Stop excel from creating a blank worksheet every time I open it?

[thatgeek]

Version: 2008
Operating System: Mac OS X 10.5 (Leopard)
Processor: Intel

every time I open or switch to excel from another program, it wants to make a new blank worksheet. At least 2004 would automatically close the blank one, if I opened a previously saved worksheet.

It drives me crazy.

I've looked though the options and I can't find a way to stop it.

Any suggestions?

Thanks!

 

[CyberTaz]

Excel will *always* create a new blank workbook when launched directly.
There are ways to "avoid" seeing it, but that book should evaporate when you
open an existing file just as you describe.

Once the program is open, however, the new workbooks are being created
because you are switching back to Excel by clicking the Dock icon -
effectively *re-launching* the program - and those do not close when you
open a different file. That's more of an OS X behavior than it is an Excel
behavior. To avoid it use the Command+Tab method to restore/recall the
program rather than clicking the icon in the Dock.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[thatgeek]

CyberTaz:

Thanks for the response.
I was afraid it was going to be something like that.

 

[Phillip Jones]

Hey Bob that's actually an incorrect assumption. If an application is
already launched on a mac You can re launch it. If its shows as active
but hidden (either another application is shown - you you only see the
desktop) but you see a black Triangle next to application. (or I believe
its a pale blue dot everyone fusses about on X.5 you are unhiding the
application. if you go to finder name of application and choose Unhide
all The last one is still on top.

Clicking an application with triangle actually places it on top. On OS9
In finder you could actually select from a list of open applications
which to be on Top. But not with OSX. There is a Utility for OSX that
does bring that back but its share ware and best I can remember it uses
a method not sanctioned by Apple.


IF Ms Office assumes such then thats a bug.

Its strictly unhiding and placing on top a running application Unless
its never been started to begin with.

And besides, most *good* software, will not allow more than one instance
of an application to be open at any one time.

Excel will *always* create a new blank workbook when launched directly.
There are ways to "avoid" seeing it, but that book should evaporate when you
open an existing file just as you describe.

Once the program is open, however, the new workbooks are being created
because you are switching back to Excel by clicking the Dock icon -
effectively *re-launching* the program - and those do not close when you
open a different file. That's more of an OS X behavior than it is an Excel
behavior. To avoid it use the Command+Tab method to restore/recall the
program rather than clicking the icon in the Dock.

HTH |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
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Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
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[Bob Greenblatt]

Hey Bob that's actually an incorrect assumption. If an application is
already launched on a mac You can re launch it. If its shows as active
but hidden (either another application is shown - you you only see the
desktop) but you see a black Triangle next to application. (or I believe
its a pale blue dot everyone fusses about on X.5 you are unhiding the
application. if you go to finder name of application and choose Unhide
all The last one is still on top.

Clicking an application with triangle actually places it on top. On OS9
In finder you could actually select from a list of open applications
which to be on Top. But not with OSX. There is a Utility for OSX that
does bring that back but its share ware and best I can remember it uses
a method not sanctioned by Apple.


IF Ms Office assumes such then thats a bug.

Its strictly unhiding and placing on top a running application Unless
its never been started to begin with.

And besides, most *good* software, will not allow more than one instance
of an application to be open at any one time.

I'm sorry, but it is an Apple standard that if an application is open with
NO open documents, then clicking on its icon in the dock will activate that
application WITH a blank document. If there are documents open in that app
than sele4cting its icon from the dock will activate the application. It
sounds as though the original poster is asking for Excel to violate an Apple
standard.

 

[thatgeek]

Phillip,

I agree with you, that it's not the correct behavior (excel 2004 doesn't do it) but what Bob is describing, is in fact, what excel 2008 is doing.
When clicking the dock icon with no document open, it creates a blank document. (in fact, even if excel is the active application, if there's no document open, click the dock icon will create a blank worksheet)

I've never noticed it before, but it does seem to be a system wide convention on osx. TextEdit & BBedit do the same thing if you click on the dock icon when the program is already open. they create blank documents just like excel does.

Having said that, I would still much rather have the 2004 behavior.

 

[CyberTaz]

Hi Phillip -

Please see Bob G's reply and *please* don't quote me out of context...

I did not write that a second instance of the application was being
launched, I wrote that the application was being "effectively re-launched" -
There's a distinct difference.

I further wrote nothing about MS assuming anything.

Additionally, the Show All command only applies to the windows of the
application in the Application Menu to which it pertains, so if Excel were
already in the fore there would no need to call it to the front in the first
place. IOW, the command in any given program's menu doesn't "unhide" other
application windows.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[CyberTaz]

Very simple explanation: Excel 2004 did not comply with the Apple's OS X
standard, Excel 2008 does. I'm not 100% sure, but I also believe that Excel
2004 was released prior to the establishment of the standard.

It "seems" to be a system wide convention because it *is* a system wide
convention

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[thatgeek]

It "seems" to be a system wide convention because it *is* a system wide
convention

You wound me ;-)

I suppose I said "seems" because I didn't want it to be true.

Here's the relevant info from apple's human interface guidelines:
<http://developer.apple.com/document....html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40002721-CHDICFGC>

I primarily work with adobe's applications for content creation, and they work like excel 2004 or cmd+tabbing. (when clicking the dock icon, they become active, and display tool windows without creating a blank doc.)

Maybe it's just what I'm used to, but as I said. I still much prefer the old "incorrect" behavior. (I find that I don't have a problem with this behavior for viewer applications, such as iTunes though.)

So, even though it wasn't what I wanted to hear, I do appreciate all your help guys!

 

[CyberTaz]

<snip>

I primarily work with adobe's applications for content creation

<snip>

But they aren't "document-centric" applications... IOW, they aren't programs
that typically provide *new blank documents* even when launched directly,
whereas apps such as Word, Excel, TextEdit, Pages, etc. do.

Nobody's questioning your preference But as you found out it just isn't
designed to work the way you'd prefer. If you use the Command+Tab method
rather than returning to the Dock you'll avoid the issue altogether - it's a
rather easy habit to adopt. In order to avoid having to repeatedly press Tab
while holding Command to cycle through the active windows you can hold
Command while you press & release Tab once, then click the icon of the
desired application to bring it to the fore.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

 

[Phillip Jones]

It seem s I left out a word that might have changed matters.

If an application is already launched on a Mac You can not re launch it.

Unlike a PC that will allow you to open multiple instances of an
application (depends upon the application). You can't on a Mac.

What I referring to later if MS Office is assuming Unhiding an Office
program as another instance of opening then that the wrong assumption by MS.

and Yes you can hide MS Office (which is essentially you are doing if
you open another program on top of an already open Office application.

If you want to hide it from with Word Excel whatever, just go (in this
case) to Excel menu (or Word menu Or PowerPoint menu) and click on hide
Excel.

If you go back to desktop then go to Finder menu and chick on Show all
and it comes back but its not top most so you have to click somewhere in
document to make it top most.

If you click on black Triangle next to Excel it unhides and brings it to
the top. So *if* MS assumes bringing Excel front most again is opening
another instances of the application then that is a wrong assumption,
that's a bug.

Sorry if you thought I was insulting you or putting words in your mouth. :-(

I have enough trouble getting them out of mine. :-(

Hi Phillip -

Please see Bob G's reply and *please* don't quote me out of context...

I did not write that a second instance of the application was being
launched, I wrote that the application was being "effectively re-launched" -
There's a distinct difference.

I further wrote nothing about MS assuming anything.

Additionally, the Show All command only applies to the windows of the
application in the Application Menu to which it pertains, so if Excel were
already in the fore there would no need to call it to the front in the first
place. IOW, the command in any given program's menu doesn't "unhide" other
application windows.

Regards |:>)
Bob Jones
[MVP] Office:Mac

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

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<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
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<http://www.vpea.org>

 

[Phillip Jones]

I guess I never ran into is I never leave an application unless I have a
document open except when I first open it to work on something. Once I
am through I always quit the application.

I was brought up through the OS9 days where having more than one
application open at one time was asking for trouble. It was guaranteed
to to cause a Crash. And because I used it it that way pre OSX days. I
don't even like using IE/OF or FF/TB combination I'd much rather have
one application open than a half dozen.

convention

You wound me ;-)

I suppose I said "seems" because I didn't want it to be true.

Here's the relevant info from apple's human interface guidelines:
<http://developer.apple.com/document....html#//apple_ref/doc/uid/TP40002721-CHDICFGC>


I primarily work with adobe's applications for content creation, and
they work like excel 2004 or cmd+tabbing. (when clicking the dock
icon, they become active, and display tool windows without creating a
blank doc.)

Maybe it's just what I'm used to, but as I said. I still much prefer
the old "incorrect" behavior. (I find that I don't have a problem
with this behavior for viewer applications, such as iTunes though.)

So, even though it wasn't what I wanted to hear, I do appreciate all
your help guys!

--
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Phillip M. Jones, CET |LIFE MEMBER: VPEA ETA-I, NESDA, ISCET, Sterling
616 Liberty Street |Who's Who. PHONE:276-632-5045, FAX:276-632-0868
Martinsville Va 24112 |[email protected], ICQ11269732, AIM pjonescet
------------------------------------------------------------------------

If it's "fixed", don't "break it"!

mailto[email protected]

<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/90th_Birthday/index.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Fulcher/default.html>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Harris/default.htm>
<http://www.kimbanet.com/~pjones/Jones/default.htm>

<http://www.vpea.org>