Unit 2. How to Start Working with Excel (III)

Types of Data

The different types of data we can have in a spreadsheet are:

CONSTANT VALUES, that is to say, data introduce directly in the cell. It can be a figure, a date or a time, or a text.

If you wish a more detailed explanation about constant values visit our basic .

FORMULAS are sequences formed by: constant values, references to other cells, names, functions or operators. A formula is a basic technique for the analysis of data. You can perform different operations with the data in a spreadsheet, like +, -, /, Sen, Cos, etc... In a formula you can mix constant values, names, references to other cells, operators and functions. Formulas are typed on the formulas bar and must begin always by the sign =.

If you would like to find out more about formulas press here .

Data Errors

When we introduce a formula in a cell, there is a possibility that we make an error. Excel may warn us or not, according to the type of error.

When it warns us of an error, the dialoge box shown will look like the one on the right:

It suggests a posibility that we can accept clicking on the button OK or reject it using the button NO.

We can also detect an error without being warned when in the top left corner of the cell appears a symbol like this.

When you click on the symbol a box like this will be displayed and will give us more information about the error.

When you click on the box another box will appear that will vary according to the type of error. The most frequent one is this:

This box lets us know that the formula is incoherent and offers us different options. It is possible that the error is simply that the cell formula is different from that of the adjacent cells (for example, it is a subtraction and all the others are additions).

If you don't know what to do, it is available to you the option Help on this error.

But if you just want to check the formula in order to find out if it is necessary to modify it or not, you could use the option Edit in Formula Bar

If the formula is correct, you should use the option Ignore Error so that the symbol on the cell corner dissappears.

When you introduce the formula it may appear as cell content #TEXT, being TEXT a value that can change according to the type of error. For example:

##### will appear when the colunm width is insufficient or when a date or time is used in negative form.

#¡NUM! when you have introduced an incorrect type of argument or operant, like an addition on texts.

#¡DIV/0! when a figure is divided by zero

#NAME? when Excel does not identify the formula's text.

#N/A when a value is not available for a function or formula.

#¡REF! when a cell reference is invalid.

#¡NUM! when invalid numerical values are typed in a formula or function.

#¡VOID! when an intersection of two areas that do not intersect is specified.

In all these cases, the cell will also contain the symbol on the left top corner: . This symbol should be used as we have shown above.

To practice all that has been explained in this theme you can do the Exercise for the introduction of data..

  Exercises theme 2..

  Theory evalutation test from theme 2.

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