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zorvek (Kevin Jones)Flag for United States of America

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Excel Zone Expert Discussion, Number 33

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Avatar of byundt
byundt
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Congratulations to nutsch on his new job!

It looks to me as though a move may be in order, so regrettably we may not see quite so much of him for a while.
Congrats, Thomas!

BTW, my "Good Answer" emails now only require 7 digits to tell me how many points I need to get to the next site-wide rank:

User generated image
Thanks Brad, and double thanks to Patrick (I haven't forgotten about that bottle).

No move in order yet. The wineries are in Soledad and Lodi, but the head office is in Napa. It's a longer commute than it used to be, but it's still less than 15 minutes.

Thomas
Shouldn't that say "an Elite"? Congratulations on the milestone
Avatar of zorvek (Kevin Jones)

ASKER

It's boilerplate and the certification is filled in using simple substitution logic. "a" is the default and more common form "a/an".
It's boilerplate and the certification is filled in using simple substitution logic. "a" is the default and more common form "a/an".
I think that's a given. But that's the difference between common/standard and polish.  It's the little things that will get into your subconscious.
Yeah, it shouldn't be that hard to check the first letter of the next word. Of course, that still wouldn't be perfect.
"An honorable man bought a home."
Would be tough to make it perfect.
There ought to be word sound algorithms out there to determine whether the sound of honorable sounds like a vowel, but, lol...
Wow, nice number, Patrick!  Thomas, all the best in your new job!!
another choice is to simply put both words in the DB:
"Earn {%1} more points to earn {%2}", 999987654, "an Elite"
Tip of the hat to Dave (dlmille) for his comments in this thread.

Kudos from the OP.
http:/Q_27760082.html#a38104960
So is this now where we (self) proclaim individual achievements?

And please DROP the slash, for the n-th time.

http:Q_27760082.html#a38104960
Thanks, cyber

I didn't know they'd fixed that.
Probably preaching to the converted already in the know, but when I need to refer to a question/article/comment where the link was incorrectly formed, I either

copy-paste as a new comment, fix and "Preview", then follow the link
or
add the site name to the Q and A bits
e.g. https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/27760082/Need-a-excel-macro.html?anchorAnswerId=38104960#a38104960
On the subject of links, the one at the top of this thread to the community moderators does not work for me - just takes me to EE home.  Can we fix this?  I'd like to see that list.
Done.

Although I am concerned that a referral to that page (community volunteers) is a dead end (no contact information.)

Which leaves us with a hole: a regular member (non-badger) has no way of (easily) contacting a badger for a private (non-question related) issue.

I have asked one of the admins about this.
You beat me to it ;-)

I wanted to do a test first - I don't trust anyone.
What makes you think I didn't test?
What makes you think that I think you didn't test first?
Perhaps it's time for a vacation.
Perfect thanks - it works fine for me now - didn't mean to cause quite so much discussion....
Anyone know how to export an embedded Excel image to a file? I sent a request to the mods to add the Excel zone, but I figured I'd ask here in the meantime.
Tell me here or better yet just go post in the question:
http:Q_27770285.html
Thanks Dave. That'll work. Saved me quite a bit of time there. I had just found that you could export a chart to an image file and was about to reinvent the wheel.
My pleasure.
Let's put our hands together for the EE regulars who have just been re-awarded with a Microsoft MVP in Excel. These are the ones I'm aware of (not sure if anyone else is on the July cycle, so please pipe up):

rorya
zorvek
matthewspatrick
byundt
brettdj

Did I miss anyone?
teylyn,
Besides your own glaring omission, our old friend SiddharthRout was reawarded in Visual Basic.
http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-US/findanmvp/Pages/profile.aspx?MVPID=346171e4-c1a9-4989-ba48-1ece558d6bc3

Brad
Brad, I'm on the January cycle. Talk to me again in 6 months :-)

Congratulations! And to Sid, 'f course!!
Congrats all. It is still well deserved.

Thomas
Congrats all...what do I have to do to get MVP status?  Can I get an honorary one? :P
Way to go!

Cheers,

Dave
Thanks!

MVPs are identified through a few different pathways.  One way is to be nominated by a current MVP (a nomination does not guarantee selection), and in addition to that Microsoft has its own ways of seeking out and identifying potential MVPs.  Standards can vary by product group, and even by region.  There is no "magic formula" to follow, but what they are generally looking for is:
High skill level (obviously)
Strong contributions to the user community, such as in forums (doesn't have to be Microsoft forums)
Being an influential book, blog, or Twitter author
You're not a jack-ass :)

Patrick
>>Being an influential book, blog, or Twitter author

Do articles count?
>>Do articles count?

Yes.  Any kind of high-quality web content would tend to help you.

Again, there is no magic formula--or, if there is, Microsoft keeps it to themselves.  The idea is to make yourself a strong asset to the user community for <insert Microsoft product here>.
Microsoft apparently keeps the exact requirements a secret for becoming an MVP or being reawarded as one. As Patrick mentioned, these requirements are somewhat subjective, and they do change from year to year.

One insightful comment I heard from my first MVP lead (a Microsoft employee whose full-time job is to evaluate candidates and manage relationships with them) is that they look for consistent "professionalism" in how candidates conduct themselves. Remaining professional with a good Asker is easy. But how do you handle somebody who acts like a jerk? Do you stick with the Asker until the problem is finally resolved--even if it goes far beyond the original question? How do you treat other Experts who jump in?

The MVP lead said another factor they weigh heavily is whether the candidate seems interested more in getting the MVP award or in helping people. They try to avoid picking the former. The litmus test occurs when a candidate fails to become reawarded. Most of the time, his participation in the user community tails off, either due to being burned out or because his heart really wasn't in the right place. But if the level of participation remains at a high level, then perhaps the wrong decision was made.

I'm guessing there is probably an upper limit on the number of MVPs chosen for their participation at one site. Even if the facts supported their selection, picking ten people from Experts Exchange and none from Mr. Excel would be seen as unfair. Before 2007, there was only one Excel MVP who was active on Experts Exchange. Since then, we have had five or six each year who earn their award primarily through participation on Experts Exchange. This roster does change, so persevere.

Brad
Thanks Patrick!  I guess #4 (!jack-ass) can make it tough for some people :)
So is MVP simply an honorary title, or does it come with some perks (like showing up in a MS newsletter, etc)?
Hmmm...I guess this is off-topic, so...

Have any Excel MVPs found that you got some additional benefit from those asking question (like more respect or higher expectations)?
If you are in it for the swag and perks, that's the wrong reason for being an MVP.

MVPs who post on a Microsoft help forum are automatically identified as a MVP. And Microsoft has a nice web site that promotes the MVP concept: http://mvp.microsoft.com/en-US/Pages/default.aspx  Bill Jelen (Mr. Excel) is in the rotation for the picture on this page--wait for it.

The Excel product group does an excellent job (in my opinion) of listening to the MVPs and using them as sounding board for new features. I feel that knowing about things to come (although we can't talk about them) is one of the perks.

The annual MVP Summit is an outstanding opportunity to meet people who are passionate about Microsoft products ranging from Excel to XBox. If you ever get an opportunity to go, I advise taking it. It's four days of technical presentations, of which two are with the product group and two with allied groups. It felt like I was drinking from a firehose the first time I attended.

MVPs can download testing and evaluation copies of software, read technical documentation, and ask a limited number of questions directly to Microsoft. MVPs are also recruited for beta tests on upcoming software.
There are definitely perks.  For example:
Microsoft hosts an annual MVP Summit, which we can attend free (although travel costs are not covered)
Free MSDN/TechNet subscriptions
Potential to interact with Microsoft employees

I don't know how many Askers know I'm an MVP.  I try not to mention it in a question (unless someone is questioning my competence), but then again anyone who looks at my profile will see it :)
In terms of respect, most Askers are unaware of the MVP Award and its significance.

Rather than putting MVP status in a signature line, I prefer to let my words speak for themselves. If they speak well and consistently enough, then respect follows.
The food is good too.
But do they give you shirts?
http:Q_27566030.html#a38038179
Yes, but not as many shirts as I get from EE :)
Yes. One. At the annual Summit.

And a water bottle.

And lots of food.
Dang, that #4 gets me every time!    

At least I already have family that work at Microsoft(he's the nice one).  So I just pester him when I need to have a Microsoft ear.
I don't get shirts from EE. After 30 or 40 shirts I became bored with them, donated all I had to charity and my daughter, and haven't requested one since.

I prefer Hugo Boss with an all black Banana Republic T.

But I'm still a nerd. My most coveted title of all:

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/23496065/Excel-2007.html
I didn't even have to click the link to know what that one was. So predictable...
I've decided EE shirts come on the slow boat from China.

It really does take me so long to get my shirts that I start to think they got lost in the mail, or there was an address mix up.  The 8-10 weeks is normally pretty accurate for me.  

 Currently waiting on my Excel Guru shirt, since 05/22/12.
My first shirt took 6 years to arrive :)
Would someone kindly assist with this one, please:  https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/27775747/Advanced-Filter-with-dates.html?anchorAnswerId=38149608#a38149608

I think the Asker is on a MAC and in Switzerland (not sure the location matters, lol), and we're having difficulties getting my formulas working on his side of the ocean.

Thanks,

Dave
I wrote an EE blog entry for this, but I was dissatisfied with the result.  I'll post here for information sharing purposes.  It doesn't rise to the level of an article (IMHO).

Title: meta-looping with advanced filters
SubTitle: iterating filtered unique values for simplified VBA

Like this question (http:Q_27771270.html ), I see a lot of questions that entail iterating through 'blocks' of Excel rows/cells, based on identical values in some of the columns. With six columns' worth of values to check for uniqueness, it might have been a good use of my Fast Concatenate function (http:A_8311.html ), but I thought it worth rethinking the problem.

I realized that advanced autofiltering would do a good job of presenting 'blocks' of unique values.  So the next step was to populate a range with the possible unique value combinations to be used as criteria for the AdvancedFilter method.  This was also accomplished with an invocation of the AdvancedFilter method, specifying "True" for the unique parameter value.

The iteration was now super simple, filtering on the first two rows of the criteria range (header row and first data row), doing my action on the 'block', and then deleting the second row (data) of the criteria range.
@N

I don't think it rises to the level of an article.  Besides, I've been preparing for my webinar.

What's up with the blog formatting, anyway?  Vertical spacing is automatically removed, converting three paragraphs into one.  :-(

Then, in the middle of editing, the blog entry just disappeared. :-(
When I observed the behavior, I did transfer the paragraphs to/from Notepad.  It still didn't prevent the vertical space from disappearing.

I tried both Enter and Shift+Enter and the behavior didn't change.

I have no idea how I would recreate the disappearing blog entry behavior.  I had done many edits to correct the vertical space problem and lost the blog entry completely on one of the edit sessions.
So I was admiring some of dlmille's handy work, and he again mentioned that he was able to toss together a few code chunks, and have essentially a large project done for someone.

I asked there, but then thought it would be better here so everyone could benefit, and perhaps offer their own solutions for managing code.  

So my question to Dave, and anyone else, is how do you manage your VBA code blocks so that you can quickly find them again and use them for other projects?

-SA
I store some of mine in MZ Tools editor, but probably not a 10th as much as I should have to be efficient. Then again, I'm not trying to earn a livelihood with my coding.

Thomas
I started with a Word outline but that became cumbersome after 30 or so entries. Then it was pure Access. Finally a custom VB6 application with an Access database.

User generated image
It has a smart search function, scoring, keywords, categories, and other features that make storage and retrieval of information easy.

Kevin
Nice,

Access based Repository.  Unless I can convince you to send yours I guess I'll get started on my own ;)

-SA
I wish I had zorvek's discipline.  I use the E-E knowledgebase extensively, so when I do something or see something I think especially clever, I save with keywords.  Code chunks I use all the time, I end up storing in my Personal.XLSB but as zorvek says, that gets to be extensive over time.

Cheers,

Dave
* The crude way is to have a .bas file that can be imported into any Excel project.  If I make changes, I can export the .bas file.

* I almost always work with code in module and class units, so I can consolidate them later.

* If I get stuck in a place without a thumb drive, I will sometimes open up a snippet source, such as http://vba-programmer.com/

* You can also store code snippets in cells in a worksheet and create an Excel add-in to give you search/retrieval much like Kevin's database application.

* But in the end, MZ-tools is the way to go
If you have a wide screen, you can create an HTA applet that will facilitate snippet search/retrieval, sitting in a skinny window beside your VBA editor window.

===============
You can also roll your own tool.
Since Excel plays well with XML, you can store your snippets in XML (see attached) and read them into an Excel list.  For convenience, I named my list "snippets".

This routine will search for the snippet name in the non-blank characters immediately to the left of the cursor.
Public Sub ExpandSnippet()
    Dim strSnippetName As String
    Dim rngFind As Range
    Dim lngSnippetStart As Long
    Dim lngStartLine As Long
    Dim lngEndLine As Long
    Dim lngStartCol As Long
    Dim lngEndCol As Long
    
    Application.VBE.ActiveCodePane.GetSelection lngStartLine, lngStartCol, lngEndLine, lngEndCol
    strSnippetName = Application.VBE.ActiveCodePane.CodeModule.Lines(lngStartLine, 1)
    lngSnippetStart = InStrRev(strSnippetName, " ", , vbTextCompare) + 1
    strSnippetName = Mid(strSnippetName, lngSnippetStart, lngEndCol - lngSnippetStart + 1)
    Set rngFind = Range("snippets").Columns(1).Find(strSnippetName)
    If rngFind Is Nothing Then
    Else
        'Application.VBE.ActiveCodePane.SetSelection lngStartLine, lngSnippetStart, lngStartLine, lngEndCol
        Application.VBE.ActiveCodePane.CodeModule.ReplaceLine lngStartLine, rngFind.Offset(0, 2).Value
        Application.VBE.ActiveCodePane.SetSelection lngStartLine, lngSnippetStart, lngStartLine, lngEndCol
    End If
End Sub

Open in new window


If I type "du" and launch the ExpandSnippet routine
Private Sub testit()
du
End Sub

Open in new window


I get the following:
Private Sub testit()
Do
   stmt
Loop Until cond
End Sub

Open in new window


Or, you can use the trick/technique of writing plain old XML to an adostream object and then populating the recordset from the stream.  When ADO writes the XML, it adds the necessary xsd information.

You could go an extra step and add the xsd tags to the top of the XML and open an ADO recordset directly instead of populating a worksheet.
Snippets.xml
MZ tools,  I found myself saying out loud, "wow".   Thanks for this, although I think I'll still use an access repository for my own personal kb.
@ScriptAddict - courtesy of Sid (SiddharthRout):

https://www.experts-exchange.com/Programming/A_5176-Handy-Code-Viewer.html

Dave
Thanks Sid & Dave :)
OOh, gonna have to try that "handy code" may be useful.

Dave suggested I come and say Hi... so hay there folks :)

Thanks for the handycode link, was looking for somthing along these lines :)
Back on June 4th, zorvek wrote in closed thread 32:

To the yahoos above looking for that special treatment for their hard work, we now have a five million point club which gives those who earn five million points a lifetime of free PS:

http://blog.experts-exchange.com/lp/the-five-million-point-club/

I suppose they figured that after five million points we would be so addicted there would be no turning back.

thinkpads_user: another 232,835 points and you won't have a choice - you will have free PS whether you want it or not :-)


Today I reached 4,999,500.  We will see what happens tomorrow.

... Thinkpads_User
Help/Assistance please:

http:/Q_27797124.html

I can pull data from other websites, via Data/Import from Web, but this particular website has no joy.

Here's the website:
http://www.pga.com/openchampionship/scoring/leaderboard

Dave
congrats on that huge achievement thinkpad
Thank you. I went over 5,000,000 points this morning. I have helped a few people along the way (I can tell from their feedback) and I enjoy helping all those people.

... Thinkpads_User
congrats thinkpad!
Thank you!
Indeed, congratulations are in order: Great consistent job!
Thanks!  And as you know, I did renew and my Premium Service is good until May, 2014 (all paid until then). So I expect the 5 Million Point Club will kick in at that time.

... Thinkpads_User
Grats thinkpads_user. Next milestone 10m?
Next milestone 10m?

3 years and 8 months to get this far. Doubling it will be a huge challenge. I can't see that far out, even with my reading glasses on :)

... Thinkpads_User
Just take it one question at a time. :)

Congratulations on the milestone!

Rory
XL-Dennis sent a message to the Excel MVP mailing list saying that he was out of the hospital and on the road to recovery.

"A tablet + pen makes life better, OL’s + tablet’s spelling functions make me shine.
It will take time before I get a normal life.

Now, I will take a nap."
Huzzah to John!
Thanks. This has proven to be an interesting forum. I was helping a person fix his York Air Condtioner and he closed the question this morning. ... Thinkpads_User
Netminder - I got a bunch of emails from Daniella and others and, yes, they have processed a refund. Actually, they graciously refunded the entire two years I paid in May, so that was nice.

I am trying to figure out now how to become a Designated Expert. I cannot seem to find that. It used to be there with the old system but as of January 1, I seem to have lost the link. (I know, I know - I should have clicked on Designated Expert some time ago, but I didn't).

So now my Profile still says Premium Service member and my account status says Limited Member. It would be nice to Designated Expert once again.

... Thinkpads_User
Thanks. So that means (for life) I am now the only E-E member that says Premium Service member on my profile (if people look) but also is a member of the Lifetime 5 Million Point Club.   /me grins.
Where is my refund? If I recall I paid for a year when I was already in a free state - EE's mistake too - and never got a refund. That was some story too!
Netminder - I made a mistake about my Profile above. I was looking for Qualified Expert. That may have disappeared as well and it  is of no matter. ... Thinkpads_User
Hi All,

I'm back home after 11-12 weeks at the hospital. It has been a very difficult situation for me and my daughters. I still have plenty of work to do. Don't expect to see me the coming 6-7 months.

But I would express my appreciation for the kind support from EE and its community.

My oldest daughter took some nice pictures of the flowers, now I also have a vas for future use.

Thank You very much to all of You!

All the very best,
Dennis

PS: I'm pleased to have a hole in my head and a pace maker in my chest when reviewing Win 8, Office 2013 and VS 2012.
>I'm pleased to have a hole in my head and a pace maker in my chest when reviewing Win 8, Office 2013 and VS 2012

LOL!
But I would express my appreciation for the kind support from EE and its community.

I do not do enough Excel work to know you Dennis, but it is good to see you back. May I offer you my very best wishes for continued recovery.  .... Thinkpads_User
>>PS: I'm pleased to have a hole in my head and a pace maker in my chest when reviewing Win 8, Office 2013 and VS 2012.

I'm grateful for you.  Definitely a blessing!

Dave
My crew and I are headed east to Houston TX for some R & R and to visit family for a couple weeks.  I hear it is HOT.  Here's liking forward to an occasional thunderstorm.

Anyone else doing summer vacation?
>> liking forward

Looking forward
In Houston, a thunderstorm = flooding.  Actually, any precipitation more than a drizzle or light shower produces flooding.

DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH STANDING/FLOWING WATER!!!

Try to work in a tour of the Johnson Space Center.
Good luck Dennis.  I hope you recover quickly.

Dave, I went to Austin to meet my girlfriend's parents just after July 4 and it was hot--90s (but dry) for a few days, then cooled down--70s--but got stickier.

Next trip is Hawaii end of August...she's never been there so it should be exciting.

Oh, and my cousin's wedding in Vegas early Sept. Not sure if I can turn that into a vacation.
Can some people take a looksee at this one:
http://rdsrc.us/7N2t2x
As the code runs fine for me, but not for the asker.
Seems a tad strange, and without the problem my end I cannot help furthur.

TA
Steve.
This Excel question could use some attention:
http:Q_27815963.html
Uh oh!

I was just searching through my Participated Questions and Knowledge Base and found that all my records are not there - there's like a 12+/- or so month window, and everything before appears to be lost.  Wow, and I thought I could use the KnowledgeBase for storing those great tips I helped out developing, or learnings from others.

Does anyone else have this problem?  Is it a bug?


Dave
Does anyone else find that if you're browsing the open questions and you click Back to go back to the list, you always get sent back to the first page, regardless of where you were? It's really annoying to me.
Have to agree with Rory on this one, it needs to be a priority fix imo. Really annoying.
Maybe being able to decide how many in the list too... I don't mind putting it into one list of 100 lines rather than the 4-5 atm.
Thanks, N - good to know.
I always use Ctrl-Click  or middle mouse button in the list of open questions to open a Q in a new tab. Then I just close the tab when I'm done with the question. Regardless of whether or not there is a bug or when it will be fixed, closing a tab and going back to the already open page on the previous tab is always faster than opening the Q in the same tab and re-loading the originating page with the "back" button.

teylyn
Sound advice as ever teylyn.
I think I will do just that.
I'd forgotten about this one.  This could use more participation.
http:Q_27815220.html
I have some bad news...

Sunday, September 2, David Lee Miller (dlmille) passed away peacefully, surrounded by family at his home in Livermore, California. As some may know, David was battling cancer for about three years.

I was constantly with him on Skype until 2nd last week of August. He was an amazing guy!

I have lost a good friend :(
That is sad news indeed, and my prayers go out to his family.

Can you confirm please: Is this dlmille in here?

.... Thinkpads_User
That is a real shame, Words seem inadequate to express the loss.
My sympathies go to his family.
He had a very positive attitude in his answers and was always very patient with askers. I'll miss him. Sincere condolences to his family.

Thomas
oh, no!
I have fond memories working on solutions with David and always seemed to learn something new from his comments.

Last year, Patrickab.  This year, dlmille.
That's tragic news. I was only wondering this morning about his absence, but didn't have any idea he was sick. He will be sorely missed by all here.
OMG...David was a breath of fresh air on his posts...will truly miss him...
David was an amazing Expert, truly one of our leading lights.  He amazed me with his technical skills, and his people skills were superb.  In the past couple of months I had gotten to know him a bit outside of EE, and I wish I had had more time to do so.  He had told me that he was sick, and that the end was probably coming soon, but the news still came as a shock.

We will miss him here, and his family will miss a devoted husband and father.

Godspeed, David
Horrible, gut-wrenching and unexpected news .... Thx Sid for letting us know.
Oh, no! I had no idea. I've been in touch with Dave off an on outside of EE but never knew of his battle with cancer. I feel for his family. He recently shared a picture of his tribe in this line of Excel Expert threads. His kids are still so young. So sad.

Haere ra, Dave!
My husband was knocked off his bicycle by a car last week and is in hospital with a broken femur and a splintered elbow, so my priorities have shifted a bit.

Can someone please take a look at this question -- when I'm under mental stress, my logic just goes down the drain.

thanks, teylyn
I looked, but that question is over my head.

teylyn - my prayers go out to you and to your husband for the speediest recovery possible. Best wishes.

.... Thinkpads_User
Condolences to Dave's family and friends.

I only knew Dave through EE, where I worked with him on all too few questions. While I learned from him on each of those questions, what I'll miss most is his consistent good humour.
What a terrible loss, May god be with his family during this challenging time.
I need some help on this question (with this repost). Somehow, I'm not managing to get the information I think I need from the asker.

Thanks,

Thomas
I had been busy for some time and only looked at quick questions on EE and put away the Expert Discussion for later. Today I just popped in and got an unexpected shock. I have chatted with David a number of times on FB but he never mentioned his sickness. I did miss his low input on EE and simply thought that he had eased after reaching the 3M mark on excel.

My heartiest condolences to Excel experts on the loss of an active colleague.

Saqib
That is sad news - RIP Dave, you were so generous and enthusiastic, it was a pleasure to know you, if only a little

barry
Folks,

An OP emailed me a file which I stupidly posted back into the question. Could someone delete the file from this, please?

Many Thanks,
Brian.
Thanks, Kevin.
Hello,

can someone please take a look at https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/27867128/Help-with-excel-macro.html -- Needs some VBA to shift content. Should not be too hard to figure out, but I'm on limited EE duty due to family commitments.

thanks,

Ingeborg
Can someone have a look here and see what I am missing please? (VBA question) http://mobile.experts-exchange.com/questions/27881548/Getting-Error-Method-Cells-of-Object-Global-Failed.html?anchorAnswerId=38446278#a38446278

Am off on holiday for a week first thing tomorrow.
Sorry if this information is out there and I just missed it (been away a while) but when they changed the site design, did the change the shirts at all? Has anyone gotten one recently? Are they still the same black with grey, white, and orange print?
I have some that I haven't bothered claiming yet, but if they changed them...
Hello Tommy, I claimed a few shirts a while back. Some were in the old design, with the rank in big bold letters on the back. Others were in what I assume is a new design, still black with orange and gray prints but no rank insignia on the sleeve, a small rank panel with lots of curly things on the back and a big print on the front that has the shield in the center of some curly designs resembling coats of arms.

For example, here is the front and the back of the Guru shirt:

Back:User generated imageFront:User generated image
Thanks Teylyn. That design isn't super new though. Most of the shirts I've gotten have been similar. In fact, I've never seen a master shirt in the old design. I guess they cycle through those pretty quickly.
And don't forget you could convert your shirts to charity donations, by putting "Donate to charity" in the first line of the address.

Is that still running?
I gotta find my shirt from 10 years ago and upload a picture...it was ocean blue with a bright orange logo on the front...a bit tough to wear in casual settings, but great for geek-conventions (that, unfortunately, I never attend, except maybe Comic-con)
Try logging out and back in. There is a cookie the Symantec misinterprets and I had to exclude.

Otherwise it is the change that happened when the 5 Million point level was changed earlier this year.  

?? I think a prior post just got deleted!

.... Thinkpads_User
Could some experts with experience with non-Outlook mail solutions take a looksie at the following question:

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/27907560/Filter-Excel-data-and-send-in-email-body.html?anchorAnswerId=38527517#a38527517

I am not farmiliar with SMTP or most non-Outlook mail options.

So if anyone who is farmilar could help that would be aces :)

Ta
Steve.
Folks,

I received a message from modus_operandi about a comment having being added to my Profile. As the comment was reproduced in full in the email this seems peculiar.

Can anyone shed some light on this, please?

Thanks,
Brian.
I am trying to recall about the emails. I got two member comments, one from modus_operandi and one from vee_mod, to help people (which I did).  I assume this is the same kind of comment you got.  I don't always keep EE emails, and since the important stuff was in the web page comment, I apparently did not keep those, but I did get them. I need the email to go and look, but then I delete them.

Is this more or less similar to your situation?  

.... Thinkpads_User
Thanks, zorvek, that makes things clear (although at least some mods/admins/advisers have access to our email addresses as I've had emails from them before).

A couple of follow-ups, if i may...
(1) Is there a way for me to email modus_operandi. Or is there another way to communicate with him/her?
(2) How do I delete the comment?

Regards,
Brian.
Thanks, Netminder.
Thanks modus_operandi, I appreciate the update. (Both of them!)
thinkpads_user and Netminder,

Apologies, I hadn't refreshed before sending this, so I missed both your posts, only coming across them in the last few minutes.

I'm well sorted now, thanks for you help!
Brian.
Hmmm, silly question, but what does the little pac-man ghost icon mean next to a question?

New one on me.

Steve.
See attached:
User generated image
Are you in "My Participated Questions"? I monitored the question and checked my monitored list and don't see the ghost.
However, if you right-click the ghost in Firefox and hit 'inspect element,' the image name may help. For example, the little eeple looking image is named list-status-icon-expert-comment and appears to mean that the last comment in the thread was from an expert.
Nope this is visible on only one question, I have a few monitored questions, and this is there all the time. It is giving me the jeebies. It's eyes follow me round the room!
So did you check its name? The others are all very descriptive.
And I'm monitoring the exact same question and don't see it.
Thanks N, I had a feeling it was likley something related to the admin side of things and that I should not be seeing it. I will wait to see if it goes away.
Ta, Steve.
Netminder,

The red dot means the question is neglected (i.e., has gone 12 hours without a comment OR was set to that state by a Moderator). The yellow triangle means that there is a pending Request for Attention OR that someone has objected to the way the Asker (or a Cleanup Volunteer) has proposed closing the question.

What does the icon of a blue page (?) with the padlock mean?

User generated image
And, why, oh why don't these icons have alt tags, like every image on a web site should have, so that information about the image can be gleanded from hovering over it.

cheers, teylyn
Thanks, Modalot.

To the powers that be:

Pray tell, what is the benefit to experts if they see that the brilliant solution they are going to post is not even going to make it to the search engines? For me that would be a deterrent. Nobody else but the asker will be able to use the solution (yeah, and the people who have the patience to figure out how the site search works, and how many members do?). The idea of posting a question in a public forum (even one behind a pay wall) has always been that both the question and the solutions will be visible to people who may have similar issues and can benefit from the suggestions provided.

<soapbox>
What purpose does de-indexing a question serve? That just caters to the needs of paranoid askers, no? People who don't want their boss to know that their newly hired employee has exaggerated their actual skills in the job interview and sometimes has to ask for help to accomplish a task? Big deal. Everybody needs a little help sometimes. You don't have to know everything. You just have to know who to ask.

(What if the asker's boss also has an EE account and performs an EE search and finds the question?)

Or people who need to post confidential information? EE already has a space for that, and de-indexing does not prevent the question from showing up in a search conducted by the EE site search. Or does it?
</soapbox>

From an expert's point of view, this icon is counter-productive, as far as I'm concerned. At the very least, it does not serve a useful purpose. The asker already knows that they have de-indexed the question. The expert does not glean any value from knowing that a question is de-indexed, so don't show them a confusing icon.

Or at least add the alt tags to these icons. How many questions has the support TA received about these "icons next to the thread title" so far? Aren't the mods and support people getting tired of explaining what could be self-explanatory, if only good practice web design had been applied?

cheers, teylyn
Hi, teylyn.

Or people who need to post confidential information? EE already has a space for that
I didn't know that. Please tell me more!

Thanks,
Brian.
From my perspective, I help just to help (*), not to get it in the archives.  Sometimes I post because it makes me feel good that I solved a challenge.  That said, I do sometimes benefit by seeking things in the archives to help me solve other problems I may be having so I figure that my solutions can also assist others.

(*) And, I guess to extend my subscription as needed.
Hi moderators,

Recently I have intermittently not been able to identify threads I am involved in.  I.e. sometimes I don't see the checkmark that says that a thread I was involved in was solved and sometimes I do see it, similarly, I don't always see the icons that identify if the author or other expert has commented on the thread.  This doesn't always happen though, so I can't identify specific ones at the moment.

The only way I can follow them is through emails I receive that tell me that those events took place.
Hi JARmod101,

Thanks.  Yes, I know about the workspace.  I just thought it was nice to see at a glance if a thread had any new additions to it.. the icons are great for that....  with the workspace I would need to continuously check them all...
As it's Christmas, I'd still like a private message system...
Dude, that's easy. Skype, Windows Live Messenger, YIM...choose one. Most of the more sociable Excel experts are on Live Messenger. The admins and mods are more into YIM. And all these systems support group conversations.

I really don't think you want EE engineers building a private IM system. If it's like the past it will take 2 years to sell, 3 years to implement, and will suck for 5 years until they finally get it right.
Kevin,

(1) This thread is very valuable and I feel sorry for other experts who don't have a similar one in their topics.
(2) It gets too big. Ideally I'd like it to have it automatically page, but I'd settle for a new thread being started more often. (I don't mean to take you for granted, so the automatic paging would be the ideal.)
(3) Contentious, I'm sure, but I'd prefer that non-experts didn't have access. I don't mean to make this elitist, so perhaps limit it to those who, in the topic, have gained 5,000 points in the last year or 50,000 in total?

Regards,
Brian.
That's essentially what I proposed a few years ago to EE and what is documented in the design to which I referred above.
I apologize for any inconvenience I may have caused you all!  It'd be nic even if those zones you speak of could easily be found.  I barely knew this one existed if it wasn't for teylyn letting me know about it.
Thank you JARmod101.
V,
Generally take anything Kevin says with a large pinch of salt, or ignore it completely. That's what most of us do... ;)
Go ahead Rory, reveal all the secrets of the geniuses.
Why don't you just leave the key to the bathroom on the door while you're at it.
Hey, I didn't tell him Kevin was actually a Turing machine! Oops...
Again I apologize for my ignorance in having posted in this thread with a topic of no concern to you!
>Again I apologize for my ignorance in having posted in this thread with a topic of no concern to you!

No worries. I'm not concerned about any specific action by any specific expert, especially you. You're not the first to bring up topics that - from my perspective - don't belong here. It's been happening with increasing frequency and today I decided to clarify the intent of this thread. You posted without any ill will intended and with knowledge of previous posts similar to yours.

jarmod101 and I are broadening the topic to include the overall purpose of this thread and our respective roles in the community. This, of course, has nothing to do with you or your posts above. It's a good discussion that needs to occur and, if jarmod101 has any ongoing desire to bust my chops, I've encouraged him or her to take the discussion offline.
Putting in my 2-cents...
I like the idea of a thread that allows me to deal with only things related tot he topic (Excel), especially designed for the Experts.
This seemed to fit the billing.
For the most part, everyone who came here followed that rule, although occasionally we strayed for side discussions, like events in the lives of various Excel experts.
And occasionally something "off-topic" arrived and I think most of us tolerated it (although probably realized that this was not the best place for it.)  For those things, we typically accommodated the discussion if it was to help someone, but that didn't mean we felt that the discussion belonged here.

It seems that this thread has a goal; sometimes it goes off-topic and it's good to have some reminders for us to get back on-topic so it doesn't permanently stray.

That said, has anyone heard anything about Office/Excel 2013 and what it offers compared to 2010?  Should I upgrade from 2007?
You should definitely upgrade from 2007. But the question of 2010 versus 2013 is not so easy. 2013 is solid but has not had it's first patch. The biggest difference between 2010 and 2013 is that 2013 no longer uses the MDI (Multiple Document Interface) which means that each Excel workbook is opened in it's own window. Excel 2013 does still support the notion of instances and multiple workbooks can be open in the same instance or separate instances.

I've been running 2013 for a while but I default to 2010. I also have 2003 installed to test backward compatibility. 2007 is not good for much of anything with 2010 available. It's too buggy.

Kevin
From 2007? Yes - it's rubbish. :)

From 2010, more debatable since you already have access to PowerPivot even if it isn't quite as integrated as it is in 2013. There's a synopsis here: http://office.microsoft.com/en-gb/excel-help/what-s-new-in-excel-2013-HA102809308.aspx
2013 has a new feature called Flash Fill where Excel will best guess the pattern of a new column you are manually entering based on content from other columns and will automatically fill in the rest of the rows. You can allow it or stop it. You can also refine it by changing specific values that Excel didn't do as you intended. It's an awesome feature.

It also has a powerful workbook analysis and comparison tool.

Overall a lot of effort has been going into better business intelligence (BI) features and this release is no different.

Kevin
Microsoft put a lot of work into making charting easier to do and more discoverable in Excel 2013. I think that a lot of users will now be able to figure out how to achieve the desired appearance without getting step by step instructions in a thread here or one of the web sites that emphasize charting.

Excel also includes yet another round of improvements to the statistical functions, for those who use them. The original ones are still available for backwards compatibility, but the new ones offer better accuracy and fewer erroneous results.

Word 2013 has a pdf to Word converter that has already saved me a bunch of time.

Brad
On the negative side, the appearance of Office apps was a topic of much consternation. The new look may have scored higher in Microsoft's surveys, but the MVPs sure didn't like it.

There is also a "Click to run" option for installing the software. This ensures that you always have the latest patches, but it requires high speed web access because you don't have a full install. Instead, you download the pieces you need, when you need them. If you are behind an aggressive corporate firewall, you may find things slow down as a result.

I didn't have any problems at home, however, and really enjoyed the independence that came with "Click to run". Among those are the ability to have two different versions of Outlook on the same computer--and use either one. Also, if you have a previous version of Office, the Click to Run installer is much more permissive about letting you keep both versions and also putting the new one in a folder of your choosing.
Two versions of Outlook? Yikes! Given Outlook's history of flakiness and Microsoft's clear statement that you should never install more than one version I do not recommend that as a solution.

Kevin
I didn't intend to install two versions of Outlook, but ...

It worked very well and without incident for as long as I was using the Click to Run version of Office. I could launch either version of Outlook and look at my mail. One thing I didn't do, however, was to launch both versions at the same time.
From my perspective you are one lucky dude!
I never install two versions of Office on one machine. I use virtual machines for that and I have Office from 2010 back to XP doing it this way.

I am not a super heavy duty user of Excel, and I never had any issue with Excel, but like I say, usage was not heavy duty.

... Thinkpads_User
You won't have any issues running on virtual machines. Unless you specifically allow the virtual machine to do so, it has no access to any files on your main system. Nor does it have access to any files in other virtual machines.

I've run multiple instances of Office 97 through 2013 on one machine for years without incident. But I never allow more than one install of Outlook. I run different versions of Access, Excel, Word, and Powerpoint at the same time on the same machine.

Kevin
The new look of the UI was greatly improved by the addition of the dark grey theme!!
All my machines can access the host and vice-versa but I keep it all under control. I like to be able to support clients in the environment they have and I can prettty much do that.

.... Thinkpads_User
While some other here point out the new stuff that is shipped with 2013 I will take another route.

Looking over a period of 20 years one major improvement is that more tools are made more available for end users. Users should be able to get the job done in a shorter time.

Another major improvement is the closer bounds between Excel and external data sources.

For me version 2013 is the end of the desktop era. I'm totally convinced that future versions of Office are focused on the smart devices. This will also lead to a change of the business model for Microsoft, moving away from buying licenses. Instead it will be based on subscription.

Excel 2013 was the last version I installed.
I just posted a question titled "Checking timed events".

I inadvertently posted it in Misc software zone. I then edited the question and reassigned excel Zone which was successfully done.

Can some excel expert tell me if a notification is received for this new question.

I wonder what happens to notifications received by Misc software.
It is too soon for an NQ notice to be sent.  I haven't received any notice on it and the only zone for that question is currently Excel.  So, if a notice does go out, it should reach the Excel expert community.
I am not talking about an NQ. I am referring to an "Expert alert".
What's an expert alert?
I get notifications on every question asked on excel with the subject header "Expert alert"
You can set alerts on any of your filters and it will email you.

I can tell you that when a question gets moved, everyone in the new zone gets the alert. Nothing happens in the other zone so they will all just see it too.
However, you may have changed it quickly enough that the first email did not go out, because I did not get it.
Oh OK. That must really clutter up your inbox!
There are means to reduce the clutter, and still get informed, like Reducing EE Email Clutter using Outlook. Though I didn't publish the changes caused by v10 ...
Yeah. I only have alerts set on smaller zones.
TommySzalapski
I can tell you that when a question gets moved, everyone in the new zone gets the alert.
I think that applies to when one of the admins does the movement. This one was done by me as an OP and I have a feeling that this does not get notified....

...just as editing a comment is not notified....this is my observation.
As far as the cluttering is concerned...yes it happens. But I have configured my mailbox to tag all EE messages and periodically I move them away.

I find it more convenient to read the question title off the email list which is always there and autoupdated by gmail.
I just use f5 or Cmd+R ;)
My notifications go to a separate folder from my inbox (using AOL web mail).
For anyone here using POP3 or IMAP (vs. Exchange), I use PopTray. I am looking also at POPpeeper for Windows 8 (or Windows 7 and prior). These tools allow you to look at the mail, action the link, deal with the link and then delete the email.

PopTray is at www.poptray.org

This saves an enormous amount of Inbox clutter.

.... Thinkpads_User
Are you kidding me?

https://www.experts-exchange.com/certsDefined.jsp

10 x Elite
684 x Prodigy
...
I looked at the page and the numbers in the ovals sure are wonky. They cannot be correct.

... Thinkpads_User
10 x Elite
684 x Prodigy
Maybe you forgot the grading factor ;)
I think you're reading the information incorrectly.

To reach a Prodigy ranking you need 5 million points. There are 684 experts who have achieved this level.

To reach an Elite ranking you need 25 million points. There are 10 experts who have achieved this level.

If you are concerned with the names of the ranks and not the numbers, then I can't help you. The names were devised by the folks inside - probably after a few beers - and are simply their best attempt to apply English language descriptions to levels of aptitude. A rather arbitrary process. And, when you consider how points are actually accumulated, without much meaning at the end of the day.
To reach an Elite ranking you need 25 million points. There are 10 experts who have achieved this level.
One is angelIII; who are the other nine?
When I look at the member ranking, there are 90 people with 5 million points or more. The 91st person has just under 5 millon points.

So if I look at member ranking, where does 684 come from?  

We have to be talking about apples and oranges here, but I do not know how or where.

.... Thinkpads_User
Is PopTray dead? Looking at the home page I see that last version was released back in 2006.
>When I look at the member ranking, there are 90 people with 5 million points or more. The 91st person has just under 5 millon points. So if I look at member ranking, where does 684 come from?

I concur!

It looks like some creative accounting practices at work.

I'm curious too. I'll check with the man who takes pride in defying my orders - whatever those are.
From the man himself - it's a bug and it's been reported.

Now to PopTray - why are we talking about PopTray here? Just wondering.
Now to PopTray - why are we talking about PopTray here? Just wondering.

My post represents one of the defects of this terrific Discussion Thread. It was mentioned before I posted that all the alerts cause email clutter to deal with. I was posting a possible solution to more effective use of this whole forum.

I deal with all E-E messages via PopTray because I can read the email, action the link, and delete the email before it gets into my inbox.

Is PopTray dead?  It is not being developed further, but it is still available and works from all systems up to and including Windows 7. I will move to Pop Peeper for Windows 8 (and possbily further) because it continues to be developed.

So I was trying to respond, not just clutter the thread.

..... Thinkpads_User
Yes, I know. I'm aware of how it started. I'm a little more aware now of non-Excel topics since there have been a couple of diversions that really don't belong here and I am trying to reign in the popularity a bit. The non-Excel noise dilutes the effectiveness of this thread with regard to its primary purpose of supporting the answering of Excel questions and the betterment of the Excel regulars community. Nothing hard and fast - just trying to adjust perceptions and behavior.
Please be aware that the question about which JARmod101 is speaking is more of work-for-hire request than a question.

As such it will probably not be of interest to the majority of Excel experts - although I am sure SOMEONE could be swayed to give it a go ;-)

JARmod101 - you might have more luck tracking down broro183 who is relatively new to the site and probably does not know about this thread.
I sent an email to broro, but I know he's quite busy right now.
Thanks Inge :-)

I have my emails set up to tell me about updates but I didn't notice one for that question.

Zorvek, you're right, it does seem to be becoming more of a "work for hire" request. When I first read the question it didn't look that way but it seems to be evolving. I'll be the "someone" to give it a go. I've got to re-activate my free membership somehow ;-)

Rob
I can think of better easier ways to re-activate your membership than writing code for someone too cheap to hire help.

If you feed the wild animals good and easy food, they will grow accustomed to being feed the easy way and will lose the desire to fend for themselves. Then, one day, you're not around and they are not happy because no one else will feed them as they have learned to expect.

;-)
>If you feed the wild animals good and easy food, they will grow accustomed

I call it "feeding the pigeons" (also applies to politics, where politicians "feed the pigeons" to get quick votes then the country goes to hell; also applies to putting all documents in multiple languages, giving away free education and healthcare to those who don't pay for it and, well, you get the picture...
the pigeons will keep returning if you give them free food...and then get angry when you don't feed them anymore)
You can sometimes convert EE questions that look like "work for hire" into future side jobs for yourself. By working on the EE questions for that person, you have already established a reputation for providing good solutions, so sometimes all it takes is mentioning that the latest question is really a bit too involved for EE.
I guess my absence from the site has made my translation skills rusty. When I read the initial post, I interpreted it as "copy data from two similar sheets, compare them & flag the duplicates". I overlooked the catch phrases "I want to create a macro..." & "I would also like this macro to..." which I should have interpreted as "I've got some ideas but no understanding & really, I don't want to create - I want it all created for me".

Anyway, that pigeon should be well fed for today!
My free membership should be up & running soon... surely, the question can't evolve much more, can it? ;-)

Zorvek, there may be easier ways, but at least in posts like this, I know there will be fewer experts who are willing to jump in & win the points. My irregular reviews of the question should be enough to keep him happy (provided I see the email saying it's been updated).
Here's another thread which may be of similar ilk. I've been keeping it up my sleeve in case I couldn't get points elsewhere. However, I'm feeling lazy... does anyone want to have a go at the below question?

The desired output layout leaves a bit to be decided but I think that they want to build an Org chart. I'm not sure of the correct terminology but I'd love to see an expert provide an expanding tree/node solution for them. I'd then learn from them :-)  Although I recognise that doing that would be more worthy of a hired help job too.

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/27955659/Create-hierarchy-based-on-2-columns-Name-Supervisor.html
Rob,

I'm going to confess. You're not the only one who has gotten caught up in a rat hole. I've spent many hours helping OPs with solutions that really had no business being presented here in this forum without some form of serious payment. Sometimes the work was to show up the other experts (http:Q_23654024.html), sometimes I just got suckered into it and had to finish what I started, sometimes I was simply bored and had some extra time (http:Q_21194497.html).

It happens much less frequently these days as I am more busy now with paying clients and just about to enter into the second year of a relationship with a lovely lady. But every now and then I still enjoy a little project on the house, especially when the OP is appreciative of my efforts. It's amazing how much genuine appreciation is worth.

Kevin
A question of site policy related to this old question:

    http://rdsrc.us/I0TQnx

Kevin states that we cannot provide direct assistance with passwords.
I am just wondering what this means or where it is "written"... there is a fairly simple bit of VBA which will remove a WorkSheets Password Protection... but we would not be allowed to provide the code?
In the online Excel community there is a consensus about it and has been valid for the last 20 - 22 years. It's valid for many public Q&A. You can call it "code of ethical" and is also an attempt to protect individuals businesses. From my point of view it's not necessary to make a public statement. (Now that I come to think about it I realize I'm getting old...)
Thank you all for the clarification.
I think my mind has got around the nugget of the answer.
I was just unsure if there was a formal "thou shalt not" to this.

Thanks again for the answers.
Just popping in to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! :)

Now, back to the champagne...
Many more to you too and to everyone else
Happy New Year to all.

Am with family in Ireland where the internet is yet to make it's mark. (at least they have HD TV) so taking a chance I have to pop on and wish all y'all a very happy new year.

ATB
Steve.
it's now 98 minutes into 2013 in England, I'm just about to knock  back a glass of Calvados before I hit the sack - I wish you all a happy and healthy 2013

felicitations, barry
Happy New year to you. Still 3 hours 17 minutes to go here.  My corporate consulting books are essentially all done and ready for my Accountant as soon as the investment entries go in. All ready for another year.

... Thinkpads_User
Happy New Year to you all...

We have been in 2013 for nearly 13 hours now, and so far it's fantastic :)
2013 all good so far.

Wishing you all the best,
Brian.
Happy New Year to all here

Best wishes to you and your families for a great 2012.

Cheers

Dave





[edit] will_see admin : and an even better 2013
Happy New Year's Eve / New Year

One sad but satisfying thought...We lost David Miller (dlmille) this year, but he finished #1 for the year in the Excel zone.  I'm enjoying seeing his cyber presence for a few more hours.
All the best for 2013, and may brettdj find out in time what year it actually is.  This new year is greeting NZ with a perfect summer day.

cheers, teylyn
And now 2012 is done with all the best for 2013  ..... :)  (damn habits Ingeborg)
Ditto to all and a happy 2013 and (just to get a head-start) a wonderful 2014...especially since the world didn't end on 12/21/12 (but we all knew that wouldn't happen!)
especially since the world didn't end on 12/21/12

Of course not!  I will be dead of old age and so will my offspring before the world ends. As I understand, the end of the world will come some many millions of years hence when our Sun starts to die (as it inevitably will).  

Cheers to all!  .... Thinkpads_User
msgbox("Happy New Year and Best Wishes for 2013")

Thomas
Can someone give advice on this question?

www.experts-exchange.com/Microsoft/Applications/Q_27976889.html#a38750383
This question was closed with a worksheet_change event-handler for the cell in question. But later the OP wanted to modify it as the cell in question had a formula and the event-handler did not fire when the source changed. I modified the event handler to check the source and again it was fine.

Now again the OP informed that even those source cells are controlled elsewhere. Is there any way to pick up changes to results of formulas?
ssaqibh,

Only indirectly, I'm afraid. I usually store the value(s) for the cells I'm monitoring and then use the Calculate event to identify whether a change has occurred.

Regards,
Brian.
Saqibh,
If  you have formula references to cells on the same worksheet, you can use the .Precedents property of the cell(s) that may contain URGENT to return the Target needed for a Worksheet_Change sub.

If I put the following formula in cell A1 and copy across to F1:
=B1+COLUMN()
Range("C1").Precedents.Select        'Selects cells D1:G1

Another approach is to use a named constant that contains the number of cells containing URGENT. A Worksheet_Calculate or Worksheet_Change sub can then watch for a difference between the current count and the value of the named constant. If a discrepancy exists, then update the stored value and trigger the user's macro. This is similar in principle to the trick that Ture Magnusson suggested years ago for trapping row insertions or deletions. http:/Q_26192689.html 

Brad
Help, please. I'd appreciate it if someone could check this out. I think the attachment should be deleted as it seems to have live account no.'s, names,  branch details, balances etc.

I appreciate that this would hinder anyone else from getting involved in the question, so I'm happy to post a test file.

(I've also Requested Attention.)

Thanks,
Brian.
@Brian

It isn't clear whether this is production data or generated sample data
Netminder,

Technically, it's not your problem to create a sanitized file for the question
Agreed - but as you rightly pointed out in the RA, there would be a reluctance to delete the file without a replacement.

just upload a sanitized version to the RA
Done. Thanks.

aikimark
It isn't clear whether this is production data or generated sample data
Agreed - hence the "I think" and "it seems". Hopefully the OP's file was just very good test data, but if not, I certainly wouldn't want to see that kind of data about me in a semi-public file.

Regards,
Brian.
Thanks, Netminder.
Excel 2013 has been released for retail sale to consumers. The package includes Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, Access and other popular Excel add-ins.

Microsoft is pushing hard a subscription service called Office 365 that lets you install Office 2013 on up to five devices (for home use) for $99.95/yr. They continue to offer Office in retail boxes, but you only get to install it on one machine now--so it is a significant cost increase for home users (Office 2010 for Home and Students could be installed on three machines for $150 and be used forever at no additional cost). http://blogs.office.com/b/office-news/archive/2012/09/17/the-new-office-365-subscriptions-for-consumers-and-small-businesses.aspx 
Press release concentrating on Office 365 Home Premium: http://www.microsoft.com/en-us/news/press/2013/jan13/01-29O365PR.aspx
Seems everything these days is moving in the direction of subscription services. It's a good idea for them because they get more money and a "good idea" for the mindless consumer because they have to spend less money at one time.

The few who are smart enough to realize that they're trying to pull one over on us will all be moving entirely to open source software soon anyway, so I guess I don't really care as much as I thought I would when I started typing this.
"good idea" for the mindless consumer

It is a pathetic idea for people who know what they are doing and want their stuff on a computer. I have 50Gb of documents, some very complex.

Microsoft says its idea is to store your mindless consumers 2 Gb of documents in their cloud at your cost so that everything will work on a computer, tablet or phone all the same way.

I have tried. I have lots of documents that will never (ever) render on a 2 inch screen.

As always Microsoft moves to the lowest common denominator and says capable people have to adapt to dumb ways.

Not for me. .... Thinkpads_User
If I understand correctly, the boxed set is disastrously bad value as it's permanently linked to the first PC it's installed on. This is bad enough when you choose to upgrade your PC, but supposing it's simply replaced under warranty?

This is a complete show-stopper for me, so I'm hoping that I've got this wrong. Any corrections?

Thanks,
Brian.
You have it correct. It is going to cost me over $2,000 to buy 4 copies Office 2013 Pro for 2 computers twice: 2 computers with Windows 7 and then one upgraded to Windows 8 (if I can beat it into submission) and one new computer with Windows 8 (again assuming I can beat it into submission). I beat Vista into submission, so I will surely succeed winning over Windows 8.  ... Thinkpads_User
It seems an extraordinary approach - how much bad publicity is MS going to get from people who've spent hundreds of dollars on boxed 2013, only to get a replacement PC and discover that their investment is gone?
I purchased a license for AdAware some time back. It got bad reviews so I put it on a virtual machine to test it and beat it into submission. I then uninstalled it to put on my real machine. I could not.

I emailed AdAware, told them I had uninstalled it, forced them to return my money and then told them I would never buy anything from them again. And I have not.

I will try the same approach with Microsoft.

... Thinkpads_User
Brave man! I simply can't afford to take a chance on writing off the money. Actually it's more that I'd feel a complete eejit at being ripped off.
I had a chance to review OpenOffice.Org's Calc program a while back (which apparently is now replaced with LibreOffice and it compared very favorably with Office 2003.
If you want to see my review, you can get it from Amazon e-books by searching for LibreOffice and it should be the first one ("Getting Started with OpenOffice (LibreOffice): The Free Replacement for Microsoft Office by Rob Spahitz")
See if this works.
http://www.amazon.com/Getting-Started-OpenOffice-LibreOffice-ebook/dp/B008KMAN16/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1359599091&sr=8-1&keywords=LibreOffice

I found the biggest difference was that the macro language was more like C than VB.
Oh, the point was that if Office 365/13 is really that annoying, it should be relatively easy to transition to the Open Source market (although we'll all have to change forums.)
I just want to add that SoftMaker Pro Office 2012 (Windows) is a good product. It's commercial but from my point of view affordable:

https://www.softmaker.com/english/

The next Office suite that can run on Windows and Linux is Calligra (KDE Community):

http://www.calligra-suite.org/

Kind regards,
Dennis
Interesting question here about comparing blood pressure readings, and finding the "best" match.  I have a feeling Brad or barry could have a field day with it :)

https://www.experts-exchange.com/questions/28017866/Excel-Formula-to-Return-an-Answer-Closest-to-a-Target.html
Does it exist an app for the Android plattform?
Kind regards,
Dennis
Patrick,
Thanks for posting the link to the question on blood pressure readings. I did indeed have a good time wrestling with it.

Brad
I think we all know just how good matthewspatrick is, but this post puts him on a whole new level. :)
OMG...that raised the bar for how we're supposed to solve problems...eek!
Now I guess I need to redirect people to YouTube videos instead of all those text sites.
Congrats to Brian for getting his Genius cert in Excel.

The Genius clubhouse is starting to get crowded; perhaps we need to build an extension :)
They did already. The Ace penthouse.
Thanks, matthewspatrick!

And thanks to all of the extraordinary people in the Excel topic who have surprised, delighted and taught me so much.

Regards,
Brian.
Congrats to Brian
Thanks, ssaqibh! (Getting the penthouse ready for Tommy?!)
I also appreciate Matthewspatrick's assistance with a trend graph for long term pension plan management. This is stuff we need to look at later in life.

.... Thinkpads_User
Congratulations, Brian - next stop: 5m! ;)
Thanks, rorya!

next stop: 5m! ;)
At my current rate of progress, that'll be 2021 - unfortunately I can imagine too many stops that would prevent me getting there!

Regards,
Brian.
Congratulations Brian.

And happy valentine's day for all those special people out there.
Thanks, rspahitz. (For the former, at least!)
My Day Today!
Congratulations Brian!

Here's to the next million......

regards, barry
matthewspatrick, apologies for nearly missing your phenomenal 7,000,000 points! If you would just stop answering question and pull all your articles then I could look forward to joining you in...2025?     :(
Thanks, Barry!
Congrats, Brian. The first million is the biggest buzz. After that, t-shirts get fewer and far between. Enjoy!
Thanks, teylyn! Yes, I always say that points aren't important, but I was pleasantly surprised at the kick I got from 1,000,000. I don't think I'll get that again!
Getting a million points in the Excel Zone is not to be undervalued. There are a number of strong Experts competing for those points, so you need to be both good and diligent to reach the mark.

Congratulations, Brian. Woohoo!

Brad
Many thanks, Brad! BTW, I'm under no false illusions - if anybody posting in this discussion had just a little more time for EE, I'd still be looking for my million.
All hail to MS Brian! Congratulations on a well deserved achievement.

Thomas
Many thanks, Thomas! ("MS Brian"?!)
Brian,
Eschew anonymity now that you have joined the Excel Genius club.

We expect you to put something interesting in your EE member profile, and I for one look forward to reading it.

Brad
Redmond -> Microsoft -> MS (this is the excel zone after all!)
Well, killing two birds with one stone...

I haven't exactly been anonymous - you've been talking to Brian Redmond. I'm roughly here. I retired from Diageo (Guinness as was) a number of years ago. I had a variety of roles there, ending up as the Data Manager of the Sales Quality Team in Dublin. I have a B.SC. in Computer Science and an MBA.
Despite the current economic woes, two of my kids are still in Dublin and the third is no further than London (ending up within walking distance of her job and two cousins - The Big Smoke? Hah!)
Why am I on EE? No surprises, and in no particular order...fun, use it or lose it, learn stuff, a small return for all the help others have given me.

Regards,
Brian.
Wow, I didn't know that map still existed.
A great idea. I hope anyone not on it will add themselves.
should we tweak the map to note that PatrickAB and Dave Miller are no longer with us?
Grats on the million Brian...

I love the map, will try to get my head round how to add myself to it.

My wife is from Dublin and all her family live there, so I know how tough the economic climate is there right now. It is good that your kids have the the skills to thrive in such a difficult time, they don't use Excel too do they?  :)

Anyhoo, grats again on the cool 1m
Thanks, Steve. (Not even for shopping lists!)
I'm relatively knew here compared to all of you... and I know it is no easy feat to get to 1 million and that's only in one specific category (we know questions we answer aren't always posted where they are supposed to be)... so congratulations to Brian on his achievement :)

... and sorry again for our recent turbulence in a recent thread, I am not here to ruffle feathers... only here to help and have fun ;)
Thanks, NB_VC. You're getting through the grades a lot faster than I did, so I'm looking to my heels!
A comment/inqusition on topic points:

Should points for a topic flow upstream from the root topic?

To illustrate…
Excel is what I would call a “root” topic there are no further topics below it.
MS Office Systems is a parent of Excel. But is its own topic.
So points for Excel do not automatically flow to MS Office Systems, but they do if the OP adds it.
Shouldn’t the points automatically run upstream to the parent and be a running total of all points present in the child topics?
I only really contribute to Excel and so my total for MS Office would be pretty much just Excel, but others who contribute to all topics under the umbrella of MS Office should surely see the total of all those topics combined?

Hopefully the ramblings above make some sense to those who read it.
It is not something which I see changing (I am sure it would be a big change to EE)
But I would like to see if it is only me that has this thought.

ATB
Steve.
I have had that thought as well. I would think that if you were to implement something like that, then you should only award points for leaf zones.

For example, you could have MS and under it, Windows and MS Office, etc and under office you could have Word, Excel, and misc MS Office or something. Otherwise it would be odd when trying to determine how to give awards for those zones. Having the non-leaf zones aggregate the points does give a better look at where an expert's strengths lie.
Indeed N, I am not saying that there is an error in EE. But a "missed oportunity" arising from the apparent hierarchy of the topic zones.
If MS Office is "above" excel, surely it would be an improvement to sum up the points into the parent zone.

I understand that this is not how EE works, and that the amount of work to change the site is preclusive to performing the change. But would it be better with a more tree style topic system?

N, you have stated what is there in the current structure... do you feel the existing method is a strength or could the site benefit from this kind of change? For me I feel that it would enhance the point system as it may encourage people to diversify into similar topics under the same parent topic.

Steve.
I would not expect extra ranks.
Nor extra "rewards" for the points (these come at the root topic level)

But, there is some drive towards obtaining points to acheive Expert of the year in topics.
Would there also be a drive towards Expert of the year in Parent topics?
Hanaccocka has the site top spot. Leaving only the TA individually to work towards.
But would it benifit to have slightly lower teirs to aim for?
As this may diversify the experts field if view to acheive note in the parent TA.
I would not expect hundereds of Parent TA, but I am sure 10 - 15 sensible zones could be agreed based upon existing zone structure.

I know this is not a simple idea, with much cloudyness.
I just wondered if I was alone in my ponderings.
I was thinking that all the TA could be under Parent/Umbrella Zone Headings such as MS Office or Web etc... say about 10-15 Sub-Zones from the top level 'EE'.
Then the EOY could have awards for the usual Top/Rookie etc but in these sub-zones as well as the 50 TA.

The structure already seems to have a sort of sub-zone feel to it.
If this was formalised it may encourage people to diversify within their own sub-zone.
As they may look to gain points in similar TA to boost their sub-zone score (which does not currently exist)

An example may be that Excel experts may look more closely at questions in Access or Word.
This may encourage diversity across the site and may encourage experts to stray more into topics outside the top 50.

All this could be suplementary to the existing system, not a replacement.
I always thought the opposite would be nice, where if you post in a "higher" branch (e.g. MS Office, or Productivity Suites) that all stems beneath that (e.g. Excel, Word, Outlook, or Open Office Calc) would see that as potential questions to answer.  As it is now, those get "lost" in the leaf branches unless the expert specifically goes up the tree to look for those.

Of course, then you'd want to allow the users to filter those higher branches in case they get overwhelmed with questions in the branch topic.

BTW
Talking about years ago, does anyone remember when IE sent out special invitations to join an exclusive Excel forum that they were considering starting?  Did that ever get off the ground?  I'm probably still a member but haven't been there in years.  Everyone was laughing about the funny icon people that you had to choose as your avatar.
>http://www.excelanswers.com/

Wow!  I remembered my login...but it didn't say when I joined; only when I joined EE :)
Guys...

Appologies for missing an action for long time..since had lot of things going on..but things finally began to settle..so thought of being back here..let's see how long i can be here again...

On a lighter side i was blessed with a daughter on 21-01-2013..my first kid which again changed my world upside down..I named her aadya  ...Here is a picture of hers..she is more then 1 month old now..

User generated image
Looking forward to see more of you guys too..

Saurabh...
Lol@ Eric..Thanks for wishes...
Congratulatons Saurabh !! And it wont be the only time she turns your life upside down :)
Congratulations, Saurabh - she's beautiful! I imagine she's already got you twisted around her little finger. :)
Melt. Sigh! -- Congratulations, Saurabh! Kids change your life radically and forever. Those little hands will soon swipe across a touch screen, I'm sure.
Congratulations. Kids do change things.  I am just heading over to a new breakfast place. Trouble (6 and a half) and Chaos (2 and a half) will both be there :)

.... Thinkpads_User
Thanks a lot guys for your wishes..and yeah im getting used to it..She is changing my entire sleeping habbits everything upside down..and ensures i keep busy with her... :-)
Two more months and if you're lucky, she'll sleep through the night. Congratulations Saurabh and Mrs. Saurabh!

Thomas
Congratulations Saurabh!

Enjoy the time as much as possible. You will be surprised how fast the coming years will go so spend as much time as possible with Your family.

Dennis
Congratulations Saurabh!

How do you pronounce your daughter's name? I hadn't ever seen it before, and the web references were inconsistent.

I hope you keep taking such good pictures of her as she grows. Kids bring such joy into the world, and it's good to share with friends.

Brad
Hey S

.... congratulations. Life will be very different - but also very richer - for you from this moment on.

Regards

Dave
Thanks Thomas,Dennis,Brad and Dave...

Thomas...You are right she is like me all wide awake in the whole night and no matter how much we trying to make her sleep she doesnt sleep till the morning..

Dennis...Yups..trying to spend time with them as much i can...

Brad... I pronounce it as AA-d-y-a... Its the synonym of one of the Goddess name which we have in here...

Dave...Complete agree bro..just love spending time with her...
A fantastic time for you, Saurabh. All the best for the three of you!
Congrats and good luck.  Make sure to raise her so she can be part of the next generation of EE experts to carry on for us.
Thanks a lot guys for wishes...

Saurabh...
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Sorry if this is off topic. I like to be removed from EE. With immediately effect I have decided to leave the MVP Program. Mainly because of the lack of loyalty from Microsoft and that the MVP Program is not that important to me. After nearly 30 years of Spreadsheet it's time for a change.

Thanks,
Dennis
??  You have been a member of EE since 2003.

I know I am an old crock and have had my ups and downs, but you have been a solid member. There is more to EE than Spreadsheets.

I offer you my best wishes.  ... Thinkpads_User