XL2000: Types of Formatting and Features Preserved in Workbook Sent as Body of HTML E-mail Message

Microsoft Excel has the ability to send a worksheet as the body of an HTML e-mail message. This article identifies the formatting and features that are and are not preserved when a message recipient opens a worksheet in Excel.

To send an Excel worksheet as the body of an HTML e-mail message, follow these steps:

1. Select the worksheet that you want to send.
2. On the File menu, point to Send To, and then click Mail Recipient.
3. Select the Send the current sheet as the message body option and click OK.
4. In the To box, type the recipient's e-mail address, and then click Send this Sheet.

If the recipient is running Microsoft Outlook 2000 and Excel 2000, the recipient can click Edit Message on the Edit menu when viewing the message to open the worksheet in Excel 2000.

NOTE: As a general rule, if you need to e-mail an entire workbook, send the file as an attachment. If you just want to send the active worksheet and nothing on the worksheet refers to data or formulas on another worksheet, you can send the worksheet as the body of an e-mail message from Excel and most items will be preserved.

Items That Are Preserved

The following items are preserved when a worksheet is sent as the body of an e-mail message:

• Cell formatting, including the following:
  • Text number format
  • General number format
  • Number number format
  • Scientific notation format
  • Time number format
  • Date number format
  • Fraction number format
  • Font color
  • Fill color
  • Patterns
  • Borders
  • Rotated text
  • Horizontal alignment
  • Font name
  • Font size
  • Font style
• Conditional formatting
• Data validation
• Charts and their associated properties (the data must be on the same sheet as the chart)
• AutoFilter (including the criteria in effect at the time the e-mail was sent)
• Simple formulas including cell references and worksheet functions
• Database queries (you cannot edit a query once the message is sent, but you can refresh the query)

Items That Are Not Preserved

The following items are not preserved when you send a worksheet as the body of an e-mail message:

• Defined names
• Array formulas
• PivotTables
• Links and cell references to worksheets other than the active worksheet (these formulas are converted into their respective values instead)

For more information about how to send a worksheet as the body of an e-mail message, click Microsoft Excel Help on the Help menu, type Send a worksheet as the body of an e-mail message directly from Excel in the Office Assistant or the Answer Wizard, and then click Search to view the topic.