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I want to turn my Google Docs spreadsheet of a route into something prettier with photos and stats - how to do it easily?

soulbarn — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:51:35 -0800

I want to turn my Google Docs spreadsheet of a route into something prettier with photos and stats - how to do it easily? I went on a long urban hike with a bunch of people. We twittered, photographed, and geo-located our way through 40 miles of city streets. I planned the route on a spreadsheet beforehand, broken down turn-by-turn, with landmarks and notes. Afterwards, I downloaded our tweets - which were made at each landmark - as a CSV file and added them to the original spreadsheet, giving us location and exact time info. I also added columns for tweets to us. Now, I want to be able to put the pictures (which are time-stamped and/or geotagged) in, as well as notes and free-form information, like clickable URLS, or additional about the places we passed. I want to make this into an online presentation, or something similar, but I want the ability to retain and remanipulate the raw data so that I can remove fields/columns and use it again, as I would a spreadsheet. I'm a Mac user, and the Bento database program does this well and easily - but that's about all it does well. It can't, won't, and shall not export except as a CSV file. Period. Useless.

Any ideas of a quick and easy front end that can take all this info and make it pretty, while retaining the flexibility I get with a Google spreadsheet?

Excel AVERAGE questions.

FatherDagon — Wed, 05 Aug 2009 12:38:23 -0800

Trying to get some modified AVERAGE results in Excel. Right now I've got a formula in my workbook 'AVERAGE(Data!Z:Z)', pooling turnaround time data from a single column on a different sheet. Most of the values are in the five minute range (3.5, 4.2, 7.1, 5.0, etc), however there are also very occasionally (say 5-10 cells in an array of 3000 or so) values that are closer to 1-2 days (1500 minutes, 2000 minutes, etc).

Is there a way to modify or append the AVERAGE function to either a) weed out values outside of a certain range, or b) get a median average that drops something like the 10 lowest and highest values in the range, or the bottom and top 1%, or something similar?

Concatewhat?

thebazilist — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 08:50:06 -0800

I need to merge two Excel sheets with some common fields, but the most advanced formula I've ever used is Autosum. I have two worksheets. One has a list of people that I've invited to an event. The other has a much larger list of people, including the people on the 1st sheet, which has a field for phone numbers. I'd like to bring the phone numbers from the 2nd sheet into the 1st sheet, but only for the people who are on the 1st sheet. Both sheets have "First Name" and "Last Name."

I've been googling around and have found things about vlookup and concatenating (same thing?). I've never used vlookup before, so I guess I'd need a basic primer in vlookup and/or how to use it in this specific instance to achieve what I want. Unless there's a better solution. I've also read about maybe pulling the two sheets into Access, but I'd rather not have too complicated an end-product since very tech-unsavvy people will need to be using the results.

On both sheets, Last and First name are columns A and B, and phone numbers on the second sheet are columns D, E, and F.

Getting Google Spreadsheets to interpret string as formula

Akeem — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 10:53:28 -0800

I have hundreds of text strings entered through a form in a Google Spreadsheets which look like 4*3 9*2 17*3 22 37*4 52. I can easily substitute " " for "+" and concatenate a "=" in front =4*3+9*2+17*3+22+37*4+52. Now I have a text string which looks like a formula but isn't one. How can I make Google Spreadsheets interpret this string as a formula? These Excel solution don't apply because I'm not always around when someone makes a new form entry.

With =sum(split(A1,"+")) it's possible to interpret a string like 4+9+17+22 and get a correct result.

However =multiply(split(A1,"*")) does not work for 17*3 ("Wrong number of arguments", even though split should create 2 arguments here). So a combination of splits, multiply and sum also fail.

Is there another solution?

How do I unsquish my Google Docs spreadsheet?

mathowie — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 23:49:39 -0800

My Google spreadsheet collapsed itself in the middle somehow. How do I get it back? Here's a screenshot showing that for some odd reason, a worksheet in Google Docs (spreadsheets) jumps from cell 20 to 200 and all my data within the hidden section is gone. I don't know how this happened but I'd like to somehow expand it to restore. How?

Compare and output greater value.

guptaxpn — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 04:57:05 -0800

Spreadsheet question: Display Greater Value? I know this is one of those "you-either-know-it-or-you-don't" situations, and I just don't know. Hokay, so here's ze situation:

There are two columns of numbers, A and B

A1 has a value of 10, and B1 has a value of 15.

What do I type into C1 to compare A1 and B1, and display the greater value of 15?

AutoFilter equivalent in Google Docs Spreadsheets?

Jacqueline — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 14:28:59 -0800

I want to be able to filter my data in Google Docs Spreadsheets like the Data > Filter > AutoFilter function in Excel 2003. I am fairly familiar with Excel, but still learning my way around Google Docs Spreadsheets. The help file on the filter function confuses me:
http://docs.google.com/support/spreadsheets/bin/answer.py?answer=82712&query=FILTER&searchSyntaxExact=1

I just want to do something like the AutoFilter command. Is that even possible? If not, any suggestions for how to set up alternatives?

Thanks!

I know, I know - I shouldn't even be using Excel!

CXImran — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 11:52:51 -0800

ExcelFilter: How can I create a spreadsheet that automatically copies a certain type of cell from one column to another? So I've got this spreadsheet where I paste a set of values into Columns 'A' and 'B' regularly. Column 'A' has a set of names and Column 'B' has a set of dates.

What I want to do is to be able to paste new data regularly into columns 'A' and 'B', but have columns 'C' and 'D' report only data that was flagged as given in the last 14 days.

I COULD just paste it in the order that I get the data, but unfortunately more often than not the data I'm working with isn't given to me chronologically. What I'd like to do is have all the data dynamically update to the last 14 days so that when I generate a certain graph it only uses the data that I want.

Do any Excel wizards know of good ways to do this?

Sorting Embedded Google Spreadsheets

joemako — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 13:25:13 -0800

I am looking for a way to sort embedded Google Spreadsheets. I am not looking for advanced features or interacting with the data, but ONLY client side sorting. I published a testing spreadsheet
http://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=po4odZe1pIMzeFaoYQQz6BQ&output=html&gid=0&single=true&range=A1:D11

On http://ask.metafilter.com/89827/How-to-make-spreadsheet-dynamically-sortable-web-table unixrat said he is sure embedded Google Spreadsheets are able to be sorted.

I have seen this can be done with Zoho: http://blogs.zoho.com/sheet/how-to-embed-your-spreadsheet-into-any-webpageblog/, but that solution offers the visitors too many options. If the ability to edit the cell contents was disabled, but still sortable, that would work also.

My thought is I am missing some documentation in the Google Data API, if anyone can point out links that I need to read to be able to add sorting, I would appreciate it.

Google Spreadsheets / Charts Help

underdetermined — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 13:07:52 -0800

Let's say I have a two column chart, with the following values: Col. 1..........Col. 2
-------...--------
2.................A
5.................A
7.................C
1.................B
9.................C
... ...

Without sorting (i.e., automatically), I would like to be able to, for example, plot all values of column 1 for which column 2="C". Preferably in Google Spreadsheets. I guess what I'm looking for is a way to incorporate logic functions into charts. Does anyone know how to do this, or can you recommend software that can?

I'm using Google Forms to compile user-entered data into a spreadsheet and then would like to display that visually, broken down by different categories.

Thanks for any advice.

How to get submission form fields from email to database and more!

prophetsearcher — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 14:20:48 -0800

How can a new company track leads submitted via its website through the sales and post-sales process, simply, automatically, and online? (Caution- IDon'tReallyKnowWhatIWantFilter:)

I'm helping to start a small company (well, it's really a division of a larger consulting firm) that is selling a one-off product/service to non-profits.

Through AdWords, I have managed to attract nearly 30 leads a day (which I'm quite pleased with, considering the cost of our product). Problem is, each lead comes into my inbox - as well as my partners' - as emails. (I believe the site is an ASP.net site, with form submissions. I'm pretty clueless, though).

Is there a way that each of these emails, which is a filled out form, could automagically be imported, fields intact, into some sort of database (ideally, online, but not necessarily).

Even better, would be if we could add notes to each lead ("Joe called Org on 30/1/08 and was asked to call back in a week") and automated reminders ("2/7/08: Joe- Call Org back"), and results ("2/12/08: Product Sold for $999,999.95") and more followups (8/12/08: "Call Org to find out how product was used; interested in more?")

This all would have to be (1) not crazy-expensive (2) easy to use (3) ideally, usable by people in different continents (ie, online?).

I suppose, all else fails, a Google Spreadsheet could take care of some of this, but I'm looking for a frictionless solution that would import our leads, fire off reminders, integrate with our address books and calendars, etc.

I've seen this question, but it didn't seem exactly right and didn't get the types of responses I'm hoping for. Honestly, I'm not quite sure even what I'm looking for or if it exists in our price range...

I'm not scared of a little bit of mucking around, as long as that's only for the setup. It would have to be foolproof for the other end users.

Open source spreadsheets for the excel-challenged

cameron.case — Tue, 18 Dec 2007 12:13:46 -0800

Looking for open source spreadsheet templates I can use commercially (if it comes to that) for recipes, fitness programs and the like. Why? Because my excel skills suck. Thank you!

Software to track project/client information?

iguanapolitico — Tue, 24 Apr 2007 16:42:41 -0800

What kind of software can I use to keep track of information on each client and/or project that I'm working on? I do all my work on a computer. But I carry around this three-ring binder that contains all of the information/notes that I need for all of my projects and clients. I start with one sheet for each client (a form that I designed using Excel) and all of these client sheets are filed in the binder alphabetically (complete with A-Z tabs). I staple on additional sheets for each client as necessary.

I also use these little color-coded tags for flagging clients that have active projects, or that I provide web hosting for, or that I have a question about, etc.

It's some stellar organization and it has worked for years, but boy does it seem stone-age. Plus, what if this binder is washed away in a flash flood? (I really, really don't lose things, ever, but the flash flood thing is always a possibility.)

So I'm thinking of keeping track of all this stuff with a computer. Are there software programs that handle this sort of thing that are customizable? So I can customize all the information I need to store, such as client name, contact information, FTP information, billing dates/info, dates and notes on project progress, etc, etc? So I can flag or color code clients that are active, or that need attention, etc? So I can sort by different criteria? Do I just need to break down and create my own database, or do you have recommendations for existing software? And ... software that is both Mac- and PC-compatible? (My laptop is a Mac, desktop is a PC.)

(Or, is this something that I can manage with Excel, without creating/drawing a form by hand for each client? I'm really not up on Office-type products past basic word processing.)

It shouldn't be web-based because I might need to use it on a laptop somewhere without internet access.

(But is this something that would be do-able with Excel, that I could import into Google Spreadsheets so I could access the info remotely? I wouldn't need a tutorial on that, but if the answer is "yes," I could go figure it out.)

I really like using the binder. I like to be able to grab a pencil and jot down a note without having to fire up an application. And I like to keep as few apps open as possible. But now I'm beginning to worry about safety. This information should be backed up. I back up my computer regularly, and make fun of people who don't do the same, after all. Sheesh.

I feel that this is a supremely stupid question, but that the right answer will be based on a consensus of recommendations, or will be just too hard for me to go through with. (I just don't see myself building my own database any time soon; I can't even make the time to get my client login section operational on my own web site.)

How do I get my table rows to stay clumped in fives?

bokinney — Mon, 12 Mar 2007 11:49:37 -0800

How do I get a the rows in a table to stay clumped in fives even if I add or change the data?I have a long list of data that I need to arrange in a table, and I want the rows grouped together in fives. I'm currently working in Microsoft Word, and what I've got looks something like this Google Doc. I want the table(s) to stay grouped like this even if I add, delete, or change the data. If I just use the Word tables, adding a new line to a group will just create an extra row. I recorded a macro in Word, which allowed me to simplify the process somewhat, but I need something easier.

I also tried linking the Word document with an Excel file that contains the raw data. This works, but I think it would require me to copy and paste each individual cell from Excel in order to get the formatting I need, and I have a lot that I need to do.

Are there any easier ways to do this? I don't need to use Word. I can use any Microsoft Office program, including Access, if it would simplify things. I can do as much work as I need to up front, but the editing process needs to be as simple as possible, because the people in my office who will be using this have only the most basic computer skills.

Thanks so much for the help!

iRows shutting down. How do I share my spreadsheets now?

killa62 — Wed, 15 Nov 2006 21:27:48 -0800

Well, the people at iRows are shutting down their service at the end of the year and I need to find a way to share my spreadsheets with other people. As usual, there are some problems Now, I know about google spreadsheets, but I cannot use it because in order to view shared documents, the viewers have to have a google account. I am catering this to people who are not exactly tech savvy, so asking them to create a google account will not work.
Are there any other services like iRows that allow others to view your spreadsheets without them needing to sign up?

What would be a good way to calculate "fuck-you money"?

ElfWord — Thu, 28 Sep 2006 19:27:13 -0800

What would be a good way to calculate "fuck-you money"? I've been re-reading the excellent Neal Stephenson novel, Cryptonomicon. In it, there's a passage alluding to "fuck-you money", which has since come to be defined by UrbanDictionary as "any amount of money allowing infinite perpetuation of wealth necessary to maintain a desired lifestyle without needing employment or assistance from anyone."

The original passage from the book is as follows, reprinted from the publicly-available excerpt on the Cryptonomicon site:
"We look for places where the math is right. Meaning what? Meaning that pop. is about to explode---we can predict that just by looking at age histogram---and per capita income is about to take off the way it did in Nippon, Taiwan, Singapore. Multiply those two things together and you get the kind of exponential growth that should get us all into fuck-you money before we turn forty.

This is an allusion to a Randy/Avi conversation of two years ago wherein Avi actually calculated a specific numerical value for ``fuck-you money.' It was not a fixed constant, however, but rather a cell in a spreadsheet linked to any number of continually fluctuating economic indicators. Sometimes when Avi is working at his computer he will leave the spreadsheet running in a tiny window in the corner so that he can see the current value of ``fuck-you money' at a glance."

So then...
Assume I'd like to create the fictional spreadsheet Avi has created. How would I go about it? Which 'economic indicators' would be a good way of measuring this sort of thing?

Bonus points for:
a) Making it self-updating/providing instructions on how to do so.
b) Examples of the kinds of things this money could buy, or of people that have this kind of money.
c) Originality in choosing economic indicators.
d) Actually following through, making the spreadsheet/program, and making it publically available.

What is this even called?

croutonsupafreak — Mon, 11 Sep 2006 07:32:15 -0800

What kind of jobs exist for people who think about numbers and money from a consumer perspective, in a weirdly logical and obsessive way? Some "experiments" I've done lately:

* Took a colleague's kid-oriented, preservative-laden grocery receipt to four different stores, developed a spreadsheet that compared prices at each store so he'd know where to get the best deals. (There was a more than 20 percent difference in prices between the high and the low.)

* Did the same thing with my organic hippy vegetarian grocery receipt.

* On a 70 mph highway commute, drove different speeds for the duration of an entire tank -- 55 mph one week, 60 mph the next, etc. all the way up to 80 mph -- to see what kind of mileage I got at different speeds. (I get nearly 40 miles to the gallon at 55 mph, and less than 30 miles to the gallon at 80 mph.)

* Developed a shopping strategy, by outlining the clothes I need, finding their retail prices, comparing them to online sales prices, and coming up with a meaningful-only-to-me formula that tells me when to buy on ebay and when to hold out for a more meaningful in-store sale.

* Less money oriented: At the gym, I am lifting weights using a very math-oriented periodization schedule I worked out, and I'm training for my first 5 k run using another methodical schedule.

On NPR a few weeks ago, I heard an interview with a woman who collects data for the Consumer Price Index, which we use as a measure of inflation in the US. It sounded awesome, but it's apparently a very part time job and not one that needs filling in my neck of the woods.

I'm generally happy with my career at the moment, but I can't help but wonder what else is out there that I might enjoy.

Are there people who think like I do for a living, and what is it that they're doing?

Cell 64,999

Happydaz — Mon, 04 Jul 2005 18:15:50 -0800

I used to think I was good at Excel. I could add, subtract, multiply and even use PivotTables! But I have a big problem with Excel: Why does it jump to cell 65,000 occasionally when you try to copy and paste? I can't reproduce it on purpose. It happens about once per 2 hours of work. This has been a problem for me and spreadsheets for at least 10 years, but I have no idea how to stop it from happening. My theory is if you're at the start of the document, and you try to go "up" or "left", Excel compensates by wrapping you around to the other side. Can I turn this off?

ExcelFilter: I don't see an easy one-function way to get the initial letters of a text string in Excel. Is there such a beast?

mwhybark — Wed, 29 Sep 2004 14:49:53 -0800

ExcelFilter: I don't see an easy one-function way to get the initial letters of a text string in Excel. Is there such a beast? [=Text(MI)] I need to do this for the first N words in the string. Let's say I have cells at A1 and B1 that look like this:

[A Test Text String]
[Another testing string, with more words]

In this case, I'd like to get the values "ATTS" and "ATSW." All the cells I need to operate on will always hold only strings.

[=INTITALS(A1,4)] is the ideal case, but as I said, it seems to not exist. TYVM.

Excel Spreadsheet Updating

ajpresto — Tue, 11 May 2004 13:01:41 -0800

Excel query. I have two Excel spreadsheets that I want to have automativally update each other. But, the format that they are in is generally incompatible. These are used as scheduling documents for the place where I work.

One spreadsheet is very wide. It lists each individual person at the top and their personal schedule below it. It lists breaks using "ONE" as the first half of a 30 minute block, "TWO" as the second half of a 30 minute block, and "LONG" as the entire 30 minute block.

The other spreadsheet is much less wide. It has 7 days listed and three columns. One is for "LONG" one is for "ONE" and the third is for "TWO." In each column, each person's name is entered in the appropriate block as defined in the first spreadsheet.

Can I get those two to talk to each other? Can I tell the first spreadsheet that if the word "TWO" is in a certain field to put the name of that person in another field on another spreadsheet?

OpenOffice Saves in MSOffice Format -- So Is Buying MS Office Worth It?

trharlan — Mon, 23 Feb 2004 00:54:58 -0800

I've been thinking about plunking down the cash to buy a licensed copy of MS Office (or Office XP, or Office 2003, etc.) for my new laptop. Can anyone tell me why I shouldn't just run Openoffice instead? From what I've read, it appears that I can "save as" most MS formats with it. Any firsthand experience?

Removing duplicates from excel sheet

rocketman — Wed, 07 Jan 2004 07:12:00 -0800

I'm working with an alphabetical list of email addresses in Excel, approx. 8500 addresses long. Is there any quick way to remove duplicates outside of manually scrolling through and deleting them by hand?