In this lesson, you will learn how to use Excel's toolbars to save time when you work. You will also learn how to arrange them for maximum performance.
Unless you tell it otherwise, Excel displays the Standard and Formatting toolbars
as shown in figure 3.1. To select a tool from a toolbar, click on that tool.
Figure 3.1
The Standard and Formatting toolbars contain buttons for Excel's most commonly used
features.
Plain English: What Is a Toolbar? An Excel toolbar is a collection of tools or shortcut icons displayed in a long bar that can be moved and reshaped to make it more convenient for you to use.
The following tables show you all the tools in the Standard and Formatting toolbars.
Button |
Name | Description |
|
New Workbook | Creates a new workbook. |
|
Open | Opens an existing workbook. |
|
Save | Saves the workbook. |
|
Prints the workbook. | |
|
Print Preview | Changes to print preview. |
|
Spelling | Starts the Spelling checker. |
|
Cut | Cuts selected ranges to the Clipboard. |
|
Copy | Copies selected range to the Clipboard. |
|
Paste | Pastes data from the Clipboard. |
|
Format Painter | Copies formatting. |
|
Undo | Undoes last command. |
|
Repeat | Repeats last command. |
|
AutoSum | Creates a sum function. |
|
Function Wizard | Starts the FunctionWizard. |
|
Sort Ascending | Sorts selection in ascending order. |
|
Sort Descending | Sorts selection in descending order. |
|
ChartWizard | Starts the ChartWizard. |
[EXMAP] |
Map | Starts Data Map. |
|
Drawing | Displays the Drawing toolbar. |
|
Zoom Control | Enables you to zoom the worksheet to percent you specify. |
|
TipWizard | Starts the TipWizard. |
|
Help | Enables you to get context-sensitive help. |
Button |
Name | Description |
|
Font | Enables you to select font from drop-down list. |
|
Font Size | Enables you to select font size from drop-down list. |
|
Bold | Applies bold to selected range. |
|
Italic | Applies italic to selected range. |
|
Underline | Underlines selected range. |
|
Align Left | Aligns selected range to the left. |
|
Center | Centers selected range. |
|
Align Right | Aligns selected range to the right. |
|
Center Across | Centers text across Columnsselected range. |
|
Currency Style | Applies currency style to the selected range. |
|
Percent Style | Applies percent style to the selected range. |
|
Comma Style | Applies comma style to the selected range. |
|
Increase Decimal | Increases the number of decimal points displayed in the selected range. |
|
Decrease Decimal | Decreases the number of decimal points displayed in the selected range. |
|
Borders | Enables you to select and apply borders to selected range. |
|
Color | Enables you to select and apply color to selected range. |
|
Font Color | Enables you to select and apply color to text in selected range. |
Excel initially displays the Standard and Formatting toolbars. If you never use one of these toolbars, you can turn one or both of them off to free up some screen space. In addition, you can turn on other toolbars. You can turn a toolbar on or off by using the View Toolbars command or the shortcut menu. To use the View Toolbars option:
Figure 3.2
Use the Toolbars dialog box to display or hide the toolbars.
To use the shortcut menu to hide or display a toolbar, follow these steps:
Panic Button: Is It Getting Crowded in Here? Display only the toolbars you need. Toolbars take up screen space and memory.
After you have displayed the toolbars you need, you may position them in your work area where they are most convenient. Figure 3.3 shows an Excel screen with three toolbars in various positions on the screen. Here's what you do to move a toolbar:
If you decide to drag the toolbar to a dock, you can position it in one of four
toolbar docks: between the formula bar and menu bar, on the left and right sides
of the Excel window, and at the bottom of the Excel window. You'll know that you've
found a dock when the toolbar outline changes from square to rectangular. Then you
can release the mouse button. If a toolbar contains a drop-down list (such as the
Zoom Control tool in the Standard toolbar and the Font tool in the Formatting toolbar),
you cannot drag it to a left or right toolbar dock. The list boxes make these toolbars
longer and therefore won't display the entire toolbar when moved to the side.
Figure 3.3
Three toolbars in various positions.
Plain English: Floating Toolbar A floating toolbar acts just like a window. You can drag its title bar to move it or drag a border to size it. If you drag a floating toolbar to the top or bottom of the screen, it turns back into a horizontal toolbar.
Timesaver Tip: Quickly Docking a Floating Toolbar To quickly move a floating toolbar to the top of the screen, double-click on its title bar.
If Excel's toolbars provide too few (or too many) options for you, you can create your own toolbars or customize existing toolbars. To make your own toolbar, do this:
If you want delete a custom toolbar, open the View menu, and choose Toolbars. In the Toolbars list, click on the custom toolbar you want to delete, then click on the Delete button in the Toolbars dialog box.
You can add, remove, or change the order of the buttons on any toolbar (Excel's or your own).
To remove buttons from the toolbar, perform these steps:
Figure 3.4
Drag buttons from the Customize dialog box to the new toolbar.
To add buttons to the toolbar, perform these steps:
To rearrange the buttons on the toolbar, just drag them around within the bar while you are in the Customize dialog box.
Panic Button: Resetting Toolbars If you mess up one of Excel's toolbars, you can return to the default settings (the way it was before you or someone else changed it) at a click of the button. Choose View Toolbars, highlight the name of the toolbar you want to reset, and then click on the Reset button.
In this lesson, you learned how to use Excel's toolbars and customize toolbars for your own unique needs. In the next lesson, you will learn how to enter different types of data.
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