Microsoft Excel with NVDA

By NV Access

Microsoft Excel with NVDA is the third module in the official set of training materials for learning to use the free NVDA screen reader.  Suitable for the new and existing user of Microsoft Excel wishing to improve proficiency.  This module assumes that the user has completed the “Basic Training for NVDA” module, or has equivalent knowledge.

Topics covered include: Getting started with Excel, using headers, multiple worksheets, formulas, cell references, named ranges, tables, the elements list, text and number formatting, sorting, filtering, using charts, protecting and sharing workbooks.

• Language: English
• Publisher: NV Access
• Release date: Jun 12, 2017
• ISBN: 9780994583826

Book preview

1 Introduction

This Microsoft Excel for NVDA module covers creating and using spreadsheets with NVDA. It introduces Microsoft Excel and features of NVDA which are specific to Excel. The module also builds on the skills gained in the Basic Training for NVDA module.

1.1 What is Microsoft Excel?

Microsoft Excel, often shortened to Excel, is a Spreadsheet program. Excel is part of the Microsoft Office suite of programs.

Programs such as WordPad display an entire file in one block of text; presented on one, or many pages. Excel displays information as a table, with many cells, laid out in rows and columns. Each cell may contain text, with formatting, like text in a WordPad document. Cells can also include formulas to calculate information. Formulas may include references to other cells, mathematical equations, and combinations of instructions. Excel is often used in accounting, for tasks such as calculating sales or budgets. Excel is also used where the information is in a table or grid, such as creating a calendar, or even a house plan.

1.2 Goals

This module comprises the following sections:

Getting Started

Excel Essentials

Working with Worksheets

Basic Formulas

More Formulas

Formatting

Manipulating Data

Finishing and Distribution

Advanced

Each section begins with goals and ends with related review activities.

1.3 Pre-requisites

NVDA needs to be running on your PC. If using a Braille display, ensure to have it set up before starting this module. The Basic Training for NVDA module has instructions on installing and setting up NVDA.

You must be comfortable typing and able to locate keys on the PC keyboard. Required knowledge also includes the skills covered in the Basic Training for NVDA module. In particular, revise the following Basic Training for NVDA sections, before starting this module:

6 Editing Documents and

7 Document Formatting.

This module assumes the following minimum requirements:

Windows version 7 through to Windows 10

Microsoft Office 2010 or later.

NVDA works on older versions of Windows and Office. Many of the steps covered in this material work on earlier versions. This module uses Windows 7 and Office 2010 as base versions for clarity of description.

2 Getting Started with Excel

The aim of this section is to become familiar with Excel and create basic spreadsheets. The section recaps key skills covered in the Basic Training for NVDA Module.

Goals for this section:

Starting Excel

Text editing recap

Text formatting recap

Saving a workbook

Opening a workbook

Creating a new workbook

Printing a workbook

Protected view

Reading mode

2.1 Starting Excel

Launch Excel just like any other program, either from the Desktop, Start Menu or taskbar. To open Excel from the Start menu, press the Windows key and then type Excel. Ensure the focus is on Excel and then press enter. The shortcut also includes the version number, such as Excel 2010 or Excel 2016.

The Basic Training for NVDA module covered the Start menu. Refer to Chapter 3: Getting Started with Windows and Chapter 9.3: The Windows taskbar.

If using Office 2010, once Excel loads, the focus starts in a new, blank workbook.

In Office 2013, Office 2016, or Office 365, the focus is on Excel's start screen when the program starts. The Excel start screen lists blank workbook templates and recently opened workbooks.

The term spreadsheet is generic, as in We keep sales for each month in a spreadsheet. Workbook refers to Excel, as in Open the monthly sales workbook in Excel.

Activity: Starting Excel

Press the Windows key to open the Start menu.

Type:

Excel

Ensure Excel is the current search result. If Excel is not the first search result, press the down arrow to select Excel.

Press enter to start Excel. The focus is on the Excel Start screen. Leave Excel open to return to next activity.

2.2 Exploring the Excel Start Screen

This topic covers using Excel's Start Screen in Excel 2013 and later. Users of Office 2010 may skip to the next topic: Writing Text.

The Excel start screen provides access to templates and recent workbooks. The focus is on the blank workbook option. Press enter to choose this option.

Pressing the arrow keys moves through the built-in template options. Templates include a loan comparison calculator, family budget, sales invoice and attendance tracker. Templates are covered later in this module.

Existing workbooks are available in the Recent Workbooks list. Press tab to move the focus to the recent workbooks list. Next, press the arrow keys to choose a recently closed workbook and enter to open it. The Open Other Workbook link after this list, brings up an open dialog to open other workbooks.

The last information on this screen identifies the current Microsoft account or a link to sign in. Unless using an Office 365 subscription, a Microsoft account is optional.

Let's explore Excel's start screen now:

Activity: Exploring the Excel start screen

Ensure that Excel is active, with the Excel start screen open from the previous activity.

Press NVDA+tab to read the item with focus. NVDA identifies the current item which is Blank workbook.

Press right arrow. The focus moves to the first template.

Keep pressing the right arrow to explore the templates available.

Press tab to move the focus to the latest of the recent workbooks. If the focus moves to Open Other Workbooks, there were no recent workbooks, in which case, jump to step 7.

Press the down arrow. The focus moves through recent workbooks until reaching the Open Other Workbooks link.

Press tab. The focus moves to either a link to the signed in Microsoft account or a learn more link.

Press tab again. The focus moves back to the blank workbook button.

Press enter to open Excel with a blank workbook. Leave Excel open, ready to explore next activity.

2.3 The Excel Window

Select a blank or recently opened workbook to load it in the main Excel window. The Excel window has a similar layout to other programs. The title bar shows the name of the current file and the name of the program across the top of the window. An Excel file is called a workbook in the same way that a file used by Microsoft Word is referred to as a document. Underneath the title bar, are ribbon titles and current ribbon. The majority of the screen contains the workbook itself. At the bottom of the window is the status bar which displays information and messages. The status bar updates when Excel is doing something, such as saving a file. When Excel is not performing a task, the status bar text reads Ready. The status bar also notes whether any macros are running, and the current view settings.

The default name for a blank workbook is Book1. If creating a second blank workbook, Excel calls this second workbook Book2. Create a blank workbook from within Excel by pressing control+n.

A single workbook may have multiple worksheets, called sheets. A worksheet is the main working area. When a new workbook is created, the first sheet, called Sheet 1, has focus. Section 4 will introduce working with multiple worksheets. Excel 2010 workbooks start with three sheets. Later versions of Excel start with one sheet. Pressing NVDA+tab reads the current focus. NVDA reads the position in the worksheet as a letter and number, called coordinates. Before covering coordinates, let's explore the main parts of the Excel window now:

Activity: The Excel window

Make sure Excel is open with a blank workbook from the previous activity.

Press NVDA+t to read the title. NVDA reads Book1 - Excel.

Press alt to move the focus to the ribbon. The focus starts on the Home tab.

Press tab to move through the first few items on the ribbon.

Press alt to leave the ribbon. NVDA reports that the focus is back on Sheet1, in the cell A1.

Press NVDA+tab to read the focus. NVDA repeats the current focus.

Press NVDA+end (laptop: NVDA+shift+end) to read the Status bar. NVDA reports that Excel is ready, no macros are in use and the current view settings.

Press alt+f4 to close Excel.

2.4 The Excel Ribbon

Like other programs in the Microsoft Office suite, Excel has a ribbon. The ribbon contains eight tabs. These tabs are:

File: Options for opening and saving workbooks

Home: Commonly used commands

Insert: Pictures, charts and other items

Page Layout: Colour themes and printing options

Formulas: Calculations and functions to manipulate data

Data: Sort, filter and other information tools

Review: Options to check and finalise workbooks

View: Visual settings

It is possible that more tabs may be present. When working with pictures, charts or other items, custom tabs appear with relevant features.

Interacting with Excel's ribbon is the same as navigating the ribbon in WordPad. Press alt to go to the ribbon or alt+letter to go to a specific ribbon tab. Use control+arrows to move between sections in the current ribbon. Press tab to move between items in the current ribbon section. Press enter to activate the current item. While navigating, NVDA announces the keys to activate the current item. Shortcut keys can be a quicker way of activating an item than the ribbon, particularly if that item is used regularly.

Some items are toggles. Pressing either the button on the ribbon or the shortcut key once turns a feature on. Pressing the button or shortcut key a second time turns that feature off. Bold is an example used in the Basic Training for NVDA module. Navigating to the button on the ribbon indicates the current state of that feature. NVDA reports whether a button is pressed or not pressed.

Another item on the Ribbon is Tell me. If you cannot remember where to locate a feature in the ribbon, press alt+q to move to the tell me edit. In tell me, type the name or action of a feature. Press the down arrow key to move through the options. Tell me works like the search feature on the Windows Start Menu. Once the desired feature is selected, press enter to activate it.

The next activity uses the wrap text feature, which toggles what happens when text is too long to fit in a cell. Let's practise navigating around the ribbon in Excel now:

Activity: The Excel ribbon

Press Windows, type excel and press enter to start Excel.

Press alt to move the focus to the ribbon. The focus starts on the Home tab.

Press the right arrow to