Combining existing data in different cells to form new information is a not infrequent requirement in MS Office Excel 2007. Concatenation is a fancy word for the process of stringing together different pieces of information to form a new piece of data. For example, let’s say we have columns containing title and first name and another containing last name; we could use concatenation to create each person’s full name. All we have to do is to string together the title, first name and last name.

Excel offers two methods of concatenating data. The first is the use of the ampersand (‘&’) which is the concatenation operator: the second is the use of the CONCATENATE function. To use the ampersand in our ‘Title, First Name, Last Name’ example, we would first type in “=” to indicate that we want to create a function. Secondly, we would click on the cell that contains the title to have Excel add a reference to that cell to our formula.

The next step would be to add a space to separate the title from the first name. To do this, we simply type the concatenation operator followed by a space and since a space is a text character, it has to be enclosed in quotation marks. Thus, we would actually type ‘& ” ” &’. Next, we click on the cell that contains the first name, then type ‘& ” ” &’ once more to add a space separating the first name from the last name.

Finally, we click on the cell that contains the last name to insert a reference to this cell and, to confirm the formula, either press the Enter key or click on the Enter button on the left of the formula bar.

Now let’s look at doing the same thing using the CONCATENATE function. When using the Insert Function command, this is found in the Text category and permits you to string together up to 255 pieces of information. For example, let’s say that our title was in cell C2, our first name in D2 and our last name in E2; our formula would be ‘=CONCATENATE(C2,” “,D2,” “,E2)’.

As to which is the better method; frankly, there is not much to choose between them. Simply use the technique which you feel makes more sense to you. One argument for using the first method is that the use of the concatenation operator is found in almost all scripting and programming languages. Some environments use an ampersand as the operator; others use the plus sign.

Do you need to learn MS Excel 2007. We offer Microsoft Excel courses in London and all over the UK.

Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)

• Related posts on computer tips
• 4. C++ Introduction to Functions | Coding && Computer Tips Blog
• Top 25 Photoshop Tips – Part 2 | iCan't Internet
• Top 10 Things That Computer Programmers Hate | Coding && Computer …

• Related posts on computer tutorials
• Dicas Para Selecionar Proper Motherboard – Alicinha Blog

• Related posts on Computers
• If I Format My Computers Hard Drive Does This Erase The Operating …
• Opinion of Richard Amoroso on Quantum Computers « Alpha Institute …
• Notebook Computers « Lifestyle Blog

Even if they have never had any formal training on Microsoft Office, almost all people who work for a company have used PowerPoint to some extent or, at the very least, is aware of it. Most people can put together a presentation of some description. However, unless a user makes an effort to learn the program, they will remain at a fairly low level of expertise and be stuck with creating presentations which either look amateurish or, at best, pretty much the same as thousands of other presentations being produced all over the world. One of the reasons for arranging Office 2007 training is to get an insight into the program and to be shown how to use it effectively.

In order to use PowerPoint effectively, you should fully understand the relationship between slide masters and slides. Professional MS PowerPoint 2007 presentations require consistency and the main mechanism used by the program for achieving this is through the use of masters.

Getting a handle on PowerPoint’s outline mode is also important, particularly if text and bullet points play an important role in your presentation. PowerPoint allows you to work in outline mode, creating slides, headings and bullet points simply by typing. This mode is great if you are to be the presenter and allows you to compose your speech as create your presentation.

Photograph and other images are so key to how we communicate that it is almost certain that at least some of your presentations will require their use. Your PowerPoint training should give you a handle on the various ways of using graphics to add impact to your presentations. You should be shown how to insert and manipulate graphics, resize them, crop them and make them transparent. You should also learn how to use graphics as the background to a slide or to an element on a slide.

The majority of PowerPoint presentations these days are given electronically rather than as 35mm slides or transparencies. Therefore, the more tricks you can learn about giving presentations, the better. You need to understand how transitions work and how to set up animation schemes; so that bullet points can fade in one by one and then become greyed out when the next point appears. If you think it will add impact, you might also want to learn how to add video and sound to your presentation.

You should also ensure that your PowerPoint training teaches you how to finalize and package your presentation and that you know how to deliver electronic presentations. You should be able to freeze the screen if you need to or maybe circle an item on a chart as if using a whiteboard. These are all skills that a competent PowerPoint user should have and your PowerPoint training should equip you with these skills.

The writer works for an organisation offering Microsoft PowerPoint training courses in London and the UK.