People use Excel differently, that is one thing that is great about it – flexibility. So how you use it really does depend on your personal style of working and the type of data you are managing, or activity you are using Excel for. Excel has the built-in flexibility to allow the user to change the program window if the so wish. The user can choose to change how Excel displays worksheets. You can zoom in on your worksheet data, add frequently used command to your Quick Access Toolbar, hide, display and change the order of your ribbon tabs as well as create custom tabs to make groups if commands readily accessible.

Here we discuss how to Add Buttons To The Quick Access Toolbar (QAT).

As you work more and more with Excel most users will find there are a certain number of commands they use over and over again. If you import data a lot then you will find yourself in the Data Tab – Connections Group and using Refresh All more than your colleague or indeed the Excel designers would have thought. Whatever commands you use a lot you can make any button accessible with just one click by adding it to the QAT, which is located just above the ribbon in the left hand corner of the Excel program window. To add a command to your QAT

• Click the drop down arrow to the right of the quick access toolbar
• Select Customize Quick Access Toolbar

This page has two panes. The left pane lists all of the control available by category and the right hand pane has all of the commands currently on your own QAT. To add a control:-

• Commands
• Select the category that contain the control you want to add
• The available commands in that category will be displayed in the box below the Choose Commands from field.
• Just click the control you want
• Hit Add

It is just as easy if you want to remove any commands from the QAT

• Click the name of the command in the right hand pane
• Hit the Remove button

If you want to change the position of any of your commands

• Click the name of the command in the right hand pane
• Hit the Up or Down button to change it’s position
• When you have finished making your changes just hit the OK button.

If you need to return the QAT to its original state

• Select the Reset Only Quick Access Toolbar -removes any changes only made to your QAT OR
• Reset All Customizations- returns the entire Ribbon to its original state

You can also choose whether your QAT changes affect all of your Excel workbooks or just the active work book. This is controlled in the right hand side of your Customize Quick Access Toolbar page If you want the changes to affect all workbook, just hit For All Documents(default) or For Workbook which restricts this to the active workbook only.

As you can see Excel 2010 is really customizable from a user point if view, adding the most useful commands in one area increases productivity and ease of navigation. Give this customization a go, it really makes a difference to the end-user experience in Excel 2010.

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