Microsoft Excel templates: what are they for?

Microsoft Excel is now one of the most accepted spreadsheet programs in the world. The first version was in 1985. The current version is 2007 and will be released soon, 2010.

Excel has extensive graphics capabilities. There are several other spreadsheet programs on the market. If all you need to do is do a few simple formulas, you can consider WordPerfect’s Open Office or Quattro Pro, and there are others. Do a Google search for Excel clones. Based on my experience, you won’t find a more robust program like Excel. If you need macros or share data with other database programs, you should look in Excel

Something that makes Excel powerful is that it includes Visual Basic for Applications (VBA), a Visual Basic-based programming language that adds the ability to automate tasks in Excel. As you write Macro in Excel, you are actually writing in VBA.

Now you can fine thousands of templates for Excel. Some of the templates can be used without modifications. All templates can be customized according to your needs. Finding a template for your needs is a great way to start. Build on the template and design it according to your needs. In most cases, you don’t need to start from scratch unless you want to. A good way to learn how some of the formulas work is to download a free template and take it apart. Microsoft has a complete list on the website. Just go to the Microsoft website and search for Excel and then templates. Remember that the templates are designed for specific versions of Excel, as they all have different functions available.

For more tips on Excel, visit www.excel101.biz