Excel 2016 In Depth

2. Using the Excel Interface

Using the Ribbon

The mantra of the ribbon is to use pictures and words. Many people noticed the little whisk broom icon in previous versions of Excel but never knew what it did. In Excel 2016, the same icon has the words “Format Painter” next to it. When you hover, the ToolTip offers paragraphs explaining what the tool does. The ToolTip also offers a little-known trick: You can double-click the Format Painter to copy the formatting to many places.

Using Fly-out Menus and Galleries

Another element in the ribbon is the gallery control. Galleries are used when there are dozens of options from which you can choose. The gallery shows you a visual thumbnail of each choice. A gallery starts out showing a row or two of ...