Microsoft is currently working on several new updates to its spreadsheet software that will make it easier to work with formulas in Excel.
For those unfamiliar, formulas let you use Excel's built-in functions to more easily perform calculations and solve problems.
If you're just getting started with formulas in Microsoft spreadsheet software, you can also download the company's formula workbook that walks you through the most common Excel formulas in a guided tour. The workbook even contains real-life examples with helpful pictures so you can add, count, average, and find in V like an Excel pro.
Multi-line formula bar and argument helper
In the first update to the Microsoft 365 roadmap, the company revealed that it plans to add a multi-line formula bar to Excel, which should be generally available in March.
Once this feature is implemented, users will be able to resize the formula bar, which will make it much easier to navigate when using longer formulas.
In a separate update, Microsoft announced that it would also be adding a new card called Argument Assistance to Excel in March. This card will appear when a user types a formula and will remain on screen during the insert/modify argument phase.
The argument helper card will also help users be more efficient when writing formulas and help reduce the risk of errors. It even includes descriptions of the formula and the various arguments used, as well as an example.
If you haven't used formulas in Excel as part of your workflow yet, there's never been a better time to start using Microsoft's spreadsheet software to its full potential.