Master the Basics of Microsoft Excel, Tips for a Successful Start

For all blog readers, whether you're a beginner or an experienced computer user, particularly with the Windows operating system, and regardless of how much experience you've had with Microsoft Excel, we recommend that you go through the Microsoft Word tutorial first before even touching Microsoft Excel. Check it out here. Microsoft Excel is a popular spreadsheet software used for organizing, analyzing, and visualizing data. As part of the Microsoft Office suite, Microsoft Excel provides users with a wide range of tools for working with tables, formulas, charts, and other functions. If you need to create and organize data in tables, especially for performing calculations, Microsoft Excel allows you to perfectly organize data in a table by entering information into Cells and using various formatting options for data presentation.

The emphasis is on calculations; otherwise, if you're just creating a simple table, you can do that in Microsoft Word as well. Microsoft Excel stands out for its powerful formula system, which allows you to calculate values, perform mathematical operations, and analyze data. You can organize your calculations into multiple tables and create data visualizations with appropriate charts. Microsoft Excel enables you to use various types of charts, such as bar charts, line charts, pie charts, and many others with your spreadsheet calculations. Additionally, when it comes to calculations and data analysis, Microsoft Excel offers advanced data analysis tools, including sorting, filtering, conditional formatting, and using pivot tables with all their capabilities.

The student uses Microsoft Excel, the most popular spreadsheet program

Microsoft Excel is often used in business environments, especially in finance, accounting, marketing, and other sectors were dealing with large amounts of data is necessary. Individuals also frequently use it for tracking personal budgets, inventories, or any other information requiring calculations, organization, and analysis. While there are other tools for working with data, Microsoft Excel remains popular due to its broad usability, flexibility, and ease of use. It has a place even in environments where specialized tools are used because it is quick and easy to use for many everyday tasks. However, in some cases, for very complex data analyses, specialized software may be used. Additionally, most programmers prefer to keep data in databases and then perform manipulations on it, so they and companies with their own systems handling vast amounts of data use Microsoft Excel less frequently.

Nonetheless, Microsoft Excel remains an essential tool for most users and smaller businesses due to its versatility and ease of use, especially for users not involved in programming. This doesn't mean that programmers don't know how to use Microsoft Excel; on the contrary, many tools you use in Microsoft Excel can be programmed by developers or even integrated into entirely different programs and systems. Similarly, advanced Microsoft Excel users who know how to use the Developer tab and the VBA - Visual Basic for Applications programming language can automate certain tasks. All in all, keep in mind that Microsoft Excel has advanced so much in recent years that it's simply amazing what you can do with it.

Excel Basics: How to Get Started in Microsoft Excel?

Effective Tips for Using Microsoft Word, How to Quickly and Easily Format Text

In our previous posts, we discussed Microsoft Office in detail and provided a comprehensive understanding of this software suite. If you missed that post, you can check it out here for basic information about Microsoft Office and its installation. Essentially, there is a completely free version of Microsoft Office available, but it's important to note that the free version has its limitations that can affect functionality and user experience. Due to these limitations, we usually do not recommend the free version for serious use. Next, we wrote a post about the most basic things; check it out here: how to create, open, save, and delete a document in Microsoft Word. We also typed some text without any formatting. To make everything even clearer in the previous post, check it out here; we dedicated a blog post to the keyboard and shortcuts most commonly used when working with Microsoft Word.

However, starting from this post, we will focus on professional use of Microsoft Word, but in a way that is as simple and efficient as possible. Even though text formatting requires constant learning, practice, and experience, the good news is that every item in Microsoft Word has its own ToolTip – a short description of the element, which you can see when you hover or pause the mouse over the element. This can remind you what that item is for. However, nothing can replace practice and using Microsoft Word as much as possible for your own purposes. Therefore, make an effort and pay attention to even the smallest details when learning and using this exceptional office word processing program.

Students learn Text Formatting in Microsoft Word

Microsoft Word, one of the most popular word processing tools in the world, offers limitless possibilities for creating professional-looking documents. However, to fully utilize the potential of this program and achieve quick and easy text formatting, it is essential to know key techniques and tips. In this post, we will explore the simplest yet most effective methods for formatting text in Microsoft Word, which will help you enhance your productivity and create documents that make a strong impression. Formatting text in Microsoft Word involves using styles, quickly accessing commands and functions that modify fonts, paragraphs, lists, and more. Unlike individual text formatting, the process of formatting an entire document encompasses a broader range of tasks.

This includes properly formatting images and tables, importing different document parts created in other programs within the Microsoft Office ecosystem, as well as creating web pages and PDF documents, which we will discuss in more detail in upcoming posts in our Microsoft Word tutorial. For now, we will focus on text formatting, using the approach through the Home tab and Ribbon toolbar. These tools allow us to efficiently style and organize the content of our documents, laying the foundation for further understanding of advanced techniques and skills within Microsoft Word. 

Basic and Advanced Tips for Formatting Text in Microsoft Word

From Amateur to Expert, Speed ​​Up Your Work with Keyboard and Shortcuts in Microsoft Word

First, we got acquainted with Microsoft Office in an informative way, check it out here; then we covered its installation, as seen in the previous post, check it out here; and we mastered the basics of creating, opening, copying, and deleting Microsoft Word documents. We also wrote something about ourselves in the document and created a simple to-do list, describing step-by-step what we did. This way, we introduced our first lesson in the Microsoft Word tutorial and learned how to write simple, unformatted text in a document and save it. This post represents the second lesson in the Microsoft Word tutorial, where we will introduce you to the keyboard and shortcuts commonly used in Microsoft Word. 

Did you know that many computer users today don't think much about the keyboard when buying a computer? The same goes for knowing how to work efficiently in Microsoft Word. We hope this tutorial will highlight the importance of this for many users, making them more efficient in any text-related work in the future. But first, let's take a little trip back in time. Before the advent of the Windows operating system, or to be more precise, before graphical interfaces, computer users were limited to text editors used in the DOS operating system. Such text editors didn't have any of the text formatting tools that Microsoft Word offers today. We will learn about text formatting in Microsoft Word in the next lesson.

As for the past, text editors like the blue text editor that came on diskettes as part of the DOS operating system could only work with plain text. However, the creativity and strong desire to show others what you could do on a computer made those documents beautifully crafted; even ASCII codes were used to draw something in the text editor. At that time, keyboard shortcuts were also used, and much more frequently than today's computer users use and know them. Today, Microsoft Word offers capabilities for document creation and text formatting that you couldn't have even imagined in those days. Therefore, it is essential to pay attention to and have a thorough understanding of the keyboard you use and the most commonly used keyboard shortcuts.

Knowing the keyboard is key to using Microsoft Word effectively

Unlike many users who don't use a computer extensively, like those whose job involves heavy computer use, especially those typing various official texts or programmers writing hundreds of lines of code, these users know exactly what kind of keyboard they need. For example, we use a PC for various things, but when it comes to writing texts for this blog or using Microsoft Word, a laptop works best for us due to the laptop keyboard. Mechanical keyboards or the large keyboards with big keys that gamers use can slow down typing when dealing with a lot of text. For those who think any keyboard will do, consider the strain on your fingers. Newer laptops have backlit keyboards, which are great for working at night or in low light.

If you live in Serbia, for example, you have the option to choose keyboards in Serbian or English. However, if you want a keyboard in German, that's a different story. Even if such keyboards are made in Germany and the box shows a German layout, when you buy them in Serbia and open the box, you might find the keys labeled in Serbian instead of German. Some users prefer Cyrillic keyboards, and they can be found, although we've never personally seen a laptop with a Cyrillic keyboard. In any case, choosing the right keyboard is crucial, and it's important to pay attention and choose one that makes typing as comfortable and productive as possible for you.

Uncovering the Secrets of the Keyboard: Functions and Meaning of Individual Keys

How to Get Started with Microsoft Word, a Practical Guide for Everyone

Whether you are a beginner or an experienced computer user, particularly when working with the Windows operating system, and regardless of how well you know Microsoft Word, the word processing program, the fact is that many users utilize a very small percentage of the capabilities this program offers. Today, in modern business, knowing and using Microsoft Word along with other programs that make up the Microsoft Office suite is taken for granted; it is even considered basic computer literacy. Especially if you are into programming, what others use as standard; you should be able to code into your programs, despite the increasing use of web applications and the decreasing use of desktop applications. For this reason and many others, including the fact that there are users who are not very proficient in using this most popular word processing program, we are starting a Microsoft Word tutorial on this blog, which will be of great benefit to you.

We also intend to focus on other office programs from the Microsoft Office suite. To begin with, let's recall what Microsoft Word really is and what we can achieve by using it. Microsoft Word is a popular word processor developed by Microsoft Corporation. It is part of the Microsoft Office suite and one of the most widely used word processing programs worldwide. Microsoft Word allows users to create, edit, format, and print any type of document, including letters, reports, essays, presentations, brochures, and many other types of documents. This program offers rich functionality, including various font styles, spell-checking and grammar tools, the ability to insert images, tables, and graphic elements, as well as advanced text formatting options. Additionally, users can utilize various templates to simplify the document creation process.

The student uses Microsoft Word, the most popular word processing program

Microsoft Word is available on various platforms, including Windows and macOS operating systems, as well as mobile devices. This program has become the standard in business and educational environments for creating and sharing written documents. If in no other program, you should at least be proficient in using Microsoft Word. Here are just a few of the basic things that every computer user, including you, should know how to do in Microsoft Word:

- Format text

- Insert special symbols

- Insert images

- Frame a paragraph or a portion of text

- Insert a watermark into your documents

- Insert content from other programs into your document

- Insert a cover page

- Create tables

- Create charts and graphs

- Number pages

- Set margins or text alignment

- Insert footnotes

- Create a PDF document

- Create a web page

- Create a screenshot

- Insert comments

- Etc.

Before we start with the first lesson of Microsoft Word, it is necessary to get familiar with Microsoft Office, check it out here; and to have Microsoft Word installed on your computer.

Microsoft Word Basics: Getting Started

Everything You Need to Know About Microsoft Office and Its Installation on Windows

Regardless of whether you are a beginner or an experienced computer user, especially on the Windows operating system, knowledge of the Microsoft Office software suite, a package of office programs, is of exceptional importance for anyone who truly wants to enhance their IT skills. In today's modern business environment, familiarity with and use of Microsoft Office is assumed; it is even considered basic computer literacy. If you are involved in programming, what others use as a standard, you should know how to code into your programs, regardless of the increasing use and coding of web applications over desktop applications today.

For this and many other reasons, including one of the most important reasons, which is that there are users who do not navigate very well with this most popular and widely used office software package. Many users need to refresh their knowledge and get acquainted with the numerous possibilities and changes that this office software suite offers. Therefore, from today in this post, we want to introduce you to Microsoft Office, so that we can begin tutorials primarily on Microsoft Word and Microsoft Excel, followed by other programs from this exceptional Microsoft Office suite.

Employees use Microsoft Office 2021 at work

Believe it or not, if you look at, for example, one of the most popular and widely used programs in this suite, it is definitely Microsoft Word, a word processing program. It was created on October 25, 1983, and was used in the DOS – Disk Operating System. Nine years later, on October 1, 1990, it became part of the first Microsoft Office suite of office programs. There are users today who don't use this exceptional suite much, even though most have it installed on their computer in case they need to open a document created in one of the office programs.

Some users, for example, only use a few of its programs and only a very small percentage of the capabilities this suite offers. Some users use other free office suite alternatives like LibreOffice or OpenOffice, which are mainly used on Linux operating systems, while Google offers Google Docs with its online version of office programs. In any case, even if you don't have the Microsoft Office suite installed on your computer, when someone sends you, for example, a Microsoft Word document, in many cases, you will be able to open and view its content even in other office suites. Similarly, you can view some older documents in newer versions of Microsoft Word, which is not the case in reverse when you have an older version of the program and try to open a document created in a newer version than yours.

All in all, if you ask us, no alternative can compare to Microsoft Office and its capabilities. If you give yourself the opportunity to familiarize yourself with some of the tools this suite offers through your own work and creativity, you wouldn’t even believe what you could accomplish. This blog is here to help you. Of course, there are also Microsoft Office courses, which on average range from 80 to over 150 euros for about 20 classes, often divided into basic and advanced, which you can search for and view online on the official websites of private IT schools. Anyway, how someone likes to learn is an individual matter!

What Editions of Microsoft Office Are There and Which Is Right for You?

Efficiency of React Applications Through Props, State and Context Component Development

Before we dive into this interesting topic, let's recap what we learned in the previous lesson, which you can view here. We were introduced to JSX, JSX rendering, and created a simple React component, a Book List. We also explained the folder and file structure that React creates for you whenever you create a new React application. This wasn't explained in the first lesson, which you can view here; to avoid overwhelming you with too much information right alongside the necessary installation steps. However, through practical examples, React development is so straightforward that you might wonder what you were doing all these years without React components. Due to this simplicity, starting from this lesson, we will focus more on practice and coding with simple examples that will speed up your learning and understanding.

But we won't leave you without explanations of what you're using while creating amazing things in such simple ways. Efficiency is a key factor in React application development, and one of the most important elements influencing it are Props, State, and Context. These are the basic building blocks of React components. Understanding how each of these elements works and how to use them correctly can significantly improve your application's performance and maintainability. What you've learned so far in this tutorial can only bring you to this level of React. For the next level, you need data that will fill the structure of your React components. The next lesson in the React tutorial will introduce you to working with Hooks.

A developer learns the basic building blocks, Props, State and Context in the React library

As we mentioned, the basic building blocks of React components are Props, State, and Context. When developing React applications, it is important to balance the use of Props, State, and Context to achieve optimal efficiency and maintainability. Too many Props can lead to unnecessary application load, while excessive use of State can result in performance loss. Context should be used where it is truly necessary, avoiding excessive complexity and code clutter. Ultimately, a proper understanding and use of Props, State, and Context will help you develop efficient and maintainable React applications that provide a fast and intuitive user experience.

• Props – properties or attributes, sometimes called the same, are a way for React components to pass data to each other. Simply put, through Props, React components can communicate and share information, facilitating modularity and code reuse. However, care must be taken when passing large objects via Props, as this can lead to unnecessary application load and reduced performance. It is always advisable to pass only the necessary data via Props and avoid passing complex data structures when not required.

• State – represents the internal status of a component that can change over time. Proper State management is crucial for efficiently managing the application state and reactively updating the user interface. However, excessive use of State can lead to excessive re-rendering of components and performance loss. Therefore, it is important to use State only where it is truly necessary and to avoid over-expanding it.

• Context – is a mechanism that allows data to be shared between components in the component tree without the need to pass Props through every level. This can be useful when you want certain information to be available to all components within a specific part of the application, such as user information or theme settings. However, caution should be exercised when using Context, as overuse can lead to code clutter and reduced readability.

In this lesson, we will go through three practical examples that will illustrate each of the basic building blocks of React components in a practical way.

Props: How Do I Create a User Component That Passes Data?

How to Use JSX for Powerful Rendering in React Projects, Example Book List

In the previous lesson of our React tutorial, watch it here; we covered the necessary installations and everything you need to start creating some interesting React components. You learned what React and React Native are. You created your first "Hello World" JSX application. During this process, you might have noticed how React shares many similarities with our Node.js tutorial, watch it here. In this lesson, we will explain what JSX is, what JSX rendering is, expand on the previous lesson with some details we didn't want to overwhelm you with, and help you code a simple component that demonstrates how to add a list of books to an HTML page. This lesson will definitely clarify and simplify the creation of your future React projects. If you asked developers what JSX is, you would probably get at least three different answers.

• JSX - JavaScript Syntax eXtension, informally JavaScript XML, is a JavaScript extension that allows creating a DOM - Document Object Model tree using syntax similar to XML.

• JSX is an XML/HTML-like syntax embedded in JavaScript code used to declare React components. It is a language used to describe the UI - User Interface created with React.

• JSX - JavaScript XML is an extension of the JavaScript programming language that allows HTML-like code within JavaScript.

All three answers are correct even though they define JSX in a total of three different ways.

The developer uses the JSX rendering of the react project

Pay attention and see the difference between JSX and JavaScript:

JavaScript:

const element = React.createElement('h1', null, 'Hello, world!');

JSX:

const element = <h1> Hello, world! </h1>;

The simplicity of JSX is evident. But what is JSX rendering? JSX rendering is the process of converting JSX code into JavaScript objects that can then be interpreted and displayed in a web browser. When a React application runs, JSX is translated into React.createElement calls that create a virtual DOM - Document Object Model. The virtual DOM is an internal representation of the user interface structure in React. When the application's state changes, React compares the virtual DOM to the real DOM and updates only the parts that have changed, improving the application's performance. In short, JSX makes writing the user interface in React easier, while JSX rendering allows React to efficiently manage updates and maintain a fast and responsive user experience. To avoid getting lost in general theory, it's simpler to understand this entire concept through a practical example.

A Simple Way to Create a Book List Component in React