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.
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.
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.
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:
NOTE You must have iOS 7.0 or later to use Excel for iPad. |
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:
NOTE Microsoft makes new iPad versions available, as it does with Office Mobile and Excel Online, with greater frequency than it offers new desktop versions. |
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.
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.
blogs.office.com/b/microsoft-excel/
msmvps.com/blogs/nateoliver/default.aspx
www.siddharthrout.com/my-blog/
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.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.xtremevbtalk.com
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
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
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
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
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
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
versus Appending 12
InsertRowRange 97
IntelliSense 40
Intersections 36
K
Keeping filters
While hidding buttons 33
L
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
OneDrive 131
Options 32
P
Parent Property 100
PivotDiagram 30
PivotTables 49
Power BI 51
Power Pivot 51
with Excel 2013 53
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
SSAS 87
Stacking tables 12
Stripe size 81
Advantages 36
Operators 43
Syntax 35
Structured referneces
Disabling 42
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
Theme colors 84
This row
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