Most Useful Excel Book or Resource 6

Hi
Having bought "Beginning Javascript" for less than £2 second hand- a thousand page book! I realize that there are faster ways to increase one's knowledge. I wonder from all those Excel experts out there what they would recommend to read for someone who can use Excel but has little knowledge of its power.

PS the Beggining JavaScript book was a bargain!

 

[SkipVought]

Hi,

Each person has ways to learn. Reading a book to one, looking at examples to another, hearing a lecture.....

I like books by John Walkenbach

http://www.j-walk.com

But I learned the most by trying stuff. Read somthing new on Tek-Tips -- TRY IT! then "file" for future use.

Skip,
^{Don't let the Diatribe...
talk you to death!}
_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[fumei]

Make full use of the Archiving feature here at TT. Whenever you find a thread with reference-able stuff, archive it for easy retrieval.

I agree with Skip - as I almost always do - build up a bunch of files of things you have learned to do. Like Skip, I have learned the most by actually trying to do things.

Often people post threads with problems I have not dealt with. So I work on it, and if I figure out how to do it, I both post a reply AND file the document with the solution. I have hundreds now.

Loop ActiveX textboxes.doc
FooterCodes_SectionPages.doc
FormFieldMovement.doc
FileandFolderProcedures.doc

yadda yadda yadda

These documents document the problem, and the solution. If particularly useful to me personally, I will include the code in my global template. The procedures there will be commented, but if I have a reference document, I will also make a note of that in the procedure.

Sub whatever()
' see VBA_Docs/doWhatever.doc

There is gobs and gobs of information out there. The problems is both finding it, and being able to keep track of it when you need it again.

Gerry

 

[ggeoff]

Thanks Fumei

I am new to the forums so need to spend some time finding out ways to make the most of what I find out. I doubt whether I'll be able to contribute anything but if I formulate my problems clearly the response could help others with their problems.

 

[GSCaupling]

Hi ggeoff,

I'm sure I'm closer to your level than Skip or Fumei's, but I'd thought I'd tell you something that I find helpful.

Most of my issues are with Excel and Word (sometimes Access). Before I log onto Tek-Tips, I open my "TT-Tests" files, one in Excel and one in Word.

I use these files to "play" with ideas I find here, paste links to posts, etc. As Skip said, we each have a different way of learning. I can read about something, but it really sinks in when I do it myself.

With these files I have single source for reminding me how to solve certain problems. I find it very useful.

I use these same files to experiment with possible solutions to other peoples' questions, even though someone usually beats me to it. The bright side? I still learned something.

Good luck!
GS

[small][navy]**********************^*********************
I always know where people are going to sit. I'm chairvoyant.[/navy][/small]

 

[white605]

There are no new questions, although, there are many that are new to me..I started over 25 years ago with the encouragement of an old gentleman in his early 80's who attended the first school for IBM's computer in a cotton mill in the deep south. He didn't give me the code, but he gave me the correct algorithm to solve what ever problem I was working on at the time. Learning to "search" has been most rewarding for me. Tek-Tips is the very first place I search. Being able to search the minds of the adept's is most surely the path to knowledge. Thanks to all who share!
wjwjr

This old world keeps spinning round - It's a wonder tall trees ain't layin' down

 

[mintjulep]

You can learn plenty just by reading threads here at T-T. I've picked up lots of "oh....that's neat!" things that way.

Like Gerry, I also learn by working out solutions to problems that folks post here. I have to admit that I'm not nearly as organized as he is in regard to archiving and filing stuff away.

If there is something you want to do with Excel there is nearly always a way to do it. You just have to figure it out. Start with Excel's built in help. Help on the native functions is organized by functional category. If you need to do a statistical analysis there is a section of help that lists all of the statistical functions. Just poke around until you find the one you need. Same for manipulating strings, or dates, or finances....

 

[ggeoff]

Thanks for the advice GSCaupling, white605 and mintjulep. On reflection one major problem is that, and it applies to all MS Office software is that the Help system is not very good. There are on-line MS videos now which can be very good but there is something wrong with MS's Help system. I often find it's better to directly Google my query rather than use Help.

There must a lot of things one can do with Excel and it would be nice to know about what one can do and then get into the detail of how to do it. At present there are lots of tools to use and things one can do, which is all very well if one knows what one wants to do. Or even perceive that what one wants can be accomplished with Excel but not a lot of guidance. I Googled for "what one can do with Excel" and found this article from PCW:

http://www.pcworld.com/article/105312/who_knew_excel_could_do_that_ten_top_tips.html

and there are others.

Perusing the Amazon website it does seem that John Walkenbach's books are better - at least in relation to the reviews but there are not many reviews of the books.

 

[lionelhill]

ggeoff, thanks for an interesting thread.

I actually find Excel's help very useful, as far as it goes, but would describe it as "unhelpfully incomplete" rather than "bad". For descriptions of individual functions, for instance, it's great, and even cross-referenced.

The problem with Excel is that it has too many features hidden behind very un-memorable key combinations. Range formulae are one of the obvious, serious examples, but frivolously I wouldn't be surprised to find that if I hold Ctrl-( and press the backspace key twice it automatically inserts the number of days elapsed since the last Belgian general election.

Tek-tips is brilliant at pointing out these features; special thanks to SkipVought and numerous others for revealing them.

 

[ggeoff]

Lionelhill, thanks for the welcome.

Talking about obscure keyboard combinations. How about needing to use the CTRL key with the `(grave accent) to reveal formulas!

 

[lionelhill]

Wahay! Another one I didn't know, and really useful too.

 

[kjv1611]

GSCaupling,

I like the idea for keeping a local file for things you've worked through as your "test" file.

I suppose for VBA stuff, you'd just have to specify that VBA to be saved in the current workbook (Excel) rather than in the PERSONAL.XLS workbook. But then if you do that, it may not work correctly, as some things work best or only work from the PERSONAL workbook, and others from individual workbooks.... at least that's been my experience.

I've got another thought along that line. What about just having a "tests" or whatever you wanna call it folder where you store all the different techniques you've tried. Then each technique could be it's own file with notes, etc. And you could then (if you wanted to, and felt it worth the time), type up a simple "web page" type html file and have links to each of the test files from the particular topic. Then, if you wanted to, you could actually have multiple links to one file if perhaps it answers or helps with more than one item...

But then that might be getting a little too much for some - either on the geekiness scale or on the just more trouble than worth scale...

I'm just now starting to think along those lines. The reason is that I'm starting to fall in love with a new text editor, I think, and I'm probably just looking for reasons/excuses to use it. Komodo Edit[/LINK]. I LOVE that thing! I've been using UltraEdit at work, and Komodo just seems to work better "out of the box."

Well, that and I have already tried to sort of save stuff in different ways like some of these ideas, and putting it all together, this just sounds like a winner to me. All this, I'm just thinking as I go. And the more I think about it, the more excited I get about it. Okay, yeah, I guess I need to "get out." [LOL]

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

Oh, and trying to solve everyone's problems here in the forums on your own is a BIG learning tool in my opinion. It forces you to try things you might not otherwise try. Of course, if you like challenges, you can occasionally get carried away with trying, some might call it addicted!

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

Hu, guess I shoulda read fumei's post a little closer, seems like my idea was along the same line. [LOL]

So a pinky t you, too, Mr. fumei.

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

I wouldn't be surprised to find that if I hold Ctrl-( and press the backspace key twice it automatically inserts the number of days elapsed since the last Belgian general election.

THAT alone is worth a star! [LAUGHTEARS]

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[kjv1611]

Talking about obscure keyboard combinations. How about needing to use the CTRL key with the `(grave accent) to reveal formulas!

Now I've just been sitting here playing with that little shortcut. Pretty cool once you see it in action!

--

"If to err is human, then I must be some kind of human!" -Me

 

[SkipVought]

Seems as if I've been making a ` mistake! ;-)

Skip,
^{Don't let the Diatribe...
talk you to death!}
_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[SkipVought]

Then there was .....

Abu`

and
` robbers

along with...

mashed potatos and `y


Skip,
^{Don't let the Diatribe...
talk you to death!}
_{Just traded in my old subtlety...
for a NUANCE!}

 

[Asspin]

The only book I have ever found useful with Excel is mainly for the VBA side of it. "Professional Excel Development" by Bullen, Bovely, Green. ISBN 0-321-26250-6. It comes with some pretty good examples. Besides that, I usually learn most when I am trying to fix what I broke, and of course TT is a savior very often!

Dan

 

[ggeoff]

Hi Asspin

I have Excel V for Windows circa 1993. I can't agree with you as I haven't experience with different books. There are I suppose two groups of Excel user those who use plain vanilla Excel and those who use VBA (and other applications?)

I recently delivered a car load of mainly technical books to my local charity shop. I realized that most of my questions could be answered by accessing the Internet. and got rid of a lot of books.Not my most recent books though! However, strangely I have bought a lot of books over the last couple of years.

I suppose on reflection, the books trigger research and are nice to consult.

Well, not exactly, I have lost my ability to read without glasses (I'm 66 years old) and also I have an ERM epiretinal membrane in one eye which also makes reading harder - from books.

My complaint, with all software (nearly all) not just Microsoft, is that Help is relevant to technical questions. What if the user wants to create a project, in the case of Excel a task. For example, to create a weight control tool?

Whilst there is advice (via help) which does provide help, albeit on specific topics, there is no help to accomplish a task at a project level. I suppose that's the problem, what if you want to create an Excel project? where do you look for help?

I have developed a spreadsheet to monitor calorie consumption - weight control! The Excel workbook has 52 sheets - for each week in the year. (don't laugh!) The function of the project is to enable people to see where they need to control what they eat and drink. It's not rocket science but it seems to me that it's alcohol in my case that is limiting my loss of weight. Not that I drink too much! Ahem.

Whilst I have managed to use Excel to create the spreadsheet and have catered for gain in weight as well as loss of weight and have enabled users to adjust their weight on a weekly basis I am sure that the tool could be redesigned to remove the necessity to have 52 or 53 worksheets.

My presumption in creating the diet control tool is that people don't eat meals. People eat food and drink and they do so throughout the day. I believe that what is needed is to provide a tool to enable people to record what they eat and drink and provide them with the calories balance in relation to their current weight and what they have eaten and drunk.

Excel's Help system doesn't provide the help that I need. What I need is help at a higher level. However my spreadsheet does work, but I am sure that my solution is unnecessarily complicated

What's needed is advice as to what one could do to create a project or modify it to be more effective. All the Excel tools are available because someone has decided that they are going to be useful, but the extra work in suggesting why a tool is useful is not available or is incomprehensible to the unsophisticated user.

A weekly spreadsheet, rather than the massive annual spreadsheet is available as a download from:

http://www.freshfordsomerset.co.uk/healthy_diet.php#1234808371

If anyone would like to take this over they are quite welcome to do so!