This browser does not support basic Web standards, preventing the display of our site's intended design. May we suggest that you upgrade your browser?

Microsoft Excel XP

Toolbars and Buttons

Like other programs in the Microsoft Office suite, Excel XP features a collection of toolbars with various buttons that are shortcuts for accomplishing tasks. These can be customized to meet your own working style. This document provides an explanation for the toolbars and buttons used in Excel XP.

return to topButtons

To determine the purpose of any button:

  1. Point to the button (rest your mouse on it without clicking)
    A tool tip will appear indicating the purpose of that tool.

return to topToolbars

The toolbars available in Excel XP include:

  • Standard
  • Formatting
  • Clipboard
  • Picture
  • Drawing
  • Chart
  • Control Toolbox
  • External Data
  • Reviewing
  • Web
  • Forms
  • Pivot Table
  • Visual Basic
  • WordArt
  • Formula Auditing
  • Protection
  • Text to Speech
  • Watch Window

To display/hide a toolbar

  1. From the View menu, select Toolbars » the toolbar you want displayed/hidden
    A checkmark before the toolbar name means that the toolbar is currently displayed.

The Standard and Formatting toolbars are the most common and are similar throughout Office XP with some differences.

return to topStandard Toolbar

The Standard toolbar appears at the top of the screen (just below the Windows toolbar) and contains shortcut buttons for the most frequently used actions (e.g., creating a new workbook, saving the file, spell checking, cutting and pasting, etc.). The buttons are grouped into sets of three or four buttons.

standard toolbar

Button Purpose Button Purpose

new button

 Starts a new workbook     undo button Undoes previous action
open button Opens an existing workbook redo button Redoes previous action
save button Saves the current workbook    insert hyperlink button Inserts hyperlink
search button Opens the Search task pane  function button Inserts the =Sum( ) function and other functions
   print button Prints current worksheet sort ascending button Sorts data in ascending order by alpha characters
print preview button Shows the print preview sort descending button Sorts data in descending order by alpha characters
spell check button Begins Spell Check    chart wizard button Opens the Chart Wizard
   cut button Cuts selection drawing toolbar button Opens/makes visible the Drawing toolbar
copy button Copies selection zoom control Changes zoom control to zoom in or out
paste button Pastes cut or copied selection office assistant button Opens the Office Assistant feature with searchable help and tips
format painter button Copies format from another formatted cell (Format Painter)

 

return to topFormatting Toolbar

The Formatting toolbar appears at the top of the screen and contains shortcut buttons for the most often used formatting actions (e.g., changing font type and size or decimal point alignment, bolding text, etc.).

formatting toolbar

Button Purpose Button Purpose
font pull-down list Changes font of selection    currency button Formats selection to Currency style
font size box Changes size of selection percent button Formats selection to Percent style
   bold button Bolds selection comma button Formats selection to Comma style
italic button Italicizes selection increase decimal places button Increases number of decimal places shown
underline button Underlines selection decrease decimal places button Decreases number of decimal places shown
   align left button Left aligns selection    decrease indent button Decreases indent
 align center button Centers selection increase indent button Increases indent
align right button Right aligns selection  borders button Adds border lines to the cells
center across selection button Toggles between merging (combining) and unmerging selected cells. fill color button Changes color of the selected cell

font color button

 Changes color of the font

 

return to topCustomizing Toolbars

To customize a toolbar to better fit your needs, you may add or delete buttons.

Adding Buttons

  1. From the Tools menu, select Customize ...
    The Customize dialog box appears.

  2. In the Customize dialog box, select the Commands tab
    Customize dialog box

  3. To select a category of buttons, from the Categories listing, select the desired category
    Buttons from this category now appear in the Commands listing.

  4. In the Commands listing, select the button you want to add
    You can find out more about a button by selecting it and then clicking DESCRIPTION.

  5. From the Commands listing of the dialog box, click and drag the button you want to add onto any toolbar in the Excel environment
    HINT: The insertion point will be shown on the toolbar with a thick black I-bar.
    The button is now added.

  6. When finished, click CLOSE

Deleting Buttons

  1. On the appropriate toolbar, right click the button you want to delete » select Customize ...
    The Customize dialog box appears.

  2. On the appropriate toolbar, right click the button you want to delete
    A Quick menu appears.
    delete button menu

  3. To confirm the correct dialog box is reference, review the name
    If it is not the button you want to delete, click on an empty part of the worksheet and repeat step 3

  4. From the Quick menu, select Delete
    The button is deleted.
    NOTE: If you accidentally delete a button you want to keep, follow the instructions for adding a button.

  5. In the Customize dialog box, click CLOSE

Excellence. Our Measure. Our Motto. Our Goal.