Using a Free Add-in to Find Office 2007 Commands

The Ribbon was envisioned by Microsoft to make it easier to find and use commands in Office 2007. However, after many years of using menus in previous versions, I find myself continually searching for commands. If you know there is a button for a command, but you don’t know where to find it, you should check out the free Search Commands add-in by Microsoft Office Labs. In Microsoft Office 2007 Word, Excel, and PowerPoint, you can use the add-in to perform searches with your own words to find and use the command you need. The Search Commands add-in is especially useful for finding commands that you use less often. It can also help you discover commands and features that you didn’t know existed. After you download and install the add-in, the Search Commands tab is added to the Ribbon. Click the Search Commands tab (or press Windows key + Y), and then type the command name or feature you need in the Search box. The commands matching and relating to the search appear on the Ribbon as you type. For example, the other day I was looking for the line spacing options in Word 2007. With the Search Commands add-in, I simply typed “line spacing” and all the commands relating to line spacing appeared on the Search Commands tab in one place. You can click the button you want or enter the number (keyboard shortcut) that appears next to that option. [img]http://www.perspection.com/blog/SearchCommandsAdd-in.JPG[/img] If you need any additional help with the Search Commands add-in or a specific task, you can use Guided Help, which acts as a step-by-step tour guide through the learning process. For Guided Help with the Search Commands add-in, click the Guided Help: Learn About Search Commands button on the Search Commands tab (with the Search box empty), and then follow along with the screens. For Guided Help with a specific task, type “guided help” in the Search box, click a guided help task, and then follow along with the screens. Microsoft Office Labs provides the Search Commands add-in as a prototype to test out the concept in the real world. After you try it out, please let them know what you think. Microsoft Office Labs also provides add-ins, such as Canvas for OneNote, Chart Advisor, Email Prioritizer, pptPlex, and Community Clips, which you may see explored in future blog entries.