Sparklines

A sparkline is a very small graph in the background of a cell (1). In contrast to graphics objects, sparklines are graphics which are embedded (integrated) into a cell. This allows you to enter text into a cell (2) and use a spark line as background.

To add sparklines, select the “Insert” tab and select the range where you will have the sparklines (2). You click the “Sparklines” button in the ribbon (3) and you choose the type of sparkline. In this example, I’m going for a line diagram (4).

In the dialog that appears, you specify the “data range” (5). The “location range” (6) is already selected. Click the OK button.

“Sparklines” are added. When you adjust the width of the column, the sparkline will automatically adjust.

When you change data in the table, the Sparkline is adjusted automatically.

If you wish to edit the layout of the sparklines, select the sparkline area and choose the “Design” (1) tab in the menu bar and use your various options in the ribbon (2).

To remove “sparklines”, select the sparkline (s) you want to delete and click “Clear” (3) in the ribbon.

Another way is to use the downward pointing arrow button next to the “Clear” button and choosing “Clear

Selected Sparklines” or “Clear Selected Sparkline Groups” in the drop-down menu.

Comparison Functions

In Excel 2010, built-in comparison functions are included which allow you to easily write and edit equations in text boxes in a worksheet.

This can be useful for physicists or scientists who give presentations and/or demonstrations.

Below, I will explain how to add them to a worksheet.

Select the “Insert” tab (1) in the Ribbon and click the downward pointing arrow under “Equations” (2). This opens a list (3) with different pre-made comparisons. Click the equation that you want to add to your worksheet. You can change the size of a comparison box (Read text box) by dragging the blocks at the edge of the equation (4). You can run a comparison by placing and moving your mouse pointer over the green circle (5) and clicking and dragging when it changes into a circular arrow.

You can adjust the contents of a comparison function by clicking in the text box.

To edit the contents of a comparison function, select the text in the text box of the comparison function.

Then this text appears with the “Design” tab (2) clicked in the ribbon. This gives you a toolbar with a whole lot of symbols (3) on the left and a whole lot of structures on the right, including various types of “Fractions”, “Super Scripts”, “Roots” and lots of “analytical” structures and comparison functions which can be customized.

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