The database capabilities of Excel are very powerful. In fact, not only can Excel be used to create a simple searchable database, it also can be used to create a proper relational database.

Drop-down lists in Excel let you create a list of valid choices that you can select for a given field. We'll show you how to use tables, named ranges, formulas, data validation, and table styles.

You can easily create a drop-down list in Excel to limit the values that can be entered in a column. Here's how to set one up.

To create data bars in Excel, select your cells and then choose data bars from Conditional Formatting.