The data form is a quick and easy way to add data to an Excel database table. For some reason, however, Microsoft chose not to add the form to one of the tabs of the ribbon starting with Excel 2007. Below are steps that will show you how to add the Form icon to the Quick Access Toolbar.

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Normally making a form is a messy business but the above form is made with a single click in Excel. It takes the column headings as field labels and makes editable fields for each column. There are buttons: New – makes a new entry (aka row in the worksheet) Delete – removes the current entry or row.

Restore – reverts to the last used details for that entry Find Prev – searches the entries / rows for specified text working back (or up the rows) from the current position. Find Next – searches the entries / rows for specified text working forward (or down the rows) from the current position. Criteria – filters the list / form to show only certain entries. Close – takes you back to the worksheet view. Getting the button Microsoft is embarrassed about the Excel data form feature (rightly so) and so they hide it away where customers can’t easily find it.

Excel 2007 and Excel 2010 In recent versions of Excel, the data form feature is hidden away. The easiest workaround is to put it in the Quick Access Toolbar (QAT). Click on the wedge at the right of the QAT and choose ‘More Commands’. Select the ‘Commands Not in the Ribbon’ list and scroll down to ‘Form ’ then add that button to the QAT list on the right.

Shortcomings Now we’ve told you about it, now we have to tell you why this Excel feature sucks – really sucks – sucks like a heavy duty vacuum cleaner. The Excel Data Form could be a major feature, the sort that gets applause in demonstrations, instead Microsoft has given it little attention or effort. It appears no development time or money has been given to it for years. Where do we begin? Limitations: the form has a limit of 32 fields / columns. That’s a pity because this feature becomes more useful as the number of columns grows.

Navigation: none of the navigation tools available to Excel have been added. There’s no ‘VCR’ like forward/back buttons, no way to jump to a particular row by number. The vertical scroll bar makes it easy to accidentally jump from one record/row to another without realizing. Formatting: no cells formatting appears in the form. For example entering a date in a data formatted cell is changed to a date as soon as you leave the cell (confirming that you typed correctly) but in the form there’s no change until you leave that row/record.

Wrapping: have a long text field with wrapping set in the cell for easy viewing? Well forget that.

In the Excel data form – you’re stuck with a single text line showing less than 40 characters regardless of the cell formatting. Validation: all those nifty data validation rules you made are ignored by the Excel form until you move away from that record/row, instead of alerting you in the cell / field as it should.

Input message: any input message/tooltip disappears entirely from the data form. Drop down list: if you’ve created a drop-down list of options for each cell in a column, the Microsoft made data form will ignore it. You have to type in each entry and it will be accepted, unless you have validations rules as well as the drop-down list. No synchronization with the worksheet: when you close the form the cursor where you were when the form started. It should be positioned in the row and column last used in the form. This would let you switch between the worksheet and form views. Modal: the Excel data form is ‘modal’ meaning you’re locked into using that form and can’t switch to any other part of the worksheet unless you close the form first.

Fixed Size: the data form can’t be resized, which is a pity since it would be very useful in this case. The width of the form is based on the widest data column.

And while we’re in complaining mode, how about giving the command a decent name in the Command List’? No wonder many people skip over this feature when it’s listed merely as ‘Form ’ which is almost Delphic in its clarity. A better option John Walkenbach has made an excellent which fixes some of the lapses in Microsoft’s effort. You can do beyond 32 fields/columns, the dialog is resizable and you can have drop-down lists too.