New Window Causes Hidden Gridlines to Reappear

[robbbo]

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Intel I have built a excel workbook tool that does a mathematical analysis of a users data that they enter into one of the tabs. Once the data is entered the other tabs in the workbook show the users tables and charts of what their data looks like. In order to display these tables and charts the best, the tool has all Headings and Gridlines turned off and then all the tabs are protected to prevent inadvertent changes to these result tabs. One of the features of this tool is that you can display both the input tab at the same time as one of the result tabs and watch the result change when you make a change to the input data. To do this you simply open a New Window and arrangement on your screen to see both the data entry and the resultant chart or table.

When you do this the new Window magically have the Headings and Gridlines reappearing on all tabs even though they are turned off and protected. Since all the tabs are protected the user has no ability to turn them off again as that menu item is blocked from use with a protected sheet. If the user closes the tab that does not have the Headings and Gridlines showing first the workbook will have all the Headings and Gridlines turned back on permanently with no way of turning them off.

To show how this happens you simply create a new workbook. Turn off the Headings and Gridlines. Protect the sheet. Then under the Window Menu select New Window so you have 2 windows of the same workbook open. The new window will have the Headings and Gridlines turned back on. If you close the first window without the Headings and Gridlines showing you are now stuck with a work book that will have all the gridlines and headings turn back on even though it is protect. If you look at the Formatting Palette under Page Setup / Sheet you will see the Headings and Gridlines view boxes now checked, but you cannot uncheck them on a protected sheet.

This may be a bug or a simple setting problem. Does anyone have a solution or work around other than giving the user the Protected sheet password?

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

Why do you need a "New Window"? Could you reveal your result in the sheet
in which the user is inputting?

However, I suspect the answer is "No" because you don't know in advance
which table or chart they will want to see.

In which case. Without VBA, I cannot think of a way to do this.

I normally do this in VBA by showing/hiding things as the input progresses.
And you have no VBA in 2008.

The next version of Mac Office will have VBA back, when it appears at the
end of this year.

Sorry...

Version: 2008 Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard) Processor: Intel I
have built a excel workbook tool that does a mathematical analysis of a users
data that they enter into one of the tabs. Once the data is entered the other
tabs in the workbook show the users tables and charts of what their data looks
like. In order to display these tables and charts the best, the tool has all
Headings and Gridlines turned off and then all the tabs are protected to
prevent inadvertent changes to these result tabs. One of the features of this
tool is that you can display both the input tab at the same time as one of the
result tabs and watch the result change when you make a change to the input
data. To do this you simply open a New Window and arrangement on your screen
to see both the data entry and the resultant chart or table.

When you do this the new Window magically have the Headings and Gridlines
reappearing on all tabs even though they are turned off and protected. Since
all the tabs are protected the user has no ability to turn them off again as
that menu item is blocked from use with a protected sheet. If the user closes
the tab that does not have the Headings and Gridlines showing first the
workbook will have all the Headings and Gridlines turned back on permanently
with no way of turning them off.

To show how this happens you simply create a new workbook. Turn off the
Headings and Gridlines. Protect the sheet. Then under the Window Menu select
New Window so you have 2 windows of the same workbook open. The new window
will have the Headings and Gridlines turned back on. If you close the first
window without the Headings and Gridlines showing you are now stuck with a
work book that will have all the gridlines and headings turn back on even
though it is protect. If you look at the Formatting Palette under Page Setup /
Sheet you will see the Headings and Gridlines view boxes now checked, but you
cannot uncheck them on a protected sheet.

This may be a bug or a simple setting problem. Does anyone have a solution or
work around other than giving the user the Protected sheet password?

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[robbbo]

Yes the answer is No as the data entry drives results into 8 different and complex tabs in the workbook. Putting everything on one tab would look very messy.

As for the upcoming new release, is office 2010 going to include a Mac version?

Though office 2010 could be the solution to my problem, everyone using my spreadsheet tool would then need to upgrade to office 2010 which is not desirable. I am looking for a solution within the current non-macro environment.

Would you not consider this problem to be a bug in the application?

 

[John_McGhie_[MVP]]

No, Office 2011 for Mac will be a new version, more advanced than Office
2010

Microsoft would be totally unconcerned with whether I consider it a bug or
not The only material question is "Does Microsoft consider this a bug?"

And even the answer to that is totally academic, because they're not going
to fix it. The next version is due real soon now, they're not going to
divert effort from producing that to patch Office 2008.

Sorry...

Cheers

Yes the answer is No as the data entry drives results into 8 different and
complex tabs in the workbook. Putting everything on one tab would look very
messy.

As for the upcoming new release, is office 2010 going to include a Mac
version?

Though office 2010 could be the solution to my problem, everyone using my
spreadsheet tool would then need to upgrade to office 2010 which is not
desirable. I am looking for a solution within the current non-macro
environment.

Would you not consider this problem to be a bug in the application?

--

The email below is my business email -- Please do not email me about forum
matters unless I ask you to; or unless you intend to pay!

John McGhie, Microsoft MVP (Word, Mac Word), Consultant Technical Writer,
McGhie Information Engineering Pty Ltd
Sydney, Australia. | Ph: +61 (0)4 1209 1410 | mailto:[email protected]

 

[robbbo]

You are right it is up to them but I have experience Microsoft fixing issues in older versions of their office product. I just recently received an update to Office 2004.

Is there a way to fill this problem directly with Microsoft?

 

[Bob Greenblatt]

You are right it is up to them but I have experience Microsoft fixing
issues in older versions of their office product. I just recently
received an update to Office 2004.

Is there a way to fill this problem directly with Microsoft?

YES! Use send feedback from the help menu.