reference is the first cell in the data set. In our case, that’s C3—the first status cell. rows is the number of rows up or down that you want to reference, based on reference.

Tip: If Excel has trouble understanding elements of your data set — for example, failing to recognize column headers as such — try converting your data to table format first. (See our Excel ...

Excel's Data Model feature allows you to build relationships between data sets for easier reporting. Here's how to use it to make data analysis easier.

But don't discount Excel for a quick prototype or proof-of-concept. Summary. Although Excel isn't a top resume-building skill for data scientists, you'd be remiss if you didn't learn its ins and outs.

Open a new Microsoft Excel 2010 worksheet. Click on cell "A1" and enter the values in your data set into the cells in column A. Click on cell "B1." ...

To format your data as a table in Excel, select the range of cells you want, go to the Home tab, select Format as Table from ...

Data forms add records into a row directly after your last record. If you have blank rows in the middle of your data set, Excel recognizes those gaps as available rows and inserts records from there.