How do I export excel start/end dates into an existing calendar template? - under time constraint - desperate for answers!

I have demonstrated two methods for doing this. Maybe someone else has better ideas

Saqib
sampleexcelformat-1-.xls
sampleexcelformat-2-.xls

Here's a different way of doing it, but it's limited by one day per column, so about 7 months ahead in Excel 2003

Regards
Mike
Project-calendar.xls

If you like Mike's calendar then you can extend the period by this method

Saqib
Project-calendar-1-.xls

Hi Saqib, that's a nice change, thank you!

Hope it's not real project data :)

Regards
Mike

These are great options - I really like the starting point.

Saqib, for the situation I like solution 1 - the one that uses excel functions. I apologize - because I'm a beginner user my knowledge is really limited.

Could you give me a step by step instruction manual of how I repeat what you did for my project specific calendar?

Also - could you use your formulas and use it in a calendar template? Or do you have to "beautify" the calendar you make specific for this case?


Thanks!

Hi Saqib,

Thank you soo much for your help! Your responses have been amazing!!

I have a little follow up question to add on to what you gave me.

Ideally, when looking at the product development calendar, the same activity will mirror several seasons but reference different dates. So, I want to create a comprehensive visual calendar that shows when activities are overlapping and where things are falling.

Is this possible? Could you demonstrate this?

Thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


followupquestion.xls

I am not sure that I am clear on your last question. And neither can I be certain what you are trying to achieve. It is entirely your purview to work out what you would like to achieve.

The best I can do is that if you draw out what you want to achieve I can try to achieve it. So it is you who should be drawing out what you want to achieve. You can take this up with your associates who are in a better position to figure out what would be the best layout for your senario.

I thought I had attached a file - when in fact I didn't appear to.

I apologize if my question was misleading. My question is, if I ever add to this data in (Fall 09) tab - how can I reflect the formula to make the changes?

Would I have to add the data to the bottom or could I create multiple sheets and have the formula reference different sheets?

If you could briefly talk me through this I could make these changes myself? I just want to know if this is possible because I want to add onto what we have started to do.

I have started to mess around with this and have some specific questions -

My goal is to be able to add on to this calendar, the activities are cyclical, only the dates will change. So, I have played around with adding onto column a to make the range of data A3 - D190 instead of A3 - A96. So, I changed the formulas to reflect this change, but I can't make my activities appear. I'm trying to understand your formula and have a tough time realizing how to expand it so that extra activity dates can be reflected.

What value in the formula could I change?

I have attached a file to help you understand what I'm trying to do.

This is my ideal situation - but I would be ok with having the activities repeat themselves in column A and extend the range that way, like I have been doing (in my post above)

After I have been trying some new ideas I think that the format I attached here is more user friendly, but if it is easier to rerun everything in the same columns and extend the ranges of existing columns I could do that as well.



samplecalendardates.xls

ONe more thing..

This error message has been popping up for me twice now and has caused all of my data to erase.

Damage to the file was so extensive that repairs were not possible.

What is this from? And how do I prevent this from happening again?

Attached is a print screen.
errormsg.doc

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I have attached a file to help you understand what I'm trying to do.

This is my ideal situation - but I would be ok with having the activities repeat themselves in column A and extend the range that way, like I have been doing (in my post above)

After I have been trying some new ideas I think that the format I attached here is more user friendly, but if it is easier to rerun everything in the same columns and extend the ranges of existing columns I could do that as well.
*****************
Indeed it is possible to do it this way. If we cotinue to use formulas then the chances are the formulas would become more and more complicated. The other option is to use VBA. I am slow at this so you would have to bear with me till I find some time to attempt it.......Unless, of course, someone else has a go at it.

If it is not too much hassle then I would suggest to append the successive columns to the bottom of the first start/end columns and that would be the end of the story.





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This error message has been popping up for me twice now and has caused all of my data to erase.

Damage to the file was so extensive that repairs were not possible.

What is this from? And how do I prevent this from happening again?
**************

I dont think I can help you much on this

I suggest that you post a new question to this effect which will invite more experts to it because not many experts are looking at this question any more.

Saqib