Path: utzoo!attcan!uunet!crdgw1!uakari.primate.wisc.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!rpi!uupsi!pbs.org!mdresser
From: mdresser@pbs.org
Newsgroups: comp.sys.mac.apps
Subject: Re: Excel WARNING!!
Message-ID: <1991Mar1.183909.11878@pbs.org>
Date: 1 Mar 91 23:39:09 GMT
References: <5924@crystal9.UUCP>
Distribution: comp
Organization: PBS:Public Broadcasting Service, Alexandria, VA
Lines: 75

In article <5924@crystal9.UUCP>, derosa@motcid.UUCP (John DeRosa) writes:
> I ran into a problem with Excel that I was sure was
> a bug.  I was copying some cells from one spread sheet
> into another.  I selected 20 cells, copy and then paste
> and ended up with 30 cells in the receiving spread sheet.
> 
> THIS MAY SOUND SIMPLE ENOUGH BUT THE UNDERLYING PROBLEM 
> CAN CAUSE SOME MAJOR LEAGUE CALCULATION ERRORS.
> 
> I finally determined what the problem was after hours of head 
> pounding.  It all comes down to the mis-use of a feature of Excel.  
> 
> Most Excel users know that you can split the Excel window 
> into 1, 2 or 4 windows.  This is done by clicking and 
> dragging on the black strip just above the "up" arrow 
> or the strip just to the left of the "left" arrow.

	Why is this a problem? I think this is a great feature.

> 
> Another commonly used feature is changing
> the width of a column by clicking and dragging the 
> column boundry.  While this feature can change the height
> of a row, it is seldom used as the height of a 
> row is automatically adjusted depending on the font
> point size.  (BTW, I have been told that V3.0 will have automatic
> Column width)
> 
> THE PROBLEM is that a row or a column can be shrunk to 
> ZERO WIDTH.  This makes a row or column disappear (visually) 
> while still being active for copying and (worse) math.

	I'm sorry, but I don't see this as a problem.  I
	frequently want to close a row or column so it is
	not visible.  If a user thinks they may have accidently
	closed up a few rows, you can select all and set the
	row height to standard.

	Being aware of it is good, but it is not to
	considered a *problem*.
> 
> If you perform a sum on a row of cells, this calculation will
> include these invisible cells, throwing off your math.
> This might not be entirely obvious if the calculations 
> are complicated.  We found a $200,000 error in a $3,000,000
> calculation caused by this problem, i.e. data was entered
> twice as we thought the information was missing.

	Sometimes I want to hide certain figures and include
	others without having it visually mess up a printout,
	which is one reason I like being able to set a row
	or column to zero.

> 
> With a copy and paste, the invisible cells are copied and 
> when pasted, appear in the receiving spread sheet.
> -- 
> =       John DeRosa, Motorola, Inc, Cellular Infrastructure Group          =
> = e-mail:    ...uunet!motcid!derosaj, motcid!derosaj@uunet.uu.net          =
> = Applelink: N1111                                                         =
> =I do not hold by employer responsible for any information in this message =

	Again, be aware of it, but learn to use it to
	your advantage.

Melanie Dresser
-- 
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