Datasheet

Chapter 1: Getting Familiar with the Excel 2010 Interface

Selecting Commands from the Ribbon

The Excel Ribbon contains the bulk of all the commands that you use in creating,

editing, formatting, and sharing your spreadsheets, charts, and data lists. As shown in

Figure 1-2, normally the Ribbon is divided into seven tabs: Home, Insert, Page Layout,

Formulas, Data, Review, and View. The commands that appear on each tab are then

further divided into Groups, containing related command buttons. Also, many of these

groups contain a Dialog Box Launcher button that appears in the lower-right corner of

the Group. Clicking this button opens a dialog box of further options related to the

particular Group.

Exercise 1-2: Selecting Commands from the Ribbon

In Exercise 1-2, you get practice selecting commands from the Ribbon. Make sure that

Excel 2010 is running and an empty Sheet1 worksheet is active on your computer

monitor.

1. Click the Formulas tab to displays its commands.

Note that the commands on the Formulas tab are divided into four Groups:

Function Library, Defined Names, Formula Auditing, and Calculation.

2. Press the Alt key.

Note the access-key letters that now appear on the File menu, Quick Access toolbar

options, and the Ribbon tabs.

If you prefer selecting Excel commands from the keyboard, you’ll probably want to

memorize the following access keys for selecting the seven tabs:

• Home tab: Alt+H

• Insert tab: Alt+N

• Page Layout tab: Alt+P

• Formulas tab: Alt+M

• Data tab: Alt+A

• Review tab: Alt+R

• View tab: Alt+W

3. Type W to display the contents of the View tab and then type VG to remove the

check mark from the Gridlines check box in the Show Group.

4. Click the Gridlines check box to select it again and redisplay the gridlines in the

worksheet.

As you may have noticed, the Ribbon takes up quite of bit of screen space that

is otherwise used to display worksheet data. You can take care of this by setting

Excel to minimize the Ribbon each time you select one of its commands to display

only the tab names.

05_489604-ch01.indd 1305_489604-ch01.indd 13 7/29/10 11:25 PM7/29/10 11:25 PM