need some help with excel.

[Sebastian]

I have this nutrition plan with a bunch of different meals. For example, I might have oatmeal, eggs, and an apple. I have made a list of these meals in excel, but they are all orginized too well. How would I be able to make each meal one entity so that I could randomize my meals? I don't really know if you get what I'm saying, so I will post the file. If you see it, you might understand what I'm talking about. Here is the link to download it: http://www.filefactory.com/get/v3/h.php?f=e01cad&b=7&c=40d994a85d3f6528

 

[Adabiviak]

...downloading now, hang on.

edit - like have a count of each instance of "oatmeal" and "salsa"?

2nd edit - I've got to get my Prey fix. I'll be back in a few.

 

[Beerdude26]

This can be done with some simple coding.

 

[Sebastian]

I'm a noob and a half at excel. What I want to do is make each meal 1 variable, then be able to randomize those variables however I please. I would need 42 meals in the randomized list. Beerdude, do you have any idea if this is possible? BTW I have no idea how to code.

 

[DreamThrall]

I don't think you can do this with straight Excel... you'll probably need to do some VBA

 

[hungryduck]

use visualbasic.net express edition (free on Microsofts website) and code a liddle app that interfaces with Excel....its really easy, I made a few programs when I had to make enormous Excel databases (a few thousand entries) that automated the entire process.
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/q302094/

Although, if you don't know any VB....this is kinda out of the question.

 

[Sebastian]

it'll be easier to print the pages, cut out each meal, put them in a hat, and draw out however many I want.

 

[hungryduck]

it'll be easier to print the pages, cut out each meal, put them in a hat, and draw out however many I want.

hehe...yea
I'd have to agree......

 

[Adabiviak]

...you just want to randomize the order of complete meals or the portions that constitute the meals?

 

[DreamThrall]

If I have time tomorrow, I'll write you a nifty little app that'll do it.

 

[Sebastian]

...you just want to randomize the order of complete meals or the portions that constitute the meals?

I want to randomize the order of complete meal. For example. I have meal 1 consisting of oatmeal and eggs. Meal 2 consisting of turkey and potato, and meal 3 consisting of beans and rice. How would I make Meal 1, meal 2, and meal 3 randomize so that I could have 1, 3, 2.

 

[Adabiviak]

Sorry about the late reply - just got Prey

Anyway, try selecting the entire rows containing data for each meal. I think it was five or six each, and make sure there is a line that won't be selected between meals. If you're going to include the summary info, you'll need to insert a line between that and the next meal. Once they are selected, go Data, Group and Outline, Group. That'll group those rows - you'll see a vertical line appear to the left of the row numbers covering the rows you selected. Repeat this for all your meals. At the bottom of each group line is a minus symbol - click that and it'll roll up your group (and turn into a plus symbol +). When they are all rolled up, you'll have a single line showing for each meal (the summary info or blank lines if you inserted them). In the next free cell to the right of the first line, type: =rand() This'll put a random number in that cell. Copy and paste that cell into the cells below it next to each line. Now sort by this new column (select all, Data, Sort, and choose the column with these random numbers in it). When you unroll the groups, they'll be in a different order. I just tried it in Excel 2000 and it worked fine. Let me know if that doesn't work.

 

[D€vIL²]

just throwing this out there. http://www.openoffice.org/

^awsome freeware for word processing, excel...