There are a lot of different resources available for Microsoft Excel training. You can find training on how to use all parts of Microsoft excel as well as very specific training on how to use certain parts of Microsoft excel. There are many different excel professionals that provide training and tips about using excel. You can do a lot with excel but most people don’t know how to use certain functions.

The individuals in your company that use excel may have different skill levels and this can make getting a project done difficult as you will need to train different individuals and this can cause problems with productivity. By having everyone on the same skill level you will find it is much easier to complete all of your projects.

By training all of your staff you can ensure that everyone can use all the functions of excel and complete the project and increase productivity.

If you don’t have a seminar in your future then there are several online courses on how to use excel. The time length of these courses last from 30 to 60 minutes. The online topics you can find courses are filtering external data, excel macros, importing text files into excel, creating charts, different printing options and other excel features.

There are also many Microsoft excel training guides that come in the form of books or as tutorial Cds. You can even find texts on how to become certified as a Microsoft excel specialist.

Some additional and more advanced training can be found for analyzing data and other content, how to manage workbooks, creating data and formatting content and data.

The writer of this article is a developer and trainer with TrainingCompany.Com, a UK IT training company offering Microsoft Excel 2007 Classes at their central London training centre.

Microsoft Office Excel 2007 contains no menus or toolbars. However, it does include a feature called the Office Button which bears a remarkable similarity to a menu as well as a Quick Access Toolbar which functions a lot like the toolbars found in previous releases of Microsoft Office. In this article, we’ll take a look at these two features and see how they work.

Excel’s Office Button

The Office Button is found in the top left of the Excel screen. When you click it, a menu appears which resembles menus found in most software programs and also in previous versions of Excel. The Office Button menu allows you to create, open, save and print documents. It also contains options for preparing documents for distribution, closing the currently active document and exiting Excel altogether.

The Office Button also contains a list of the recently opened files. Next to the name of each file is a pin icon. This icon is used to pin the associated document. Pinning a document means that it won’t disappear from the list of recently opened files. By contrast, unpinned documents will eventually disappear from the list as files are created and opened.

It is also here that you will find “Excel Options”. (This is equivalent to Tools-Options found in previous versions of Excel.) Excel Options are displayed as a column of categorised tabs on the left of the dialog. Just click on a tab to reveal options in that category. The Excel Options customise the way in which Excel works. Let’s look at a few examples…

Excel’s Developer Tab (which contains commands for working with macros) is not visible when Excel is first installed. To make Excel display it, choose “Excel Options” from the Office Button and, in the “Popular” category, switch on the option “Show Developer Tab in the Ribbon”. A second example… By default, each new document you create has three sheets. If you find this too many or too few, you can change the number of sheets which each new work will contain. Choose “Excel Options” from the Office Button and, in the “Popular” category, under the section headed “When Creating New Workbooks Include this Many Sheets”, simply enter your preferred number of sheets for each new workbook you create.

The Excel Quick Access Toolbar

The Excel Quick Access Toolbar is usually displayed in the top left of the screen, next to the Office Button. It functions in a similar way to the toolbars found in old versions of Microsoft Excel.

By default, the Quick Access Toolbar contains only three commands: saving the current workbook, undoing commands and redoing commands.

To the right of the three default commands is a menu which enables you to personalise the Quick Access Toolbar and determine which buttons are displayed and which commands remain hidden.

Each of the commands in the Quick Access Toolbar menu is a switch: if a command is active, when you select it, it will be removed: if a command is hidden, choosing it will make it visible.

Another method of customising the Quick Access Toolbar is to add your favourite options from the Excel Ribbon. Just right click on an option in any of the Tabs of the Ribbon. In the context menu which pops up, simply choose “Add To Quick Access Toolbar”.

If you find that you are using the Quick Access Toolbar a lot, you may find it convenient to move it below the Ribbon. Simply choose “Show Below The Ribbon” from the Quick Access Toolbar drop-down menu. You can also make the Quick Access Toolbar more accessible by minimising the ribbon. To do this, double-click on the name of any ribbon Tab or choose “Minimise the Ribbon” from the Quick Access Toolbar menu.

One of the pivotal components of the Microsoft Office 2007, Excel is a uniquely powerful spreadsheet. If you bought this sophisticated piece of software, it makes sense to ensure that your staff members know how to use it effectively. Having allowed them a week or two to get used to the new environment and go through some online tutorials, you will probably want to get them properly trained. Tutor-led software training has the benefit that delegates are able to ask questions as they learn and have complex concepts explained and demonstrated to them until they fully understand them.

Sending your people on a public Excel course is one possibility. However, increasingly companies are demanding to have this training customised to meet their specific demands. Microsoft Excel can be used for a variety of data analysis and storage tasks: not everyone uses it in the same way. Perhaps you will be using it for complex business modelling. Or, you may be using it to create interactive forms and reports complete with complex calculations. Maybe your staff will be using the program in a database role recording information under column headings. Booking a customised course will ensure that you only pay for instruction which is relevant to your requirements and reflects the way in which you will be using Microsoft Excel.

Before you start contacting Excel training companies, it would be a good idea to ensure that you have a clear idea of what you want to achieve by using Excel and that your expectations are realistic. When you approach training companies, you should make it clear that you do not simply want them to deliver their standard Excel courses but that you require a customised programme of training. Between you, a schedule of topics to be covered should then be drawn up and the duration of the program decided.

The customisation process may also involve identifying different requirements within your own organisation. Different people may need to do different tasks with the program and therefore need different skills. For example, some of your users will be primarily interested in using Excel for business analysis and projection. Their primary areas of interest will be the “What if” analysis tool like goal seek, scenarios and pivot tables. On the other hand, you may have people who are interested in create charts and reports either for printing or for use in PowerPoint presentations.

Most training companies offering customised Excel courses should be willing to accommodate the specific needs of your organisation and the different profiles of the staff members: accounts, sales and marketing, etc. Between you, you can then create a program of study which satisfies the needs of all users. Perhaps this may mean, having different courses for users with different profiles or perhaps the best approach will be a modular one whereby some modules are taken by everyone while others are only attended by certain user groups.

XML schema definition languages are derived from the recommendations of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). They use XML 1.0 syntax and their role is to explicit describe the structure of XML documents and constrain the data which they may contain. They offer a distinct improvement on the more limited schema features offered by the Document Type Definition (DTD) recommendation which formed part of the original XML specification released in 1998. The most widely used schema language is the one defined by the W3C in 2001: W3C XML Schema. However, there are alternatives, such as RELAX NG and Schematron.

Schema documents are the more sophisticated successors to DTDs and overcome some key limitations associated with them. Firstly, DTDs do not support data types. Secondly, DTDs do not support namespaces. Thirdly, DTDs do not allow developers to accurately define the number of permitted occurrences of elements within their parent element.

An XML schema describes the structure of an XML instance document by defining what each element must or may contain. An element is limited by its type. For example, an element of complex type can contain child elements and attributes, whereas a simple-type element can only contain text. The diagram below gives a first look at the types of XML Schema elements.

Schema documents have three main purposes. Firstly, they can be used to validate XML documents. Secondly, they can be used as a dictionary or grammar for the creation of a given class of XML document. And, thirdly, they can be used to provide documentation for XML documents.

Each XML schema is itself an XML document and contains definitions of all elements and attributes permitted in a given class of XML documents. The schema also specifies the structure or hierarchy to which elements must adhere and the type of content each particular element may contain. Elements may be of the simple or complex type. Complex type elements may contain child elements as well as attributes. Simple type element may only contain data. XML documents using a particular schema are referred to as instances of the schema. An XML instance that correctly adheres to its associated schema is said to be valid.

Validation is usually the main purpose of schema documents. Validation offers many benefits. It ensures the consistency of data within a document. It ensures that data has the right structure and internal hierarchy. It ensures that data within the document structure is of the correct type. It allows us to receive data from multiple sources.

Almost all XML documents are generated by programs and scripts written to extract information held in databases and transform it into XML. However, it is also possible for human beings to create XML documents. Schemas can be used during this process to assist in the document creation process. XML schemas also provide a mechanism for documenting XML documents and form an important part of the specification of XML vocabularies.

The Mini toolbar is a floating palette which automatically appears when you highlight text. Initially all the options it contains are discreetly dimmed. However, when you position the cursor over its controls, the Mini toolbar becomes activated.

It offers a selection of handy options for formatting your text. All of these options can equally be found in the Home tab of the Word Ribbon. The top row of Mini toolbar icons allows you to change the font, size and colour of our text and also contains Word’s nifty Format Painter. Word’s Format Painter tool allows you to copy the format of the selected text to other areas of your document.

The second row of the Mini toolbar has buttons for making text bold, italic, centre aligned. It also has tools for changing the colour of the highlighted text, indenting text and converting your text to bullet points.

The Mini toolbar offers a very convenient way of quickly formatting your text without having to go back to the Ribbon to find the options you’re looking for. However, there are times when it can be inconvenient. This is particularly true when using the drag-and-drop facility within Microsoft Word.

This feature allows you to highlight text and simply drag it to a new location. However, just as you are about to drag, it’s very easy for the cursor to collide with the Mini toolbar and instead of dragging your text, you simply change its format.

As a Word user, you’ll decide whether you like the Mini toolbar facility. If you decide it is more trouble than it’s worth, Word allows you to deactivate this facility. From the Office button, choose Word Options. In the Popular category, the very first option is “Show Mini Toolbar on selection”. If you have had enough of the Mini toolbar, simply deactivate this option. Now, whenever you highlight text, the Mini toolbar will not appear.

Even when you have asked Word not to display the Mini toolbar, it is still possible to show it by simply right-clicking on selected text.

When you’ve taken the plunge and upgraded to Excel 2007, you will almost certainly benefit from some training. Which type of training you choose depends on your existing experience in using the program. However, in general, the ideal course will first of all rid you of the disorientation most Excel users feel when faced with the Excel 2007 interface. In addition, your Excel 2007 training course should show you how to make the most of the new features version 2007 has to offer.

One of the first things you should look for in having training on Excel 2007 is a full explanation of how the new interface works. You should be shown the new way of working and learn useful tips and shortcuts which will enable you to become at least as productive in Excel 2007 as you were in 2003.

In addition to this, however, you will want to learn the new features that Excel 2007 has to offer: the stuff that either wasn’t available in previous versions or which has undergone considerable enhancement.

The number of cells in an Excel 2007 worksheet is now about 1000 times bigger than in previous versions. If you book training on Excel 2007, you should learn ways of taking advantage of this new space and also pick some tips on efficient navigation and management of this huge area.

Pivot tables are a key area where Excel 2007 has made improvements. Ensure that any Excel 2007 training that you book includes first of all an explanation of pivot table essentials (pivot tables often confuse users) and then moves on to the new ways of creating and manipulating pivot tables offered in Excel 2007.

Charts have been given a big overhaul in version 2007. So be sure your training includes coverage of the special effects available in Excel 2007 charting and graphics. Your training course should cover such features as the format, design and layout ribbons and how to use SmartArt graphics and shapes. If charting is particularly important in your organisation, then make sure your training covers things like trendlines, scatter charts and pivot charts.

Another feature that has been developed in Excel 2007 is conditional formatting. Be sure that any training you have on Excel 2007 includes some insight into the use of Excel 2007’s powerful new conditional formatting features especially Data Bars and Color Scale.

An Excel spreadsheet without formulas and functions is not much use to anyone. Functions are what Excel is all about. Microsoft have improved the way in which function are entered and edited and added several new functions. When you book training on Excel 2007, make sure that your course will include coverage of new functions like SumIfs, IfError and AverageIf as well as a demonstration of the improvements to the editing of formulas.

When entering numbers into a spreadsheet, one often needs to ensure that the number format is consistent. For example, if the numbers represent prices, you may want to display the appropriate currency symbol or you may simply want to ensure that the number of decimals displayed is always the same.

Unless the user specifies otherwise, all numbers in Excel are rendered in the “General” format. What this means is that numbers are displayed exactly as one enters them: if you enter two decimals, two decimals are displayed; if you went to one decimal, one decimal is displayed; and so forth.

To specify the number format, the best idea is usually to select the entire column. To do this, simply click on the letter or letters representing the column. (If text is contained in the selection, it will not be affected by the number format you specify.)

Number formats are displayed in the “Numbers” section of the Home Tab of the Ribbon. There are three main formats related to numbers: the first is called “Number”, the second “Currency” and the third “Accounting”. To gain access to the full range of number formats, choose “More Number Formats” from the drop-down menu. Another way of accessing the same dialog box is to click on the launch button in the “Numbers” section of the Home Tab.

When you click on each of the number formats, you are presented with a series of choices which enable you to refine the way that the format will work. For example, if our numbers refer to an hourly rate, we would probably click the “Number” category in the left column and then specify two decimal places. The option labelled “Use Thousands Separator” will insert the appropriate separator to demarcate thousands. The separator which Excel uses will depend on your locality: for example, if you are in the UK or USA, a comma will be used; if you are in a European country, a dot will be used.

The final option in the “Number” category lets you control the display of negative numbers. The default is to preced the number with a minus sign and to leave the colour of the text unchanged. However, you can also suppress the minus sign and change the colour of negative numbers to red; or, if you prefer, you can change the colour of negative numbers to red as well as displaying the minus sign.

Clicking the “Currency” category, reveals pretty much the same choices as “Number” with the addition of a currency symbol. You can specify which currency symbol is used or you can dispense with the currency symbol altogether.

The “Accounting” category is almost identical to “Currency”. Once again, we can choose the currency symbol. However, you will notice that there are no choices relating to negative numbers. The convention in accountancy is to put negative numbers in brackets.

As well as using the number dialog box, you’ll notice a series of handy buttons which can apply each of the number formats with one click. There are also a couple of buttons for increasing and decreasing the number of decimals displayed in the selected cells.

Finally, there will be times where you enter a number into a cell but do not want Excel to regard it as a number. For example, if you have a column of data with an ID of some sort, although the ID may be numeric, you may not want Excel to see it as a number or to change it in any way. You will probably want the ID to simply stay exactly as it was entered. In this scenario, it’s best to format the number as “Text”. The easiest way of doing this is to highlight the appropriate column and in the number dialog box select the “Text” category.

As well as using the mouse, Microsoft Word 2007 contains a number of useful options for selecting text via the keyboard. Most of these options involve using the Shift key in conjunction with other keys. However, there are also some techniques which rely entirely on the keyboard.

Making discontiguous selections

One such technique is click followed by Shift-click. To use this technique, click to mark the start of the area that needs to be highlighted. Next, hold down the Shift key and click to mark the point where you want the highlighting to end. All text between the two clicks will then be highlighted.

Using Shift and Control

A more well-known technique is click followed by Shift-click. To use this technique, click to mark the start of the area that needs to be highlighted. Next, hold down the Shift key and click to mark the point where you want the highlighting to end. All text between the two clicks will then be highlighted.

Using the Home and End keys

The Shift key can also be used in conjunction with the Control key. For example, beginning at the start of the document, if you hold down Control and Shift and press the right arrow, you will select word by word instead of character by character. Similarly if you press Control, Shift and the down arrow, you select paragraph by paragraph.

Using the Home and End keys

Making discontiguous selections

As well as using Shift, you can use Control-Shift. Control-Shift Home will select from the cursor position to the start of the document. Control-Shift end will select from the cursor position to the end of the document.

Making discontiguous selections

One final highlighting technique definitely worth mentioning is the use of the Control key in conjunction with the mouse. This enables you to make discontiguous selections: in other words, selection that have gaps. For example if we want to select just the headings in a particular document, you can drag across the first heading to select it; hold down the Control key and drag across each of the other headings. You will notice that the headings will be selected while the text between them is not. You can then change the format of your headings and none of the other text will affected.

Excel’s AutoFill facility relies on the program’s ability to recognize patterns in the values that you enter. For example, say you type “Week 1″ in a cell; you can have the program automatically enter “Week 2″, “Week 3″, etc. by dragging the AutoFill handle. This is situated in the bottom right of the cell. When the cursor moves over it, the cursor changes appearance to a plus sign (+). At this point you simply click, hold, drag in any direction and Excel will pick up the pattern and reproduce it to create automatic data entries.

Each time you use the AutoFill handle Excel displays the AutoFill Options drop down menu just below the last cell which has been automatically created. If the program has not entered the data you wanted it to, just choose one of the entries in the AutoFill Options to tell it what you wanted it to do. For example, if you choose Copy Cells, Excel will generate an exact copy of what was in the original cell.

Excel also has the ability to automatically enter arbitrary series of data using a feature called Custom Lists. Certain lists are built into Excel, for example, the months of the year. To use the AutoFill feature, enter the first value in the list, for example, “Jan” or “January”. Next drag the AutoFill handle (located in the bottom right of the active cell) in any direction to automatically enter the rest of the custom list.

In addition to Excel’s built-in lists, you can also create your own custom lists. For example, let’s say we work for a company that has branches in several towns. We would almost certainly need to list these towns quite frequently in our spreadsheets. We could save ourselves a fair amount of time by setting up the towns as a custom list.

To create a custom list, simply select some cells that contain the information. Next, choose Excel options by clicking on the Office button. Click “Edit Custom Lists” in the “Popular” tab. Excel lists the contents of the cells that were highlighted. To set up the selected data as a custom list, simply click on the “Import” button.

Once you’ve created a custom list, it can be used in any of your worksheets, not just the sheet that contained the original information. To generate the entries in the list, simply type the first value. Next, drag the AutoFill handle to conjure up the remaining entries. When using this facility, we can drag in any direction and we don’t have to start with the first member of the custom list.

Custom lists can also be entered directly in the “Custom Lists” dialog box. To do this, click on the “List Entries” button and type the list separating entries with a carriage return. After entering the list, click on the Add button to make it permanent.

To delete a custom list, simply click on it and click on the “Delete” button. Excel verifies that you want to delete the list and when you click “OK”, the list is gone.

Sometimes, when you look at a document which was created by someone else, you are at a loss as to which characters they have used to format the document. If they are not experienced in using programs like Microsoft Word, they may be prone to common errors; things like using the space bar instead of the tab key and entering two spaces after a full stop. Microsoft Word’s Show/Hide feature displays symbols representing these invisible characters. This can help you both to find out what characters someone else has used within a document and to spot errors in your own work.

The Show/Hide button can be found in the Paragraph group of the Home tab of the Microsoft Word Ribbon. It is a toggle or switch: click to show invisible characters and click again to hide them.

The most common symbol which is encountered when invisible characters are being shown is the dot. This represents a space. A tab is represented by an arrow which is obtained by pressing the Tab key on the keyboard. Then we have a paragraph symbol represents the end of each paragraph. This is obtained by pressing carriage return. Many people insert two returns at to end each paragraph which tends to create too much space. Word’s Show/Hide feature will confirm where this has been done.

A curved arrow represents a line break (as opposed to a paragraph break) which can be obtained by holding down the Shift key while pressing return. Line breaks can also be generated automatically when a piece of text is passed repeatedly from one environment to another; for example, when an e-mail is forwarded from person to person.

When non-printing characters are being displayed, page breaks, column breaks and section breaks are also indicated. A page break is indicated by the words “Page Break” preceded and followed by a dotted line and section and column breaks are indicated in a similar way.

The Show/Hide facility does nothing to help you clean up documents but it’s a very useful starting point to tell you what’s wrong with a document that does not look right or prints in a strange way. Using this facility you can work out what needs to be changed. To actually clean up the document you normally use the Replace command which is found in the Editing section of the Home tab of the Word Ribbon.