Can this be done?

[Dark Horse]

Hi Alf,
I am still suffering the same problems, I hadn't got the better of it as I
thought.
There is still a world of difference in the outcome when I click that
button.
Its almost like tossing a coin, there seems to be no rhyme or reason to what
the outcome will be.
I have had everything disappear up to the top 3, everything disappear down
to the first subtotal of 4 - and other combinations.
Just when I thought it was safe to go back in the water!
I'm beginning to think this is a non-starter and that I am asking too much.
Even little tests take 20 minutes, and I could spend hours splitting files
and putting them back together - and taking longer than if I did it by hand.
There may be an answer out there, but this seems too hit and miss to be it.
I'd like to thank you for your time and patience, but this is taking up too
much time and getting me further and further behind.
I think that there may be some future in using subtotal, if only there was a
way of jumping to the next group of 4 so I could delete by hand.

It's a shame, with all the work and thought you have put into this, that I
have to give in at this point - but I have to be realistic and not push
myself as I have been or there will be consequences that just aren't worth
thinking about.
Sorry to disappoint you.
Cheers
Dave

 

[AlfD]

Hi Dave!

You tried: you were close to success.

Maybe you'll do me a favour before signing off: send me a slimline cop
of your database. I want to know where I was missing something.

At least subtotals gives you a way of ordering the data so that it i
easy to get at. You can speed the manual process by using dat

autofilter on the column with the numbers in it (D) because you ca

call up all the 9's, 8's or whatever for manual culling.

Good luck!

Al

 

[Dark Horse]

did you get the sample I sent you?

Hi Dave!

You tried: you were close to success.

Maybe you'll do me a favour before signing off: send me a slimline copy
of your database. I want to know where I was missing something.

At least subtotals gives you a way of ordering the data so that it is
easy to get at. You can speed the manual process by using data
call up all the 9's, 8's or whatever for manual culling.

Good luck!

Alf

 

[AlfD]

Dave:

As of 2254 (BST = GMT+0100) on 2 April: no. Is there an addres
problem?

I have 2: send it to (e-mail address removed) (which is now more o
less a spam-canning factory).

Two funny things. When I was a kid Spam (the real thing) was quite
luxury.

The other: why does this site claim to work on GMT (unless it mean
something different from Greenwich Mean Time)?

Al

 

[AlfD]

Dave:

I confess I missed one of your postings.

(a) The two commas and the gap are intentional.

(b) As I recall, Douglas Adams' computer got the answer wrong: it
wasn't 42 after all.

(c) Can't stand football. Went to some professional games in 1948.

Alf

 

[Dark Horse]

it is on its way - again

 

[AlfD]

Hi Dave!

0100 3/4/04.

No sign of the file.

Just send me a plain email and maybe we can connect from there.

Al

 

[Dark Horse]

just sent

 

[AlfD]

Hi Dave!

Thanks. Returned: working when it left me.

For the record (since there might be an odd punter who would like to
know): calculation was on manual, so of course the subtotals were not
updating during the stripping process: and the sub had got itself into
a stand-alone module rather than the module associated with your
worksheet.

Incidentally: the terminology on this latter point is less than
helpful. The Excel Help file and books like John Green's seem to make
little distinction.

Let me know when you've scaled it up to full size. There weren't very
many over-3s in the sample.

Alf

 

[Dark Horse]

I have scaled it up and used the 2nd sub - and it seems to be working but is
taking its time.
Punters never see this, this is a private sheet - and experimental but
looking promising.

 

[AlfD]

Hi!

Good - up to a point.

I was using punters in a metaphorical sense.

Your sheet does some substantial number-crunching. Some of the outlyin
columns for example have numerous divisions per cell and there's a
least one column which duplicates a calculation done elsewhere. On
little example: 5280/60/60 as every student of Newton's laws of motio
will tell you is 22/15. Why recalculate it several thousand times pe
sheet?

But it seems that your equipment is being stretched. Just what are yo
running on? (Chip speed; memory; disk space?).

I anticipate your final report anytime now!

Al

 

[AlfD]

Hi!

Good - up to a point.

I was using punters in a metaphorical sense.

Your sheet does some substantial number-crunching. Some of the outlyin
columns for example have numerous divisions per cell and there's a
least one column which duplicates a calculation done elsewhere. On
little example: 5280/60/60 as every student of Newton's laws of motio
will tell you is 22/15. Why recalculate it several thousand times pe
sheet?

But it seems that your equipment is being stretched. Just what are yo
running on? (Chip speed; memory; disk space?).

I anticipate your final report anytime now!

Al

 

[AlfD]

Well: it worked!

Don't know how this item came to be labelled No (not a name so far as
can find) but it should now read "Yes".

Al