Microsoft Excel 2016 is getting a number of new features through the November Update. The Office 365 announced in a blog post that there are ten new features coming to Microsoft Excel 2016. That’s a substantial update for sure, with the company describing the update as “powerful”.
The features are focused on transformation and connectivity. Microsoft explains that customers have been requesting the new additions to Excel 2016.
These updates are available as part of an Office 365 subscription. Users with Excel 2010 or Excel 2013 can take advantage of these updates by downloading the latest Power Query for Excel add-in.
Among the new features is a new Web Connector with UX support for HTTP Request Headers. This gives the ability to specify the header name and value pairs from advanced mode. There is also a new Query Editor ribbon for scalar values.
A new Contextual Ribbon that expose common transformations for Text, Date/Time and Number values.
The new features for Excel 2016 include:
- Web Connector—UX support for specifying HTTP Request Headers.
- OData Connector—support for “Select Related Tables” option.
- Oracle Connector—improved Navigator preview performance.
- SAP HANA Connector—enhancements to parameter input UX.
- Query Dependencies view from Query Editor.
- Query Editor ribbon support for scalar values.
- Add custom column based on function invocation.
- Expand & Aggregate columns provide support for “Load More” values.
- Convert table column to a list—new transformation.
- Select as you type in drop-down menus.
Excel Box Integration
Yesterday, online file sharing and management tool announced deeper integrations in Office, including Microsoft Excel 2016. The company introduced deeper integrations to Office.com. Users can create Office Word, Excel, or PowerPoint files on the Office site and save directly to Box.
Box also confirmed a new feature reserved specifically for Excel. The company now supports Microsoft’s new previewer features, which works in Box without the need to open Excel. With the tool, users can switch between spreadsheets, search cells, and sort content in view mode.
