Add-Ins
Euro Currency Tools Add-In
Add-ins are supplemental programs that add custom commands and features to Excel. Excel 2000 contains a Euro Currency Tools add-in that provides several tools to work with Euros. A button 1 is added to the Formatting toolbar so that you can apply a Euro symbol to worksheet values and the Euro currency format 2 is available in the Format Cells dialog box (see Figure 3.32).
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Additionally, the Euro Currency Tools add-in includes a worksheet function—EUROCONVERT—that converts currencies using the fixed conversion rates and conversion rules as established by the European Union (EU).
Before you attempt to activate this add-in, there are a few things you should know:
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This add-in is not installed with Excel by default. To install the add-in, you either need access to the Office 2000 CD or the location on your organization's network where the Office 2000 program files are stored.
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For Excel 2000 to recognize Euro values, your operating system must support the Euro symbol. Windows 98 and Windows 2000 Professional have this support built in. Users of Windows 95 and Windows NT Workstation 4.0 can download Euro symbol support.
- The conversion rates used by the EUROCONVERT function may not be accurate. Although Microsoft has information on their Web site about support for the Euro, it does not appear to be very current:
To load the Euro Currency Tools, choose Tools, Add-Ins. In the Add-ins dialog box, select the Euro Currency Tools check box (see Figure 3.33).
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FIG. 3.32 Euro symbol support in Excel 2000.
FIG. 3.33 Excel 2000 Add-In dialog box.
Analysis ToolPak Add-In
Excel contains a set of statistical and engineering analytical tools in the Analysis ToolPak add-in. To load the Analysis ToolPak, choose Tools, Add-Ins. In the Add-ins dialog box select the Analysis ToolPak (see Figure 3.34).
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After the ToolPak is installed, you access these tools through the Tools, Data Analysis command. Figure 3.35 shows some of the tools listed in the Data Analysis dialog box.
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NOTE
The Data Analysis tools assume you are already familiar with the statistics or engineering concepts behind the tools.
In addition to the analytical tools, a number of statistical, date, financial, and an entirely new category of engineering worksheet functions are added to Excel when the Analysis ToolPak is installed. One example of an added function is EDATE. The EDATE date function returns the serial number for a date that is a specified number of months before or after a specified date (the start_date). Suppose you want to add two months to a date, so if the start date is 1/1/01 you want the result to be 3/1/01. Adding 60 days to the start date would result in 3/2/01. You would use the EDATE function to return the correct date.
FIG. 3.34 Excel 2000 Add-in dialog box.
FIG. 3.35 Excel Data Analysis Tools dialog box.
Template Wizard with Data Tracking Add-In
The Template Wizard with Data Tracking is used to link cells in a worksheet to fields in a list in Excel or a database in Access, FoxPro, dBASE, or Paradox. This is particularly useful with templates that are input forms. When the form is filled in, a corresponding record is created in a database. The information in the database then can be manipulated using the features of the database.
Some of the built-in templates include a feature that enables you to add data to a database each time you complete the template form. The data is added as a new record in a database that is associated with the template. You can also create your own custom templates that store data in a database by using the Template Wizard with Data Tracking.
For example, suppose you want to track the hours that employees worked each week on client projects. You would design a work-log form on a worksheet and use the Template Wizard to create the template and links to a database. When the employee completes the work-log form, the copy of the form can be saved or printed. The completed work-log data is copied to the corresponding data fields as a new record in the database.
Additionally, you can use this feature with multiple sites that are connected by a network, where the form is linked to a central database. Store the template on a shared network drive to make it available to all users. You will need to create a shortcut to the template and ensure that the shortcut is copied to the Templates folder on each user's desktop.
To load the Template Wizard with the Data Tracking Add-in, choose Tools, Add-Ins. In the Add-ins dialog box, select Template Wizard with Data Tracking (see Figure 3.36) and click OK.
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NOTE
The Data Tracking add-in is not installed with Excel by default. To install the add-in, you either need access to the Office 2000 CD or the network location where the Office 2000 installation files are stored.
After the Data Tracking add-in is installed, you access the wizard through the Data, Template Wizard command. The Template Wizard contains five steps, with explanations to guide you through the wizard (see Figure 3.37). Follow the steps in the wizard to create the data-tracking links.
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FIG. 3.36 Excel 2000 Add-in dialog box.
FIG. 3.37 Step 1 of the Template Wizard.