Computer Data Analysis

CGS 2518

Spring Semester 2010

All documents are in MS Word '97 format.

Students should download, print, and bring copies of all documents for the current tutorial to class!


Table of Contents


Student Data Files

To download a zip file containing all the data files for the course, right-click on the link below and choose "Save Target As..." or "Save Link As..." (depending on what browser you are using)

This is a "self-extracting" zip file. After saving it to your computer or flash drive, simply double-click on the file icon to extract the individual data files

Data files for the Excel Tutorials, Review Assignments, and Case Problems (3.24 MB)


Download Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007

Microsoft Office Professional Plus 2007 is available from FIU University Technology Services (UTS) by download for $85 - includes Excel, Access, Word, and PowerPoint
Visit the UTS Online Store


Prerequisite: The Windows XP Operating System

   Basic Mouse Skills
Clicking, double-clicking, right-clicking, dragging, and right-dragging
   Creating a Folder
How to create a folder on the Desktop or in an existing folder
   Windows File Management
Selecting, copying, moving, deleting, and renaming files and folders
   Saving a File
"Save" vs. "Save As...", specifying destination drive and folder, file name, and file type


Microsoft Excel 2007

Tutorial 1 - Getting Started with Excel

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 1.1

   Entering Data
Entering labels, values, and formulas into a worksheet

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 1.2

   Selecting Cell Ranges
How to select any number of cells, ranges, rows, and columns
   Excel Arithmetic
Arithmetic Operators and Operator Precedence
   Excel Editing
Erasing and replacing cell contents, modifying cell contents, and clearing cell contents, formats, and comments

   Assignment #1 - Getting Started with Excel
Altac.xlsx - Workbook file to be used
(Note - due to a bug in Internet Explorer, you must use Firefox to download this file!)

   Class Standards for Formula Printouts
Read this before handing in any assignments!

Tutorial 2 - Formatting a Workbook

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 2.1

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 2.2

   Fonts and Text Formatting
Fonts, font sizes, and font styles

   Assignment #2 - Formatting a Workbook
Frosti.xlsx - Workbook file to be used
(Remember - due to a bug in Internet Explorer, you must use Firefox to download this file!)

Tutorial 3 - Working with Formulas and Functions

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 3.1

   Relative vs. Absolute Cell Referencing

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 3.2

   The IF Function
The IF function will display one of two possible values in a cell, depending on whether a condition is true or false

   Assignment #3 - Working with Formulas and Functions
Sonic.xls - Workbook file to be used

Tutorial 4 - Working with Charts and Graphics

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Sesson 4.1

   Column Charts
All about column charts (and bar charts)!

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Sesson 4.2

   Working with Graphic Shapes
Creating, moving, resizing, formatting, aligning, copying, grouping, and ungrouping graphic shapes

   Assignment #4 - Working with Charts and Graphics
Kenai.xlsx - Workbook file to be used with the assignment
(Remember - due to a bug in Internet Explorer, you must use Firefox to download this file!)

   Charts with Multiple Data Series
Vega.xlsx - (Sample Workbook)

Tutorial 5 - Working with Excel Tables, PivotTables, and PivotCharts

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 5.1

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Sesson 5.2

   Generating Automatic Subtotals
Excel makes it easy to generate subtotals for each group of matching values in a specified field, known as the "control field"

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 5.3

   Assignment #5 - Working with Excel Tables, PivotTables, and PivotCharts
Pledges.xlsx - Workbook file to be used

Tutorial 6 - Managing Multiple Worksheets and Workbooks

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 6.1
   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 6.2
   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 6.3

   Assignment #6 - Managing Multiple Worksheets and Workbooks
Europe.xlsx | North America.xlsx | South America.xlsx - Workbook files to be used
   Workbooks to be used for reference:
New Mexico.xlsx | Utah.xlsx | Colorado.xlsx | TravelTotals.xlsx
- In each of the state workbooks, the Summary sheet has worksheet references and "3-D" worksheet references to access the data on the Quarter 1 through Quarter 4 sheets for each state
- The TravelTotals book features "external" (i.e., workbook) references to access the data on the Summary sheets of the 3 state books

Tutorial 7 - Using Advanced Functions, Conditional Formatting, and Filtering

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 7.1

   The VLOOKUP Function
The VLOOKUP function searches a table for a particular value, retrieves a related value from the table, and stores it in the cell containing the function

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 7.2

   The Conditional Functions - COUNTIF, SUMIF, and AVERAGEIF
These functions are similar to COUNT, SUM, and AVERAGE, but operate only on cells that meet specified criteria. The criteria are passed as arguments to the functions

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 7.3

   Using Criteria Ranges for Advanced Filtering

   Database Functions
Database functions DCOUNT, DSUM, DAVERAGE, etc, are similar to COUNT, SUM, AVERAGE, etc, but are used only with database tables where a filter is applied via a criteria range

   Assignment #7 - Using Advanced Functions and Filtering
Leave.xlsx - Workbook file to be used

Tutorial 8 - Developing an Excel Application

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 8.1

   Naming Cells and Ranges
How to assign descriptive names to cells and cell ranges, and the advantages of using names

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 8.2

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 8.3

   Assignment #8 - Developing an Excel Application
Popcorn.xlsx - Workbook file to be used

Tutorial 9 - Developing a Financial Analysis

   Financial Functions PMT and FV
The PMT function computes the "equal payment amount" to be paid each period for a fixed-rate loan such as an auto loan or fixed-rate mortgage. The FV function computes the value of an annuity (such as a 401(k)) after a specified number of payments have been made, given a constant rate of interest and regular payments of a fixed amount

   Sample Workbooks for PMT Function
PaymentCalculator.xls | MortgageComparator.xls

   Sample Workbook for FV Function
AnnuityCalculator.xls

   Dates and Date Functions
Dates are stored as "serial numbers" (aka: integers or "whole numbers"). This is what enables us to do computations using dates. Useful functions for creating and manipulating dates include DATE, YEAR, MONTH, and DAY

   Amortization Tables
Also known as a "loan payment schedule," each line of an amortization table shows the payment number, date, beginning balance, payment amount, amount of payment applied to interest, amount applied to reduce the principal, and the ending balance

   Assignment #9 - Creating an Amortization Table
Amortization.xlsx - Workbook file to be used

Tutorial 10 - Performing "What If" Analyses

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 10.1

   Goal Seek
Like a what-if analysis in reverse, Goal Seek lets us specify the result we want to see in a cell, and then finds the value needed in an input cell to achieve it

   One-Variable Data Tables
A one-variable data table enables us to perform a series of what-if analyses simultaneously, using a range of new values for the input cell

   Two-Variable Data Tables
A two-variable data table enables us to perform a series of what-if analyses simultaneously, using various combinations of values for two input cells

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 10.2

   Using Scenario Manager to Analyze Data
A scenario is a more sophisticated what-if analysis involving a set of values for multiple input cells. The Scenario Manager lets us create and summarize any number of scenarios

   Skills Checklist and Notes - Session 10.3

   Using Solver to Find an Optimal Solution
Solver is like a high-powered version of Goal Seek. Solver finds a solution to a problem - maximize profits, minimize shipping costs, etc - by trying multiple values for multiple input cells. Unlike Goal Seek, Solver allows us to place data validation constraints on the input values used in order to avoid meaningless results

   Assignment #10 - Developing an Excel Application
Creative Ventures.xlsx - Workbook file to be used for reference

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