This July of 2022, Microsoft releases a number of new features for Excel. The update will improve Natural Language Query functionality for Excel for Windows and Mac as well as provide field search functionality to PivotTable field lists for Excel for the web. Other updates to the July 2022 update are described in full in Microsoft’s Tech Community blog post.
Although Excel may not receive as many upgrades and new features as other Office programs, it is comforting to know that Microsoft is still making incremental improvements to the program each month. The Natural Language Query improvements that are coming to Excel for Windows (Current Channel & Monthly Enterprise Channel) and Mac are one of its best upgrades. This indicates that users will now be able to conduct a natural language search within the spreadsheet. The Excel Team notes, “You may now ask queries about specific patterns or insights that may be in your data, like “Show me insights about the Northwest region.” “When there are several responses to your query, you have more possibilities.”
However, an update to the PivotTable field list will enable users of Excel for the Web to search for fields within their PivotTables. However, keep in mind that the new function will be made available to users gradually, so not all Excel for Web users will immediately experience it.
Better control over data conversions will be possible thanks to the automatic data conversion feature that will be added to Excel for Windows (Insiders Beta). Users can select the precise formats where they wish their data to be automatically converted here.
Finally, a new resizable Conditional Formatting dialog will be available to Beta Channel Insiders using Excel for Mac. This is helpful because the Manage Rules dialog’s current size only supports five conditional formatting rules for simultaneous viewing and cannot display lengthy formulas. This update alters that by giving you the option to increase the dialog’s width and/or height. Microsoft claims that the update also has an accessibility enhancement that should make it simpler to control conditional formatting rules with the keyboard.
