11 Tables on Mac, iPad, and Office Mobile

At this writing, Microsoft supports versions of Office for Mac, iPad, and smart phones (iPhone, Windows Phone, and Android).

Excel 2011 was the first Mac version to offer Tables. Excel 2008 for Mac (like Excel 2003 for Windows) used the term Lists for what it now calls Tables. Though there are some fundamental differences between the Mac and Windows versions, most of the functionality is the same. In 2013 Microsoft released a version of Office, Office Mobile, for iOS (Apple's operating system for mobile platforms) and for Windows Phone and Android. In March 2014 Microsoft released Excel for iPad, along with Word and PowerPoint.

The various Office versions have many unique functional differences compared to each other and the Windows desktop version. This chapter discusses the differences in Table functionality provided by each of these versions. In the rest of this chapter, we refer to Excel 2011 for Mac as the Mac version, Excel for iPad as the iPad version, and Excel 2013 for Windows as the Windows version.

Tables in Excel for Mac

This section discusses the major differences between Tables in the Mac version and Tables in the Windows version, as well as user interface differences.

Tables Tab

As shown in the next figure, in the Mac version, the Tables ribbon tab is always present and is not contextual, as it is in the Windows version. There are some slight differences in the controls on the Tables tab in the Mac version. Because it is not contextual and is always present, there is a New button on the far left; this button is on the INSERT tab in the Windows version. Also, there is no Filter Button control, as there now is in the Windows version. Most Table operations—such as inserting rows and columns, deleting rows and columns, removing duplicates, using a Table as source data for a PivotTable, converting to a range, and renaming a Table—are available in both the Mac and Windows versions. One minor difference is that the Mac version gives you a command button rather than a text box for renaming a Table.

Tables ribbon tab in the Mac version.

The Mac version does not have anything equivalent to the Windows version's TABLE TOOLS tab group or DATA tab but, because the Mac version still has a menu bar, some of the commands on these two tabs are available in the Data menu, as shown in the next two figures.

Table Tools submenu of the Data menu.

Get External Data submenu of the Data menu.

Filtering

There are minor differences between filtering a Table in the Mac version and in the Windows version. When you click the AutoFilter button for a column, the Result floating dialog box appears, as shown in the next figure. The Result dialog box stays open while you enter and change the filtering criteria, and the Mac version instantly applies the criteria to the Table. (On the other hand, in the Windows version, you must click OK to close the AutoFilter pop-up and perform the action.) The Result dialog box stays open until you close it by clicking the close control in the upper-left corner or by clicking any cell on the worksheet.

Result dialog box for a Table in the Mac version.

NOTE

Slicers are not available in the Mac version.

Tables in Excel for Office Mobile

Office Mobile is often confused with Excel Online or Excel for iPad. But Office Mobile is an app that is available only for smart phones. The app is free to download and install, and you can use it to view files without paying a service fee. However, to edit files in Office Mobile, you must have one of these Office 365 subscriptions:

The Office 365 ProPlus subscription includes a single desktop installation. All other subscriptions include five desktop installations, which can be either Windows or Mac versions.

NOTE

An Office Mobile installation does not count against the allotted number of desktop installations.

When you run the Office 365 application, it presents a login screen, as shown in the next figure.

Office 365 login screen.

You get a message like the one shown in the next figure when your Office 365 login is successful.

Confirmation of successful Office 365 login.

Once you're logged in to Office 365, you can connect to various cloud-based storage locations, including:

For each location, you must enter additional login credentials. Once you're connected to a service, that service is listed in the PLACES view that appears when you click the Open button at the bottom of the application. The next figure shows Office connected to three of Zack's locations.

Office 365–connected places.

Unfortunately, Office Mobile severely lacks a lot of the functionality of most advanced features that are part of the Windows version. Office Mobile has Tables but without the Table style formatting because this version treats the data as a standard Excel range. Office Mobile supports basic filtering as well as an AutoSum feature that is similar to the status bar aggregation feature of the Windows version (see the next two figures).

Filtering in Office Mobile.

AutoSum in Office Mobile.

Tables in Excel for iPad

As with Office Mobile, the iPad version is available as a free download, and you can use the free version to view files. However, to edit files, you must have one of the following Office 365 subscriptions:

The iPad version is a complete rewrite of the Excel application, and therefore there isn't exact parity between the Windows version and the iPad version. Bill Jelen, aka Mr. Excel, has maintained an extensive list of the similarities and differences on his blog (www.mrexcel.com/learnexcel/); search for "Excel for iPad."

Once you're connected to an Office 365 account, click the New button to create a new workbook. You see a view that presents a number of templates, as shown in the next figure. You can choose one of them or choose to create a blank workbook.

The templates view that appears when you create a new spreadsheet in the iPad version.

Unlike Office Mobile, which doesn't show Tables at all, the iPad version does have Table functionality, but not quite as much as the Windows version. The ribbon supports contextual tabs, and the TABLE tab appears only when a cell within a Table is selected. As shown in the next figure, the TABLE tab includes these options:

TABLE ribbon tab in the iPad version.

CAUTION

When you use Convert To Range, the iPad version does not display a verification prompt as the Windows version does. The easiest way to tell if your data is not in a Table is that the TABLE ribbon tab is not visible.

Similarities Between the iPad and Windows Versions

In terms of working with Tables, the iPad and Windows versions have some similarities and differences. Here are some of the most substantial similarities:

Differences Between the iPad and Windows Versions

Here are some of the most substantial differences in working with Tables in the iPad and Windows versions:

Resources

Many resources offer information and support for Excel users and developers. Most of these resources offer general Excel-related information, and some focus on specific areas. Here we have listed Excel resources in four categories: books, blogs, forums, and websites. This list is not all inclusive, but it's a great start for those desiring to learn more about how to leverage Excel.

We have no financial interest in any of these tools and sites. These recommendations are based on our own usage of Excel, help found online, and tools available.

Books

Excel 2013 In Depth, by Bill Jelen: www.amazon.com/Excel-2013-Depth-Bill-Jelen/dp/0789748576/

Excel 2013 VBA and Macros (MrExcel Library), by Bill Jelen: www.amazon.com/Excel-2013-Macros-MrExcel-Library/dp/0789748614/

Excel 2013 Bible, by John Walkenbach: www.amazon.com/Excel-2013-Bible/dp/1118490363/

DAX Formulas for PowerPivot: The Excel Pro's Guide to Mastering DAX, by Rob Collie: www.amazon.com/DAX-Formulas-PowerPivot-Excel-Mastering/dp/1615470158/

Microsoft Excel 2013 Step by Step, by Curtis Frye: www.amazon.com/Microsoft-Excel-2013-Step-By/dp/0735681015/

Ctrl + Shift + Enter, by Mike Girvin: www.amazon.com/Ctrl-Shift-Enter-Mastering-Formulas/dp/1615470077/

Excel 2013: The Missing Manual, by Matthew MacDonald: www.amazon.com/Excel-2013-The-Missing-Manual/dp/144935727X/

Don't Fear the Spreadsheet: A Beginner's Guide to Overcoming Excel's Frustrations, by Tyler Nash, Bill Jelen, Kevin Jones, and Tom Urtis: www.amazon.com/Dont-Fear-Spreadsheet-Frustrations-ebook/dp/B008CISAKO/

Blogs

Blogs are useful for tracking current events such as new releases and new features. Blog posts often provide thoughtful and focused presentations of various topics. Blogs usually offer a subscription service that delivers new posts directly to your email inbox when they are published.

colinlegg.wordpress.com

www.smittypro.com/Blog/

www.excelguru.ca/blog/

fastexcel.wordpress.com

blog.contextures.com

www.teylyn.com

dailydoseofexcel.com

exceluser.com/blog/

www.excelhero.com/blog/

chandoo.org/wp/

blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-excel/

msmvps.com/blogs/nateoliver/default.aspx

excelandaccess.wordpress.com

www.siddharthrout.com/my-blog/

Forums

Forums are great sources of help to many users. Experts support users, and uses support each other when they need assistance. If you really want to become an expert in a particular topic such as Excel, helping others on one of these forums is one of the best ways to learn by solving problems and watching other experts answer questions. Both Zack and Kevin learned much of what they know today by collaborating with other experts on forums while helping users solve Excel and other problems. Except where noted, there is no cost to sign up for a forum and ask questions once you provide a valid email address.

www.mrexcel.com/forum/forum.php

www.vbaexpress.com/forum/

www.excelguru.ca/forums/forum.php

answers.microsoft.com

forums.techguy.org

www.experts-exchange.com (This forum requires a small monthly fee to ask questions. Experts who earn a few points by answering questions each month can ask questions without paying the fee.)

www.tek-tips.com

www.thecodecage.com

www.xtremevbtalk.com

Websites

Some Microsoft Excel MVPs have their own websites where they publish articles, blogs, tools, and other interesting resources. Below is a list of some of the most popular websites for current MVPs, with brief notes on their specialty areas.

Andy Pope: www.andypope.info (charting, VBA, tips)

Bob Phillips: www.xldynamic.com/source/xld.html (formulas, VBA, dynamic ranges)

Charles Williams: www.decisionmodels.com (FastExcel, formula optimization)

Charley Kyd: www.exceluser.com (charting, dashboards, a list of past/present Excel MVP websites)

Chip Pearson: www.cpearson.com/Excel/MainPage.aspx (anything Excel, COM development)

Daniel Ferry: www.excelhero.com (coursework, formulas, VBA, development)

Dominic: www.xl-central.com (formulas, VBA, mega-formulas, videos)

Debra Dalgleish: www.contextures.com (anything Excel)

Jan Karel Pieterse: www.jkp-ads.com (VBA, defined names, troubleshooting)

Jon Acampora: www.excelcampus.com (charting, formulas, videos, formatting)

Jon Peltier: peltiertech.com (charting, add-ins, dashboards)

Ken Puls: www.excelguru.ca (customizing the ribbon, VBA, formulas, BI)

Ron de Bruin: rondebruin.nl (VBA, customizing the ribbon, Mac/AppleScript)

Tom Urtis: www.atlaspm.com (VBA, filters, formulas)

Index

Symbols

@

versus This Row 16

.NET

Code smaples 127

#REF! errors 15

Header disabled 37

@ versus This Row 39

A

Absolute reference

Contrasted 40

Simulating 39

Acampora, Jon 3

Access database 87

Accessibility 14

Active Property 99

Adding a column

with VBA 106

Adding a ListObject 105

Adding a row

with VBA 106

ADOMD.NET 52

Alternative Text 14

AlternativeText property 99

AMO 52

Appending

Preventing 23

Array formulas

and relative references 40

When allowed 10

AutoCorrect options 23

AutoFilter Property 99

Automatic resizing 22

Azure Marketplace 91

B

Backward compatibility 16

Banded columns 77

Banded rows 77

Double-high 81

Battagin, Dan 3

Books 149

Bugs

SUBTOTAL in 2013 37

Bulk insert

with VBA 120

C

C#

Does a table exist 128

Calculated columns 9

CELLS object

in VBA 94

Circular reference

After moving 24

Clearing filters

with VBA 119

Collie, Rob 3, 56

Colors

Accent 83

Sorting by 65

Columns

Multiple 39

Comment Property 99

Companion website 3

Compatibility

backward 16

Connection strings 90

Convert to range 27

Copy and paste

and relative references 40

Copying formulas

Multi-column not relative 39, 41

Copy table style to a new workbook

with VBA 123

Creating filters

with VBA 118

Creating tables

from Ribbon 19

Using Ctrl+T 21

CTRL+L. 21

Custom sorting 66

Custom styles 78

D

Dalgleish, Debra 3

Data body range 7, 8

DataBodyRange 96

Data model 52

Data Model

Adding a table 53

Updating 54

Data validation 45

Date filters 68

DAX

Edit DAX 56

Table queries 54

Default styles 80, 84

Delete Method 104

Deleting a row

with VBA 106

Deleting rows 26

with VBA 115

Developer tab 93

DisplayName Property 100

Does a table eist

with VBA 113

Does a table exist

with C# 128

with VB 129

Does column exist

with VBA 114

Duplicates

Removing 28

Dynamic referencing 44

E

Edit DAX 30

Edit DAX dialog 56

Error message

from DAX 57

Escape character 44

Evaluate statement 56

Excel for iPad 146

Excel objects 93

Excel online 131

Filtering 135

Formulas 134

Reduce table functionality 133

Surveys 136

ExcelTables.com 17

ExportToVisio Method 104

External data 87

Refreshing 88

F

Fill handle

and relative references 40

Filter button 7, 14, 33

does not appear 14

Filter by Color 68

Filtering

with VBA 117

Filters 67

Filter State 69

for Dates 68

for Numbers 68

for Text 68

for Values 69

Removing 70

with Slicers 71

Filter state

with VBA 118

Find table address

with VBA 114

First column 32, 77

Formulas

as Header row 8

Creating 37

in Tables 35

Forums 149

Forward compatibility 16

Freeze panes 13

H

Header row

Formulas trick 8

in Formulas 37

Must be single row 10

Header Row 7

HeaderRowRange 96

Hiding dropdowns

with VBA 119

Hiding filters

While keeping filter 33

How many columns

with VBA 114

how many rows

with VBA 114

Hungarian notation 15

I

Implicit intersections 36

INDIRECT function 27

for Absolute 41

Insert filters dialog 71

Inserting rows 11, 24

versus Appending 12

InsertRowRange 97

IntelliSense 40

Intersections 36

K

Keeping filters

While hidding buttons 33

L

Last column 32, 77

Limitations

of Tables 10

List

versus Talbe 11

ListColumn Property 103

ListColumns 97

ListObject 96

ListObject Object’s Add Method 105

ListRow Property 104

ListRows 97

Lists 6

Live Preview 76

Looping through columns

with VBA 117

Looping through rows

with VBA 116

M

Mac Excel 141

Filtering 142

Marketplace data 87

M code 61

MDX 54

ME 95

Members 94

Merged cells prevent appending 13, 23

Microsoft Query 87

for Crosstab queries 90

Moving columns 24

Multiple columns 39

N

Name manager 45

Name Property 100

Naming Conventions 15

N function 47

Number filters 68

O

Object model 93

Object variables 95

OData 87

ODBC 87

Office Mobile 143

OFFSET function

for Absolute 41

OLEDB 52, 87

OneDrive 131

Options 32

P

Parent Property 100

PivotDiagram 30

PivotTables 49

Power BI 51

Power Pivot 51

with Excel 2013 53

Power Query 6, 57

Editor window 59

Renaming columns 59

Publish Method 104

Pwer Pivot data model

with VBA 111

Q

Querying data 89

QueryTable Property 100

R

Range property 96

Reapplying filters

with VBA 119

Refreshing

External data 88

PivotTables 50

using VBA 50

Refresh Method 104

Remove duplicates 28

Repair formatting

with VBA 122

Resize Method 104

Resizing handle 22

Resizing table 10

Resources 148

Retrieving Crosstab query

with VBA 124

Row limits 52

Row number

Displaying 46

Running total 46

S

Sharepoint

Exporting to 28

Share Point

with Power Pivot 53

SharePointURL Property 101

ShowAutoFilter 97

ShowAutoFilterDropDown 97

ShowHeaders 97

ShowTableStyleColumnStripes 98

ShowTableStyleFirstColumn 99

ShowTableStyleLastColumn 99

ShowTableStyleRowStripes 99

ShowTotals 97

Sizing handle 9

SkyDrive 131

Slicers

Excel online 71

in Excel 2010 17

items with no data 71

Require header 73

Styles 72

Slicers Property 101

Sorting 65

by Color 65

Custom 66

State 67

Sort Property 102

SourceType Property 103

Special characters 43

SQL server

Connecting to 89

SQL Server 54, 87

SSAS 87

Stacking tables 12

Stripe size 81

Structured references 16, 35

Advantages 36

Operators 43

Syntax 35

Structured referneces

Disabling 42

Styles 63, 77

Copying to new workbook 85

for Cells 84

for Tables 75

Table elements 80

SUBTOTAL function 9

Bug in 2013 37

SUM function

to ignore headers 47

SUMIF function 41

Summary Property 103

Surveys 136

Syntax 35

T

Table

Limitations 10

Table name rules 14

TableObject Property 103

Tables 5

as PivotTable source 49

Convert to range 27

Creating 19

Defined 5

Formatting 75

Formulas 35

History 6

Parts of 7

Resizing 22

Unique name 10

versus List 11

TableStyle 98

Table styles 63

Table tools

in Ribbon 13

Testing

for Calculated column 9

Text files 87, 90

Theme colors 84

This row

versus @ 16, 39

ThisWorkbook 95

Timelines 73

Total row 8

Argument list 38

in Formulas 38

Must be single row 10

Toggling 32

TotalRowRange 96

U

Umlas, Bob 3

Unique headers 7

Unlink Method 105

Unlist Method 105

Unpivot 59

V

Validation 45

in Total row 38

Variables 95

VB

Does a table exist 129

VBA 93

Active property 99

Adding a column 106

Adding a ListObject 105

Adding rows 115

AlternativeText property 99

AutoFilter method 107

AutoFilter property 99

Clearing filters 119

Comment property 99

Converting to table 111

Copy new table style to workbook 123

Creating a table 111

Creating filters 118

DataBodyRange 96

Delete Method 104

Deleting a table 107

Deleting rows 115

DisplayName property 100

Does column exist 114

Does table exist? 113

ExportToVisio Method 104

Filtering 117

Filter state 118

Find a table address 114

HeaderRowRange 96

How many columns 114

How many rows 114

Icon sets 108

InsertRowRange 97

ListColumn property 103

ListColumns 97

ListObject 96

ListObject Object’s Add Method 105

ListRow property 104

ListRows 97

Looping through columns 117

Looping through rows 116

Name property 100

Naming a table 111

Object variables 95

Parent property 100

Power Pivot data model 111

Publish Method 104

QueryTable property 100

Range property 96

Reapplying filters 119

Refreshing PivotTables 50

Refresh Method 104

Repair formatting 122

Resize Method 104

Retrieving new Crosstab query 124

SharePointURL property 101

ShowAutoFilter 97

ShowAutoFilterDropDown 97

ShowHeaders 97

ShowTableStyleColumnStripes 98

ShowTableStyleFirstColumn 99

ShowTableStyleLastColumn 99

ShowTableStyleRowStripes 99

ShowTotals 97

Slicers property 101

Sort property 102

SourceType property 103

Summary property 103

TableObject property 103

Table parts 110

TableStyle 98

TotalRowRange 96

Unlink Method 105

Unlist Method 105

with External data 112

XmlMap property 103

VertiPaq 52

Visio

Exporting to 30

VSTO 127

W

Web pages 87

Website

Companion 3

Websites 150

What-if tables 2

Wikstr, Max 3

Windows XP 54

X

XLSX file format

prevents VBA 51

XML data

with VBA 113

XML data import files 87

XML formatted files 17

XmlMap Property 103

xVelocity 52