Creating your own workbooks in Polar SiExcel - always link never Save As

Creating your own workbooks/solutions in SiExcel – why you should always start from a new file and not "SaveAs SiExcelExpert"

Application Note AP638

Creating your own workbooks/solutions in SiExcel – always link to an open SiExcelExpert – never "SaveAs: SiExcelExpert"

Occasionally, SiExcel customers are experiencing issues when using SiExcel/SiExcelExpert to create their own workbooks/solutions especially when updating from legacy versions of SiExcel spreadsheets.

To facilitate the easy and supported creation of workbooks we always recommend linking structures back to the SiExcelExpert workbook instead of saving and modifying a copy of SiExcelExpert. Failing to do this can result in unnecessary pain when you upgrade to newer versions of SiExcel.**

This allows for easy upgrade to future releases of SiExcel as it will only necessitate the upgrade of the underlying SiExcelExpert workbook instead of requiring all subsequent copies to be manually updated.

SiExcelExpert will need to be opened while any linked workbooks calculate, but this simple operation negates the requirement to update multiple workbooks based on SiExcelExpert.

CORRECT procedure:

Open SiExcelExpert
Create new blank workbook
Select destination cell and Insert Function
Select Category – User Defined
Choose the required structure
Input the values required by the structure
Click OK

The new workbook which can be saved will have structures linked to SiExcelExpert and if SiExcelExpert is not open then the formulas will look similar to :-

CORRECT syntax style:

='C:\Program Files (x86)\Polar\SiExcelx64\SiExcelExpert.xlsm'!SurfaceMicrostrip1B(C6,D6,E6,F6,G6,H6,"Y")

Or also correct if SiExcelExpert is open then the formulas will look similar to:

=SiExcelExpert.xlsm!SurfaceMicrostrip1B(C6,D6,E6,F6,G6,H6,"Y")

NOT ADVISED:

If you add a worksheet to SiExcel.xlsm or SiExcelExpert.xlsm the formulas will look like this:

=BroadsideStripline1E2S(F9,G9,H9,I9,J9)

Note in the above, the function does not refer back to the "as shipped" SiExcelExpert. If your formulas look like the NOT ADVISED type, then when Polar updates the main SiExcelExpert spreadsheet you will encounter far more manual work when updating. Using the "CORRECT" method will ease updates considerably.

** If you are reading this – wishing you had realised this earlier – we can give you time to upgrade by sharing a temporary license while you manually step through the upgrade process recommended above. Following the above instructions will make future upgrades a smoother process.