Microsoft Office 2001
Excel 2001
Mac
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Microsoft Office 2001 |
Introduction
This document outlines many of the new features of Excel 2001 and how it differs from Excel 98. It is written for people who are familiar with Microsoft Excel and are starting to use version 2001. Excel 2001 is the standard processing application for public clusters.
Excel 2001 is very similar to Excel 98, with only a few features added or changed. Both programs use the same file formatting, which means that Excel 98 can open, read, and edit Excel 2001 documents, and vice versa. Files created in Excel 2001 on a Mac should also be fully cross-platform compatible with PCs running either Excel 97 or 2000, provided the filename is relatively short, does not contain any punctuation characters, and the ".xls" extension is included at the end.
More specific differences between these two versions of Excel are detailed below.
Getting Started
Open the Apple Menu and select Microsoft Excel. It may be listed under Microsoft Office 2001.
If you cannot find it in the Apple Menu, go into Macintosh HD > Microsoft
Office 2001 and double-click on the Microsoft Excel program icon
. The
blue Excel 2001 splash screen will appear briefly as it loads fonts and preferences.
New Features in Excel 2001
Project Gallery
The Project Gallery is a window that links you to every application in Microsoft Office. It allows you to begin a new document using various formats and templates. The Project Gallery (pictured below) will appear every time you launch Excel 2001.
Note: If you do not want the Project Gallery to open each time you launch Excel, click on the Do not show at startup checkbox at the bottom of the window. In subsequent launches of Excel, the Project Gallery will not automatically open. You can then simply go to File > New, Open or Project Gallery.
To open a new Excel document, click once on the Excel Workbook button and a new page will appear. To open an existing document, simply click on the Open button at the lower left corner of the Project Gallery screen. (You can still open a new document by going to File > Open within Excel as well.)
If you want to open a new application, template, or document format once you are already within Excel, you can also access the Project Gallery manually by going to File > Project Gallery (or by pressing SHIFT + APPLE + P.) Note: When you manually open the Project Gallery, the Open button will no longer be available like it is on startup, as seen above.
File Open and Save
When you go to File > Open or File> Save or Save As, you will get an improved File Open or File Save dialog box, which allows you to see more files at one time and access them faster.
You can:
- Click the Shortcut button
for access to your Desktop, local and external drives and mounted network volumes.
- Click the Favorite button
to display a list of items that you have selected as favorite places to visit. These items are also available in Macintosh HD > System Folder > Apple Menu Items > Favorites folder.
- Click the Recent button
and hold it down to display a list of folders and volumes you have recently used.
Formatting Toolbars
The toolbars in Excel 2001 are reduced in size and have slightly different button styles from Excel 98. Excel 2001 toolbars are configured to only display the most commonly used commands, yet can easily be expanded. If you click on the small, black arrow (the "More Buttons" arrow) at the right end of the toolbar, a menu extends to show additional commands. If you use one or more of the buttons in that menu repeatedly, Excel will automatically add that button to the visible part of the toolbar.
There are several other ways you can customize your toolbars and menus by adding and removing command buttons, or creating entirely new toolbars of your own design. Here is a list of three different ways to access the Customize window in Excel 2001.
- Go to Tools > Customize.
- Go to View > Toolbars > Customize.
- Click on the "More Buttons" arrow at the end of the toolbar and select Customize.
Select the Commands tab. In the Commands window on the right, find the icon and title of the command you wish to add and drag it up to the spot on the toolbar where you want to place it. Drag buttons from the toolbar into the Commands window to remove them from the toolbar.
Border Drawing Toolbar
The Border Drawing Toolbar allows you to define and draw your own borders, selectively erase borders, merge borders and cells in a single click, and change border styles and colors.To access the Border Drawing Toolbar, go to View > Toolbars > Border Drawing.
Draw Border - Draw a border around the selected cells using the specified line style, line width and border color.
Merge Cells - Merge the selected cells into a single cell.
Eraser - Remove a table cell line and merge the contents of the adjacent cells.
Line Style -Select the style and thickness of the line you selected.
Border Color - Select the color for the line or border you selected.
When finish drawing the table, you can double-click on any cell to return your cursor back to normal.
List Toolbar
The List Toolbar gives you quick access to the tools you need to set up, modify and manage your list.
To access the List Toolbar, go to View > Toolbars > List.
List Wizard - Display the List Wizard, which you can use to create and format a list from selected data. Click here for more details on using the List Wizard.
Once you make a list, the following tools become available:
Column Settings - Display the settings for the selected list, such as name, data type, textual and conditional formats and validation rules.
Insert Column - Insert a blank column to the left of the selected cell or column in the selected list.
Insert Row - Insert a blank row above the selected cell or row in the selected list.
AutoFormat - Choose from a list of format templates to apply to the selected list.
List - Click on the black arrow to access more commands and options.
Autofilters - Display only the items you want in the selected list.
Total Row - Insert a row at the bottom of your list for totals. Click on the double arrow in the cell to select a formula from the list. Select (No Formula) to remove a previously entered formula from the cell.
Visuals - change the visual look of the list frames or displays or hide visual elements, such as the pop-up menus for the total row formulas and column filtering and sorting.
Formatting Palette
The Formatting Palette (pictured below) is new to Excel 2001 and supplements the Formatting Toolbar. If the Formatting Palette has been turned off, you can access it by going to View > Formatting Palette.
It contains tools for number, font, text alignment, borders and shading, and worksheet options in an expandable menu. You can pick up and drag the Formatting palette anywhere on your screen.
Font menu
Font names are now displayed in their font on the Font menu in the standard toolbar and in the Toolbar > Formatting Palette, so you can preview a font style before you apply it to your worksheet.
Color Picker
You can now modify the line color and fill color of a cell or a drawing object by using the improved Line Color or Fill Color tools in the Drawing Toolbar.
If the Drawing Toolbar has been turned off, you can access it by going to View > Toolbars > Drawing.
To change the line color of a selected drawing object, select the object and click the arrow next to the Line Color icon
on the Drawing toolbar, then select the color you want.
You can also:
- Click Pick Line Color to turn your cursor into an eyedropper, then select any color on your screen.
- Click More Line Colors to customize additional line colors.
- Click Patterned Lines to choose a line pattern.
To change the fill color of a cell or a selected drawing object, select the cell or the object and click the arrow next to the Fill Color icon
on the Drawing toolbar, then select the color you want.
You can also:
- Click Pick Fill Color to turn your cursor into an eyedropper, then select any color on your screen.
- Click More Fill Colors to customize additional fill colors.
- Click Fill Effects to adjust gradient, texture, pattern, and picture fill
.
Euro currency symbol
Additional number formats are available with the euro currency symbol by going to Format > Cells > Number tab. Highlight Currency in the Category section on the left, then select a desired currency type from the Currency Symbol pull-down menu on the right.
Four-digit dates
You can now display dates in four-digit format (Examples: 3/14/2001 and 14-Mar-2001). In the past Excel would covert 2001 to 01. Select the cell that contains the date and go to Format > Cells > Number tab. Highlight Date in the Category section on the left, then select the desired date format from the Type section on the right.
Function Shortcuts
Average, Count, Max, and Min have been added to AutoSum as function shortcuts, making it easier to create formulas. To access these frequently used functions, select the cells and click on the AutoSum icon
on the standard toolbar, then choose the desired function from the drop-down list.
Calculator
You can now use the Calculator to create and edit simple formulas in Excel. It automatically includes any required formula syntax and gives you quick access to frequently used math functions.
To access the calculator, select the cell where you want to enter the formula. Go to Tools > Calculator (or click on the calculator icon
on the formula toolbar),
When the calculator is displayed, an equal sign ("=") appears in the formula box at the top of the calculator. To create a formula, click the buttons on the calculator for the numbers and operands (+, -, x, and so forth) and click the cells in the worksheet for value input. As you click the buttons and cells, the calculator writes the formula in the formula box and updates the result in the Answer box. When you finish writing the formula, click the OK button to enter the formula into the cell that is specified in the Place in cell box. To change the destination cell, highlight the Place in cell box and click on the cell in which you want to place the formula answer. You can also manually type in the cell name in the Place in cell box.
You can use the List Wizard to define a worksheet or part of a worksheet as a list by using existing data, external data, or a blank list. You can choose the types of data to include in your list. You can also use your own criteria to validate the values entered in the list and create custom error messages to alert you when a criterion hasn't been met. You can also create custom formatting or conditional formatting for your list and choose to accept only unique values for a column or define a default value for a column.
To access the List Wizard, go to Insert > List..., then follow the 3-steps instructions provided by the wizard to generate a list.
List AutoFill
Excel 2001 automatically extends formatting and formulas in lists, simplifying this common task. Go the Edit > Preferences > Edit tab. Check the Extend list formats and formulas box to automatically format new items added to the end of a list to match the format of the rest of the list. Uncheck the same box to disable this feature.
AutoFilter
AutoFilter now has added a Sort Ascending and Sort Descending feature to find values in your list.
To use this feature, select a cell anywhere in the worksheet, go to Data > Filter > AutoFilter. Click the pull-down arrow in the column of the data you want to filter, then choose Sort Ascending or Sort Descending. To turn AutoFilter off, go to Data > Filter, then uncheck AutoFilter.
AutoComplete
Start typing in a cell, and AutoComplete compares text you type with text that is already entered into the same column and then prompts you to pick from a list of similar items to complete the entry.
To enable AutoComplete, go to Edit > Preferences > Edit tab. Check Enable AutoComplete for cell values.
To disable AutoComplete, go to Edit > Preferences > Edit tab. Uncheck the Enable AutoComplete for cell values.
Histogram
Previously in Excel 98, if you created a histogram and wanted to generate a chart and insert it into a new worksheet in the same Workbook, you got an error message. This was a known bug, which has been fixed in Excel 2001.
Display units
If your chart values consist of large numbers, you can make the axis text shorter and more readable by changing the display unit of the axis. For example, if the chart values range from 1,000,000 to 50,000,000, you can display the numbers as 1 to 50 on the axis and show a label that indicates that the units express millions.
Generate the chart first, then click the x- or y- axis you want to change and go to Format > Selected Axis > Scale or double click on the axis and choose Scale.
On the Display units pop-up menu, click the units you want and select the Show display units label on chart check box. Click the OK button.
Multiple-level category labels
When the category data on your worksheet is hierarchical (that is, consists of more than one heading level), Microsoft Excel automatically maintains this hierarchy in your chart by including each level in the category axis labels.
Customize your Web pagesYou can change how Excel generates and formats Web pages by using the Web Options dialog box.
Go to Edit > Preferences > General tab and click on the Web Options button. In the Web Options dialog window, you can add a title and search keyword to your Web page, specify what format graphics are saved in, and select a target monitor size along with other options. When possible, the options you set are shared across all Office programs.
Microsoft Excel Help has now been organized into one window from which you can access either the Contents, the Index, or a Search feature. The Help window is divided into two columns or frames with the Contents, Indices, or Search parameters appearing in the left column and the help text and links appearing in the right column. This setup simplifies navigating the Help feature. To access the Excel help, go to Help > Microsoft Excel Help. To look for help on a topic, click on the Search icon and then type your question in the What would you like to do? box. Click Search.
The Office Assistant is a character, usually a computer with legs, that sits on your screen and offers help on the use of Excel. The Office Assistant can be temporarily hidden while you are working, but if you go to Help > Turn Assistant On, the Office Assistant will automatically appear. Clicking once on the Office Assistant brings up a box in which you enter your question in plain language; the Assistant then displays a menu of related help topics to choose from. Choosing the option that most closely describes your inquiry brings you into the Microsoft Help window described above.
If you do not wish to use the Office Assistant, remove it by going to Help > Turn Assistant Off. Turning the Assistant off will prevent it from automatically detecting when you need help or tips for creating your document. Instead, Microsoft Help will only open when you specifically select it from the Help menu or button, and will take you directly to the Microsoft Help Table of Contents window. To switch back to using the Office Assistant, go to Help > Turn Assistant On. You can also remove the Assistant by pressing CONTROL and clicking on the Assistant and then selecting Hide Assistant. Hiding the assistant will remove it from your screen for the moment, but it can still reappear when you query Microsoft Help or begin a task it detects you may need help with.
Below is a list of commands that have been changed from Excel 98 or added as new in Excel 2001.
| This Excel 98 command... | ...changes to this in Excel 2001. |
| File Menu | |
|
Renamed Save as Web Page. |
| Edit Menu | |
|
Removed Publishing and related commands: Create Publisher and Subscribe to. |
| Tools Menu | |
|
Moved to Edit menu. |
|
|
|
| This new Excel 2001 command... | ...allows you to... |
| File Menu | |
|
View a document in an Internet browser. |
| View Menu | |
|
Display the contents of the Office Clipboard. |
|
Access and use common formatting tools and commands such as font, borders and shading, and alignment. |
| Insert Menu | |
|
Display the list wizard to create and format a list. |
| Tools Menu | |
|
Check spelling in the active workbook. |
|
Locate, display, and copy word definitions. |
|
Create and edit simple formulas in your worksheet. |
| Data Menu | |
|
Create a database template from an existing workbook. |
| Help Menu | |
|
Turn on or off the Office Assistant. |
