10 Minute Guide to Excel for Windows 95

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- 3 -
Using Excel's Toolbars

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.

Using the Toolbars

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.

Learning More About Toolbar Buttons

The following tables show you all the tools in the Standard and Formatting toolbars.

Table 3.1 Excel Standard Toolbar Buttons

Button

Name Description

New Workbook Creates a new workbook.

Open Opens an existing workbook.

Save Saves the workbook.

Print 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.

Table 3.2 Excel Formatting Toolbar Buttons

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.
In addition to the tools on the Standard and Formatting toolbars, there are other toolbars that contain tools in Excel. Here are some easy ways to learn about the buttons for yourself:

Turning Toolbars On or Off

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:

1. Open the View menu, and choose Toolbars. The Toolbars dialog box appears, as shown in Figure 3.3.

2. Select the toolbar(s) you would like to hide or display. A check mark in the toolbar's check box means the toolbar will be displayed. A blank box means the toolbar will be hidden.

3. Click OK to accept the toolbar changes.

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:

1. Move the mouse pointer anywhere inside any toolbar.

2. Click the right mouse button. The Toolbars shortcut menu appears.

3. Click on a toolbar name to turn it off. To display a toolbar, click on a toolbar name that doesn't have a check mark next to it. Excel places a check mark next to the name of a displayed toolbar. You'll see the check mark when you display the shortcut menu again.


Panic Button: Is It Getting Crowded in Here? Display only the toolbars you need. Toolbars take up screen space and memory.

Moving Toolbars

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:

1. Move the mouse pointer over a buttonless part of the toolbar.

2. Hold down the mouse button and drag the toolbar where you want it. You can drag it to a dock or let it "float" anywhere in the window.

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.

Customizing the Toolbars

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:

1. Open the View menu, and choose Toolbars.

2. In the Toolbar Name text box, type the name you want to give your toolbar. This makes the New button available.

3. Click on the New button. Excel creates a new floating toolbar and displays the Customize dialog box, so you can start adding buttons to your toolbar.

4. Drag the desired buttons onto the toolbar, as shown in Figure 3.4.

5. Select Close.

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:

1. Do one of the following:

2. Drag the unwanted button off the toolbar.

3. Click on the Close button when you're done.

Figure 3.4
Drag buttons from the Customize dialog box to the new toolbar.


To add buttons to the toolbar, perform these steps:

1. Do one of the following:

2. Select the type of tool you want to add from the Categories list. For example, you can add buttons for file commands, formulas, formatting, or macros. You'll see a collection of buttons. Click on a button to view its description at the bottom of the Customize dialog box.

3. Drag the desired button(s) onto a toolbar (any toolbar that's displayed).

4. Click on the Close button when you're done.

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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