Home Ribbon Tab

Introduction:

The “Home” ribbon tab in Microsoft 365 is one of the main tabs located at the top header of the Excel window. It is usually the default tab that appears when you open an Excel workbook. The “Home” tab contains a set of essential commands and tools related to formatting, editing, and managing the content within the Excel workbook.

Here are some common groups of commands present on the Home ribbon tab:

1. Clipboard
2. Font
3. Alignment
4. Number
5. Styles
6. Cells
7. Editing
8. Add-ins

What is covered in this course?

This Home Ribbon Tab course module contains an introduction to the features and functions of all the command buttons visible on the face of this ribbon tab. The commands available in the dialog Box Launcher will be discussed in another course module.

Clipboard: The first group present in the Home Ribbon tab is Clipboard. It contains commands for basic clipboard operations such as Cut, Copy, and Paste. It also includes the Format Painter, which allows you to copy formatting from one cell or range and apply it to another.

1. Cut: The button is represented by a Scissor icon, and it provides the user the option to remove the selected portion and put it on the clipboard and then that portion can be pasted somewhere else in the sheet or outside the Excel sheet.

To locate the “Cut” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Clipboard> Cut

Keyboard Shortcut Key: Ctrl + x

2. Copy: This command creates a copy of selected data on the clipboard so that selected data can be pasted somewhere else on the workbook or outside the workbook.

To locate the “Copy” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Clipboard> Copy

Keyboard Shortcut Key: Ctrl + c

3. Paste: The paste command is used to insert the copied/Cut data from the clipboard in the workbook or outside the workbook to any other document. If you cut or copy the selection, and then want to replicate it to the other location, in that case the “Paste” command is used.

To locate the “Paste” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Clipboard> Paste

Keyboard Shortcut Key: Ctrl + v

Example #1: See image below #1.

Let’s you have the names of the fruits in below cell B4 under the “vegetables” head, and  if you wish to put these fruits under the heading “Fruits” below cell C4, simply select all the fruits by placing the cursor in cell B5 to B7, and drag it, or simply put the cursor in cell B5 and press the shift and down arrow key to select all the fruits.

Click the cut button (scissor icon), put the cursor in cell C5, and click the paste button. You will notice that all the data from cells B5, B6, and B7 is removed and pasted in cells C5,C6 and C7.

4. Paste Special: Within the paste command there is another command list located when you press the dropdown arrow, and the most important out of these is “paste Special” command. It provides options for pasting content with specific formatting, such as pasting as plain text, paste as values, or keeping source formatting.

To locate the “Paste Special” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Clipboard> Paste>Paste Special

Keyboard Shortcut Key: Alt + E + S

5. Format Painter: This option allows users to copy the formatting of a selected text or object and apply the same formatting to other text or objects.

 How to use Format Painter:

1. Select the content first whose formatting you would like to apply to other content.
2. Click on the format painter icon. The painter icon will get associated with your cursor now.
3. Click the content (target content) on which you would like to apply the formatting. The target content is now formatted like your first selected content (selection made in Step 1).

 To locate the “Format Painter” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Clipboard> Paste>Paste Special – Formats

Keyboard Shortcut Key: Alt + E + S + T

Font: This is the second group of command buttons of the Home Ribbon Tab present in the Excel application of Microsoft 365. The “Font” group allows you to change the font type, font size, font color, and change the attribute of the values present in Excel.

The font group has the following options on the face of it:

1. Font Name: This is the dropdown menu that contains lists of Types of fonts such as Ariel, Calibri, Calibri Light, Abadi, etc.

How to apply the font

1. Select the portion of the Excel workbook on which you would like to apply the desired font.
2. Select the desired font from the dropdown menu. It’s Done!

To locate the “Font Name” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font – Name of Font (select any name from the dropdown list)

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + FF

2. Font Size: This is the dropdown menu that contains the numerical values for the size of the fonts. This is used to increase or decrease the size of the contents in an Excel sheet.

How to apply the font

1. Select the portion of the Excel spreadsheet on which you would like to increase or decrease the font size.
2. Select the desired value of font size from the dropdown menu. It’s Done!

To locate the “Font Size” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font – Size (select the given number or type the numeric value)

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + FS

3. Increase font Size: This Capital “A” of larger size increases the font size of the selected content in the Excel sheet.

To locate the “Increase font Size” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font – “A” Increase font Size

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + FG

4. Decrease Font Size: This Capital ‘A’ of a smaller larger size decreases the font size of the selected content in the Excel sheet.

To locate the “Decrease Font Size” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font – “A” Decrease Font Size

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + FK

5. Bold Text: The Capital “B” letter present in the font group in the home ribbon tab is used to make the selected content bold. To use this command, first select the desired content in the sheet, and press the “B” button.

To locate the “Bold” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font > “B”

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Ctrl + B

6. Italic: The letter “I” letter present in the font group in the home ribbon tab is used to apply italic formatting to the selected content. To use this command, first select the desired content in the sheet, and press the “I” button.

To locate the “Italic” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font > “I”

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Ctrl + I

7. Underline: The letter “U” letter present in the font group in the home ribbon tab is used to apply underline to the selected content. To use this command, first select the desired content in the sheet, and press the “U” button.

To locate the “Underline” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font > “U”

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Ctrl + U

8. Borders: This command applies borders to the selected cells of the workbook. It has options to choose on which side border needs to be applied. The options available are top border, bottom border, left border, right border, etc.

To locate the “Borders” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + B

9. Fill Color: This command fills the background color of the selected cells. This command fills the color in the entire selected cells.

1. 1. Select cells from B2 to B4 click the dropdown of the “Fill Color” command, and then select the black color to fill it in the selected cells.
   2. Similarly, see the Image “Fill Color Example” select the cells D2 to D5, and select the green color from “Fill Color” command. You will notice green fills the entire portion of the selected cells.

1. 3. Select F2 to F4 cells and fill grey color from the “fill color.” Option button.

To locate the “Fill Color” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font – Fill Color

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + H

10. Font Color: This command is used to change the color of the contents available in the cells.

1. 1. See the below image, “font color Example”. The headings in Row 2, Name, Class, and Section are presented in blue color, and the values of these headings are presented in red color (Row #3)
   2. To change the font color of the contents, just select the target cells and click the “font Color” command button after choosing the color of the font from the dropdown menu.

To locate the “Font Color” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Font – Font Color

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + FC

Commands in Font Dialog Launcher: Format Cells

Six Tabs:

1. Numbers
2. Alignment
3. Font
4. Borders
5. Fill
6. Protection

Alignment: This is the Third group of command buttons of the Home Ribbon Tab present in the Excel application of Microsoft 365.

This group provides options for aligning the contents of cells, including horizontal alignment (left, center, right) and vertical alignment (top, center, bottom). It also includes text wrapping, and merge & unmerge cell options.

The alignment group helps in organizing and presenting data in structured and visually appealing manner.

To locate the “Alignment” group in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Alignment

Here is the list of all the options present in the alignment group along with their functions:

1. Vertical Alignment: This option helps in arranging the cells vertically within the cell.

The three positions in which content is aligned vertically are:

a) Top Align: Aligns the content to the top of the cell.

b) Middle Align: Centers the content vertically within the cell.

c) Bottom Align: Aligns the content to the bottom of the cell.

2. Horizontal Alignment: This alignment is used quite frequently while working with the spreadsheet.

There are three types of horizontal alignment, left, center, and right alignment.

In Excel, by default text, the alignment setting for the text is “left-aligned”, and numerical values have the “right-aligned” settings.

a) Left Align: Aligns the content to the left within the cell.

b) Center Align: Centers the content horizontally within the cell.

c) Right Align: Aligns the content to the right within the cell.

Image: For three different cells showing Left, Center, and Right Alignment.

3. Orientation: This feature in the alignment group allows users to change the orientation of the content within the cells.

It can rotate the text within the cell to a specified angle, such as:

4. 1. Angle Counterclockwise
   2. Angle Clockwise
   3. Vertical Text
   4. Rotate the text up.
   5. Rotate Text Down

4. Indent: The indent option helps in moving content closer or farther away from the cell border.

1. 1. Decrease Indent: This button moves the cell content closer to the cell border.
   2. Increase Indent: This button moves the cell farther away from the cell border.

5. Wrap Text: This command helps in the adjustment of the height of the row to display multiple lines of text within a single cell.

If you put a lengthy text/content in a cell and if there is no content available in the cells toward the right side, then the lengthy content will spread out over other empty cells, and if there are contents available in the cells next right to the cell where you are inserting lengthy cell then your entire content will not be visible over the screen.

Therefore, if you wish to display the lengthy content of the cell on the screen, then you can use the “wrap Text” command to display the entire content in multiple lines within a single cell itself.

To locate the “Wrap Text” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Alignment – Wrap Text

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + W

6. Merge & Center: As the name suggests, the “Merge & Center” command merges all the selected cells and puts the content in the center of the merged cell. This command puts the content center of the merged cell.

The important point to note here is that if all the selected cells have text/content then the “merge & center” button will merge all the cells, but it will keep the content only of the upper-left value (value in the left most cell) and discard values of other cells.

To locate the “Merge & Center” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Alignment – Merge & Center

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + W

Within the “Merge & Center” dropdown there are 4 commands:

a) Merger & Center

b) Merge Across

c) Merge Cells

d) Unmerge Cells

The “Numbers” group in Excel is part of the “Home Ribbon Tab” of MS Excel, it provides option for formatting and managing the numerical data within the selected range of cells, although the user can also apply the number formatting to the entire spreadsheet and workbook by selecting the entire sheet and workbook.

It has various options for formatting the numbers such as displaying the numbers in the form of currency, time, date, etc. Other options are the alignment of numbers within cells, decimal places, etc.

On the face of the number group, you have the following features available:

1. Number Format: A dropdown menu containing formatting features such as general, Number, Currency, Accounting, Short Date, Long Date, Time, Percentage, Fraction, Scientific, and Text.

To locate the “Number Format” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Number Format

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + N

Here are some Excel shortcuts for command buttons in the Number formats:

i) Excel shortcut to insert decimals up to two places in the integer: Ctrl + Shift + !

1. 10. 10 to 10.00

ii) Excel shortcut to convert numbers into Time Format: CTRL + Shift + @

iii) Excel shortcut to convert the numbers into Date format: CTRL + Shift + #

iv) Excel shortcut to Convert put a Dollar sign before the Number: CTRL + Shift + $

v) Excel shortcut to Convert numbers into percentages: CTRL + Shift + %

vi) Excel shortcut to Convert numbers into scientific notation: CTRL + Shift + ^

2. Accounting Number Format ($): This cell format type is applied when user wants to represent number for accounting and finance purposes. This format looks very similar to currency format, the notable difference is from “Currency” format is that when you apply accounting format to the cells then there is enough gap between currency sign and numeric value whereas in currency format, the currency sign is closely attached to the number value.

Currency Format:                               $100

Accounting Format:  $                          100

To locate the “Accounting Number Format” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Number> Accounting Number Format

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + N

3. Percentage Style: This format style is used if you which to convert any number into percentage format.

To locate the “Percentage Style” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Number> Percentage Style

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + P

4. Comma Style: Comma style is used to separate the numbers with comma. By default, it adds a comma also called a thousand separator to numbers in the cells to increase the readability of the lengthy digits.

To locate the “Comma Style” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home> Number > Comma Style

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + K

5. Increase Decimal: This command increases decimal points to the numeric value present in the cell. It helps in showing more decimal points for a more precise value.

To locate the “Increase Decimal:” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Number > Increase Decimal

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + 0 (zero)

6. Decrease Decimal: This command decreases decimal points of the numeric value present in the cell.

To locate the “Decrease Decimal:” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Number > Decrease Decimal

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + 9 (Nine)

Styles: This group in the “Home Ribbon Tab” of Microsoft Excel provides a set of pre-defined cell styles that you can apply to the selection, its main function is to enhance the appearance and formatting of the data present in the spreadsheet.

This Style group includes conditional formatting as well as non-conditional formatting along with the font attributes, color combinations, cell borders, and number formatting that can be applied to the entire table or the specific cells or group of cells.

Here are three main command buttons present in the style group:

1. Conditional Formatting: As the name suggests, this type of formatting is applied to the data in spreadsheets based on certain rules and conditions. The conditional formatting helps users to apply rules to the values making it more apparent and enhancing identification of trends and patterns in the data sets.

To locate the “Increase Decimal:” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Style > Increase Decimal

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + L

2. Format as Table: This command converts a selected range of cells into a formatted table, that provides structured formatting and allows data for easy sorting, filtering, and analysis.

To locate the “Format as Table” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Style > Format as Table

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + T

3. Cell Styles: This opens a gallery of predefined cell styles that you can apply to the selected cells. These styles can include formatting options for font, fill color, border, and number format.

To locate the “Cell Styles” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home > Style > Cell Styles

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + T

Cells: The “Cells” group offers various cell-related options, including inserting and deleting cells, sheet rows, and sheet columns. There are also multiple options within “format” for cell formatting.

Here are the details of each command present in the “Cells” group.

1. Insert: This command is used to insert cells, sheet rows, sheet columns, and additional sheets in the Excel workbook.

To locate the “Insert” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Cells> Insert >

Keyboard Excel Shortcut for Insert command: Alt + H + I

Commands within Insert dropdown:

a) Insert Cells: Insert cells in the Excel sheet around the selection.

To locate the “Insert Cells” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Cells> Insert > Insert Cells

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + I+I

b) Insert sheet row: Insert the row above where the cursor is placed in the sheet.

To locate the “Insert sheet row” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Cells> Insert > Insert sheet row.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + I+R

c) Insert Sheet Column: Insert the column towards the left side of the position of the cursor (selection).

To locate the “Insert Sheet Column” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Cells> Insert > Insert Sheet Column

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + I+C

d) Insert Sheet: This command inserts a new sheet in the workbook.

To locate the “Insert Sheet” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Cells> Insert > Insert Sheet

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + S

2. Delete: This function provides an option to delete cells, rows, columns, and sheets in the workbook. To delete multiple items in one go, select the multiple items and press the delete button.

To locate the “Delete” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Cells> Delete.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + D

Within the Delete dropdown button, there are four buttons available:

i) Delete Cells: This button deletes individual cells in the sheet.

Excel Shortcut to delete a cell is: Alt + H + D+D

ii) Delete sheet row: This command deletes the entire row of the sheet. It considers the selected cell or the placement of the cursor as a row reference for deletion.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + D+R

iii) Delete Sheet Column: This command deletes the entire Column of the sheet. It considers the selected cell or the placement of the cursor as a Column reference for deletion.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + D+C

iv) Delete Sheet: This command deletes the entire sheet of the workbook.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + D+S

3. Format: The format option helps in arranging the row height, and column width, and organizing sheets. It has a few more commands under the dropdown to protect sheets and hide cells.

Here are some of the features present under the dropdown menu:

1. Cell Size
2. Visibility
3. Organize Sheets
4. Protection

Editing: This group includes commands for editing cell contents, and it also provides some automatic functions to the users such as AutoSum, Fill, Clear, Sort & Filter, and Find & Select commands.

A) AutoSum: The “AutoSum” command feature provides the option to the users to quickly calculate and insert common mathematical functions such as sum, average, count, maximum, minimum, etc., for a selected range of cells.

How to use the AutoSum feature in MS Excel:

Step #1: Select the cell where you want to display the result of your data (AutoSum.)

Step #2: Click the AutoSum button. You will get the Total (sum) of all the values.

Note:

1. The AutoSum will be applied to values that are present in the consecutive cells, meaning there should not be any blank cells present in between the selected cells. For Example, if you have data in B2, B3, and B4 cells and you want to display the result in cell #B5. Then by pressing “AutoSum” you will get the sum as 30 in B5.

See the Column “D” we have values in D2, D4, and D5. If you press AutoSum by placing the cursor in D6 then it will give you the sum of two cells only that is D4 and D5 reason being, that we have one black cell between D2 and D4.

2. AutoSum calculates values above the destination cells and also gives you a sum of values towards the Left of the destination cell (the cell where you want to display the results)

To locate the “AutoSum” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing > AutoSum

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + U + S

We have the following functions under the “Autosum” dropdown menu:

i) Sum: Provides the sum of the range of the selected cells.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + U + S

ii) Average: Calculates the average of the selected range.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + U + A

iii) Count Numbers: it counts the number of cells with numerical values in a range.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + U + C

iv) Max: it is used to find the maximum value in a range of cells

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + U + M

v) Min: It is used to find the minimum value in a range of cells

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + U + I

B. Fill: The “Fill” features allow you to quickly populate cells with data or formulas based on a pattern or specific criteria. These features help you save time and effort when filling in multiple cells with repetitive or sequential data.

i) Down: This feature allows you to copy the contents of the cell above the selected cell (destination Cell) and fill it down in the column.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Ctrl + D

ii) Right: This feature allows you to copy the contents of the cell to the left of the selected cell (Destination Cell) and fill it to the right cell in the same row.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Ctrl + R

iii) Up: This feature allows you to copy the contents of the cell below the selected cell (Destination Cell) and fill it up in the column.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + F + I+ U

iv) Left: This feature allows you to copy the contents of the cell to the Right of the selected cell (Destination Cell) and fill it to the Left in the row.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + F + I + L

C) Clear: This command deletes cell content, cell formatting, comments, and hyperlinks from the cell.

To locate the “Clear” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing> Clear

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + E

i) Clear All: it deletes all the contents from the selected cells.

Clicking the “clear” button may remove all content from the selected area or document, essentially clearing it.

To locate the “Clear All” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing> Clear> Clear All

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + E + A

ii) Clear Format: it is used to remove formatting from the selected cells, reverting it to the default or standard formatting.

To locate the “Clear Format” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing> Clear> Clear Format

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + E + F

iii) Clear Contents: This command clears only the contents from the selected cells and not the formatting of the cells.

To locate the “Clear Contents” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing> Clear> Clear Contents

 Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + E + C

iv) Clear Comments: Clear the associated comments from the target cell.

To locate the “Clear Comments” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing> Clear> Clear Comments

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + E + M

v) Clear Hyperlink: this button clears the hyperlink associated with the content of the cell.

To locate the “Clear Hyperlink” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing> Clear> Clear Hyperlink

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + E + L

vi) Remove Hyperlinks: This command Clears the Hyperlink and Format from the selected cells.

To locate the “Remove Hyperlinks” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing> Clear> Remove Hyperlinks

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + E + R

D) Sort & Filter: this command of “Sort & Filter” is used to manage and analyze large data sets in Excel, it is used to sort the data in alphabetical or numerical order, and it is also used to apply filter to the large data sets.

To locate “Sort & Filter” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing> Sort & Filter

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + E + R

a) Sort A to Z: Sorting allows users to arrange the data in the spreadsheet based on specific criteria. This “Sort A to Z” command helps in arranging the data in ascending order.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + S + S

Once you use this command a new window gets open asking whether you want to expand the selection or continue with the current selection. If you want to sort the selected data then, select the “continue with the current selection” option and press “sort”.

b) Sort Z to A: This “Sort Z to A ” command helps in arranging the data in descending order.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + S + O

c) Custom Sort: This option allows users to customize the sorting function, it helps in sorting the data sets using multiple columns or rows and case-sensitive sorts.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + S + U

d) Filter: This feature allows the users to filter the large data sets to display the required information based on certain criteria. This feature is helpful when users want specific information to be displayed on the screen.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + S + F

e) Clear: Clear filter is used to remove the filters from the data.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + S + C

f) Reapply: this feature helps users to “reapply” the sorting in already sorted data.

For instance, if you have applied say yellow color to certain rows based on specific criteria within your data set then sort your data using the “sort by color” filter. Once you filter the data using the “sort by color” option all your colored rows are placed at the top of the tables.

After this you decided to apply yellow color to some more rows, and again you wanted to sort your data. Then the role of “reapply” sort comes into play. You can use “reapply” without clearing already sorted data just by clicking “reapply” button.

To locate “Reapply” command in MS Excel, follow this path:

Home >Editing> Sort & Filter>Reapply.

Keyboard Excel Shortcut: Alt + H + S + Y