2.1 Discovering Excel features

The user interface and its ribbon

Upon opening Excel, the program opens the first of the three spreadsheets (Sheet1) in a new workbook (Class1).

This window appears when you open a new workbook upon starting the software.

When you launch Excel, the Ribbon contains the following tabs from left to right:

• File tab: Contains all of the file-related commands, including Save, Open (selected by default), Print, and Exit, and an Options button that allows you to change the default Excel settings. There is also the Account button, which gives access to information about the user of the program.
• The Quick Access Toolbar: Contains buttons on which you can click to perform commonly used tasks, such as saving your work or undoing or redoing a change.
• The Ribbon: Contains the majority of Excel commands, divided into a number of tabs and groups, from Home to View.
• The Formula bar: Displays the address of the selected cell and its contents.
• The Spreadsheet area: Contains all of the cells making up the current worksheet.
• The Status bar: Indicates which mode the program is in, and which special keys are activated, allows you to select another spreadsheet and zoom in or out on the displayed spreadsheet.