Frequently Asked Questions
This document may answer some questions you have about about the J-Walk Enhanced Data Form.
Why are there two sub-versions of the Enhanced Data Form?
Excel 2007 has a new Ribbon-based user interface and uses a new file format. The Version 3b sub-version (dataform3.xlam) uses this new file format, and modifies the interface so you can access the Enhanced Data Form from the Ribbon.
Note: The Version 3a sub-version will work with Excel 2007, but the Ribbon won't be modified when the add-in is installed. Rather, the EDF icon will be displayed in a tab named Add-Ins.
Why doesn't the Enhanced Data Form does show my field names correctly?
If your field names are lengthy, they may appear cut off in the Form. This is normal. The default width of the field name is 60 units. You can change this value by creating a new name in the workbook. See Customizing the Data Form.
Why doesn't the Enhanced Data Form recognize my database correctly?
The worksheet database is identified based on the position of the active cell. It uses the "Current Region" around the active cell. To determine what the current region is, activate a cell and press F5 to display the Go To dialog box. Click the Special button, choose the Current region option, and click OK. Excel will select the current region -- which is the database range used by the Enhanced Data Form.
The database range may not be what you expect it to be because of the following:
- Your field headings consist of more than one row
- You have one or more blank rows within your database
- You have one or more blank columns within your database
Excel's Data Form recognizes a range named "Database" but the Enhanced Data Form does not. Is this a bug?
No, this is by design.
Why are some of the fields "grayed out" in the Enhanced Data Form?
If a cell contains a formula, the field is grayed out so you won't overwrite the formula with a value.
When I insert a new record, why does the word "[New]" appear in the first field?
That text appears so the record won't be empty. An empty record would break up the database -- something that you probably don't want to happen. Just start typing the entry for the first field to overwrite the "[New]" text.
When I click the Insert button to insert a new record, the fields that contain formulas are updated. But sometimes the formulas are wrong!
When a new field is inserted, the Enhanced Data Form examines the current row. If any fields contain formulas, those formulas are copied to the inserted row. If the formulas refer to cells in a different row, the formula will probably not be correct.
For example, assume cell C10 contains this formula: =C9+1. If the current record is row 10 and you insert a new row, row 10 is shifted down and the formula (now in C11) will continue to refer to C9. It will not refer to the newly inserted row. In such a case, you will need to edit your data so the formulas are correct.
To avoid this type of problem, use the New button to add the record to the end of the database.
My data is formatted to display a currency sign, but the symbol does not appear in the Enhanced Data Form.
This is by design. The Enhanced Data Form displays the value as it appears in the Formula bar. If you change the data, it will be written back to the worksheet using the original formatting.
Is it possible to make the Enhanced Data form wider or taller?
Yes, you can do so manually by clicking the lower right corner and dragging. To force the Enhanced Data Form to display at a particular size, you need to define one or two names. See Customizing the Data Form for more information.
I purchased the password for Enhanced Data Form v2, but it does not work with v3. Why not?
Enhanced Data Form v3 uses a different VBA password. If you wish to view or customize the code, you'll need to purchase the new password. Remember, this product is free and has always been free. Access to the VBA code requires a small fee (US $15).