How to Add the Developer Tab in Excel
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In this tutorial, you will learn how to add the developer tab in excel completely. We will also discuss the functions and the contents of this developer tab.
When working in excel, we sometimes want to add things beyond what excel has provided for us. We may want to have extra command buttons to run specific functions, more shortcuts to work much faster, etc. If we add the developer tab in our excel program, we can enable these extra things for us.
Want to know how to add the developer tab in excel and learn more what can this tab do for us? Read this tutorial until its last part!
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Table of Contents:
What is the Developer Tab in Excel?
The excel developer tab is an optional tab in our ribbon which provides functions that can enable extra tools for us. You can see the look of the developer tab interface in excel below.
Excel hides this tab by default (presumably because if we use its functions carelessly, then it is possible to damage our excel files and program with it). If we want to show this tab in our excel program, then we have to follow some specific steps. We will discuss these steps in the third section of this tutorial.
Developer Tab Functions
Here are some functions we can do much easier if we have the developer tab ready in our excel ribbon.- Automate our data processing much more
- Create shortcuts to some specific commands that excel doesn’t provide for us
- Formulate extra excel functions for us to use
- Add various buttons to our worksheets like radio button, spinner, check box, etc
- Change our workbook and worksheet interface creatively
The functions in the developer tab enable excel to become a much more flexible software than it already is. We can surely work much more productively if we understand how to utilize this tab functions optimally!
How to Add the Developer Tab in Excel?
After we understand a bit about the developer tab, now let’s see the way to add it to your excel ribbon. These are the steps that you can follow to do just that.-
Click File on the top left of your excel program. Then, click Options (In Mac, click the Excel text on the top left of your screen while you are in your excel program. Then, click Preferences)
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In the dialog box that shows up, click Customize Ribbon on its left panel (In Mac, click Ribbon and Toolbar and activate the Ribbon tab)
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In the Main Tabs box on the right, you should see a Developer checkbox unchecked. Check it by clicking on it once
You can also move the Developer tab position in your ribbon if you want. Do it by clicking the up and down arrows on the right while highlighting the Developer checkbox
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Click the OK button in the dialog box
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Done! You should have the developer tab ready now on your excel ribbon. If you haven’t changed the tab position, it will be on the most right of your ribbon tabs
How to Add Shortcuts to the Quick Access Toolbar
Want to know what are the things inside of your excel developer tab? Here are the five groups in it with a brief explanation for each of them.
- Code: Probably the most important and used group in this developer tab. This is where you can record, run, add, edit, or delete your macros. Macro is a collection of VBA code that can enable you to run advanced commands in excel.
Through this group, you can also write your own VBA code and manage the macro security in your excel program - Add-Ins: This group is where you manage your add-ins. Add-in is a group of excel command buttons you can install in your excel program. They usually come from third parties although there are some you can install from Microsoft too.
You can add or remove the add-ins you want here. With the right add-ins, you should be able to perform various useful functions in excel much easier - Controls: Here is where you can add and edit various buttons or forms you want for your worksheets. You can also display detailed properties of the objects in your excel file and view a macro code from here
- XML: You can play with XML in this developer tab group. The functions here include import, export, refresh, and open XML maps and also view and modify XML properties. You can also display and attach XML expansion packs here to your excel workbook
- Modify: Excel removes this group since excel 2016. Previously, with this, you can import and use a custom document information panel template for your excel document
We hope you can get a bit more knowledge about what you can do in the excel developer tab from this!
Additional Note
If you want to remove the developer tab you have added, just repeat the steps to add the developer tab. However, this time, you should uncheck the Developer tab checkbox in the “Customize Ribbon” dialog box.Related tutorials you should learn:
