how can I extend number of columns in excel
 

Hi all,

I am using excel to download my data in the columns. I can only use Excel
for my purpose bcos thats how the machine is configured. I record the data in
columns every minute so I can only record only data for 256 mins. Its a real
time data I can only control it by stopping and starting the test after every
4 hrs which is not feasible. Please advice me for the situation. Is there a
way by which excel can start recording the data in next sheet after it has
finished recording in one sheet?

thanks
anupam

Anupam wrote:
I am using excel to download my data in the columns. I can only use Excel
for my purpose bcos thats how the machine is configured. I record the data in
columns every minute so I can only record only data for 256 mins. Its a real
time data I can only control it by stopping and starting the test after every
4 hrs which is not feasible. Please advice me for the situation. Is there a
way by which excel can start recording the data in next sheet after it has
finished recording in one sheet?

Not without macros. Why not record downwards rather than rightwards? If
you record readings in cell B2, then B3, then B4, etc., you could
record 65535 readings in a single column. 65535 means a bit more than
45 1/2 days of readings could be stored in one column before having to
reset. Wouldn't that be sufficient?

If your machine is configured to record only going left to right, then
whether you want to accept it or not, you only have cells enough to
hold 4 1/4 hours worth of data. If you can't change how data is entered
(it'd have to be scripted in some way - do you have access to the
source code?), you have no alternative to stopping and restarting ever
4 1/4 hours. There's no way to have Excel automatically advance from
worksheet to worksheet.

There's no way to have Excel automatically advance from
worksheet to worksheet.

But you can easily do it with vba. I was working on another solution the
other day for somebody else who was going past 65536 with their routine using
6 or 7 columns. In one experiment, I intercept the routine it at row 65536,
advanced the sheet(x) index and started at row 1 again. Shouldn't be a
problem if you have access to the source code.

How many sheets would you anticipate needing? That could be a problem too,
depending on machine memory. I also agree with Harlan, the natural way to go
is down instead of across, unless you are collecting so much data, that that
wouldn't work either. You might need to create the extra sheets in advance,
even if via code, depending on how fast the data is coming in so as not to
disrupt the flow.

Interesting.

Roy
--
(delete .nospam)




"Harlan Grove" wrote:

Anupam wrote:
I am using excel to download my data in the columns. I can only use Excel
for my purpose bcos thats how the machine is configured. I record the data in
columns every minute so I can only record only data for 256 mins. Its a real
time data I can only control it by stopping and starting the test after every
4 hrs which is not feasible. Please advice me for the situation. Is there a
way by which excel can start recording the data in next sheet after it has
finished recording in one sheet?

Not without macros. Why not record downwards rather than rightwards? If
you record readings in cell B2, then B3, then B4, etc., you could
record 65535 readings in a single column. 65535 means a bit more than
45 1/2 days of readings could be stored in one column before having to
reset. Wouldn't that be sufficient?

If your machine is configured to record only going left to right, then
whether you want to accept it or not, you only have cells enough to
hold 4 1/4 hours worth of data. If you can't change how data is entered
(it'd have to be scripted in some way - do you have access to the
source code?), you have no alternative to stopping and restarting ever
4 1/4 hours. There's no way to have Excel automatically advance from
worksheet to worksheet.