Excel questions

[poppe]

Okay,

I'm kind of a newb when it comes to excel. My boss just sent me over this excel sheet that he wants me to try and fix. It is wonderfully broken down, but there are two problems with the file. The Excel sheet is a list of items, what they correspond to, and where they are located. Each item corresponds with multiple things like Vendor, Distributor, etc.

1) He'd like it so that each item is essential set up as a list. He has already created it as a list himself, but it doesn't do it automatically, so if we add a new item in one of the categories we then have to go through that whole category changing the numbers that follow that new item.

2) The second problem we are having is that the items are color coded from gray to white to gray. Every time we add another item, again we have to go through and change the other items so they follow the pattern.

Hopefully this all makes sense because I can't post the excel file since it is confidential. Please let me know what you guys think. I'm sorry for not searching, but I wasn't sure what to search for.

EDIT:

3) We also would love a way so that we could click "Vendor" and all the items that correspond are only in view. Is that anyway possible?

EDIT 2:

I think I figured out how to sort items by using AutoFilter, the problem is that it doesn't wont' work because it says some of the merged cells are not the same size.

The real kicker with the sorting is that items are in specific categories, so lets say I decide to put the items in descending order in stead of ascending like it is now, I would like the category title cells to movie as well so you can tell the item is still with that category. Possible?

 

[miles01110]

1) He'd like it so that each item is essential set up as a list. He has already created it as a list himself, but it doesn't do it automatically, so if we add a new item in one of the categories we then have to go through that whole category changing the numbers that follow that new item.

I am a little unclear as to what exactly is going on here, but if you "Insert" a new line (or column), it moves everything else over accordingly- you shouldn't have to manually change anything.

 

[MooneyFlyer]

This sounds fixable but

1) we'll need to see a copy of the file. Just take the confidential stuff out and replace it with non-confidential stuff... (leave the structure the same)

2) You (or your boss) may have to change your use model a bit. (ie, color coding ever other line manually)

 

[poppe]

I am a little unclear as to what exactly is going on here, but if you "Insert" a new line (or column), it moves everything else over accordingly- you shouldn't have to manually change anything.

Yes sorry about this. I'll explain more later tonight.

This sounds fixable but

1) we'll need to see a copy of the file. Just take the confidential stuff out and replace it with non-confidential stuff... (leave the structure the same)

2) You (or your boss) may have to change your use model a bit. (ie, color coding ever other line manually)

Ok I'll work on that. Its a large document, but I'm gonna work on just getting page 1 to you guys with non of the confidential data on it. I should be able to post that tonight.

 

[poppe]

Okay hopefully this makes a little sense. I literally had to remove everything. It wouldn't let me attach the actual excel file so, hopefully you can understand this.

 

[poppe]

Okay hopefully this makes a little sense. I literally had to remove everything. It wouldn't let me attach the actual excel file so, hopefully you can understand this.

Okay one last try: Any thoughts, ideas, anything?

 

[maflynn]

What you describe sounds like a job for a simple database app then excel. You're probably going to run into all sorts of headaches such as these when you're using excel inplace of a database. Check out filemaker pro, you can create tables, link them together and acheive what you're looking for a lot easier then fudging with excel - that is unless I don't understand the problem.

 

[Gregg2]

He'd like it so that each item is essential set up as a list.

Is it set up as a list or as a List? Excel has a List Manager, which is a rudimentary database subroutine. Is that what you have?

The file looks pretty complicated for that, way over my head in terms of experience using List Manager.

But, when you add an item, how do you do it? If you Insert Cells, doesn't that cause everything, including color, to shift down? Then the number on the left would be off...

Could you set up the first column to be
A:1 1
A:2 =(A1+1)
A:3 =(a2+1)
etc. ??

The rows that aren't numbered might mess that up however.

 

[tgmyers78]

How do I turn the List Manager in Excel off?

Hi!

I am a new user of MAC due to work.

I accidentally turned the List Manger on in Excel and can't figure out how to turn it off. Please help!

Thanks!

P.S. I hate MAC! Everything is backwards here!

 

[JediMeister]

@tgmyers: It would help to know what version of Excel you are using on your Mac, whether it is Office 2004 or 2008. According to the last post in this forum for Microsoft Office issues, you can disable it by right-clicking on a cell and choosing "Remove List Manager".

P.S. I would also recommend in the future not resurrecting an 8 month old thread which just happens to have Excel in the title but very little to do with your present issue.

P.P.S. I think you would enjoy using your Mac more if you didn't feel like you were pushed into it by your work. It will take time to get used to it, the more relaxed you are about it and less stressed out, the easier it will go. Hopefully, at some point you will get acclimated to using the Mac OS and it will become second nature like using Windows seems to have been for you before.

 

[tgmyers78]

@tgmyers: It would help to know what version of Excel you are using on your Mac, whether it is Office 2004 or 2008. According to the last post in this forum for Microsoft Office issues, you can disable it by right-clicking on a cell and choosing "Remove List Manager".

JediMeister,

Thank you for your reply. I am using Excel 2004. Unfortunately I cannot right-click because I have a stupid MAC mouse too!

P.S. I would also recommend in the future not resurrecting an 8 month old thread which just happens to have Excel in the title but very little to do with your present issue.

I wrote in this thread because I thought the opposite - that I would be noted to not open a new topic when a thread already exists... I guess the rules are different here...I will open a new topic then as my problem has still not been resolved.

P.P.S. I think you would enjoy using your Mac more if you didn't feel like you were pushed into it by your work. It will take time to get used to it, the more relaxed you are about it and less stressed out, the easier it will go. Hopefully, at some point you will get acclimated to using the Mac OS and it will become second nature like using Windows seems to have been for you before.

I hope so too. If it wasn't for having things to be done fast at work sometimes I would certainly enjoy learning this sucker...

 

[MisterMe]

Three things:

• The right mouse button replicates the [control] key. To "Right-Click," press the [control] key while clicking.
• There is something about newbies and necro-posting.
• Many switchers come into the Mac community with preconceived notions. However, they also come in having spent years learning very bad computing habits along with remedies to the numerous and sundry Windows maladies. You really are in a new land. You must learn new ways. You cannot unlearn old bad habits and learn good new habits overnight. Give yourself time.