Excel^® 2016 All-in-One For Dummies^®

      Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc., 111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

      Copyright © 2016 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

      Published simultaneously in Canada

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      Library of Congress Control Number: 2015952186

      ISBN 978-1-119-07715-2 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-07727-5 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-119-07722-0 (ePDF)

      Introduction

      Excel 2016 All-in-One For Dummies brings together plain and simple information on using all aspects of the latest-and-greatest version of Microsoft Excel. It’s designed to be of help no matter how much or how little experience you have with the program. As the preeminent spreadsheet and data analysis software for all sorts of computing devices running Windows 7, 8, or 10 (desktops, laptops, tablet PCs and even smartphones), Excel 2016 offers its users seemingly unlimited capabilities too often masked in technical jargon and obscured by explanations only a software engineer could love. On top of that, many of the publications that purport to give you the lowdown on using Excel are quite clear on how to use particular features without giving you a clue as to why you would want to go to all the trouble.

      The truth is that understanding how to use the abundance of features offered by Excel 2016 is only half the battle, at best. The other half of the battle is to understand how these features can benefit you in your work; in other words, “what’s in it for you.” I have endeavored to cover both the “how to” and “so what” aspects in all my discussions of Excel features, being as clear as possible and using as little tech-speak as possible.

      Fortunately, Excel 2016 is well worth the effort to get to know because it’s definitely one of the best data-processing and analysis tools that has ever come along. Its Quick Analysis tool, Office Add-ins, Flash Fill, and Recommended Charts and PivotTables, along with the tried-and-true Live Preview feature and tons of ready-made galleries, make this version of the program the easiest to use ever. In short, Excel 2016 is a blast to use when you know what you’re doing, and my great hope is that this “fun” aspect of using the program comes through on every page (or, at least, every other page).

      About This Book

      As the name states, Excel 2016 All-in-One For Dummies is a reference. (Whether you keep it on your desk or use it to prop up your desk is your business.) This means that although the chapters in each book are laid out in a logical order, each stands on its own ready for you to dig into the information at any point.

      As much as possible, I have endeavored to make the topics within each book and chapter stand on their own. When there’s just no way around relying on some information that’s discussed elsewhere, I include a cross-reference that gives you the chapter and verse (actually the book and chapter) for where you can find that related information if you’re of a mind to.

      Use the full Table of Contents and Index to look up the topic of the hour and find out exactly where it is in this compilation of Excel information. You’ll find that although most topics are introduced in a conversational manner, I don’t waste much time cutting to the chase by laying down the main principles at work (usually in bulleted form) followed by the hard reality of how you do the deed (as numbered steps).

      Foolish Assumptions

      I’m only going to make one foolish assumption about you, and that is that you have some need to use Microsoft Excel 2016 in your work or studies. If pushed, I further guess that you aren’t particularly interested in knowing Excel at an expert level but are terribly motivated to find out how to do the stuff you need to get done. If that’s the case, this is definitely the book for you. Fortunately, even if you happen to be one of those newcomers who’s highly motivated to become the company’s resident spreadsheet guru, you’ve still come to the right place.

      As far as your hardware and software go, I’m assuming that you already have Excel 2016 (usually as part of Microsoft Office 2016) installed on your computing device, using a standard home or business installation running under either Windows 7, 8, or 10. I’m not assuming, however, that when you’re using Excel 2016 that you’re sitting in front of a large screen monitor and making cell entries and command selections with a physical keyboard or connected mouse. With the introduction of Microsoft’s Surface 3 tablet for Windows 8 and 10 and the support for a whole slew of different Windows tablets, you may well be entering data and selecting commands with your finger or stylus using the Windows Touch keyboard and Touch pointer.