How To Create An Excel Template That Generates Seven-Day Diaries, Until The Year 9999. 

 

By David Alderoty

 

September, 2008

 

Phone (212) 581-3740

 

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Scroll down to read this document.

 

The template is essentially software that generates weekly diaries, and it runs off Microsoft Excel.  A detailed diagram and step-by-step instructions on how to create this software, is provided in a PowerPoint slideshow.  If you do not want to make a diary, download a ready-made version for free, by clicking on the following link:      

  7-Day-diary-(zipped) Folder.zip  When you see the icon of the 7-Day-diary you can copy-and-paste it onto your desktop.

 

 

EXCEL TEMPLATES THAT FUNCTION LIKE SOFTWARE

 

Microsoft Excel can be used to create various types of templates that are essentially software that runs off Excel.  I have created many of these templates over the last couple of years.  You can download a zipped folder that contains a couple of dozen of these templates, by clicking on the following hyperlink.  You will find three folders, labeled basic, intermediate, and advanced.  You can copy-and-paste them onto your desktop.  Some of these templates are relatively complex and difficult to make. Excel-Templates(zipped) Folder.zip

A relatively simple, but very useful, template I will use as an example in this document.  That is, I am going to demonstrate, how to make a seven-day diary that indicates the time and date electronically, and allows the entry of over 1000 words for each day.

So let us begin, by examining a screenshot of the diary.

 

 

Now, examine the following diagram that illustrates how I designed and created the diary.  Download a printable copy of this diagram, in a Microsoft Word format, by clicking on these words.

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The basic principle behind the diary is very simple.  You enter a start date, in cell G11, which is essentially transmitted to the seven cells with the dates.  The first cell (D14) contains only =G11, which is the start date.  The second cell (E14) contains =G11+1, which is one day after the start date.  The third cell (F14) contains =G11+2, which is two days after the start date, etc. 

If you are experienced with creating templates with Excel, and you understand the above principle, it is not necessary to use the exact same cells I used.  You can change the layout also.  However, the relationship between the cell with the start date, and the seven cells with the days of the week, must be maintained.  (Keep in mind that Excel knows how to calculate and spell the seven days and 12 months.)

Now, click on the following hyperlink to open a PowerPoint slideshow.  This slideshow contains a large number of screenshots, illustrating almost every step I took in creating the diary.  You should follow these slides, as you create the diary, but you probably do not need every fine detail, so you can scroll through most of them very quickly. If you encounter a problem, you can scroll through the slides, to find the steps you are having difficulty with. 

 

The PowerPoint slideshow is in two formats, one provides slides that are as large as your screen.  In this format, left click with the mouse to change slides.  You can also right click, and you will see the following menu:

 To access this format left click on the following:

Press the F11 Key, and Left click on these words to open a PowerPoint slideshow, with a full screen.

 

The alternative format presents the PowerPoint slideshow with a series of numbers on the left side of the screen.  To go from one slide to another, you left click on the numbers.  The slides appear smaller in this format.

 

Press the F11 Key, and Left click on these words to open a PowerPoint slideshow, with numbers to move from one slide to another.