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Please help! Tangled up in a nested IF formula for DnD!
HI everyone, first time posting - I've come here for some much needed help! I've spent days creating a ginormous excel workbook that randomly generates everything I need to run my Dungeons and Drago...
- Is there a reason why this has to be a SINGLE formula?
I'd be surprised if there's any Excel manual out there that recommends writing formulas this long.
I KNOW that there are Excel manuals that warn AGAINST writing formulas this long.
It might be fun when it works, but as you've encountered here, formulas this long are opportunities for Orcs and all other kinds of creatures to get in and make mischief.
A suggestion: assuming each section (i.e., each INDEX section) works independently, and effectively, give each of them a cell of their own; and then use IF or CHOOSE based on race to go pick whichever of those cells is appropriate. Another way to describe this recommendation: use helper columns to break up a nearly unintelligible formula into discrete sections, and then extract the one you want.
Is there a reason why this has to be a SINGLE formula?
I'd be surprised if there's any Excel manual out there that recommends writing formulas this long.
I KNOW that there are Excel manuals that warn AGAINST writing formulas this long.
It might be fun when it works, but as you've encountered here, formulas this long are opportunities for Orcs and all other kinds of creatures to get in and make mischief.
A suggestion: assuming each section (i.e., each INDEX section) works independently, and effectively, give each of them a cell of their own; and then use IF or CHOOSE based on race to go pick whichever of those cells is appropriate. Another way to describe this recommendation: use helper columns to break up a nearly unintelligible formula into discrete sections, and then extract the one you want.
I'd be surprised if there's any Excel manual out there that recommends writing formulas this long.
I KNOW that there are Excel manuals that warn AGAINST writing formulas this long.
It might be fun when it works, but as you've encountered here, formulas this long are opportunities for Orcs and all other kinds of creatures to get in and make mischief.
A suggestion: assuming each section (i.e., each INDEX section) works independently, and effectively, give each of them a cell of their own; and then use IF or CHOOSE based on race to go pick whichever of those cells is appropriate. Another way to describe this recommendation: use helper columns to break up a nearly unintelligible formula into discrete sections, and then extract the one you want.
- Then that's what I shall do! Thanks for taking the time to read through all my excessively long formula! 😅
I agree with the idea of re-evaluating how your data is organized. It struck me when I took a whole 4 minutes looking at your data, that a single table might be helpful. You'll want to add columns for 'species' and perhaps other attributes, but then you'll be able to use VLOOKUPs, and other methods for extracting data (including building intermediate, or 'helper', data).
(BTW, its been over 40 years since I played D&D ... didn't even know people were still paying.)
Thank you for your help! Yeah, I understand DnD is experiencing quite a resurgence at the moment!
