Excel's Formula - sisman

240
Part II: Using Functions in Your Formulas
The sections that follow cover common operations that you perform with a table.
Creating a table
Although Excel allows you to create a table from an empty range, most of the time you’ll create a
table from an existing range of data (a worksheet database). The following instructions assume
that you already have a range of data that’s suitable for a table.
1. Make sure that the range doesn’t contain any completely blank rows or columns.
2. Activate any cell within the range.
3. Choose Insert➜Tables➜Table (or press Ctrl+T). Excel responds with its Create Table dialog
box. Excel tries to guess the range and also whether the table has a Header row. Most
of the time, it guesses correctly. If not, make your corrections before you click OK.
After you click OK, the table is automatically formatted, and Filter mode for the table is enabled.
In addition, Excel displays its Table Tools contextual tab (as shown in Figure 9-3). The controls on
this tab are relevant to working with a table.
Figure 9-3: When you select a cell in a table, you can use the commands on the Table Tools contextual tab.
Another method for converting a range into a table is Home➜Styles➜Format as Table.
By selecting a format, you force Excel to first designate the range as a table.
In the Create Table dialog box, Excel may guess the table’s dimensions incorrectly if the table
isn’t separated from other information by at least one empty row or column. If Excel guesses
incorrectly, just specify the exact range for the table in the dialog box. Or, click Cancel and rearrange
your worksheet such that the table is separated from your other data by at least one blank
row or column.
Changing the look of a table
When you create a table, Excel applies the default table style. The actual appearance depends on
which document theme you use in the workbook. If you prefer a different look, you can easily
change the entire look of the table.
Select any cell in the table and choose Table Tools➜Design➜Table Styles. The Ribbon shows one
row of styles, but if you click the bottom of the vertical scroll bar, the Table Styles group
expands, as shown in Figure 9-4. The styles are grouped into three categories: Light, Medium,
and Dark. Notice that you get a live preview as you move your mouse among the styles. When
you see one that you like, just click to make it permanent.