Excel Data Analysis For Dummies, 5th Edition

Appendix

Glossary of Data Analysis and Excel Terms

absolute reference

A cell address used in a formula that Excel doesn’t adjust if you copy the formula to some new location. To create an absolute cell reference, you precede the column letter and row number with a dollar sign ($).

Access

A database program developed and sold by Microsoft. Use Access to build and work with large, sophisticated, relational databases; you can export information from an Access database to Excel by opening the resource (such as a table) and then choosing External Data ⇒   Excel.

add-in

Software that adds one or more features to Excel. See also Analysis ToolPak; Solver.

Analysis ToolPak

An add-in that provides Excel with extra functions and tools for statistical analysis.

arithmetic operators

The standard operators that you use in Excel formulas. To add numbers, use the addition (+) operator. To subtract numbers, use the subtraction (–) operator. To multiply numbers, use the multiplication (*) operator. To divide numbers, use the division (/) operator. You can also perform exponential operations by using the exponential operator (^). See operator precedence.

ascending order

A sorting option that arranges text in A-to-Z order and arranges values in smallest-to-largest order. See also chronological order; descending order.

AutoFilter

An Excel tool (available from the Data tab’s Filter command) that enables you to view a subset of your original table. For example, in the case of a grocery list table, ...