Excel Skills Simplified: Tutorials That Actually Work
ZIP files are compressed archives that often contain Excel spreadsheets, CSV files, or other data. Excel cannot directly open ZIP files, but you can extract the contents and access your spreadsheets. This guide shows you how to extract ZIP files and work with the Excel files inside using only Excel and Windows/Mac built-in tools.
Copy and paste is the most fundamental Excel operation. You use it constantly to duplicate data, replicate formulas, move information, or back up important content. While the basic operation is simple—Ctrl+C to copy, Ctrl+V to paste—the depth of functionality is surprising. Understanding different paste options transforms copy/paste from a simple duplication tool into a powerful data manipulation technique.
The standard copy/paste operation is straightforward: select cells, press Ctrl+C to copy, navigate to the destination, press Ctrl+V to paste. The cells replicate at the new location. If you’re copying formulas, Excel adjusts cell references automatically (relative references shift; absolute references stay the same). If you’re copying values, the exact numbers or text appears at the destination. This basic operation handles 80% of copy/paste needs, but the remaining 20% requires understanding paste options.
Every Excel spreadsheet is a grid made up of cells organized into rows and columns. This grid structure is so fundamental that understanding it is prerequisite to everything else you’ll do in Excel. You can’t enter data without knowing which cell you’re in. You can’t write formulas without understanding how cells are addressed. You can’t select ranges without grasping rows and columns.
Get this right at the start and every subsequent skill becomes intuitive. Misunderstand it and confusion compounds as you learn more.
The TAKE and DROP functions are complementary array slicing tools that work from either end of a dataset. TAKE extracts what you want; DROP removes what you don’t want. Master both, and you unlock powerful data subsetting capabilities – from extracting top performers to removing headers, from isolating recent transactions to trimming excess data.
The TOCOL function converts any multi-dimensional array into a single vertical column. Whether you’re consolidating scattered data, preparing arrays for processing, or creating clean lists from complex structures, TOCOL transforms any layout into a linear vertical sequence with one simple formula.
The TOROW function converts any multi-dimensional array into a single horizontal row. Whether you’re consolidating data from scattered ranges, preparing data for iteration, or creating input arrays for other functions, TOROW transforms complex structures into linear sequences with one simple formula.
The CHOOSECOLS function extracts specific columns from an array by their position numbers and arranges them in any order you choose. Instead of manually copying columns or using complex referencing, CHOOSECOLS lets you select exact columns, reorder them, and even duplicate them – all in a single dynamic formula.