Hi Marc
Thanks for the fast response and for the offer of help. Don't know how I missed the "x" in the corner of the graph!
I am not really combining two spreadsheets, I am adding the functionality from another into the NodeXL one.
Let me try to explain
Firstly, this is probably not a traditional use of NodeXL.
I am trying to build a spreadsheet modelling tool to support me in my consultancy business.
We help customers understand how to simplify and automate their processes, and before that to understand the business outcomes and benefits they want from the transformation.
Typically we end up either drawing benefits maps or process maps on paper or using drawing tools such as Visio and capturing data on spreadsheets.
My current project is to build a simple excel based tool that does both and can capture
The process steps
The rules between the steps
The questions answered on each step, and the rules that go with each question.
and show the process steps visually.
We are working with a vendor that has a process tool that needs answers to these questions but when working with clients in workshops I don't want to use the system itself to capture the data, because that would be building the solution (also I want to be able to create a functional spec they can sign off - we have an agile approach but you have to be careful about scope creep if you use the actual development tool to define the customer requirements).
.
The vendor has supplied a simple spreadsheet they use to capture this data - I am trying to smarten it up and make it more effective.
So there will be additional worksheets that hold rule and question data, linked to the vertices and edges in the nodexl bit.
It seems to work OK so far. I have added more columns into the vertices sheet - a macro creates one (narrow) column per vertex defined in the rows in column one, giving a matrix which can be used to say which vertex should be connected to (by entering a value into the cell in the matrix that is the intersection between the two vertices, if you follow). Another macros then populates the edges sheet.
Right clicking on any cell in the matrix gives a custom menu item which pops up a form for rule and questions to be added (the data for which are stored in the additional sheets).
Comments welcome.!
Thanks for the fast response and for the offer of help. Don't know how I missed the "x" in the corner of the graph!
I am not really combining two spreadsheets, I am adding the functionality from another into the NodeXL one.
Let me try to explain
Firstly, this is probably not a traditional use of NodeXL.
I am trying to build a spreadsheet modelling tool to support me in my consultancy business.
We help customers understand how to simplify and automate their processes, and before that to understand the business outcomes and benefits they want from the transformation.
Typically we end up either drawing benefits maps or process maps on paper or using drawing tools such as Visio and capturing data on spreadsheets.
My current project is to build a simple excel based tool that does both and can capture
The process steps
The rules between the steps
The questions answered on each step, and the rules that go with each question.
and show the process steps visually.
We are working with a vendor that has a process tool that needs answers to these questions but when working with clients in workshops I don't want to use the system itself to capture the data, because that would be building the solution (also I want to be able to create a functional spec they can sign off - we have an agile approach but you have to be careful about scope creep if you use the actual development tool to define the customer requirements).
.
The vendor has supplied a simple spreadsheet they use to capture this data - I am trying to smarten it up and make it more effective.
So there will be additional worksheets that hold rule and question data, linked to the vertices and edges in the nodexl bit.
It seems to work OK so far. I have added more columns into the vertices sheet - a macro creates one (narrow) column per vertex defined in the rows in column one, giving a matrix which can be used to say which vertex should be connected to (by entering a value into the cell in the matrix that is the intersection between the two vertices, if you follow). Another macros then populates the edges sheet.
Right clicking on any cell in the matrix gives a custom menu item which pops up a form for rule and questions to be added (the data for which are stored in the additional sheets).
Comments welcome.!