Excel 2003 Enhancements

The biggest changes to Excel include the addition of powerful XML support features, linking to XML schema, transforms upon Open and Save, and the drag-and-drop visual mapping capability for building XML documents in Excel. Additionally, other enhancements we've already covered-such as Tablet PC ink support and the new Research task pane-make Excel more flexible and easier to use.

Links to SharePoint Team Services

Another significant enhancement in Excel includes its seamless integration with SharePoint Team Services. Now you can import SharePoint list data directly into your Excel spreadsheet, and export that data back to SharePoint just as easily. The Datasheet view in your SharePoint Team Services site provides the tools you'll use to work seamlessly with Excel. (See Figure 8-8.)

Figure 8-8: You can import and export Excel data to and from SharePoint Team Services sites.

Additional improvements in Excel have been made in the enhanced smart tag functionality and in the number of statistical functions currently supported.

From the Experts

Craig Stinson, coauthor of Microsoft Office Excel 2003 Inside Out (Microsoft Press, 2003), says: 'List management is something a large number of spreadsheet people do in Excel…phone lists, contact lists, grocery lists…because it's so easy to do. The list-management features, and the integration with SharePoint Team Services, will make a huge difference. People will use those features. And what will really make a difference is seeing XML in larger adoption.'