Page 89 - Excel 2013 All-in-One For Dummies

Managing COM add-ins
The following COM add-in programs are included when you install Excel 2013:
✦ PowerPivot: Enables you to build complex data models using large amounts of data. It also facilitates data queries using DAX (Data Analysis Expressions) functions. (See Book VI, Chapter 2.)
✦ Inquire: Facilitates the review of workbooks to understand their design, function, inconsistencies, formula errors, and broken links. You can also use Inquire to compare two workbooks to reveal their differences. (See Book III, Chapter 2.)
✦ Power View: Provides the means for the interactive data exploration and visual presentation of the data in your Excel data models, encourag- ing ad-hoc (on-the-spot) data queries. (See Book VI, Chapter 2.)
Keep in mind that you readily manage your COM add-ins using the COM Add-Ins button in the Add-Ins group on the Developer tab. (To display
the Developer tab in Excel 2013, choose File➪Options➪Customize Ribbon [Alt+FTC) and then select the check box in front of Developer in the Main Tabs list box before you click OK.) When you select the COM Add-Ins button, Excel opens the COM Add-Ins dialog box that shows all of the COM add-ins that are installed and activated. Here, you can activate and deactivate indi- vidual add-ins as needed.
Purchasing third-party add-ins
The add-ins included with Excel are not the only Excel add-ins that you can lay your hands on. Many third-party vendors sell Excel add-ins that you can often purchase online and then immediately download onto your hard drive.
To find third-party vendors and get information on their add-ins, open your web browser and search for Excel add-ins.
Even before you do a web search, you may want to visit the Add-Ins.com website at www.add-ins.com.
This online outfit offers a wide variety of useful Excel add-ins. One example is the Name Splitter that automatically splits full names that have been entered into single cells into individual first name, middle name or initial, and last name cells (so that the list can then be better sorted and filtered by parts of the names).
Note that you can expect to pay Add-Ins.com between $25 and $50 for add-in programs such as these (really reasonably priced if you consider how many hours it would take to split up names into separate cells in huge worksheets).
Add-In Mania 71
Book I Chapter 2
Customizing Excel 2013