- Using the Ribbon
- Using the Quick Access Toolbar
- Using the Full-Screen File Menu
- Using Other Excel Interface Improvements
- Using the New Sheet Icon to Add Worksheets
- Navigating Through Many Worksheets Using the Controls in the Lower Left
- Using the Mini Toolbar to Format Selected Text
- Expanding the Formula Bar
- Zooming In and Out on a Worksheet
- Using the Status Bar to Add Numbers
- Switching Between Normal View, Page Break Preview, and Page Layout View Modes
Expanding the Formula Bar
Formulas range from very simple to very complex. As people started writing longer and longer formulas in Excel, an annoying problem began to appear: If the formula for a selected cell was longer than the formula bar, the formula bar would wrap and extend over the worksheet (see Figure 3.33). In many cases, the formula would obscure the first few rows of the worksheet. This was frustrating, especially if the selected cell was in the top few rows of the spreadsheet.
Figure 3.33. In legacy versions of Excel, the formula bar could obscure cells on a worksheet.
Excel 2013 includes a formula bar that prevents the formula from obscuring the spreadsheet. For example, in Figure 3.34, cell F1 contains a formula that is longer than the formula bar. Notice the down-arrow icon at the right end of the formula bar. This icon expands the formula bar.
Figure 3.34. Initially, Excel shows only the first row of the formula.
Press Ctrl+Shift+U or click the down arrow icon at the right side of the formula bar to expand the formula bar. The formula bar expands, but the entire worksheet moves down to accommodate the larger formula bar.
The formula in this example is too long for the default larger formula bar. You have to hover your mouse near the bottom of the formula bar until you see the up/down white arrow cursor. Click and drag down until you can see the entire formula (see Figure 3.35).
Figure 3.35. The worksheet moves down to accommodate the formula.