Add a Comment to a spreadsheetCell

 - A comment can be added to any cell on your spreadsheet. When you hover your mouse pointer over a cell that contains a comment, you'll see the comment appear in a sort of Sticky-Note. To see how they work, study the spreadsheet below:

The formula in cell B1 above gives you a random number from 1 to 49. A new number can be had by clicking the "Calculate Now" button on the Formula menu.

To let users know what to do, we'll add a comment to cell B1.

First, create the spreadsheet above. In cell B2, enter the following formula:

=RANDBETWEEN(1, 49)

The formula will generate a Random number between 1 and 49. Once you have the above spreadsheet up and running, click inside B1 and try it out:

• From the menu bars on the Ribbon at the top of Excel, click on Formula
• Locate the Calculation panel, and then click on Calculate Now:

Excel 2007 will refresh the calculation and enter a new random number for you. To let people know about this, you can add your comment to the cell. To add a comment to cell B1, do the following:

• Click inside cell B1 on your spreadsheet
• From the tabs on the Ribbon at the top of Excel, click on Review
• Click on New Comment

A greenish textbox will appear to the right of cell B1, as in the image below:

The word "user" in the image above is placed there by Excel. This is the name of the user account that was set up in Windows. Press the backspace on your keyboard to delete this.

To add your comment, just start typing. The size of the comment area can be increased or decreased by moving your mouse over the white circles. Hold down the left mouse button and drag.

When you have finished typing your comment, click on any other cell. The comment will disappear. Notice that the cell now has a red triangle in the top right. This indicates that it contains a comment:

If you move your mouse pointer over cell B1 the comment will appear:

To get rid of a comment, right click the cell that contains the comment. Then, from the menu that appears, select Delete Comment.

The next part is another Review. If you have been following along with the tutorials in this section, try the Review and see how you get on. It will give you more practice in building a spreadsheet.

Formatting Comments

You don't have to have the default colour and font for your comments. To change the background colour of your comment, click the Show All Comments option on the Review > Comments panel:

This will ensure that the comment stays open. Now right click on the edge of the comment. From the menu that appears, select Format Comment:

Hopefuly, you'll see this dialogue box appear:

We say "hopefully" because you may get a dialogue box with just the Font panel and no others. If so, then dismiss this single panel dialogue box and try again. (Right-clicking on the edge of the Comment seems to help.) Once you get the multi-panel dialogue box, select a font and font size.

Now click on the Colors and Lines panel:

Select a color and clik OK. Your comment will then be updated:

Add an Image to an Excel Comment

You can add picture to your comments, if you want. Though this is a bit trickier than the adding plain text.

To add a picture to an Excel comment box, make sure the Show All Comments option is still selected. Again, right click on the edges of the Comment to bring up the multi-panelled dialogue box from above. Selet the Colors and Lines panel. From the Color dropdown list, click on Fill Effects at the bottom:

From the dialogue box that appears, select the Picture panel:

Click the Select Picture button to see yet another dialogue box appear. This one:

You can either search the web for a picture, or select a file from your own computer. Once you have selected a picture, click OK on all the dialogue boxes and you'll find that you have a picture in an Excel comment:

The next part is another Review. If you have been following along with the tutorials in this section, try the Review and see how you get on. It will give you more practice in building a spreadsheet.