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.

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Excel is perhaps the most widely used element within MS Office 2007. Before you can manipulate a chart any way, you need to highlight or select the chart. To select an embedded MS Excel 2007 chart simply click once on its border. When a chart is highlighted, Excel does two things: it displays the data on which the chart is based and it displays the Chart Tools. Chart Tools consist of the Design, Layout and Format context sensitive tabs.

To select a stand-alone chart, simply click on the sheet tab. In a standalone chart, the chart occupies the entire sheet and normally the chart remains highlighted. However, it can be deselected if you click on the blank space outside the chart area. If the chart has become deselected, simply click on its border to reselect it; just as you would with an embedded chart.

The most basic type of manipulation one can do to an embedded chart is to reposition and resize the chart. To resize the chart, use one of the resize handles. These are positioned on the corners of the chart and in the middle of each side. Each resize handle consists of three dots. When using the middle handles, you can only change one dimension; either the width or the height. When you use the corner handles, you can change both dimensions. To resize proportionally, in other words to retain the aspect ratio, hold down the Shift key as you drag.

It is also possible to permanently lock the aspect ratio. Click on the Format tab and then click on the launch button. In the size section this displays the Size and Properties dialog box. Here you’ll find the option Lock Aspect Ratio. If this option is activated, whenever you use the corner handles to resize a chart, the aspect ratio is automatically preserved without having to use the Shift key.

To move a chart, position the cursor on the border of the chart but away from the resize handles. You will notice that when the cursor is over a resize handle it changes to an icon with two arrows. When you have the cursor over the border but away from the resize handles, the cursor changes to an icon with four arrows. At this point, simply click and hold and drag the chart to a new location.

Although Excel places a chart on a separate layer, it still associates it with the columns and rows over which it is place. This means that if you make adjustments to these rows and columns, the chart can move or be resized. For example, if we insert a column to the left of one of the columns over which the chart is placed, the chart becomes wider to accommodate the newly inserted column.

If this behaviour becomes a nuisance at any time, Excel allows you to deactivate it. Simply highlight the chart, click on the Format tab and then click on the launch button in the Size section. This time, click on the Properties tab and here you’ll find options for Object Positioning. If you choose the option Don’t Move or Size With Cells, this means that chart objects will become completely independent of the columns and rows on which they superimposed.
The author is a trainer and developer with Macresource Computer Training, a UK IT training company offering Microsoft Excel training in London and on-site courses throughout the UK.