Joyce J. Nielsen is an independent computer consultant, specializing in writing and developing books based on microcomputer software applications. Prior to her work as a consultant, Joyce was a Senior Product Development Specialist for Que Corporation. She is the author or co-author of over 20 computer books, including Que's Special Edition Using 1-2-3 97 for Windows 95, Microsoft Office 97 Quick Reference, and Word for Windows 95 Visual Quick Reference. Nielsen also worked as a Research Analyst for a shopping mall developer, where she developed and documented computer applications used nationwide. She received a Bachelor of Science degree in Quantitative Business Analysis from Indiana University. You may contact her via CompuServe at 76507,2712 or via the Internet at jnielsen@iquest.net.
Microsoft Excel 97 Quick Reference is the result of the efforts of many talented and dedicated people. I would like to thank the following people in particular for their numerous contributions to this book: David Solomon, Angie Wethington, Lisa Wagner, Carolyn Kiefer, Lori Lyons, Noel Fields, and Christine Prakel.
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The Microsoft Excel 97 Quick Reference is the latest in a series of comprehensive, task-oriented references and details how to use the features and functionality of Excel 97. Compiled for the intermediate-to-advanced user who wants a concise, comprehensive reference, the Microsoft Excel 97 Quick Reference is loaded with detailed instructions outlining important tasks you need to complete.
The Microsoft Excel 97 Quick Reference presents the tasks and functions most often sought by users of Excel 97. This book also includes a comprehensive glossary with many terms and definitions that refer to the newest features in Excel 97.
Que's Quick References help the reader cover the most ground with the least amount of hassle, in a minimum of time! Tasks include steps that the reader can complete--usually no more than five steps to any task.
The goal of the author is to help you get your work done in the least amount of time, with a minimum of reading and learning. The author knows that your time is valuable, and that you may not need to use some of the included tasks very often. That's why each task in this book is written with economy in mind. The reader should be able to recognize a need, take this book off the shelf, and complete a task within minutes; then put the book back on the shelf for future reference. It just doesn't get any faster or easier.
Unlike other low-cost references, Que's Microsoft Excel 97 Quick Reference covers every major functional element of Excel 97. More importantly, each element is covered separately, in its own dedicated section in this book. You can be confident that this book covers a lot of ground. The Microsoft Excel 97 Quick Reference even includes a reference to Excel functions that are the most useful.
The Microsoft Excel 97 Quick Reference is written for casual to advanced computer users who need a fast reference to Excel 97 tasks, functions, and features. It is an ideal companion to Que's Special Edition Using Microsoft Excel 97. The Quick Reference size makes it ideal for travel.
If you are upgrading from Excel 95 or Excel 5, you will find this reference useful for finding new features and looking up new ways of getting a job done. If you are migrating from another spreadsheet program, such as Lotus 1-2-3, this Quick Reference may be the right amount of instruction you need to transfer your know-how investment to new products.
As a reference, this book is not intended to tutor learners. If you are just starting to use Excel software for the first time, or are a very casual user, you may want to consider Que's User Friendly Using Microsoft Excel 97 or The Complete Idiot's Guide to Microsoft Excel 97 as a book to get you up to speed. For beginner or very casual task reference, check out Que's Easy Microsoft Excel 97. If you want the most complete reference as well as tutorial and foundation information, then you need Que's Special Edition Using Microsoft Excel 97. This Microsoft Excel 97 Quick Reference makes an ideal companion to the comprehensive Special Edition.
If you take a moment to glance over the table of contents, you'll note that each logical part of the Excel 97 product has its own dedicated section in this book. Topics are organized into working groups under each logical part of Excel, with related tasks sorted under each topic in alphabetical order. In some cases, tasks have been specially sorted by the author when task grouping, sequencing, or relationships indicate the order.
You can't be expected to know everything; and yet, you don't have to be told everything either. That's why the Quick Reference author has been given wide latitude in determining what extra information you might find valuable to complete a task. By tuning the presentation to your needs, you can spend less time sifting through background information or cross- referencing related information just to be sure you're using a task appropriately. For example, the author often indicates which conditions must exist in order to complete a task. The author explains why one task is best to use over another--all in very succinct text. Where it is obvious to you what conditions must exist or which task is best, you won't be slowed by text telling you what you already know.
Our expert author knows when a specific task is appropriate and when that task should be avoided. For example, there is no point in making a bulleted list if only one list item exists. This book tells you when a task is in order, and when you should avoid using a task when it's out of context or is not appropriate at a specific location in your document, database, or presentation. This expertise of the author transfers directly to your work through this approach.
Author expertise can also help keep tasks simple by including or eliminating steps that guide you to where you enter information or perform an action. Tasks in this book that do detail how to get where you're going do so because the author believes that getting there is confusing for the reader.
In other cases, where your starting point is not relevant or where you are likely to know where a menu or dialog is located, the author keeps it simple by not adding the navigational detail. The same assumptions apply where individual actions can be compounded into a step. Beginners often need "baby steps" to avoid confusion. The need for such care soon passes for most, and the user is better able to work with a step that is a logical group of actions. The result is a more readable set of steps.
The author has limited the length of commands and steps to just the words you need to read to complete each task in a minimum of time. Intermediate users of Windows-based applications rarely need to be told when to click the OK button!
You also get background information, when appropriate, to the topic or task. Tasks are often introduced so that your understanding of the real purpose of the task is clarified. Although mentoring is best done through the full Special Edition Using series, there are times when a little mentoring before a task greatly enhances the understanding of that task or function. The author keeps this in mind while using her extensive user experience to determine when to provide that reinforcing conceptual information.
With the Internet awareness of the Microsoft Excel 97 product comes a lot of jargon that will be new to you. This book has a glossary of terms specific to who you are and what you're doing. These terms are contained in various sections of the book as italicized words. Look them up as you go along or scan for any terms that may not be familiar. Ever wonder what concatenation is? You don't have to complete a task to find out. You can check out such terms or definitions in the glossary.
This Quick Reference is divided into sections, all dedicated to Excel 97 functional areas. In each section, you will find an alphabetical listing of topics that are detailed with tasks.
To find all tasks that cover printing, for example, go to the "Outputting" section, find the task topic "Printing," and then turn to the tasks that cover activities in that topic area. Tasks follow one another and are sorted in alphabetical order, unless there is special value in completing multiple tasks in order.
When a prerequisite task must be read to understand the task you are reading, a cross reference will let you know: (See "Page Setup: Setting a Print Area" before you complete this task.). When other tasks may be more useful, or may be used instead of the task you are viewing, a cross reference will let you know where to find it: (See also "Alignment: Shrinking Text to Fit in a Cell" in the Formatting section.) And when other related tasks may be useful after completing a task, a cross reference at the end of the task will direct you to their location: (See also "Internet: Browsing Web Files," "Internet: Creating Hyperlinks," and "Internet: Getting Data from a Web Site.")
This book uses certain conventions in order to guide you through the various tasks.
Special typefaces in this Quick Reference include the following:
| Type | Meaning |
| italic | Terms or phrases that may be found in the Glossary; required function variables that must be entered. |
| underline | Menu and dialog box options that appear underlined on-screen. |
| boldface | Information you are asked to type. |
| italic boldface | Optional function variablesthat can be entered |
| special type | Direct quotations of words that appear on-screen or in a figure |
When a direction is given to "click," this means click the left side of the mouse control for those mice with alternate keys. When it is necessary for the right or alternate side of the mouse to be used, the direction "right-click" will be given.
In most cases, keys are represented as they appear on the keyboard. The arrow keys usually are represented by name (for example, the up-arrow key). The Print Screen key is abbreviated PrtSc; Page Up is PgUp; Insert is Ins; and so on. On your keyboard, these key names may be spelled out or abbreviated differently.
When two keys appear together with a plus sign, such as Shift+Ins, press and hold the first key as you press the second key. When two keys appear together without a plus sign, such as End Home, press and release the first key before you press the second key.
Various toolbar buttons, such as the one next to this paragraph, are used throughout the steps and are identified with a visual icon next to the appropriate step. These icons resemble the on-screen toolbar button and make it easier for you to find them quickly.
Many tasks include warnings, cautions, notes, tips, and troubleshootings. These are described in-depth in this section.
The author has gone to great lengths to protect you from disaster, often warning you of impending, often irreversible danger before you get in over your head. Warnings are just one way this Quick Reference will inform you when you need to know.
WARNING: AutoRecover does not save your documents--only certain recovery information! Be sure to save all documents you are working on at frequent intervals.
The completion of some tasks may change several aspects of a document or the way your MS Excel package works in the future. Cautions inform the reader about unforeseen events that may not occur as expected. Cautions are not as severe as warnings, but you will want to read cautionary information.
CAUTION: You must save entry and exit macros in the form file. If you save the macros elsewhere and then distribute the form, the entry and exit macros may not run because the macros aren't there.
Notes often advise and direct you while you complete a task. Expect to find pieces of great wisdom while you complete tasks.
NOTE: If no misspelled words are found, the Spelling dialog box never appears. Instead, a message box appears and tells you that the spell check is complete.
Tips offer expert input from those who really know the software. Tips often include time-saving solutions and ways to shortcut your way to success. If you're looking for a shortcut key, tips are where you'll find them!
TIP: After you define a print area, you can click the Print button on the Standard toolbar to print that worksheet area.
Troubleshooting:s state problems that you are likely to encounter and how to solve them. These are often the problems that our expert author has most likely encountered or ones that she has experienced causing problems for others. Trouble-shootings give the quickest and most appropriate way of addressing the stated problem.
TROUBLESHOOTING: When I select multiple print ranges, each range prints on a separate page. How can I print multiple print ranges on a single page? You can temporarily hide the rows and columns that separate the ranges and then print them as one print range. Or, you can copy the ranges you want to print to another worksheet, and then print the copied data as a single print range.
All tasks in this book are not for everyone. In some tasks, if you are not already familiar with the instances of use of a task, we will point you to a Special Edition Using book. A Special Edition Using is the most complete core tutorial reference on the topic and can provide you with both background information and tutorial style learning that will help you to understand the topic more thoroughly.
NOTE: This feature`s task requires understanding of a complex subject. If you are not familiar with this feature, you will probably want to become acquainted with it by reading Special Edition Using Microsoft Excel 97 for a complete tutorial coverage.
No one book can cover all of the needs of every user. Que offers a complete line of Office 97-related titles. Look for Quick References on each of the Office 97 components as well as Windows 95. Special Edition Using Microsoft Excel 97 is the most complete tutorial and reference volume available for Excel 97, and answers end-user questions with clear, concise, and comprehensive authority. Special Edition Using Microsoft Office 97 Professional is the most complete tutorial and reference volume available for Office 97, and Que's Net Savvy Office 97 concentrates its content on getting the most of Office 97's extensive Internet and intranet features. Ask your bookseller for the availability of other Que titles.
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