Datasheet

Tab, standard: The Ribbon comes with a set of standard tabs, each
organized according to the functions of the commands that it contains.
For example, the Insert tab contains command groups to insert shapes,
charts, tables, pictures, and so on. An exception is the Home tab, which
is so-named because this is where you do most of your work in Excel.
If your mouse has a scroll wheel, you can navigate quickly among the
Ribbon tabs by hovering the mouse pointer over the Ribbon area and
scrolling the wheel back and forth.
Text box: A box in which you enter a number or text. In general, the Ribbon
associates a text box with another control, such as a spinner or a drop-
down box.
Sizing up the Ribbon
The layout of the Ribbon controls is not static. Depending on your screen resolu-
tion, or the Excel window size, or both, the Ribbon provides one of four layout
options for command groups. If sufficient space is available, the Ribbon presents
a layout that labels commands, displays more commands individually, and elimi-
nates extra clicks. As you resize the Ribbon downwards (by reducing the screen
resolution or shrinking the size of the Excel window), the Ribbon rearranges the
layout of some of the command groups by first resizing command buttons (larger
buttons become smaller), then removing labels from commands, and finally reduc-
ing the groups to single large buttons (see Figure 1-4). To access the commands in
a command group that the Ribbon resizes to a single button, you must first click
the button to display a flyout menu and then select the command.
It is important to note that at each stage of downward resizing, no command
groups or commands disappear entirely from the Ribbon. The multiple layout
options for the command groups ensure that nothing is lost as space becomes
more limited. If you reduce the size of the Excel window sufficiently, however,
the Ribbon disappears altogether.
Figure 1-4
Introducing the Ribbon 11
03_046716 ch01.qxp 11/16/06 6:40 PM Page 11