A new Reference Tools tab in the Toolbox gives fast access to a thesaurus and dictionary (though these aren’t the ones built into OS X), an encyclopedia, and even a Web search box. In Excel 2008, the Formatting Palette has merged with the Toolbox, which is now tabbed, and looks more like an Inspector panel in one of Apple’s iWork applications. In Excel 2004, I used two floating palettes regularly-the Toolbox, which held a scrapbook, compatibility tester, and project interface and the Formatting Palette, which offered formatting options for text, images, and graphics. Select one of the displayed formulas, and Excel 2008 will complete the formula’s name, then display a floating tooltip showing each required element in that formula. As you start typing a formula name, Formula AutoComplete displays a pop-up menu with matching formulas.
This feature can be a big timesaver, especially for those formulas that you don’t use often enough to memorize their syntax.įormula AutoComplete further speeds the entry of formulas. As you enter values, the boxes become color-coded to match the relevant cells on the worksheet that are used in the formula-so it’s easy to see exactly what goes where. After you enter a formula name, the Formula Builder displays input boxes and brief descriptions for each element in that formula. Unfortunately, there’s no way to disable any of these Elements Gallery buttons, so even if you never use them, they’ll take up some vertical space on every sheet you open.Īnother new feature-the Formula Builder-makes building formulas simpler. As an example, I downloaded Apple’s stock price history-daily high, low, close, and volume-and was able to turn it into a nice-looking stock chart with a couple of mouse clicks. Personally, I have no use for the Sheets or WordArt buttons, but both Charts and SmartArt Graphics make it simple to add professional-looking images to your spreadsheets. Here’s one that’s had three custom images applied, and the stock text replaced.Whether or not you find the Gallery useful will depend on how you use Excel. The new Elements Gallery gives you access to a number of ready-to-use templates.
SmartArt Graphics offers a large number of graphic elements, and WordArt lets you customize the appearance of text blocks. The Charts tool lets you quickly insert a nicely formatted chart. Click Sheets and choose from one of a number of preformatted sheets in seven categories Excel will open that sheet as a starting point-though experienced users may find these sheets too simple for their needs. Each button is a shortcut to commonly-used features. Most users will first notice the Elements Gallery, which is represented by a row of four buttons-Sheets, Charts, SmartArt Graphics, and WordArt-and appears below the toolbar.
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