Comments on: Previous Sheets Stack

By: jeffrey weir

jeffrey weir — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 01:40:00 +0000

You could store often-used sheets as custom views, and then use the custom views dialog box to select them (which can be done without the use of the mouse if you like). An added bonus is that you can then save multiple views of the same spreadsheet in the case that you've filtered or hidden rows. For instance, in a workbook I use, I have a 'Customer information' customer view, and then have 'Customer info - customer x' view for any specific customers I might want to check on often.

The downside is that this can be slow, as it not only takes you to the sheet concerned, but then does a whole heap of filtering/unfiltering...even if none is needed.

Sometimes I also use named ranges for navigation. I start any functionality-based named ranges with ZZ_ so that they appear at the bottom of the list.

By: ross

ross — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 23:29:00 +0000

Well there you go Daniel, there’s loads of stuff that I’ve forgotten about Excel over the years, then bang, someone mentions it on a blog, and you remember it.

By: Daniel

Daniel — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 20:43:00 +0000

Ross, you’re right, I just discovered that there *is* a sheet list built into Excel… Right click on those little “Forward-backward” buttons next to the sheet tabs, and it pops up. How could I have missed that, I use Excel for hours every day… Amazing!

By: Nigel Heffernan

Nigel Heffernan — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 17:38:00 +0000

If the sheets have an ‘Item Name’ cell in a predictable place, then you can use the TooltipText property to display a more informative name when the mouse is over sheet name on your menu.

By: Jan Karel Pieterse

Jan Karel Pieterse — Fri, 24 Apr 2009 11:20:00 +0000

Something I have built for a customer was the following:

They have this huge (legacy) system for reporting purposes. In there -scattered accross quite some worksheets- were various input areas. They were hard to find and they tended to forget skip some during data entry phase, thus producing nonsense reports.

I named each input area Input.Area1, Input.Area2, ...

I inserted a hidden worksheet which lists the input area range names, next to that a description of the area and next to that a status column with either true or empty. I also added a commandbar with 5 controls: a dropdown which lists the descriptions to pick from, a previous and next button, a "Done" button and a button to reset all input areas back to "to be done". Clicking "Done" will remove the input area from the pick list and from the previous/next list. The order of the areas is determined by the order in the hidden table.

It proves very useful in keeping track of whether all data has been entered in a big workbook.

By: ross

ross — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 22:49:00 +0000

Daniel

>>…there’s no “worksheet pane” in Excel.
well can can access the build in command bar from any com lang, so it’s easy enough to roll you own? (I’m working on a way to get it from pure VBA, but it not a very good picture!)

Also I thought there was a sort of popup list thing built in to the tabs bit – or am I on drugs?

>>…use a userform with a listbox in my addin, but I would really love to make that modeless to keep it floating on the screen while I work…

sounds like it should be doable, I’m properly over looking something?

>>Re logical groupings:
What are part numbers for? there must already be categorised, you need to network Dick, or at lest send an e-mail to procurement!

By: Dick Kusleika

Dick Kusleika — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 20:15:00 +0000

I can't think of a good reason to have this on the right click menu. It's the menu I abuse the most.

Re logical groupings: The best way to do this for my spreadsheet would be to find the related components and put them on the userform/taskbar rather than a historical record. I should go up and down the production chain and list it's parent, siblings, self, and children, in that order. Sounds like a lot of work.

By: Jan Karel Pieterse

Jan Karel Pieterse — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:29:00 +0000

I use a commandbar, easier than a userform. Works a treat (but not with Excel 2007 of course).

By: Daniel

Daniel — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 19:08:00 +0000

Ross, I also wonder every day why there's no "worksheet pane" in Excel. That little bar at the bottom of the screen is only okay to work with as long as you have no more than three sheets, called "Sheet1?, "Sheet2?, and "Sheet3?.

I personally use a userform with a listbox in my addin, but I would really love to make that modeless to keep it floating on the screen while I work. However, all attempts to have the form update its listbox as I work with my sheets (e.g., switch sheets with the CTRL+PgUp and CTRL+PgDn keys) have failed. So if anyone uses a modeless form, I'd be curious.

Daniel

By: Ross

Ross — Thu, 23 Apr 2009 12:59:00 +0000

Can't think of a good way to do this, in the 3 mins it's taken me to read the post!
I think I would have gone for a tool bar rather than right menu for this one - its not related to a cell action and it a bit of a big list to pop up.

I think I would try and put the Inventory items in to logical groups if that's do able, or maybe group by first letter?

What about a task pane?

What about that addin thing you posted about a while back?