Excel: Updating from 1.50 to 2.20

SUMMARY

The following document provides tips for easily updating from Microsoft Excel version 1.50 to version 2.20.

MORE INFORMATION

Microsoft Excel for Apple Macintosh Systems Version 2.20

Welcome to Microsoft Excel version 2.20. The information in this document is intended to make your transition from Microsoft Excel version 1.50 to version 2.20 as smooth as possible. Please read this material before you begin using version 2.20.

For Instructions on Installing and Starting Microsoft Excel

See "Getting Started," in "Getting Started with Microsoft Excel."

Important: If you use a hard disk system, and you install Microsoft Excel version 2.20 without removing version 1.50, start Microsoft Excel by double-clicking the Microsoft Excel program icon, not a Microsoft Excel document icon. If you don't do this, the Macintosh Finder could start either version, regardless of which version you used to create the document. This could result in a conflict between the 1.50 and 2.20 file formats, and could lead to unexpected results. (You can find out which version of Microsoft Excel is running by choosing About Excel from the Apple menu.)

To Learn About New Features and Changes

See "Version 1.50 to 2.20," in "Microsoft Excel: Quick Reference Guide," pages 1-2.

See "Microsoft Excel Version 1.50," in "Microsoft Excel Reference," pages 471- 479.

See "Welcome," in "Microsoft Excel: Functions and Macros," pages vii-xi.

Notes on the Documentation

Two new manuals, "Microsoft Excel Reference" and "Getting Started with Microsoft Excel," replace the "Microsoft Excel User's Guide" and the "Microsoft Excel Version 1.50 Update."

The version 2.20 "Microsoft Excel Functions and Macros" manual replaces the version 1.50 "Microsoft Excel Arrays, Functions, and Macros" and the "Microsoft Excel Dialog Editor" manuals.

The version 2.20 "Microsoft Excel Quick Reference Guide" replaces the version 1.50 "Microsoft Excel Quick Reference Guide."

A keyboard template has been added to the version 2.20 package.

You can continue to use your current copy of the "Microsoft Excel Sampler."

If You Use Lotus 1-2-3

See "Lotus 1-2-3" in "Microsoft Excel Reference," pages 445-453, for a comparison of Lotus 1-2-3 and Microsoft Excel.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT MOVING FROM

MICROSOFT EXCEL VERSION 1.50 TO VERSION 2.20

Worksheet Information

Entering Formulas

Microsoft Excel version 1.50 only recognizes formulas that begin with an equal sign (=). However, Microsoft Excel version 2.20 recognizes formulas that begin with any of the following characters:

   +  -  @  =

Moving the Active Cell Through a Range

In Microsoft Excel version 1.50, pressing one of the direction keys after you select a range will move the active cell through the range. In version 2.20, pressing one of the direction keys will first remove the range selection and then move the active cell. If you want to move the active cell without removing the range selection, use the following keys:

   To Move the Active Cell      Press
   -----------------------      -----

   Up                           SHIFT+RETURN
   Down                         RETURN
   Right                        TAB
   Left                         SHIFT+TAB

Worksheets with Multiple Windows

Microsoft Excel versions 1.50 and 2.20 handle window numbering differently in worksheets with multiple windows. Version 1.50 assigns each window a unique number, and the number stays with the window. Version 2.20 renumbers windows each time you open a worksheet. The windows are numbered according to how they were layered when you saved the worksheet; if you rearrange the windows and save the worksheet, the window numbers change when you reopen the worksheet.

Microsoft Excel Version 2.20 and Your Computer's Memory

Microsoft Excel version 2.20 needs more memory to run than version 1.50. Depending on your system's configuration, you may have to make some adjustments to run version 2.20. For example, if you use MultiFinder, you can increase (or decrease) the amount of memory MultiFinder allocates to Microsoft Excel by adjusting the Application Memory Size setting in Microsoft Excel's application window. (You open the application window by selecting the Microsoft Excel icon in the Finder, and choosing the Get Info command on the File menu.) See the Apple "Macintosh MultiFinder User's Guide," pages 23-25, for details. For more information on freeing memory for Microsoft Excel, see "Memory Management" in "Microsoft Excel Reference," pages 466-468.

Charting Information

Adding a Label with More Than One Line

In Microsoft Excel version 1.50, you press RETURN to insert a line break when typing text for a chart label, and you press ENTER to place the label text on the chart. In Microsoft Excel version 2.20, press COMMAND+RETURN to insert a line break when typing label text. To place the label text on the chart, press either RETURN or ENTER.

New Line Pattern Options

The line pattern options in the Format Patterns dialog box have changed. In Microsoft Excel version 1.50, you can select from among 15 patterns to apply to lines on a chart. In version 2.20, you can select from five line types and three shading patterns, grouped under Style. (The same shading patterns are among the version 1.50 patterns.) If you assigned a pattern to a line in a chart created with version 1.50 and open the chart in version 2.20, the pattern will change to one of the new Style options.

Macro Information

Memory Implications for CUT, COPY, PASTE, DELETE, and FILL Functions

Due to new memory management techniques in Microsoft Excel version 2.20, attempting to apply the CUT, COPY, PASTE, DELETE, or FILL functions to a range that is too large causes the following message to appear:

   Selection too big, continue without undo?

   =ERROR(FALSE)
   =COPY()
   =ERROR(TRUE)

Using the OPEN and FILE.DELETE Functions

In Microsoft Excel version 1.50, the OPEN and FILE.DELETE functions display a file selection dialog box if the file is not present in the active directory. Microsoft Excel version 2.20 displays a message stating that the file can't be found. If you want to simulate the version 1.50 functionality in a version 2.20 macro, you can use the ISERROR function. For example, you could use the following to bring up the File Open dialog box:

   =ERROR(FALSE)
   =IF(ISERROR(OPEN(filename)),OPEN?())
   =ERROR(TRUE)

Using the PRINT Function

The order of arguments in the PRINT function changed between Microsoft Excel versions 1.0x and 1.50. For compatibility with earlier versions, version 1.50 accepts a value for "feed" as either the fifth or ninth argument. Microsoft Excel version 2.20 only accepts a value for "feed" as the ninth argument. If you wrote a macro in version 1.50 that uses the PRINT function and you want to run it in version 2.20, make sure that the "feed" argument appears in the ninth position.

Incorrect Values in a Dialog Box Definition Table

Microsoft Excel version 1.50 ignores incorrect value types in a dialog box definition table. Microsoft Excel version 2.20 displays a message when it finds an incorrect value type. An example of an incorrect value type would be text in the Init/Result column of a list box entry in a dialog box definition table. For more information, see Chapter 7, "Custom Menus and Dialog Boxes," in "Microsoft Excel Functions and Macros."

Applying Number Formats to Text in a Custom Dialog Box

Microsoft Excel version 1.50 lets you apply number formats to any text in a custom dialog box. version 2.20 only lets you apply number formats to static text, number edit boxes, and integer edit boxes. To apply number formats to text in other custom dialog boxes, such as formula edit boxes or reference edit boxes, use the SET.VALUE and TEXT functions. For example, SET.VALUE(ref,TEXT(date,"m/d/yy")) will enter the number named "date" in a m/d/yy format.

Positioning Custom Dialog Boxes

Microsoft Excel version 1.50 positions custom dialog boxes vertically, relative to the top of the screen. Version 2.20 positions custom dialog boxes vertically, relative to the bottom of the formula bar.

Printing Information

What You See on the Screen vs. What's Printed

Microsoft Excel version 1.50 always prints at a resolution of 72 dots per inch, which matches the resolution Microsoft Excel displays on the screen. However, Microsoft Excel version 2.20 takes full advantage of the printer's resolution. This results in cleaner, crisper output on printers such as the Apple LaserWriter models. Because the resolution on such printers is finer than the screen resolution, you may notice slight differences in appearance between printed output and the screen display (especially, for example, if you use spaces to align text). However, you can use Print Preview to check how your work will appear when printed, since it represents, as nearly as possible, the appearance of the printed output.

Automatic Page Breaks

When you open a Microsoft Excel version 1.50 document in version 2.20, automatic page breaks are not retained. (Page breaks you have inserted with the Insert Page Break command are retained.) In version 2.20, when you print the document, view it in Page Preview, or choose Page Setup, Microsoft Excel repaginates the document.