Dan Joseph P. Sta.

Ana 08/18/2017

BSA 4 – 1 ICT 39 – AIS

Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet developed by Microsoft for Windows, MacOS, Android and iOS. It
features calculation, graphing tools, pivot tables, and a macroprogramming language called Visual
Basic for Applications. It has been a very widely applied spreadsheet for these platforms, especially
since version 5 in 1993, and it has replaced Lotus 1-2-3 as the industry standard for spreadsheets.
Excel forms part of Microsoft Office.

Microsoft Excel has the basic features of all spreadsheets, using a grid of cells arranged in
numbered rows and letter-named columns to organize data manipulations like arithmetic operations.
It has a battery of supplied functions to answer statistical, engineering and financial needs. In
addition, it can display data as line graphs, histograms and charts, and with a very limited three-
dimensional graphical display. It allows sectioning of data to view its dependencies on various
factors for different perspectives (using pivot tables and the scenario manager). It has a
programming aspect, Visual Basic for Applications, allowing the user to employ a wide variety of
numerical methods, for example, for solving differential equations of mathematical physics, and then
reporting the results back to the spreadsheet. It also has a variety of interactive features allowing
user interfaces that can completely hide the spreadsheet from the user, so the spreadsheet presents
itself as a so-called application, or decision support system (DSS), via a custom-designed user
interface, for example, a stock analyzer, or in general, as a design tool that asks the user questions
and provides answers and reports. In a more elaborate realization, an Excel application can
automatically poll external databases and measuring instruments using an update schedule, analyze
the results, make a Word report or PowerPoint slide show, and e-mail these presentations on a
regular basis to a list of participants. Excel was not designed to be used as a database.

Uses of Microsoft Excel in Accounting

Budgeting and Statements

Microsoft Office Excel ships with templates for creating budgets, cash-flow statements and
profit-and-loss statements, which are some of the most basic documents used in accounting. In
addition, you can download more complex budgeting and statement templates from the Office
website, or purchase specialized templates from third-party vendors and install these in the
application. If you need to create complex or custom budgets or financial statements, you can either
customize an existing template and re-use its elements, or create one from scratch using the
functionality built into Excel.

Spreadsheets

Performing line calculations is a basic accounting task, and Excel spreadsheets are
designed to contain data in a tabular format that supports both in-line and summation calculations,
replacing the need for ticker tape and special accounting calculators. The data in the spreadsheet is
reusable and storable, making Excel more flexible than an accounting calculator for performing
simple calculations and summations. Additionally, you can create charts and graphs from the
spreadsheet data, creating a media-rich user experience and different views of the same data. You
can also use add-ons to mine the data and create models and financial forecasts.

External Data

You can import data from many different data sources into Excel. This is especially useful for
accounting as you can pull sales data, banking data and invoices from many sources into one
central workbook to support your accounting activities. The data can be stored in different databases
and file formats prior to importing, allowing you to access data from many different areas of your
business without having to do additional data entry.

Integration

Excel integrates with many popular accounting software applications. For example, you can
use the wizards that ship with your preferred accounting software package to map Excel
spreadsheets to your accounting data so you can perform push and pull data operations from both
Excel and your accounting package on demand.

Keyboard Shortcuts

To do this Press
Close a spreadsheet Ctrl+W
Open a spreadsheet Ctrl+O
Go to the Home tab Alt+H
Save a spreadsheet Ctrl+S
Copy Ctrl+C
Paste Ctrl+V
Undo Ctrl+Z
Remove cell contents Delete key
Choose a fill color Alt+H, H
Cut Ctrl+X
Go to Insert tab Alt+N
Bold Ctrl+B
Center align cell contents Alt+H, A, then C
Go to Page Layout tab Alt+P
To do this Press
Go to Data tab Alt+A
Go to View tab Alt+W
Open context menu Shift+F10, or Context key
Add borders Alt+H, B
Delete column Alt+H,D, then C
Go to Formula tab Alt+M
Hide the selected rows Ctrl+9
Hide the selected columns Ctrl+0

Number Formatting

Whenever you're working with a spreadsheet, it's a good idea to use appropriate number
formats for your data. Number formats tell your spreadsheet exactly what type of data you're using,
like percentages (%), currency ($), times, dates, and so on.

Number formats don't just make your spreadsheet easier to read—they also make it easier
to use. When you apply a number format, you're telling your spreadsheet exactly what types of
values are stored in a cell. For example, the date format tells the spreadsheet that you're
entering specific calendar dates. This allows the spreadsheet to better understand your data,
which can help ensure that your data remains consistent and that your formulas are calculated
correctly.

There's more to number formatting than selecting cells and applying a format. Spreadsheets
can actually apply a lot of number formatting automatically based on the way you enter data. This
means you'll need to enter data in a way the program can understand, and then ensure that those
cells are using the proper number format.

One of the most helpful number formats is the percentage (%) format. It displays values as
percentages, such as 20% or 55%. This is especially helpful when calculating things like the cost of
sales tax or a tip. When you type a percent sign (%) after a number, the percentage number format
will be applied to that cell automatically.

Whenever you're working with dates, you'll want to use a date format to tell the spreadsheet
that you're referring to specific calendar dates, such as July 15, 2014. Date formats also allow you
to work with a powerful set of date functions that use time and date information to calculate an
answer.