Microsoft: Excel on the web just got a whole lot easier to use
Microsoft has shown off performance improvements for Excel on the web, with faster workbook loading, scrolling, selection, navigation and cell modification.
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While there are other options, like Google Sheets and Apple Numbers, Microsoft's Excel remains the dominant spreadsheet program today.
Excel for the web has just gained a host of productivity improvements that focus on opening workbooks, scrolling through them and manipulating cells.
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According to Microsoft, loading a new Excel workbook should be much faster now and make for a zippy experience when working with numbers in Excel on the web.
Microsoft has also set its engineers on scrolling, a long-running complaint among macOS users who like to use Excel online.
"Scrolling is a fundamental part of working in Excel. Now, even in incredibly complex sheets, scrolling is smooth and fast," Microsoft says.
Cell selection should also be improved with the latest updates.
"Even more fundamental than scrolling, is the need to interact with content in your workbook," says Microsoft.
Microsoft has made cell selection faster so that users experience less lag and a smoother transitions when working "in the grid".
Navigation and cell modification should also be improved for Excel on the web. This applies to find, search, Go-To, as well as page-up and page-down functions. They should all be faster now.
Microsoft also developed faster cell editing and formatting for users.
Google Sheets also got a scrolling update this month with an option to find active cells and ranges via a new range name box.
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The range name box is on the left side of the formula bar and is designed to improve navigation in Google Sheets.
Before the update, Sheets active cells were highlighted by a blue outline and could be located by scrolling or using the arrow keys. Now, users can tap the range name box to jump directly to coordinates and named ranges in a sheet.