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Templates, Formatting and Formulas

We recommend the following when using templates, formatting, and formulas.

Use Separate Worksheets for Personal Planning Data Linked into Contributor Cells

Worksheets containing Contributor cubes can undergo many changes as you re-orient the view. Non-Contributor data and Excel formatting on such a worksheet will move with each orientation of the Contributor cube.

If you place personal planning data in non-Contributor cells on such a worksheet, your data rotates in and out of view as the orientation changes. In addition, your data transposes when the view transposes.

The best practice is to place personal data on separate worksheets, where it is always visible and is not subject to the changes that might affect the worksheet containing the "rotating" Contributor cube.

Keeping Excel-based Templates Flexible With a Contributor Planning Model

Keep up with changing D-List item names by using Contributor custom formulas. Do not type in the names of D-List items into cells. Instead, copy them from Contributor title cells and paste them into your Excel destination cells.

Contributor for Excel builds formulas linked to the planning D-List items (=ContributorCache) and the target cells automatically change if the name of the item changes in the centralized planning model.

Keep up with changing planning values by using Contributor custom formulas. Use the Copy Location command from Contributor cells and paste them into your Excel destination cells. The Add-in builds formulas linked to the multi-dimensional planning value (=CCell) and the target cells will automatically change if the value ever changes in the centralized planning model.

Custom Formatting Contributor Cells

You can use custom formatting in Contributor for Excel for individual cells.

Consider the following items when using custom formatting in Contributor for Excel.