When to use tables in Word vs. Excel?

[trendy]

I have users that are asking when then should use Word or Excel for a table. Does anyone have any further infomation on beyond telling them that Excel is better to use when it's necessary to perform math functions?

 

[xlbo]

Personally, I do ALL tables in excel - whether Math is involved or not - there's enough ways of linking / copy / pasting from one app to the other to mean that you may as well take advantage of the fact that excel is built for this kind of stuff whereas word isn't

Rgds, Geoff
Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes
Want the best answers to your questions ? - then read me baby one more time - faq222-2244

 

[trendy]

I agree with you. Unfortunately, they do ALL their tables in Word and I'd like to give them some guidelines on when Excel would be their best choice. Thanks.

 

[EdwardMartinIII]

If it doesn't matter to you, then tell 'em "Use whatever you're most comfortable with. I don't care. Don't bother me unless you're carrying an entire box of doughnuts."

If it matters to you, then tell 'em what you want 'em to do: "Always use Excel for tables."

If you have your own personal guidelines which you believe work well, then give 'em those.

If you come up with (or borrow from someone else) reasons for using x tool instead of y, then you're doing your users a disservice. They're the ones making the documents and they (presumably ) know when they have to use a different tool. If you make a proclamation either way and it turns out to be based on false data, or perhaps not based on real data (there's a difference), you cast aspersion on your credibility.

I mean, really, what does it matter, as long as they can get their stuff in table form on their Word documents? Plus, you might get doughnuts out of the deal. How cool is that?

Cheers,


Edward

"Cut a hole in the door. Hang a flap. Criminy, why didn't I think of this earlier?!" -- inventor of the cat door

 

[xlbo]

I think EMIII has hit the nail on the head there.

Rgds, Geoff
Si hoc legere scis, nimis eruditionis habes
Want the best answers to your questions ? - then read me baby one more time - faq222-2244

 

[trendy]

Well I don't want to mislead them, they asked the question so I asked the question. What I was really hoping for was a link to some Microsoft recommendation. I had already looked for one and couldn't find it. So thanks for your answers, I'm off to look for the box of doughnuts.

 

[EdwardMartinIII]

trendy: Well I don't want to mislead them, they asked the question so I asked the question.

Misleading them isn't the issue. Do you confer with your users regarding the best service pack to install on the server?

You can always send 'em here:

http://www.microsoft.com/office/techinfo/productdoc/default.asp

and let them decide for themselves. Tell them you're "empowering" them.

Cheers,


Edward

"Cut a hole in the door. Hang a flap. Criminy, why didn't I think of this earlier?!" -- inventor of the cat door