I do not agree that the behavior is the same, but the only way I can argue
that is going to be my specific example.
I have a spreadsheet with about 12,000 rows and fourteen columns. In about
half of those columns I have fairly complicated formulas that will apply to
all rows, and I want conditional formatting in most cells. In row 20 I
entered the formulas and conditional formatting, which I then copied down a
few hundred rows to see how they work with different data. When I found
something that needed changing, I went back to row 20, made changes, and
copied down again. After I was satisfied that section worked the way I
needed, I copied down a couple thousand rows, found things that needed
changing, made changes in row 20, and copied down again, first a few hundred
to make sure nothing changed there, then a couple thousand again.
Each copy added a new conditional format to all the cells below row 20.
Most are duplicates of previous ones, but if I changed the conditional format
in a cell in row 20, then that was considered an additional conditional
format in the cells below, not a replacement. So the behavior is not the
same as with Excel 2003 - I now have conflicting conditional formats in the
cells below row 20. And, the conditional formats get applied in the order
they are listed, and the changed (or new) formats from row 20 are added at
the bottom of the list, so they may not be the ones executed. When I found
that to be the case, my only recourse seemed to be to totally clear out all
the rows below row 20, and start copying again.
You say if I want to change any formatting already applied to any range, I
can just change it in the first cell. Well, where is the first cell? If I
create a spreadsheet to handle one weeks' worth of data, I'll know where it
is. If I select a row and copy it down to increase the size for a second
week of data, I'll probably know where it is also. But after I've increased
the size several times for another week's worth of data, or possibly ten
days' worth or a month's worth or a quarter's worth of data, where are all of
the 'first rows' of data that now apply to different ranges.
I have a bank reconciliation process that I have run for years using Excel
2003. It has a couple hundred macros in it, some of which insert (and copies
to similar cells) conditional formatting to help show me where certain data
needs to be looked at. The colorful display I got the first time I ran it
under Excel 2007 was amazing, but it was basically irrelevant to what I
needed to know. Plus, that particular process took about 10-12 hours to run
instead of the normal hour or so. The time I had to spend getting it to show
me what I needed was absurd, and it still takes 10-12 hours to run.
Now, if there is a different way I need to go about creating and testing a
spreadsheet in Excel 2007, I'll certainly consider it. If there is a way to
avoid what I'm getting, I'll be glad to hear it. But telling me the behavior
is the same - not in my spreadsheets. Is Excel 2007 a wonderful tool that
increases productivity and makes me a better employee - not in my book.
