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Tag Archives: Spreadsheet Tips
A Big, Avoidable Mistake
Yesterday, I found a multi-million dollar error in a spreadsheet that had been prepared by someone else. The spreadsheet’s author had employed some of Excel’s most advanced features, but had not followed a simple practice that would have prevented the … Continue reading
Good Fences Make Good Spreadsheets, Part 3
Good Fences Make Good Spreadsheets, Part 1 discussed the idea of using border rows or border columns to surround blocks of cells. The borders assure that totals will include any new cells that are inserted into the block. Part 2 in … Continue reading
Tables vs. Fences
In Good Fences Make Good Spreadsheets, Part 1 and Part 2, I advocated the use of border rows and columns to manage blocks of data for SUM calculations. These borders, or “fences”, ensure that the totals will always reflect any … Continue reading
Good Fences Make Good Spreadsheets, Part 2
Good Fences Make Good Spreadsheets, Part 1 discussed the idea of using border rows or border columns to hold blocks of data for use by the SUM function. The borders assure that the SUM function will include any new cells … Continue reading
Good Fences Make Good Spreadsheets, Part 1
In the 1980s, a Florida construction company sued Lotus for $250,000 over an alleged defect in their spreadsheet software. The company had prepared a cost estimate for a contract bid by adding various items in a column. They later inserted a … Continue reading
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The Well-Tempered Spreadsheet 