Create a new workbook

1. On the File menu, click New.
2. To create a new, blank workbook, click the General tab, and then double-click the Workbook icon.

   To create a workbook based on a template, click the Spreadsheet Solutions tab or the tab listing your custom templates, and then double-click the template for the type of workbook you want to create

Add a record to a list by using a data form

1. Click a cell in the list you want to add the record to.
2. On the Data menu, click Form.

    Show Me

3. Click New.
4. Type the information for the new record.

   To move to the next field, press TAB. To move to the previous field, press SHIFT+TAB.

5. When you finish typing data, press ENTER to add the record.

   When you finish adding records, click Close to add the new record and close the data form.

Databases you can access

Microsoft Office provides drivers that you can use to retrieve data from the following data sources:

• Microsoft SQL Server OLAP Services (OLAP provider)
• Microsoft Access 2000
• dBASE
• Microsoft FoxPro
• Microsoft Excel
• Oracle
• Paradox
• SQL Server
• Text file databases

Install Microsoft Query

By default, Microsoft Query is installed automatically the first time you use a command or feature that retrieves external data. Use this procedure if Microsoft Query was made unavailable when Microsoft Office or Microsoft Excel was installed on your system.

1. Close all open programs.
2. On the Start menu, point to Settings, and then click Control Panel.
3. Double-click Add/Remove Programs.
4. Click the Install/Uninstall tab, click Microsoft Office 2000 or Microsoft Excel 2000, and then click Add/Remove.
5. In the dialog box that appears, click Add or Remove Features.
6. Click the  box next to Office Tools, and then click the icon next to Microsoft Query to select the type of installation you want.
7. Click Update Now, and then follow the directions to finish installation

Create a Web query

You can create a Web query to retrieve text or data that is in tables or preformatted areas on a Web page. (Tables are defined with the HTML <TABLE> tag; preformatted areas are defined with the HTML <PRE> tag). The retrieved data does not include pictures, such as .gif images, and does not include the contents of scripts. Learn about retrieving data from a Web page.

1. On the Data menu, point to Get External Data, and then click New Web Query.
2. Follow the directions in the New Web Query dialog box