Work in Normal view (otherwise, you might see different ruler measurements when doing things like changing row height)
Name Manager defined names is important for chapter 2 guided project
Defined names are inherently absolute references
The Quick Analysis button comes up after selecting a set of data like the Quick Toolbox in Word
“Make a table” instruction - highlight across row with formulas and then autofill down
Line with markers chart
Center Across Selection
Selecting multiple columns using Ctrl
Add chart element button doesn’t appear on Mac, need to go to Chart Design, Add Chart Element
Sort & Filter - Advanced might not work on a Mac
Ctrl + F6 to switch sheets
Static vs Dynamic
Consolidation by category - for when arrangement is not the same, column or row labels are used to match
Take a minute to understand what you are looking at
Group sheets (Ctrl click) to perform the same operation on them
You may need to sign out of a personal account and sign in with your FGCU account to use linked data types
F4 to toggle between relative, absolute, and mixed references.
1. Using the Name Box Drop-Down Arrow
Review: The Name Box is located to the left of the formula bar. You can use the Name Manager to see set names.
F3 to paste a name.
When you're editing a formula with nested functions, clicking the drop-down arrow in the Name Box can show you named ranges or function components (depending on context).
In some versions of Excel, especially when using the Function Arguments dialog, this drop-down helps you jump to specific parts of a complex formula.
2. Clicking the Top-Level Function Name in the Formula Bar
When you click on a cell with a nested formula, the Formula Bar shows the entire formula.
If you click directly on the name of the top-level function (e.g., IF in the example above), Excel will often open the Function Arguments dialog for that function.
This dialog helps you edit the inputs to the function in a structured way.
If you’ve drilled down into a nested function (like editing SUM inside IF), clicking the top-level function name lets you return to the outer function.
✅ Why Advanced Formulas Are Common
Accessibility: Most business users already have Excel and know the basics.
Built-in Functions: Excel has hundreds of functions for math, stats, finance, text, and logic.
No Coding Required: You can build complex logic without writing code.
Immediate Feedback: You see results instantly in cells.
❌ Limitations
Scalability: Large datasets slow Excel down.
Maintainability: Nested formulas can become unreadable and error-prone.
Automation: Limited unless you use VBA or integrate with Power Query or Office Scripts.
Version Control: Difficult to track changes or collaborate on logic.
✅ Why Python Might Be Better
Readability: Code is often easier to understand and maintain than deeply nested Excel formulas.
Libraries: Tools like pandas, numpy, and openpyxl make data manipulation powerful and flexible.
Automation: You can automate tasks across files, folders, or even web APIs.
Scalability: Handles large datasets with ease.
Reusability: Functions and scripts can be reused and shared easily.
❌ Challenges
Learning Curve: Requires programming knowledge.
Setup Overhead: Needs Python environment and possibly IDEs like VS Code or Jupyter.
Less Visual: No built-in grid interface like Excel for quick visual analysis.
Use Excel when:
You need quick analysis or dashboards.
You're collaborating with non-technical users.
The dataset is small to medium-sized.
You want to avoid writing code.
Use Python when:
You're working with large or complex datasets.
You need automation or integration with other systems.
You want reproducibility and version control.
You're comfortable with coding or want to teach students programming skills.
Here's a side-by-side example of how a simple database-like task would be handled in Excel using a formula vs SQL using a query.
Region
Salesperson
SalesAmount
You want to calculate the total sales for the "East" region.
Assuming your data is in a table named SalesData, and the columns are in:
A2:A100 for Region
C2:C100 for SalesAmount
You could use:
Excel
=DSUM(SalesData, "SalesAmount", A1:B2)
Where:
SalesData is the named range of your table.
"SalesAmount" is the field you're summing.
A1:B2 is a criteria range like:
A1: Region
A2: East
Alternatively, using a more modern formula:
Excel
=SUMIFS(C2:C100, A2:A100, "East")
SELECT SUM(SalesAmount)
FROM SalesData
WHERE Region = 'East';
Review: Budgeting templates
Templates related to your major / interests
File command tab and choose Options, Select Customize Ribbon in the left pane, Select the Developer box in the Main Tabs group