Different components of Excel Workbook User Interface

Following image shows an Excel Workbook window with its main Graphical User Interface components.

Graphical User Interface components of Excel Workbook window

Main Graphical User Interface components of Excel Workbook window are explained below.

• Ribbon : Excel Ribbon is the technical term for the row of Tabs above Formula bar. Excel Ribbon is a strip of buttons and icons (refer below image) in Excel Workbook window where Excel commands are located. The buttons and icons of Excel Ribbon are grouped in to different tabs based on the category of their functionalities. Clicking a tab in the tab list changes the Tab of Excel Ribbon.

• Ribbon Options : When you click Ribbon Options button, three different options related with the display of Ribbon is shown. Available options in Excel 2019 are "Auto-hide Ribbon", "Show Tabs", "Show Tabs and Commands".

• Quick Access Tool Bar : Quick Access Tool Bar (QAT) is located above Excel Ribbon. It is used to hold commonly used commands. Quick Access Tool Bar (QAT) is always visible, regardless of which tab is selected. By default, the Quick Access Tool Bar (QAT) contains the Save, Undo and Redo button. The Quick Access Tool Bar (QAT) is customizable so that we can add commonly used commands there.

• Formula bar : Excel Formula bar is located at the top of the Excel Worksheet window. Excel Formula bar has three parts. The left most is the "Cell Name Box", middle one "Formula Bar Buttons" and right one is the contents of the currently selected cell. The data or formula entered in the Active cell will appear in right-most section.

Excel Formula bar components are shown in below image.

• Column Letters : Each column in Excel Worksheet is identified using letters from A to XFD. From A to XFD, there are total of 16384 columns available. Below image shows the last Column letter (XFD) of Excel 2019.

• Row Numbers : Each Row in Excel Worksheet is identified using numbers from 1 to 1048576. From 1 to 1048576, there are total of 1048576 rows available. The image below shows the last Row number (1048576) of Excel 2019.

• Active Cell : The thick border outline around the cell indicates that it is the Active cell inside Excel Worksheet. The Active cell inside Excel Worksheet is used to identify the cell which is currently active. The Active cell is where the focus is on and where the data will be entered. Below image shows the Actice Cell as C5, which is hi-lighted with a thick border.

• File Button : File Button can be used to open a menu (called as Excel Backstage View) which contains many options to work with the Excel file. Important options are "New", "Open", "Save", "Save As" and "Print". When you click the File button, a menu (Excel Backstage View) similar to the image below is opened.

• Cell Name Box : Cell Name box is where the Active Cell Name is displayed. Refer the image below to understand what is Cell Name.

• Tab List : Tab List is where different Ribbons are displayed as Tabs in Excel Ribbon. Different Tabs contain commads with similar functionalities which are grouped together.

• Window Controls : Window controls are used to control the main Excel window. Similar to any normal Windows application, three buttons are used for minimizing the window, maximizing / restoring the window, and closing the window.

• Zoom Bar : Zoom Bar is used to zoom in or zoom out of Excel worksheet. Percentage of zoom is also shown.

• Horizontal scrollbar and Vertical scrollbar : Similar to any normal Windows application, Horizontal scrollbar and Vertical scrollbar can be used to scroll the contents horizontally or vertically.