Microsoft
Office 2007
Getting Started With Excel 2007
Anjal Smidt
Table of Contents
PRELUDE TO EXCEL 2007 ... 3
NEW FILE FORMAT AND EXTENSIONS ... 3
WORKING WITH DIFFERENT VERSIONS OF EXCEL ... 3
Opening existing files in Excel 2007 ... 3
Opening the Excel 2007 files in earlier versions of Word ... 3
THE NEW LOOK OF EXCEL ... 4
HIDING THE RIBBON ... 4
MOVING THE QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR ... 5
THE QUICK ACCESS TOOLBAR ... 5
ADDING AND REMOVING ITEMS ... 5
THE OFFICE BUTTON ... 6
THE “NEW”FILE MENU ... 6
EXCEL OPTIONS ... 6
THE RIBBON IN EXCEL ... 8
STANDARD TABS ... 8
Home Tab ... 8
Insert Tab ... 9
Page Layout Tab ... 9
Formulas Tab ... 10
Data Tab ... 10
Review Tab ... 11
View Tab ... 11
CONTEXTUAL TABS ... 12
P r el ude t o Ex ce l 2 00 7
New File Format and Extensions
The Microsoft Excel 2007 introduces a new file format that is based on XML, which offers a number of benefits:
Compact files – Excel 2007 uses zip compression technology to store documents, reducing file size by 75 percent or more. When you open a file, it is automatically unzipped. When you save a file, it is automatically zipped again.
Damaged-file recovery – Excel 2007 files are structured so that different data components in the file are separate from each other, so files can be opened even if a component within the file (i.e., a chart or table) is damaged or corrupted.
Privacy and personal information – Document Inspector can identify and remove personally identifiable information and business-sensitive information, such as author names, comments, tracked changes, and file paths.
Macro detection – Only files with specific extensions can contain VBA or XLM macros.
By default, documents that you create in Excel 2007 are saved in XML format with new file name extensions that add an "x" or an "m" to the file name extensions that you are already familiar with. The "x" signifies an XML file that has no macros, and the "m" signifies an XML file that does contain macros. For example, a Excel 2007 file now uses the .xlsx file name extension by default, rather than the .xls file name extension.
File Type Old Extension 2007 Extension
Spreadsheet .xls .xlsx .xlsm
Template .xlt .xltx .xltm
Working with Different Versions of Excel
Compatibility checkers and file converters in Excel 2007 allow you to save files in the new XML formats, as well as the formats of earlier versions of Excel.
Opening existing files in Excel 2007
You can open and work on a file that was created in an earlier version of Office, and then save it in its existing format. When you save the file, the compatibility checker reports those features that an earlier version of Excel does not support and allows you to remove them before continuing with the save.
Opening the Excel 2007 files in earlier versions of Excel
You can open and edit an Excel 2007 file in an earlier version of Excel by downloading the Microsoft Office Compatibility Pack for 2007 from the Microsoft website (www.office.microsoft.com).
The New Look of Ex c el
The entire User Interface of Excel 2007 has changed to make common tasks easier to perform, and to reveal those very useful features in Excel that were often unknown and buried within the maze of menus.
For example, common tasks can be added to the Quick Access Toolbar. Various aids in viewing your document, such as zoom and the ruler, are now upfront instead of in a menu or on a toolbar as before.
Hiding the Ribbon
The Ribbon is described in a later section. However, if you feel that the Ribbon is taking up too much of your workspace, you can easily minimize it by right-clicking the Quick Access Toolbar.
Moving the Quick Access Toolbar
The Quick Access Toolbar works just like the Quick Launch in Windows XP. Commonly used tasks can be readily available without having to go to the regular location of the command.
As with the Ribbon, you can change how the Quick Access Toolbar is placed in your workspace by moving it above or below the Ribbon. Right-click the Quick Access Toolbar from its current location and move it above or below the Ribbon.
The Q ui c k Ac c e s s Tool bar
Adding and Removing Items
Some commands are built into the Quick Access Toolbar when you first launch Excel 2007. These commands can be removed and other commands added as you see fit.
For example, you may not find the Redo button to be of much use to you. Simply right-click the button and choose “Remove from Quick Access Toolbar.”
You can also add and remove
commands by selecting the dropdown next to the Quick Access Toolbar. Common tasks can be checked or unchecked. Choosing “More
Commands” will open the Customize section of Excel Options, which will be covered in the next section.
The Of fi c e But ton
The “New” File Menu
When first opening Excel 2007, you may be wondering what happened to the File menu and all of its commands, such as Open and Print. Since the File menu is very similar between each of the Office applications, the tasks have been arranged within the Office Button:
Excel Options
The Ri bbon i n E x c el
The Ribbon is divided into a number of Tabs that contain command buttons. These Tabs are similar to the old menus, except that all of the commands are in plain view on the associated Tab in the Ribbon.
Dropdowns next to various command buttons offer a quick selection of settings, often with the option to open a window to select more specific options. These windows are the same windows that were available in previous versions of Excel.
Standard Tabs
Home Tab
The Home Tab contains most of the tasks that were previously found on the standard and formatting toolbars. Text formats, clipboard commands (cut, copy, paste), styles and selecting tools (find and replace) are in plain view.
Insert Tab
The Insert Tab not only offers the commands that were found under the Insert menu, but also contains items that were found on other toolbars or menus. For example, shapes were on the Drawing toolbar and Pivot Tables were buried in the Tools menu.
Inserting a chart in your workbook is now a snap. Before, you had to choose the Chart Wizard to even get started. Now you can create the chart by choosing one basic type, then you choose more options from the dropdown arrow.
Page Layout Tab
Formulas Tab
The Formulas Tab includes not only various functions, but also formula auditing tools. Naming ranges, which can be extremely useful with calculations, is no longer difficult to find and use.
AutoSum can be found much easier than before when it was hidden among many buttons on a toolbar. The simplest, most common functions are listed in the dropdown. Other functions are broken down by types, with a dropdown showing functions for each category. The Insert Function button opens the old, familiar Function Wizard.
Data Tab
Anything related to how you work with data can be found on the Data Tab. Sorting and filtering data, as well as grouping or ungrouping data, can be done right from the Ribbon.
Review Tab
Commenting and proofing tools are centrally located on the Review Tab.
The Review Tab also makes it simple to protect worksheets or workbooks from editing by others. If editing is allowed, you can keep track of what changes have been made to the data.
View Tab
The View Tab is very similar to the View menu. Some of the commands, however, used to be scattered among other menus, such as Macros which had been in the security area of the Tools menu.
Contextual Tabs
Contextual Tabs are special tabs that only appear when they are needed. When you select a particular element, the Contextual Tab(s) related to that element will appear in the Ribbon.
Picture Tools Tab
The Picture Tools Tab consists of only one additional tab, the Format Tab. Not only does this tab contain all the features of the Picture toolbar, but it also offers incredible effects, such as framing and reflections, which can be applied to your picture.
Chart Tools Tab
Design Tab
The Design Tab allows you to control the type of chart you want, and gives options of various layouts and color styles. Most of the Chart Tools in Excel 2007 do not offer a hover preview, but the galleries offer a great sample of each style and layout.
Layout Tab
Format Tab
The Format Tab allows you to customize the visual aspects of your chart. Many of the effects can be previewed by hovering over the selection.
Table Tools Tab
The Table Tools Tab opens a table-specific Design Tab. This tab will appear when you have data that has been set as a table.
