Conventions in This Book

Take a minute to skim this section and learn some of the typographic conventions used throughout this book.

Keyboard Conventions

You need to use the keyboard to enter formulas. In addition, you can work with menus and dialog boxes directly from the keyboard-a method you may find easier if your hands are already positioned over the keys.

FORMULA LISTINGS

Formulas usually appear on a separate line in monospace font. For example, I may list the following formula:

 =VLOOKUP(StockNumber,PriceList,2,False) 

Excel supports a special type of formula known as an array formula. When you enter an array formula, press Ctrl+Shift+Enter (not just Enter). Excel encloses an array formula in brackets in order to remind you that it's an array formula. When I list an array formula, I include the brackets to make it clear that it is, in fact, an array formula. For example:

 {=SUM(LEN(A1:A10))} 

Note 

Do not type the brackets for an array formula. Excel will put them in automatically.

VBA CODE LISTINGS

This book also contains examples of VBA code. Each listing appears in a monospace font; each line of code occupies a separate line. To make the code easier to read, I usually use one or more tabs to create indentations. Indentation is optional, but it does help to delineate statements that go together.

If a line of code doesn't fit on a single line in this book, I use the standard VBA line continuation sequence: a space followed by an underscore character. This indicates that the line of code extends to the next line. For example, the following two lines comprise a single VBA statement:

 If Right(cell.Value, 1) = "!" Then cell.Value _    = Left(cell.Value, Len(cell.Value) - 1) 

You can enter this code either exactly as shown on two lines, or on a single line without the trailing underscore character.

KEY NAMES

Names of keys on the keyboard appear in normal type, for example Alt, Home, PgDn, and Ctrl. When you should press two keys simultaneously, the keys are connected with a plus sign: "Press Ctrl+G to display the Go To dialog box."

FUNCTIONS, PROCEDURES, AND NAMED RANGES

Excel's worksheet functions appear in all uppercase, like so: "Use the SUM function to add the values in column A."

Macro and procedure names appear in normal type: "Execute the InsertTotals procedure." I often use mixed upper- and lowercase to make these names easier to read. Named ranges appear in italic: "Select the InputArea range."

Unless you're dealing with text inside of quotation marks, Excel is not sensitive to case. In other words, both of the following formulas produce the same result:

 =SUM(A1:A50) =sum(a1:a50) 

Excel, however, will convert the characters in the second formula to uppercase.

Mouse Conventions

The mouse terminology in this book is all standard fare: "pointing," "clicking," "right-clicking," "dragging," and so on. You know the drill.

What the Icons Mean

Throughout the book, icons appear to call your attention to points that are particularly important.

NEW 

This icon indicates a feature new to Excel 2007.

Note 

I use Note icons to tell you that something is important-perhaps a concept that may help you master the task at hand or something fundamental for understanding subsequent material.

Tip 

Tip icons indicate a more efficient way of doing something, or a technique that may not be obvious. These will often impress your officemates.

On the CD 

These icons indicate that an example file is on the companion CD-ROM. (See the upcoming "About the Companion CD-ROM" section.)

Caution 

I use Caution icons when the operation that I'm describing can cause problems if you're not careful.

Cross Ref 

I use the Cross Reference icon to refer you to other chapters that have more to say on a particular topic.