EDITING WORKSHEETS
Enter text into a worksheet by simply moving to the cell, then start typing. Finish entering by pressing the TAB, ARROW, or RETURN keys.
If a cell already contains data, you can edit it by:
-
double clicking on the cell, then clicking at the point to start editing
-
just start typing;the text will be added to the end of the current text
-
press the space bar, then move to the point where you want to make changes
-
press the 'CTRL+DownArrow' combination, then move to the point where you want to make changes
If the text in the cell is longer than the column can display, when the editing commences the cell will open up enough lines to visually display the complete text. Refer to
Adding Text in a NUMBER column
Columns (such as the RATE and COST) are designed to hold numbers, and have formula's set for them expecting the cells to contain a valid number.
However there are occasions
when we want to insert text instead. A good example is placing
the text 'Included in ..' in one of the columns.
In these cases, we can do this but we must preceed the text with the '!' mark to inform the program accordingly.
Copying Text in a Cell to Child Worksheets
The text in an existing cell of one worksheet can be copied into all the cells of the same column in child worksheets.
e.g. You might want to copy a CODE down into all the cells in an equivalent column in an item's RATE and or COST worksheets.
This is achieved by simply selecting the cell containing the 'text' to be copied, then while holding down the ALT key, double click on the cell. The program will then copy this cell's text, open up the RATE and /or COST worksheets, and copy the 'text' into ALL the cells of the corresponding column.
Concatenating Text
On occasions there is the need to import data from an external application, and the data which is imported contains items whose description exist on separate lines.
Since VJ works with each line representing 1 item, when the above data is imported, VJ looks upon it as being more than 1 item.
The concatenate function
gives us the
means of bringing these separate lines into one.
Follow these steps:
In these cases, we can do this but we must preceed the text with the '!' mark to inform the program accordingly.
Copying Text in a Cell to Child Worksheets
The text in an existing cell of one worksheet can be copied into all the cells of the same column in child worksheets.
e.g. You might want to copy a CODE down into all the cells in an equivalent column in an item's RATE and or COST worksheets.
This is achieved by simply selecting the cell containing the 'text' to be copied, then while holding down the ALT key, double click on the cell. The program will then copy this cell's text, open up the RATE and /or COST worksheets, and copy the 'text' into ALL the cells of the corresponding column.
Concatenating Text
On occasions there is the need to import data from an external application, and the data which is imported contains items whose description exist on separate lines.
Since VJ works with each line representing 1 item, when the above data is imported, VJ looks upon it as being more than 1 item.
The concatenate function
gives us the
means of bringing these separate lines into one.Follow these steps:
- if necessary separate the items with a blank line - this is necessary for the program to know where an item starts and stops
- range the lines which are to be concatenated
- press the button
- done
You can change the CASE of text in cells by selecting 1 or more cells, then pressing:
ALT+DOWN to convert to lowercase
ALT+UP to convert to uppercase
By default, text which is longer than the width of the cell, is truncated. This is handy for smaller computer screens or for worksheet data which in general is not very long; e.g. RATE/COST workup sheets.
However, where descriptions in general are long, or it is necessary to view the whole text (e.g. during editing or reading over) it is more desirable to have the text wrap around onto following lines.
There is a setting in each worksheet for selecting which mode is required. This setting toggles between 1 and multiple line display and is toggled between the two by clicking the 'Cell Height' button in the Defaults TAB.
When you range downward/upwards in a worksheet, by default it will range only the cells in the currently selected columns. If you want to range the whole lines(s), hold down the ALT key as well as the SHIFT key and move up or down the first line. This will force all cells in the current line to be ranged. Now release the ALT key and continue moving up or down the worksheet while still holding down the SHIFT key.
Importing Data from an External Application
If you need to import data from an External Application (e.g. A schedule of items or Bill of Quantities from an Excel spreadsheet), follow these instructions:
- Using the Keyboard Cut and Paste Method
- Arrange the column order to match that of the data to be imported - either arrange the columns in the external application or in the EstimatorVJ worksheet to receive the data
- Range the data to be imported in the external application and press CTRL+C - this will copy the data to the SYSTEM CLIPBOARD
- Click on the first cell in the EstimatorVJ worksheet where the imported data is to start at
- Right mouse click on the EstimatorVJ worksheet to
receive the imported data
The EDIT Popup Menu will appear - While holding down the CTRL key, select the popupmenu option PASTE - holding down the CTRL key will Paste the information from the SYSTEM Clipboard. If you select the Paste option from the popupmenu without holding down the CTRL key, the Paste option will import the ESTIMATORVJ Clipboard.
- Re-arrange the EstimatorVJ columns if need be
- Using the Drag-n-Drop method
- Arrange the column order to match that of the data to be imported - either arrange the columns in the external application or in the EstimatorVJ worksheet to receive the data
- Range the data to be imported in the external application
- Click on the ranged data in the external application, and keep holding down the mouse button - this enables you to 'drag' the ranged data around the screen
- 'drag' the ranged data over the EstimatorVJ worksheet to receive the data (NOTE: EstimatorVJ will automatically bring to the front, any worksheet whose Worksheet Table is under the mouse pointer
- When the top-left cell in the EstimatorVJ worksheet to receive the imported data is activated, release the mouse button (i.e. 'drop' the 'dragged' data on the worksheet)
- Re-arrange the EstimatorVJ columns if need be
- Importing a Clipfile (A file in '.csv' format)
- Open the worksheet to receive the clipfile
- Select the line where you want the import to start
- Select the Worksheet TAB
- Click the
button - Open the clipfile to be imported
- The clipfile will be presented as follows:
- These are the columns that exist in the worksheet you
are importing into:
- You now assign one (and only one) of the above
columns to each of the columns in the clipfile starting
at the first column (currently highlighted).
If the data in the highlighted column in the clipfile is not relevant to any column in the worksheet you are importing into, then select the
button
- In the clipfile the first column is irrelevant
so we click the button and get the following
- In the clipfile the second column is meaningless to
us as well, so we click the button again and get the following
- In this example the next column contains what we
will use as our RC, so we click the
button and get the following:
- Now we get what we will use as the Description so
click the
button and get the following:
- .... and so we continue until all the columns
are coded and get the following:
- we are now finished so click the
button and the data will be imported into
the designated columns
Sometimes it is necessary to remove an item's cost from the Estimate but leave the details intact for later review or possible re-inclusion in the project's cost.
This is done through the use of the OMIT FLAG - a '0' (zero) placed in the 'F' column of the worksheet adjacent the item to be omitted.
If this is done, and the item currently has a Cost, then this Cost will be changed to 'zero', and all totals adjusted accordingly, but all other details for the item will be unchanged.
e.g. There may be an item of
work that can be carried out in more than 1 way.
Each way can be costed out in individual items, and then the one's that you don't want to be used can be 'Omitted' but leaving their calculations intact. Later on if during a review or further scrutiny it is decided to use one of the other alternatives, the 'omit flag' can then be removed from the new item to be used, and added to the previous item.
Each way can be costed out in individual items, and then the one's that you don't want to be used can be 'Omitted' but leaving their calculations intact. Later on if during a review or further scrutiny it is decided to use one of the other alternatives, the 'omit flag' can then be removed from the new item to be used, and added to the previous item.
The 'omit' flag is also handy in circumstances where you have created a series of worksheets in a Project Template containing a 'checklist' of items - a very common one is Preliminaries. The Estimator will then cost out the items that are needed, and leave the items not required intact but with the 'omit flag' added to them. This way it is easy to see what items have not been included.
Applying and Considerations re: Omit Flags:
- Editing of Worksheets
- Inserting a '0' (zero) in the 'F' column of an item
will result in a '0' being made as the first character
in the 'F' column on ALL lines of ALL CHILD Rate/Cost
workup sheets. Any existing text
in the 'F' column will be preserved.
- Deleting a '0' (zero) in the 'F' column of an item will result in deleting any '0' that is the first character in text in the 'F' column on ALL lines of ALL CHILD Rate/Cost workup sheets.
- Inserting/Deleting any other character in the 'F' column has no other effect
- Re-Rating
- If a Resource has a '0' in the 'F' column
- ALL Resources in the estimate will have the '0' inserted as the first character in the 'F' column
- If the Resource has NO entry in the 'F' column
- No change will be made to the entry in the 'F' column where such a resource exists
- If a Resource has an entry in the 'F' column other than '0'
- ALL such Resources in the Estimate will have the
same entry placed in the 'F' column UNLESS there is
already an entry there
A 'helper' shortcut key, 'CTRL+(' , is available for adding the 'Round' brackets in pairs.
Pressing the shortcut key without selecting text initially, will place the open and close round bracket PAIR at the current selected position.
Pressing the shortcut key after selecting text first, will place the open and close round brackets at each end of the selected text.
Adding/Selecting Project Worksheet Variables
A 'helper' shortcut key, 'CTRL+{' , is available for selecting then adding Project/Worksheet Variables during the editing of a cell.
Once the shortcut key is pressed, a subMenu will appear as such:
Now press the down arrow to
select either the Project or Worksheet menu, then press the
right arrow and a list of the variables 'Descriptions' will
appear as such:
Browsing Project and Worksheet Variables while Editing
During entry of calculations, an arithmetic operator toolbar appears next to the Text Editor panel at the top of the worksheet table:
Each time you click one of the
operator button, that operator will get inserted into the
cell being edited at the current caret position.
Additionally, choosing the "(" will insert a pair of brackets "()", and set the current caret position in the middle of these ready to receive further expressions.
The button marked "{ }" when pressed will present a menu popup from which to select either a Project or Worksheet variable.
Similarly for the "@" button - this provides a list of Functions from which to choose.
Additionally, choosing the "(" will insert a pair of brackets "()", and set the current caret position in the middle of these ready to receive further expressions.
The button marked "{ }" when pressed will present a menu popup from which to select either a Project or Worksheet variable.
Similarly for the "@" button - this provides a list of Functions from which to choose.
Sometimes it is desirable to be
able to look at the contents of a workup sheet or the
structure of a composite while in a worksheet without having
to 'open up in a separate window' such items.
This can be done by 'browsing' these items, and is achieved by the following method:
Notes:
This can be done by 'browsing' these items, and is achieved by the following method:
- click the browse button
which sits at the top of the table and to the right of
the editor panel - the arrow will now point down
- click on or using your cursor keys, move to the workup sheet or the '+' entry of the composite you are interested in
- a window if not already open will appear
- the contents of the selected item will be displayed
- if you now move to or click on another workup sheet or composite's '+', the contents of this browse window will change to reflect the new item's contents
Notes:
- the contents of the browse window cannot be changed
- you cannot open a browse window within a browse window
- the browse window can be toggled between open and closed using the shortcut keys CTRL+ALT+P
