Spreadsheet 'Rules'

john · 03-05-2005, 10:56 AM

Authors and sites advising on the dangers of misusing spreadsheets can be interesting. One I come back to repeatedly is Mr John Raffensperger, who publishes here:

http://www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz/peo...ets/index.html

http://www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz/peo...com/10tips.htm

If like me you are busy solving difficult business analysis problems, your patience is understandably stretched by too much prescriptive advice. I know how you feel. But what I like about these rules is that they come from a real sense that spreadsheets do go wrong, and therefore you should keep things simple, brief and transparent. You can't always conform to rules such as these, but I think they coming at the problem from the right angle, and funnily enough I tend to remember them.

The one about fully explanatory variable names that use case-sensitivity is a partcularly useful one.

No hidden cells, no password protection, no fallacious idiot-proofing are all very near the mark for me.

I often wonder what JP would think of BF. Would it be transparent, brief and simple or would it be a heinous attempt to idiot-proof?

03-05-2005, 10:56 AM	#1
john Administrator Join Date: Nov 2004 Posts: 106	Spreadsheet 'Rules' Authors and sites advising on the dangers of misusing spreadsheets can be interesting. One I come back to repeatedly is Mr John Raffensperger, who publishes here: http://www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz/peo...ets/index.html http://www.mang.canterbury.ac.nz/peo...com/10tips.htm If like me you are busy solving difficult business analysis problems, your patience is understandably stretched by too much prescriptive advice. I know how you feel. But what I like about these rules is that they come from a real sense that spreadsheets do go wrong, and therefore you should keep things simple, brief and transparent. You can't always conform to rules such as these, but I think they coming at the problem from the right angle, and funnily enough I tend to remember them. The one about fully explanatory variable names that use case-sensitivity is a partcularly useful one. No hidden cells, no password protection, no fallacious idiot-proofing are all very near the mark for me. I often wonder what JP would think of BF. Would it be transparent, brief and simple or would it be a heinous attempt to idiot-proof? Last edited by john : 03-24-2005 at 05:24 PM.

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