You might have heard the phrase "working in the cloud" and wonder what that means, and how that affects the way you work with Microsoft Excel. It's really all about providing easy access to your data via a browser — to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. No need for other people to have Excel installed to view, edit, or collaborate on that data.
By using Microsoft Excel Web App, a browser-based extension of Excel, you will be able to do all that. You can even use it to create a new workbook on a computer that doesn't have Excel installed.
You can view and edit workbooks in a browser in one of two ways:
- By uploading or creating new workbooks on Windows Live SkyDrive, which is a free Web-based file storage and sharing service.
- By saving workbooks to a SharePoint site where Office Web Apps are installed.
This article covers the first method. For more information about the SharePoint method, see Publish a workbook to a SharePoint site.
In this article
What is Excel Web App?
Excel Web App is a browser-based application that you can use to view and edit Excel workbooks (workbook: A spreadsheet program file that you create in Excel. A workbook contains worksheets of rows and columns in which you can enter and calculate data.) in your browser. Workbooks and worksheets (worksheet: The primary document that you use in Excel to store and work with data. Also called a spreadsheet. A worksheet consists of cells that are organized into columns and rows; a worksheet is always stored in a workbook.) look the same in Excel Web App as they do in Excel, and Excel Web App has the familiar look and feel of Excel. Many Excel features are available in Excel Web App, but not all features are supported or work exactly the same way. To make changes beyond what you can do in the browser, Excel Web App includes a way for you to open the workbook in Excel, and then save it back to the server.
Excel Web App makes it easy for you to:
- Extend Excel on the Web Use Excel features and functionality you are familiar with, in a Web environment.
- Work anywhere A browser is all you need to access your workbooks.
- Work together Your teammates can work with you on projects regardless of which version of Excel they have.
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Using Windows Live to access Excel Web App
To use Excel Web App on Windows Live, you need a Windows Live ID. Use that ID to sign into your Windows Live account. and then go to SkyDrive to access Excel Web App. To work on existing Excel workbooks in Excel Web App, you can upload those workbooks in SkyDrive.
If you already use Hotmail, Messenger, or Xbox Live, you can use that ID to sign into Windows Live and begin using Excel Web App.
Create a Windows Live ID
To create a Windows Live ID, do the following:
- Go to Windows Live at http://skydrive.live.com.
- Under Don't have a Windows Live ID?, click Sign up.
- Fill out the form to create your Windows Live ID.
Upload an existing workbook
To upload one or more workbooks for use in Excel Web App, do the following:
- Sign into Windows Live.
- Under Recent folders, click the folder where you want to upload the workbooks.
Folders that display a lock icon are private folders; folders can also be shared folders or public (internet) folders.
Tip By clicking Create folder, you can create a new folder where you can upload your workbooks.
- Click Add files to upload the workbooks you want to open in Excel Web App.
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Start a new workbook in Excel Web App
Instead of uploading a workbook from your computer, you can add a new, blank workbook to a SkyDrive folder directly in the browser.
- Sign in to Windows Live.
- Click the folder where you want to add a new workbook.
- Click New, and then click Microsoft Excel workbook.
- Type a name for the workbook, and then click Create.
Excel Web App opens in edit mode.
Tip There's no need to save your changes. Excel Web App saves your workbook automatically while you work on it. If you make changes you don't want to keep, use the Undo command (or perss CTRL+Z).
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View worksheet data in Excel Web App
When you open a workbook in view mode in Excel Web App, you can view and interact with the worksheet data to help you interpret it. For example, you can sort and filter the data in columns or expand PivotTables to see additional details and data trends. To make changes to the data, you must open the workbook in edit mode.
- Sign in to Windows Live.
- Click the folder that contains the workbook you want to view.
- Click the workbook that you want to explore, and then click View.
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Edit worksheet data in Excel Web App
When you work on an Excel Web App workbook in edit mode, you can change the data, enter or edit formulas, and apply basic formatting to draw attention to the data.
To edit a worksheet, do the following:
- Sign in to Windows Live.
- Click the folder that contains the workbook you want to edit.
- Do one of the following:
- Click the workbook you want to change, and then click Edit.
To make advanced editing changes to the worksheet that exceed the capabilities of Excel Web App, do the following:
- On the Home tab, in the Office group, click Open in Excel.
- In Excel, make the editing changes you want.
- On the File tab, click Save.
The workbook is automatically saved in the SkyDrive folder.
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Use Excel Web App to collaborate on worksheet data with other people
To collaborate with other people on the same workbook at the same time, you can share a workbook with them. This feature is useful when you have a worksheet that requires input, such as a group project or a signup sheet. No more sending a workbook around via e-mail, or waiting for someone else to check it back in on the server.
To share a workbook with other people, do the following:
- Sign in to Windows Live.
- Click the folder that contains the workbook you want to share.
Note Other people will be able to access everything in the folder you select because you cannot provide permission to individual workbooks only. To keep specific workbooks private, use one or more folders for private workbooks, and create a separate folder for the workbooks you want to share.
- Next to Shared with, click Just me.
Note Just me indicates that the folder is not shared with anyone else. If you already selected people, click People I selected to add, change, or delete permissions.
- Click Edit permissions.
- Select the check boxes for the people you want to share the workbook with, or type their e-mail addresses in the Individuals box.
- In the list box that appears next to their name, specify that they Can add, edit details, and delete files.
- Click Save.
- In the Include your own message box, compose a message to notify the people you selected that they now have permission to access your folder, and direct them to the workbook you want them to edit.
Note A link to the folder is automatically inserted in the e-mail message.
- Click Send.
- Back in the folder, click the workbook, and then click Edit.
After users click the link you sent them and start working on the worksheet in edit mode, you can see the changes that they make.
Note If changes are made to the same cell by different people (including you), the last change will displayed in the cell.
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