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Excel, need more columns

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    Excel, need more columns

    I'm using Excel to do some analysis on data. Unfortunately I've run out of columns, they only goes upto 'IV'.

    Can I change this anywhere, or will I have to resort to multiple workbooks.

    TIA

    MG
    Your parents ruin the first half of your life and your kids ruin the second half

    #2
    Originally posted by MrsGoof
    I'm using Excel to do some analysis on data. Unfortunately I've run out of columns, they only goes upto 'IV'.

    Can I change this anywhere, or will I have to resort to multiple workbooks.

    TIA

    MG
    For serious data analysis you probably want SPSS or
    Maple as Excel is a quite limited (as you're finding out)
    Listen to my last album on Spotify

    Comment


      #3
      The maximum number of columns in Excel is 256.

      Lots of people want to do a spreadsheet with day of the year along the top. No chance.

      Has been this way since year dot, even though all the competitors have supported 1000's of columns years ago.

      Just shows you that you don't have to write good software to make money, just stick a Microsoft badge on it.

      Comment


        #4
        maybe I'll try and put OpenOffice on the client PC
        Your parents ruin the first half of your life and your kids ruin the second half

        Comment


          #5
          What are you doing that means you need more than 256 columns?

          Should it be in a database instead?
          Rule Number 1 - Assuming that you have a valid contract in place always try to get your poo onto your timesheet, provided that the timesheet is valid for your current contract and covers the period of time that you are billing for.

          I preferred version 1!

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            #6
            Apparently the next version of Excel (2007) will have 16000 columns and 1 million rows....if you can wait....
            ...my quagmire of greed....my cesspit of laziness and unfairness....all I am doing is sticking two fingers up at nurses, doctors and other hard working employed professionals...

            Comment


              #7
              Originally posted by TonyEnglish
              What are you doing that means you need more than 256 columns?

              Should it be in a database instead?
              It's just a simple piece of analysis on some data extracted from a Mainframe DB (NOT SQL based). I cant perform this manipulation using tools available, I could write a program but this would be quite complex, take several days to write and several months to be allowed to run on the production system.

              I've got the results I want with just over a days effort, which aint too bad.

              I'm there now, thanks all


              MG
              Your parents ruin the first half of your life and your kids ruin the second half

              Comment


                #8
                Originally posted by Lockhouse
                Apparently the next version of Excel (2007) will have 16000 columns and 1 million rows....if you can wait....
                It would be 2220 befor the customer gets to having that
                Your parents ruin the first half of your life and your kids ruin the second half

                Comment


                  #9
                  You can always use multiple worksheets in the same workbook.

                  I can't remember what the limit is for worksheets in a workbook, but you can definately have over 100. So 100x256 gives you potentially 25600 distinct columns!?

                  VBA can be used to link the information, if using spreedsheet techniques aren't enough for your analysis.


                  Edited to say: I was too late posting a reply and you have the solution!!!!

                  Comment


                    #10
                    Originally posted by Boolean
                    You can always use multiple worksheets in the same workbook.
                    Thats what I did
                    Your parents ruin the first half of your life and your kids ruin the second half

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