from the
keyboard.Entering Data from the Keyboard
Table 2-1 displays average daily gasoline sales and other (nongasoline)
sales for each of nine service station/convenience franchises in a store
chain in a western city. There are three columns in this data set: Station,
Gas, and Other. The Station column contains an id number for each of the
nine stations.
The Gas column displays the gasoline sales for each station. The Other
column displays sales for nongasoline items.Table 2-1 Service Station Sales
Station Gas Other
1 $8,415 $7,211
2 $8,499 $7,500
3 $8,831 $7,899
4 $8,587 $7,488
5 $8,719 $7,111
6 $8,001 $6,281
7 $9,567 $13,712
8 $9,218 $12,056
9 $8,215 $7,508