Microsoft Excel Features

Microsoft Excel is one of the most powerful tools used for data management. Almost all the top organizations use Excel as a tool for maintaining and analyzing their data operations. Excel was developed and released by Microsoft Corporation in 1985 for Microsoft Windows OS. It had undergone many modifications during the last 30 years and many advanced versions are now available for other operating systems like Mac OS X, iOS etc. There are several features for Microsoft Excel and it is important that a beginner should learn these features before starting the excel lessons. Few of the important features are listed below:

• Interface: New MS Excel comes with a more advanced user interface that provides the user with quick access tools and menus. The new interface customizes the workspace in such a way that a separate menu will be created for the most frequently used tools.

• Advanced formatting feature: The advanced formatting feature helps you to change the cell format on the basis of the cell content, range of cells or other cells in the workbook. Conditional formatting uses basic cell and font formatting techniques such as cell borders, number format, font colour etc. and enables the user to easily notice errors in a spreadsheet.

• More storage space: The new Excel has more storage space compared to the earlier versions. The number of cells have increased gradually due to the increase in number of rows and columns, which provide larger storage space.

• Sorting and filtering options: Sorting and filtering options help you to sort out large amount of data so that it will be easier for you to find out the required information. Also filtering removes unwanted or repeated data and helps to save time and effort.

• Smooth file conversion techniques: The advanced file conversion techniques in MS Excel helps you to convert the excel file to other file formats like XML, PDF, XPS etc. very easily.

• Charts and tables: MS Excel is one of the excellent tools that help in the visual representation of data and information. It provides many options to create bar charts, column charts and graphs in support of your data and automatically revises the charts, once the data gets modified. Tables help to classify different entities according to their characteristics and features.

• Low file size: Since the new versions of MS Excel comes with advanced algorithmic techniques, the size of saved files will be much lesser compared to the earlier versions. Moreover, it enables you to run more than 2 excel files at a time.

• Functions: MS Excel provides a platform to perform both mathematical and logical functions like addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, average, sum, mod, product etc.