Microsoft Word - Dragon for EXCEL.doc

USING DRAGON WITH MICROSOFT EXCEL – COMMAND CHEAT SHEET

Dragon provides a number of natural language commands to use with Microsoft Excel. Using

these commands, you can avoid the multiple menu-selection and mouse-movement steps

associated with the traditional Microsoft Windows interface. There are two modes for using

voice commands in Microsoft Excel:

 Quick Edit Mode: Allows you to enter new content into a cell, overwrite the current

contents of a cell, or format the entire contents of a cell. When you select a cell and

begin dictating, a yellow background appears to indicate that the dictated text will be

inserted into the cell. If the cell currently contains text, the new dictated text will overwrite

the existing text. If you want to format the contents of a cell, select the cell, or select a

portion of the cell’s contents, and say a formatting command, such as "Set Font Arial 10

Points Bold."

 Full Edit Mode: Allows you to edit the existing contents of a cell. If you want to add to or

edit the current contents of a cell, select the cell and say "Edit Cell" or "Press F2" to

open the cell for editing. When you enter Full Edition Mode, the background color

changes to blue. Entering Full Edit Mode is analogous to double-clicking a cell. Line and

Paragraph commands, such as "New Line" operate within the selected cell in Full Edit

mode. Saying “apply” completes entry into a cell, and leaves the focus on that cell

(exiting Quick Edit mode).

Creating, Opening, and Closing a Spreadsheet

TO SAY

Create a new spreadsheet 1. "start Microsoft Excel"

2. "create new file" or "create new workbook"

Open an existing spreadsheet 1. "start Microsoft Excel"

2. "open file" or "open document"

3. "<file name>," for example, "my spreadsheet"

4. "click open"

Close a spreadsheet "close file" or "close document"

Saving, Renaming, and Moving to Another Spreadsheet

TO SAY

Save a spreadsheet as a.XLS

file

1. "save file"

2. dictate a file name (only needed if this is the first

time the file has been saved)

3. "click save"

Save a spreadsheet in HTML

format

1. "save file as webpage"

2. "click save"

3. (if a dialog box appears warning of a format loss)

"click continue"

Rename a spreadsheet "rename the worksheet"

Moving to another open

spreadsheet

"go to next/previous worksheet"

Setting up a spreadsheet

TO SAY

Setting page margins

 "set top and bottom margins to <number>,” for

example, "set top and bottom margins to 10"

 "set right margin to <number>,” for example, "set

right margin to 20"

Set printing area

 "fit to <number> pages wide"

 "fit to <number> pages tall"

Viewing the spreadsheet

TO SAY

Enlarge or reduce the

spreadsheet view

"zoom to <number> percent," for example, "zoom to 50%"

Change the display

 "hide/unhide this row/column"

 "hide/show the drawing toolbar"

 "hide/unhide the formulas in this column/row"

Printing

TO SAY

Print a range of pages

 "print workbook"

 "print this selection"

 "print column <number> to column <number>"

 "print next <number> rows"

Preview or print out "go to print break preview"

Print part of a page

 "set print area to selection"

 "set print area to the first/next/previous <number>

rows/columns"

 "print this selection"

Moving Around a Spreadsheet

TO SAY

Move to new location

 "next/previous row/column"

 "start of this/next/previous row/column"

 "row/column <number/letter>," for example, "row five"

or "column A." If the column includes two or more

letters, say the alpha-bravo form of the letter, for

example to go to column AB, say "column Alpha

Bravo."

* You can also navigate between cells using absolute commands

such as “move to cell A1” or relative movement commands such as

“move up one, move right two,” etc.

Create a new line within a

cell

"new line"

Complete a cell entry and

move down one cell

"press enter"

Cancel a cell entry and

remain in the cell

"press escape" or "cancel"

Complete a cell entry and "apply"

stay in the cell

Formatting a Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet

TO SAY

Change column width

 "set column width to <number>"

 “set width to <number> in column <number>"

Change row height

 "set row height to <number> in this row"

 "set height to <number> in the first/next/previous

<number> rows”

Change row and column

appearance

 "shade this row/column”

 "apply pattern to current/this row/column"

 "center the next/previous <number> rows/columns>

 "indent the next/previous <number> rows/columns

<number>"

 "bold/italicize this row/column/cell"

Working with Content in Microsoft Excel

TO SAY

Sum or average a column or

row of numbers

1. move the insertion point to the cell where you want the

sum to appear

2. "sum/average the values on the right/on the

left/above/below"

Sort a column or row of

numbers

1. select the row, column, or range of cells you want to

sort

2. "sort the selection"

Change contents from

decimals to fractions

1. move the insertion point to the row, column, or cell you

want to change

2. "set this row/column/cell to fractions in <number>," for

example, "set this cell to fractions in eighths"

Lock or unlock contents 1. move the insertion point to the row, column, or cell you

want to lock or unlock

2. "lock/unlock this row/column/cell"

Fill a cell, row, or column 1. move the insertion point to the row, column, or cell you

want to fill

2. "fill this cell up/down/right/left <number>

cells/rows/columns," for example, "fill this cell down

two rows"

Delete the contents of a cell,

row, or column

1. move the insertion point to the row, column, or cell you

want to clear

2. "clear all from this row/column/cell"

Hide the contents of a cell,

row, or column

1. move the insertion point to the row, column, or cell you

want to hide

2. "hide this row/column/cell"