Where is it Wednesday? A person in one of my seminars asked me about a feature missing from Excel 2007. While the feature sounded familiar, it was also missing from Excel 2003. In Episode 911, we will take a look at a faster way to start a formula using the mouse.
This video is the podcast companion to the book Learn Excel 97-2007 from MrExcel.
This video is the podcast companion to the book Learn Excel 97-2007 from MrExcel.
Transcript of the video:
Hey, welcome back to the MrExcel netcast, it's another "Where Is It Wednesday".
Thanks to George Wood for that great "Where Is It Wednesday" theme.
I was asked this question in a seminar.
Someone said, "Hey, you remember the equal sign that used to be next to the formula bar?
That's gone in Excel 2007." And I remember that.
Basically, you'd be able to hit the equal sign and it would start a formula, but not launch you into the function wizard-- the function wizard here.
And I said, "Oh, yeah, I remember." I'm sure we can get that back.
Oh, yeah, it's funny it's not in Excel 2003 either.
We had to customize it here.
In Excel 2003, we go to Tools, Customize, it's on the Insert category-- basically the equal sign and all of the operator keys are there, so you can just take those and drag them onto any toolbar.
This is great if you're a mouse person-- if you enter your formulas using a mouse, then you can basically hit these and never have to reach back to the keyboard.
Now, I'm a keyboard person, so I wouldn't do this for me.
Now, let's take a look in Excel 2007.
A little bit more frustrating here in Excel 2007, we have to right-click on the quick access toolbar, choose Customize, and then let's go to Commands not in the ribbon, and while they were all together in the old version of Excel, they're now alphabetically wherever it would be-- so the equal sign is under the E, and then the plus sign is going to be down in the Ps, and subtract will be in the Ss, and so on, and so on, and so on.
So you can add those to your quick access toolbar, and now, basically, you can hit the equal sign to start a formula.
Click on a cell, click the plus sign, click on another cell, and build the whole formula without having to basically touch the keyboard.
So there you have it-- a feature that definitely was in Excel a while ago-- I don't know how many versions it was-- and you can add it to whichever version of Excel if you're a mouse person, and want to have an easy way to start a formula without reaching out for the plus sign or the equal sign.
Well, thanks for stopping by, we'll see you next time for another netcast from MrExcel.
Thanks to George Wood for that great "Where Is It Wednesday" theme.
I was asked this question in a seminar.
Someone said, "Hey, you remember the equal sign that used to be next to the formula bar?
That's gone in Excel 2007." And I remember that.
Basically, you'd be able to hit the equal sign and it would start a formula, but not launch you into the function wizard-- the function wizard here.
And I said, "Oh, yeah, I remember." I'm sure we can get that back.
Oh, yeah, it's funny it's not in Excel 2003 either.
We had to customize it here.
In Excel 2003, we go to Tools, Customize, it's on the Insert category-- basically the equal sign and all of the operator keys are there, so you can just take those and drag them onto any toolbar.
This is great if you're a mouse person-- if you enter your formulas using a mouse, then you can basically hit these and never have to reach back to the keyboard.
Now, I'm a keyboard person, so I wouldn't do this for me.
Now, let's take a look in Excel 2007.
A little bit more frustrating here in Excel 2007, we have to right-click on the quick access toolbar, choose Customize, and then let's go to Commands not in the ribbon, and while they were all together in the old version of Excel, they're now alphabetically wherever it would be-- so the equal sign is under the E, and then the plus sign is going to be down in the Ps, and subtract will be in the Ss, and so on, and so on, and so on.
So you can add those to your quick access toolbar, and now, basically, you can hit the equal sign to start a formula.
Click on a cell, click the plus sign, click on another cell, and build the whole formula without having to basically touch the keyboard.
So there you have it-- a feature that definitely was in Excel a while ago-- I don't know how many versions it was-- and you can add it to whichever version of Excel if you're a mouse person, and want to have an easy way to start a formula without reaching out for the plus sign or the equal sign.
Well, thanks for stopping by, we'll see you next time for another netcast from MrExcel.
