Published in CodeX·PinnedHow to Use VLOOKUP in ExcelThe VLOOKUP function enables you to search for a value in one column and return another from the same row in a different column. As it works from top to bottom, the ‘V’ stands for vertical. Arguably, it’s the most famous function in Excel and one of the first you’ll…Excel7 min read
PinnedCup Draw Simulator — Excel EditionEver watched a cup draw on television? I’m sure you have. Arguably, the most famous one is football’s FA Cup. I’ve built the virtual equivalent in Excel. Of course, it cannot replicate the experience of picking balls out of a bag, pot or capsule, but it’s the next best thing! …Excel4 min read
Published in CodeX·PinnedHow to Generate Random Numbers in ExcelWhat do lottery balls, dice, and a roulette wheel have in common? They are based on randomness, which cuts across numerous fields and exists in different forms. You might want to generate random numbers to test a financial model, create sample data, or simulate sports fixtures. This article takes a…Excel8 min read
Published in CodeX·PinnedAnalysing 10 Million Rows in ExcelProving it does have a place in big data. — Big data is a term used since the early 1990s to describe “huge, overwhelming, and uncontrollable amounts of information”. The rapid rise of the internet has meant the volume of data has increased exponentially over the past two decades. There is no universal threshold determining where big data starts. However…Excel13 min read
Published in CodeX·PinnedIntroducing the New LAMBDA Function in ExcelAnother game-changer from Microsoft — It’s fair to say that Excel formulas are becoming like a programming language. Over the past couple of years, Microsoft has fundamentally changed Excel’s calculation engine and introduced a set of functions that allow us to construct formulas to do much more with less. It doesn’t stop there. If you…Excel10 min read
Published in CodeX·Mar 11How to Create an Excel CalendarThree worksheet examples explained. 📅 — Calendars are useful for scheduling events, constructing to-do lists, and managing projects. Many applications exist for mobile and desktop, such as Outlook, iCloud Calendar, and Google Calendar. Whilst these are feature-packed and great for day-to-day use, nothing beats an Excel calendar for true customisation. This article looks at three modern…Excel14 min read
Feb 21How to Automatically Import macOS Screenshots into PhotosUsing Automator. — Apple loves to bang on about creating seamless and synergistic experiences. After all, Steve Jobs used to trot out the phrase “It just works” to describe any new product or service. Dig a bit deeper though and you’ll find a few anomalies that don’t align with their philosophy. The one…Photos5 min read
Feb 17Medium’s Problem with Transparent ImagesImages have never been something Medium has handled well. I posted about this a year ago in an article called Medium has an Image Problem. Back then, my gripe was about how images horizontally stretch to fill the width of the screen on the Medium iOS app—but appear fine on…Medium3 min read
Published in CodeX·Jan 19How to Create a Star Rating System in ExcelTraditional and modern methods explored. — Star rating systems are commonly used to rank things like films, TV shows, hotels, and shopping products. Typically, they are done on a scale of 1–5 (or 0–5), although you may have seen the odd six-star hotel or 10-star energy-rated home. Some sources also use half stars to add a…Excel11 min read
Jan 1Happy New Year!It’s the first of January 2022, so let me start by wishing you all a Happy New Year! Given how the past 1¾ years have panned out due to the COVID-19 pandemic, here’s hoping 2022 sees the gradual return of normality. (We can’t keep going on like this, right?) …20222 min read
