Multiple worksheet queries

[liam]

Hi

_Problem_ - 3 bosses that know how to send/receive email and open an
attachment but need to do the minimum to get the data they want to
view. _Answer_, create a file that contains hyperlinks and layouts that
make input and viewing easy, automatic and clear!!

Firstly, I'm teaching myself basic formulas & functions (with help from
you guys and your posts) but I'm a newbie to anything above basics
(addins & VBA included). However, I need to put together a file which
holds a sheet listing all clients of a branch on sheet one (upto a
1000) with max 5 data cells across for each. Each client has a unique
number that I can then hyperlink to the clients individual sheet (yes I
need to make 1000 sheets)

The details held within each individual client sheet are both text and
numerical as in names, products, dates, amounts of money (not
invoices), contact details, salesperson, multiple currencies, paperwork
completion tick off, outstanding paperwork reqd, commissions, late
payments etc (a lot of info).

The existing worksheet (that I am now expanding and redesigning) used
headings across the top on a single sheet and of course looks too messy
so that the data isn't clear. The headings are now all down column A and
subgrouped with the input data going accross the sheet. The end result
of this is to break up a single sheet of all the info into unique
client sheets from the list or index sheet.

Before I continue, if anyone thinks Excel cannot achieve the above to
automatically update & produce a sales/comm multi currency worksheet
from the input data - pls tell me an alternative (though pls remember
the bosses don't use/know how to use Access!!)

Since much of the work is repetetive is there a way to:

a) add 1000 sheets in one go
b) paste the layout & format of the client data sheet to all 1000
sheets (without needing to resize each sheets columns each time)
c) name the sheets automatically from the client list as a client is
added (ie name/unique number)
d) create the hyperlink from the client lists unique number to the
clients data sheet
(cell position with unique number is different on client list sheet
each time new client is added eg D2,D3,D4 but the same position each
time on the client data sheet)
e) add the date of the new client in the client list to the clients
data sheet (cell ref different each time add new client - see d)
above.
f) add the clients name from the client list to the client data sheet
(cell ref different each time add new client - see d) above.

Then if the above can be done (or not):

a) how do I create an auto updating running total on a seperate sheet
as new client details are added (or each time do I have to renew the
sum formula to include the new client data sheet with the existing
ones).

Sorry if this is basic stuff and I've been searching the forum but
cannot find anything specific to my project (though I've found lots of
things that will help me so those questions have been answered)

Thks in anticipation, Liam

 

[Arvi Laanemets]

Hi

I consider this as bad idea. More input sheets means much more possibilities
for user errors. And 1000 sheets - it will use a lot of memory.

My advice is to keep the number of sheets as low as possible. Put all unique
client info into a single table - a row for every client. When you have some
info, which need several rows for client, p.e. payments along with payment
dates, create a separate sheet for every kind of such info, with one column
containing client identifier.

To view client info, you design report sheet(s), where you select client
(from data validation list drop-down is a good idea), and all wanted info
for this client is retrieved through formulas from main clients table (and
from additional tables, when such were created).

To get info from main table (single row for client) you can use VLOOKUP
function. For this, the client identifier must be in leftmost column of
lookup range in main table.

To get detailed info from additional table(s), where for selected client may
be several rows of info, you must have an additional column as leftmost (can
be hidden) in additonal table(s), with formula in it. The formula returns an
empty string, when record doesn't match the condition selected on report
sheet (wrong client), and a number for records matching the report
condition - 1 for first such record in table, 2 for second, etc. (you can
have additional conditions on report sheet, p.e. time interval, or month, or
some other info available in additional table, or calculable)
Now you can have such info into report sheet as table, using VLOOKUP to look
for 1 in additional table, to get data into first row, etc. You have to
estimate some reasonable number of rows in such table - when the number of
rows in additional table is less, empty rows are displayed on report.
When you have several additional tables, a table for every one must be
created on report.

When you don't need detailed info from additional tables, but only count of
records for which conditions are filled, or sum of some value for such rows,
then no additional tables are needed - you can calculate such values
directly using SUMIF or SUMPRODUCT functions.

A step further is to separate reoprt(s) and data input. You create special
report file(s). All data from input workbook is read into report workbook,
using links, or through ODBC queries - you mirror source info into report
workbook. I myself prefer to hide such mirror sheets from user.
(When you have additional tables, then the count of matching records is now
done on mirrored table - input workbook doesn't know nothing about report
conditions)
Report(s) is(/are) created using mirrored sheet(s) as source table(s).
Bonuses by such design:
1. When report is viewed, it doesn't interfere with data input on input
workbook. No need for shared use too.
2. People which use report, see only data meant for them to be seen.
3. You can have several report workbooks, based on same input workbook - and
of same or different design. And they can view reports all at same time when
needed. As follows, you can for every user design his individual report
workbook.
4. Both input and reoprt workbooks usually work faster, especially when ODBC
query(es) is(/are) used to mirror source data (in input workbook, there is
no additional sheets with a lot of cumbersome formulas, in report
workbook(s), source data are mirrored as values. And you can get from source
workbook only needed info, depending on your report design)

 

[liam]

Thks Arvi for your comments.

I wish I could keep the info to a few sheets but I know the bosses an
their limitations and the amount of info they want to see (placed on
single sheet) just isn't feasable for clarity and ease of use. I'
already into 30 columns on a std spreadsheet layout and I can see tha
rising to 50.

Sure I could break the info into a few sheets but I'm still left with
long list on each sheet that they'd find incomplete and they wouldn'
want to keep having to change sheets and doing 'look ups" each time.

I'll do a few tests on what you've said & see if I can't combine what
need.

Thks again, Lia

 

[Arvi Laanemets]

Hi

Thks Arvi for your comments.

I wish I could keep the info to a few sheets but I know the bosses and
their limitations and the amount of info they want to see (placed on a
single sheet) just isn't feasable for clarity and ease of use. I'm
already into 30 columns on a std spreadsheet layout and I can see that
rising to 50.

You can break the main sheet into several ones - on one of them you enter
the client identifier, on other sheets this identifier is displayed through
links.

Example: You have sheets Clients0 and Clients1. The column A on both sheets
is ClientID. On sheet Clients0 entries into column ClientID are limited to
be unique (you can use data validation for it). On sheet Clients1 in column
ClientID is linking formula, like
A2=IF(Clients0!A2="","",Clients0!A2)
The formula is copyed into column A at least for same number of rows, as has
clients table on sheet Clients0, but preferably you have some reasonable
amount of spare rows prepared.
On report(s), you use the same VLOOKUP to get the information, but depending
on searched data, the source table will be on sheet Client0 or Client1.

Sure I could break the info into a few sheets but I'm still left with a
long list on each sheet that they'd find incomplete and they wouldn't
want to keep having to change sheets and doing 'look ups" each time.

It looks like you didn't fully understand what I adviced. Boss don't need to
change anything except he selects client, whose info he wants to display.
All info he needs about selected client from selected report, is gathered
into single report from (various) source (input) table(s) (and usually is
designed to fit some printout sheet format, like A4 or Letter,
Landscape/Portrait). On report sheet, you absolutely don't have to follow
same layout, as on source sheets - you can group various data, use different
fonts and colors, insert charts based on client data etc. Nothing like some
dull Xteen-column table. I myself use table format on report sheets only for
multiple-row data - data from main client table are placed on report sheet
in a way, most appropriate to visualize the information.


Arvi Laanemets