Question regarding Excel Spreadsheets.

I will try. I used be an MS Access developer. I'll experiment with it tonight.

rjm

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Thanks Robin.....
The thing I need to do is have the ability to write something on the lines, but have the date readable.

You're welcome; no biggie - I enjoy this sorta thing.

Just got back. So you want one date, with 4 different cells. That's a "many-to-one relationship" in database terms, but can be made to work in Excel. I've got the spreadsheet open now, and will see what I can do. (I'm a little rusty, but I should be able to do it.)

I'll be back.

Robin

Think I got what you want. Here's a photo, and then a link to "help" - which shows where everything is. You want to "Merge Cells" with the date, yet have the four cells under each date, I think. This can work horizontally (which I'm used to for taking roll and such), or vertically.

(I added a little timely humor to lighten up the techie business.)

DatesWith4CellsOfInformation_resize.jpg

http://spreadsheets.about.com/od/excelformulas/ss/2010-12-25-excel-2010-format-tutorial-pt-2_4.htm

You can do most anything in Excel that you need; I've found that it's just easier in Access, but you have to know how to design it first, so most people use Excel.

Hope this helps. Let me know.

Best,
Robin (rjm)

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OK...I'll give it a go.....thanks for that.....

You're very welcome! Hope it works out like you want it.

rjm

Maybe someone can give me some guidance here.
If you can imagine a calendar.......each day is on it, but I need to have 4 cells in each day. So the cells can be the normal height and width . I just want to have the date covering all the cells......I wish I could draw something here.......so if you can imagine the date being a 'shadow'.
any help would be appreciated.

The date is on another cell or like a background on those for cells ?

You want to merge cells ? and underneath the other 4 cells?

You don't mean like a watermark kinda thing right?

If you're not using your document for numerical calculations, you could just use a simple Word table and split the cell for each date into 5 cells.

If you're not using your document for numerical calculations, you could just use a simple Word table and split the cell for each date into 5 cells.

That can be done in Excel .. pretty quick

You don't mean like a watermark kinda thing right?

Yes, that's what I am looking for.....but...I have spoken to our computer stuff supplier and he has told me that Excel doesnt do that kind of thing...I could do something in publisher or something like that...but I don't need it too badly that I have time to muck around. I would have thought it would have been a simple thing to do.

I went back to it, after seeing Mary Ann's calendar, which is a standard calendar, with the cells in it for writing. But you want the date IN each cell, and I did that, by inserting a date, grabbing the cell handle to copy, and then choosing "copy" from the drop down menu, rather than "fill series" -- you don't want a series: you want the same date. And you can write something different in each cell. You cannot write OVER the date is all. And that may be the problem.

This can be formatted as a full calendar, as in Mary Ann's example. Once you start a pattern, and get it right, it should be pretty easy to do the whole calendar that way: with the date inside each cell. But, do you want the date to print UNDER the writing? Very lightly, as a true watermark? That's strictly an appearance, formatting issue - perhaps Word may be better for that. Within the cell, you can format the date differently from any other writing: I just did it. Couldn't get it UNDERNEATH the writing. (But it might be possible: there are so many things you can do; it's very flexible.) That might be a little tricky, but I think it can be done. Excel can do almost anything, if you work at it. (And there are add-ons, workarounds, etc.) Word can do a lot of what Excel can do, too. Office works together, and much of the functionality of one application can be found in another.

You need a custom calendar, and I can see what you want: a calendar, like others, but each cell (each line inside a date) should have a date watermark inside it. Even UNDER the writing (I'm assuming you want to type over it, on the computer). A little tricky, but there's a way: there is always a way. I'm assuming you wish to write on it on the computer, and not hand-write on it after it prints? Because if you wanted to print it with the watermark in each cell, and hand-write on that, that would be pretty easy.

If you want it to run only on the computer, that makes it a little trickier. Gosh, 10 years ago, I could likely do this in my sleep, so it's frustrating that I can't just do it right now. Almost there, though.

But if you just want it to print up with the date watermarked on each line, that can be done quickly, because I just did it. You then make the print real light, and it's a watermark. (The formatting of cells is unlimited: the text can go in any direction, which is nice for a watermark.)

I found this, and he uses transparent text boxes as a workaround, so that you can write in the cells, and have the watermark, too. Nifty.
http://excelribbon.tips.net/T011986_Inserting_a_Watermark_Behind_Merged_Cells.html

Best,
rjm

You don't mean like a watermark kinda thing right?

Yes, that's what I am looking for.....but...I have spoken to our computer stuff supplier and he has told me that Excel doesnt do that kind of thing...I could do something in publisher or something like that...but I don't need it too badly that I have time to muck around. I would have thought it would have been a simple thing to do.

You could try installing this VBA extension to Excel. I cant vouch for how good it is though. It seems to allow watermarking with a variety of options.
http://cpap.com.br/orlando/ExcelWatermarkMore.asp?IdC=OrlMoreWin1