Actually, yes and no.
Sometimes I'll get a Sheet delivered to me, and a set of Guidelines, and the brief is "Make it happen"... and if the terms are outside that of Excel, then I say so, but of late, I get vague guidelines, and the file turns up 1-6 weeks later.
I also have to reverse engineer some Sheets that have clean source data, and yet the formula claims to be subject to the rules of excel logic... well no, it's not so.
I get so close in to the data, that an easy solution is probably there, but I can't see the wood for the trees when the data is on average 20-30 columns wide, and separated by Half Hour Increments, and the glossary for formulas is closer to Powerbuilder than it is to Excel.
In most cases, someone else can see a solution that falls into the "Doh" category from my side.
As to answers that have contingent statements, I am fine with that, basically because anything that gives me an alternative works well with me.
The Lotus Notes integration is difficult because it does not seem to follow syllogistic logic. However, I'm fine with that. I used to Programme Ericsson MD110 Phone Systems based on a 20 volume manual set.
Overall, I do experiment as much as I can, but most of my successful experiements get thrown in favour of some other request that I am basically here for, which is that whatever a person I am supposed to "serve" here in the division, has an idea, and I have to find a way to implement it.
And for those who have to produce a report under similar circumstances, they know that time frames, and practicality do not go hand in hand.
I Use the Books, the CDs, and E-Book, and whatever I can to get the job done. But sometimes, the diference between SUMPRODUCT, SUMIF, and COUNTIF, is usually a matter of experience.
I had to do a quick sheet to add Percentages to a Fiscal Section literally last minute last night, and then I tried implementing a short cut formula this morning. The long formula was =(D6*0.02)+D6 , however, this needed clearing up, so I thought that if I had a 1.02 in a separate cell, and paste Specialed the formula in to multiply D6, I would get the Same result, but no... I had to do =(D6*1.02) to make the concept work.
It was not just one cell, but a sheet of monthly payments.
Whats the difference between the two ?
None that I can see.
But only one worked.
Thats a basic example, but one I do most days. I can't think of all possibilities, and some people have the mindset where they can think of amazing variations on standard Excel formulas ... so to my mind, it is always worth at least asking things ... with People like Aladin, Tommy Gun, NateO, Yogi Anand, and etc ... the way these people come up with variations on standard formulas amazes, and impresses me ... not to mention those nifty little Macros. As many Macros as I have done, I still get impressed when CBrine Comes up with a few Macros that save my hide and cut hours off my work load.
Basically, as much as I may know, there is a lot I don't know, and I am grateful for the help I get here, and I am grateful for the Archives as well.
[quote="PaddyD...only produce the general remark "possibly, depending on...". you are surely in a position by now to experiment![/quote]