Introducing Excel 2013

re: Introducing Excel 2013

MVerabeychik — Sat, 08 Sep 2012 01:40:41 GMT

1) I've been using a particular array formula syntax for ~23 (!) years: {=SUM(RangeA*RangeB)}, where 'RangeA' and 'RangeB' contain numeric data and have the same dimensions. Excel seems to be able to evaluate formulas of this type only if the range specifications remain simple and direct; for instance, if you use the INDIRECT function to build one or both ranges from concatenated text, the array formula won't evaluate properly. I tried SUMPRODUCT, and it can handle ranges returned by simple INDIRECT expressions nested within it, but it returns zero when the INDIRECT expressions themselves contain additional functions. I recommend that Microsoft expand the robustness and flexibility of these two formula types and of any other array-type routines that currently experience similar limitations.

2) I recommend that Microsoft expand the number of base functions for which database/conditional variants (e.g., 'D[function]' and/or '[function]IF') are provided. For instance, [function]IF variants -- unlike D[function] variants -- are data-orientation-independent and aren't restricted by the need to enter vertically-oriented condition statements in other cells of the Workbook, so adding [function]IF variants of database functions such as DMAX and DMIN would be useful. Other base functions that currently lack either variant and for which D[function] and/or [function]IF variants would be useful include MEDIAN and MODE.

3) Excel is not positioned as a sophisticated scientific/engineering data plotting solution. However, I think many current and prospective Excel users could benefit from polar plotting capabilities, so I recommend that Microsoft add them.

re: Introducing Excel 2013

szyl — Mon, 27 Aug 2012 14:16:08 GMT

re: "Would it be possible to address some of the long standing, non-sexy bugs and limitations of Excel?"

Another one:

Conditional formatting specification does not allow for pointing to a cell style.

Why is that ? A complete new style must be re-created from scratch....time consuming.

re: Introducing Excel 2013

aberglas — Thu, 23 Aug 2012 03:48:19 GMT

Would it be possible to address some of the long standing, non-sexy bugs and limitations of Excel?

One that is currently causing me grief is that vba Range.DirectDependents does not work intersheet. It has not worked since at least Excel 1995.

The work around is the horrible NavigateArrows hack. But this has problems like being slow, requiring unprotected workbooks, killing undo, and killing copy/paste.

The code for doing the precedents must be in the Audit Toolbar code. One just needs to create a new method, range.EvaryDirectDependent (say).

Is there even a mechanism where members of the community can request such things?

re: Introducing Excel 2013

Saravana Kumar R — Wed, 01 Aug 2012 06:45:43 GMT

Actually you can do this with any Excel version & its not new with 2013. I do that with 2007 version. But actually Powerpoint we cannot do this. Test for powerpoint in 2013 & give your feedback.

re: Introducing Excel 2013

Espen — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 20:33:56 GMT

I have a comment about the new version of Excel.

Will there be a way to convert/translate formula/function names between english and local versions?

This has been something thats a little frustrating when working with Excel in diffenrent language versions (Norwegian, English and German).

Opening a spreadsheet in another language does this automatically, but when creating a new spreadsheet you need to know all the local formula names.

re: Introducing Excel 2013

syswizard — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:59:44 GMT

re: "Even more important, how many really significant complaints have been addressed (and resolved) with this upgrade."

I'd like a response to this as well. SP1 of Office 2010 only solved some problems....many still remain. Also I'd like to know why SP2 never happened ?

re: Introducing Excel 2013

Dan B [MS] — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 18:33:22 GMT

@smabres - A better place to ask questions like this is in the forum: answers.microsoft.com/.../forum. For this specific question, there are a couple things to change: First, you need to have valid XML (you're missing a root node, which I've called "item" - so the correct XML is as follows: [?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?][item][id]10319555[/id][name]Sergio[/name][/item]

(NOTE: replace all brackets with less than/greater than as appropriate). Second, you need to use xpath in the FILTERXML formula, so the correct syntax is: =FILTERXML(B2, "//id"). Hope that helps!

re: Introducing Excel 2013

smabres — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:31:53 GMT

Sorry the XML was remove from my post XML is a valid XML with 2 elements name and id

re: Introducing Excel 2013

smabres — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 14:28:58 GMT

A2 is =FILTERXML(B2; "id") and B2 is <?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?<id>10319555</id><name>Sergio</name>

It does not work, I'll love to know why

Thanks for your kind help

re: Introducing Excel 2013

Rblack40 — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 01:35:38 GMT

I am pleased with this vesion of Excel and can't wait to get it the very first day with the full version of Office 15 or 2013 on launch date.