About Microsoft Excel
by Filonia LeChat, Demand MediaWhether you have the need to track corporate spending, the desire to plan a vacation fund or are tasked with creating employee rosters, software that helps quicken and automate the process is usually beneficial. For more than two decades, Microsoft Excel users have relied on the Excel spreadsheet software to perform calculations, create charts and share information.
Features
Microsoft Excel is part of the company's Office suite and serves as the spreadsheet software in the package. It offers some functions similar to other Office products such as Word, with similar toolbars, menus and buttons. The Excel workspace is a grid of cells. Once users enter information, usually numbers, into those cells, they can tap into Excel's ability to perform calculations and data analysis, make instant charts and switch rows and columns.
History
Excel's maker, Microsoft, wasn't the first to come up with spreadsheet technology, but it was the fastest to mass produce it. In "A Brief History of Spreadsheets," D.J. Power reports that Excel was originally created by Microsoft for the Apple Macintosh between 1984 and 1985. Excel was tailored to the Windows operating system in 1987 and considered the company's flagship product in 1989. Excel is considered the market leader for spreadsheet software, according to the University of Maryland.
Benefits
Excel offers a few additional benefits aside from its general functionality. Its range of functions lets users slice and dice data hundreds of ways. With macros, users can "record" an action performed regularly, such as summing the total of a column, duplicating a range of cells or averaging a row. Once recorded, the macro is saved in Excel and may be used like one-click technology to perform the action over and over again, saving both time and the potential for user error. Excel's chart making abilities also extend further than the traditional pie charts and line graphs. Options for scatter charts and donuts are available, as well as the ability to customize all of the colors, names, axes and legend within the chart itself.
Help
Learning to use Excel may be as simple as experimenting with the program, purchasing a tutorial book or taking a short class. Many community colleges and technical schools offer short-term certificate programs in Excel, along with different levels, such as beginning Excel, Excel intermediate and Excel advanced. Excel has quite a bit of help on board as well. The in-program help guide offers a searchable index and database, plus a table of contents. Areas of the program offer pop-up tips as well.
