moore@svax.cs.cornell.edu (Doug Moore) (05/12/88)
I don't own Excel, but advise someone who does. So I don't have the manual.
Excel 1.04 is being used to maintain a database and keep some statistics derived
from it. The database has 7 or 8 columns of input and 4 columns calculated
from the other 7 or 8. The daily routine is
(a) Insert 10 or so new lines into the database
(b) Wait, while each of the 4 columns is recalculated, to no purpose,
for each of the entries already in the database.
(c) Add the new entries, etc.
How can we avoid step (b)? How does Excel decide when something must be
recalculated? Suggestions? Or is this what one deserves for buying from MSoft?
Doug Moore (moore@svax.cs.cornell.edu)jac@walnut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Jim Clausing) (05/14/88)
In article <17102@cornell.UUCP> moore@cs.cornell.edu (Doug Moore) writes: [...] >Excel 1.04 is being used to maintain a database and keep some statistics derived [...] >(a) Insert 10 or so new lines into the database >(b) Wait, while each of the 4 columns is recalculated, to no purpose, > for each of the entries already in the database. >(c) Add the new entries, etc. >How can we avoid step (b)? How does Excel decide when something must be [...] One thing you can do (unfortunately, you need to do it every time you open the spreadsheet), is to go over to the Options menu and select Calculation... (the last item in the list), this brings up a dialog box and here set it to manual calculation. Insert your new rows and fill in the entries, then type command-= to do all of the recalcs at once. I end up having to do this with my gradebook which I keep in an Excel spreadsheet anytime I need to add a new assignment or student (I have macros to automate the process of course). Perhaps someone else can be of more help as to how or why Excel does what it does, but I think this will get you through the above problem. >Doug Moore (moore@svax.cs.cornell.edu) -=- Jim Clausing -- "Is it time for a colorful metaphor?" CIS Department Ohio State University jac@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu Columbus, OH 43210 GEnie: J.CLAUSING
straka@ihlpf.ATT.COM (Straka) (05/14/88)
In article <17102@cornell.UUCP> moore@cs.cornell.edu (Doug Moore) writes: >Excel 1.04 is being used to maintain a database and keep some statistics derived >from it. The database has 7 or 8 columns of input and 4 columns calculated >from the other 7 or 8. The daily routine is >(a) Insert 10 or so new lines into the database >(b) Wait, while each of the 4 columns is recalculated, to no purpose, > for each of the entries already in the database. >(c) Add the new entries, etc. > >How can we avoid step (b)? How does Excel decide when something must be >recalculated? Suggestions? Or is this what one deserves for buying from MSoft? 1) Excel has a "smart" recalc flag that tells when recalc is necessary. 2) If you click the mouse on some other cell, or start typing in a cell, the recalc comes to a halt, unlike that nasty 1-2-3 program, which locks things up on you until IT decides that it will relinquish the keyboard to you. Excel will resume the recalc where it left off (unless something else has changed, and it will start from scratch again) after a few seconds of inactivity. 3) There is a recalc menu item that allows you to go manual recalc. However, Excel does have a few deficiencies in this area: 1) Saving always forces a recalc. If it is a long one, you can probably interrupt it with a ^., but be careful to make sure that the original file is not overwritten with nothing, leaving no data file. I don't think this is too much of a problem, but I tend to be VERY conservative! MS support tells me that you can interrupt the recalc without wiping out the file, but not to interrupt during the actual file save. 2) There should be a visible "recalc needed" flag on the screen. There isn't. -- Rich Straka ihnp4!ihlpf!straka Advice for the day: "MSDOS - just say no."
udell@Shasta.STANFORD.EDU (Jon Udell) (05/17/88)
In article <13276@tut.cis.ohio-state.edu> jac@walnut.cis.ohio-state.edu (Jim Clausing) writes: >One thing you can do (unfortunately, you need to do it every time you >open the spreadsheet), is to go over to the Options menu and select >Calculation... After quitting Excel, rename the "Resume Excel" file. If you use this file in the future to open the spreadsheet, you won't have to reset the calculation mode. Jon