Microsoft Excel 2010 Version Overview
The following is a list of some of the key new features in Microsoft Excel 2010.
If you are upgrading to Excel 2013 or 2016, check out key new features in our Microsoft Excel 2013 Version Overview or Microsoft Excel 2016 Version Overview.
Are you working with 2007? Check out the Microsoft Excel 2007 Version Overview.
Looking for Excel training courses?
Microsoft Excel 2010 New Features
Applies to: Microsoft Excel 2010 for Windows
The following are some of the key new features available in Microsoft Excel 2010.
File Tab (Backstage View)
In 2010, the Office button has been replaced with a File tab on the Ribbon (also called Backstage View). Here you will find common commands such as Save, Open, New and so on.
Customize the Ribbon
In Excel 2010, you can now customize the Ribbon and add your own tabs. Click on the File tab and then choose Options. In the dialog box, click on Customize Ribbon on the left. You can add new tabs and add buttons to new tabs or existing tabs.
Display Trends using Sparklines
You can add miniature charts called Sparklines to cells to summarize trends. You can add line, column and win/loss Sparklines and a new Sparkline tab will appear to format the Sparklines.
Improved PivotTables and PivotCharts
PivotTables have received some improvements in 2010 which include:
- Performance enhancements – multi-threading helps speed up data retrieval, sorting, and filtering in PivotTables.
- PivotTable labels can be filled down in a PivotTable. You can also repeat labels in PivotTables to display item captions of nested fields in all rows and columns.
- Enhanced filtering using Slicers to quickly filter data in a PivotTable without having to open additional menus.
- Filter interface includes a search box that can help you to find what you need in your PivotTables.
- The Show Values As feature includes a number of new, automatic calculations, such as % of Parent Row Total, % of Parent Column Total, % of Parent Total, % Running Total, Rank Smallest to Largest, and Rank Largest to Smallest.
- It is now easier to interact with PivotChart reports as you can filter data directly in a PivotChart and reorganize the layout of a PivotChart by adding and removing fields. You can also hide all field buttons on the PivotChart report.
- Write-back support – In Excel 2010, you can change values in the OLAP PivotTable Values area and have them written back to the Analysis Services cube on the OLAP server. You can use the write-back feature in what-if mode and then roll back the changes when you no longer need them, or you can save the changes. You can use the write-back feature with any OLAP provider that supports the UPDATE CUBE statement.
Improved Conditional Formatting
Excel 2010 includes new conditional formatting options:
- In Excel 2010, you have access to more icon sets including triangles, stars, and boxes. Also in 2010, you can customize icon sets.
- Excel 2010 provides new formatting options for data bars. You can apply solid fills or borders to the data bar or set the bar direction from right-to-left instead of left-to-right. Also, data bars for negative values appear on the opposite side of an axis from positive values.
- When specifying criteria for conditional or data validation rules, it's now possible to refer to values in other worksheets in your workbook.
Business Intelligence with the PowerPivot for Excel add-in
If you need to analyze large data sets, you can download the PowerPivot for Excel add-in, which adds a PowerPivot tab to the Excel Ribbon.With PowerPivot for Excel, you can import large amounts of data from multiple data sources into a single Excel workbook, create relationships between tables of data, create calculated columns and measures using formulas, build PivotTables and PivotCharts and then further analyze the data.
Improved Solver add-in
Excel 2010 includes a new version of the Solver add-in which you can use to find solutions in what-if analysis.
Enhancements include:
- Improved user interface
- A new Evolutionary Solver (based on genetic algorithms that handles models with any Excel functions)
- New global optimization options
- Better linear programming and nonlinear optimization methods and new Linearity and Feasibility reports
- Solver is also now available in a 64-bit version.
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Check out our blog for more Excel tips, tricks and shortcuts.
Public courses are delivered at our downtown Toronto location at 1 Yonge Street, Suite 1801 (Toronto Star Building), Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Avantix Learning Excel Courses | Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Do you need more information? Contact us!
Copyright 2017 Avantix Learning Inc.
To request this page in an alternate format, contact our staff.
Custom training
Register for a public course or contact us to arrange custom training at your site or ours.
Related Excel courses
Microsoft Excel: Intermediate / Advanced
Microsoft Excel: Data Analysis with Functions, Dashboards and What-If Analysis Tools
Microsoft Excel: Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) | Introduction
Microsoft Excel: Introduction to PowerPivot and PowerQuery Business Intelligence Tools
You may like
How to Lock Cells in Excel (Protect Formulas and Data)
It's easy to lock and protect cells in Microsoft Excel to prevent users from changing data or formulas. This involves a two-step process …
How to Stop or Control Green Error Checking Markers in Excel
In Microsoft Excel, errors are flagged with small green marker or triangle in the upper left corner of the cell. However, these indicators display when there may be an error but is, in fact, not an error.
How to Password Protect Your Excel Worksheets and Workbooks
You can password protect worksheets and workbooks in Excel. If you want to prevent other users from opening or modifying an Excel workbook, you can encrypt the file with a password. You can also protect workbook structure where you can prevent users from deleting, renaming, moving or unhiding worksheets. Password protection can be added to your Excel file in several ways.
You may also like
4 Ways to Delete a Table in Word
You can delete a table in a Word document in 4 simple ways – using the Ribbon, using the context menu, using the Backspace key or by selecting a paragraph and a table and pressing Delete.
How to Make Columns in Word
You can make columns in Word documents in a few different ways. There are two types of columns you can create – newspaper-style columns where the text flows from column to column or tables with columns and rows. You can create documents that contain two, three or more columns. In this article, we'll review how to set up newspaper-style columns. If you want to create a table, check out How to Create a Table in Word (4 Ways).
4 Ways to Create a Table in Word
You can create a table in a Word document in 4 easy ways using the Ribbon. A table is a grid made up of columns and rows that intersect to form cells. You can insert text, numbers and images in a table. Once you have inserted a table, you can easily add and resize columns and rows and change table formatting.
Avantix Learning | 1 Yonge Street, Suite 1801 (Toronto Star Building), Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5E 1W7 | info@avantixlearning.ca