Excel® 2007 Bible

Chapter 30. Using Excel in a Workgroup

<feature><title>In This Chapter</title>

• Using Excel on a network

• Understanding file reservations

• Using shared workbooks

• Tracking changes in a workbook

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Most people who use a computer in an office connect to others via a network. In fact, networks have also become common in homes. By enabling users to easily share data (and peripheral devices), networks make it much easier for people to work together on projects. Excel has a number of features that facilitate this type of cooperation, and those features are the subject of this chapter.

Note

If you’re working on a corporate network, you may need to consult with your network administrator before using any of the features described in this chapter.

Using Excel on a Network

A computer network consists of a group of PCs that are linked electronically. Users on a network can perform these tasks:

• Access files on other systems

• Share files with other users

• Share resources, such as printers, scanners, and fax modems

• Communicate with each other electronically

Excel has tools that enable you to work cooperatively with other Excel users on a project.

Understanding File Reservations

Networks provide users with the ability to share information stored on other computer systems. Sharing files on a network has two major advantages:

• It eliminates the need to have multiple copies of the files stored locally on user PCs.

• It ensures that the file is always up-to-date. For example, a group of users can work on a single document, ...