Datasheet

Excel’s Ribbon User Interface

When you first launch Excel 2007, the program opens up the first of three

new worksheets (named Sheet1) in a new workbook file (named Book1)

inside a program window like the one shown in Figure 1-1 and Color Plate 1.

The Excel program window containing this worksheet of the workbook is

made up of the following components:

 Office Button that when clicked opens the Office pull-down menu con-

taining all the file related commands including Save, Open, Print, and

Exit as well as the Excel Options button that enables you to change

Excel’s default settings

 Quick Access toolbar that contains buttons you can click to perform

common tasks such as saving your work and undoing and redoing edits

and which you can customize by adding command buttons

 Ribbon that contains the bulk of the Excel commands arranged into a

series of tabs ranging from Home through View

 Formula bar that displays the address of the current cell along with the

contents of that cell

 Worksheet area that contains all the cells of the current worksheet iden-

tified by column headings using letters along the top and row headings

using numbers along the left edge with tabs for selecting new worksheets

and a horizontal scroll bar to move left and right through the sheet on

the bottom and a vertical scroll bar to move up and down through the

sheet on the right edge

 Status bar that keeps you informed of the program’s current mode, any

special keys you engage, and enables you to select a new worksheet

view and to zoom in and out on the worksheet

Manipulating the Office Button

At the very top of the Excel 2007 program window, you find the Office Button

(the round one with the Office four-color icon in the very upper-left corner of

the screen) followed immediately by the Quick Access toolbar.

When you click the Office Button, a pull-down menu similar to the one shown

in Figure 1-2 appears. This Office menu contains all the commands you need

for working with Excel workbook files such as saving, opening, and closing

files. In addition, this pull-down menu contains an Excel Options button that

you can select to change the program’s settings and an Exit Excel button

that you can select when you’re ready to shut down the program.

Part I: Getting In on the Ground Floor

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