Microsoft Excel XP/X
Worksheet Basics
This document includes a discussion of worksheet design considerations and provides insights for making your worksheets more manageable and readable. The following topics are discussed:
Excel Terminology
Workbook
A workbook is a Microsoft Excel file that contains multiple worksheets where related data and information for a specific project are stored.
Worksheet
The worksheet is a single layer or single sheet within the workbook. A worksheet can contain data, charts, or both. Instead of compiling all of your information into one worksheet, you can create several worksheets within the one workbook file. With this organization, similar information is grouped together to make it easier to locate and work with. The worksheets for your workbook will vary based on its content and purpose.
Workspace
The workspace contains information about a group of Microsoft Excel files. The workspace file saves information regarding screen position, window size, and file locations. The workspace file does not save the content of the workbooks. Each workbook needs to be saved individually.
Basic Design Elements
Working with large amounts of data can be challenging for a variety of reasons. One of the ways to make managing data easier is to organize your workbook into different worksheets. Planning the design of your workbook from the start can make it easier to work with, especially when it gets large or has several sections. For example, worksheets within a faculty gradebook can be color coded (text, cells, or background) to differentiate among class sections; even the worksheet tab can be color coded. Several other things you can do to make it easier include the following:
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Format the decimal points to align correctly
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Only use the dollar sign for the first item in a monetary list and for totals
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Improve readability by putting subtotals in separate columns
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Distinguish elements of each worksheet by color coding the cells, text, sheet tab, and background
For more information, see Formatting Your Worksheets.
