Building Financial Models with Microsoft® Excel®: A Guide for Business Professionals, Second Edition

Appendix A. General Overview of Microsoft Excel 2007 Features and Functionality

This appendix provides a targeted overview of Microsoft Excel 2007 features and functionality related to building financial models. While many full-length books on the market today cover each feature of Microsoft Excel in detail, this appendix covers the most frequently used features of Excel at a general level. As this book assumes a basic level of understanding of Microsoft Excel, this appendix should serve as a reference and/or starting point from which you can delve more deeply into the vast capabilities of Excel.

This appendix is divided into four sections:

1. Basic Functionality

2. Formatting

3. Formulas and Functions

4. Advanced Features

Note that this appendix applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, which differs from earlier versions of Excel in a number of significant ways.

BASIC FUNCTIONALITY

Microsoft Excel files are also referred to as "workbooks." These files, which end with the ".xlsx" extension, store and organize information. Microsoft Excel's basic functionality includes creating, modifying, viewing, and saving information.

Keyboard Shortcuts

Microsoft Excel offers many keyboard shortcuts to execute certain tasks. Navigating menus and executing commands using these shortcuts can save you time and effort as you build financial models in Excel.

Accessing menus through keyboard commands requires you to first press the "ALT" button on your keyboard. Pressing "ALT" in Excel 2007 causes letters and/or numbers to appear ...