Chapter 6. Essentials of Spreadsheet Application Development
In This Chapter
My goal in this chapter is to provide you with some general guidelines that you may find useful while you learn to create effective applications with Excel.
A discussion of the basic steps involved in spreadsheet application development
Determining end user needs and planning applications to meet those needs
Guidelines for developing and testing your applications
Documenting your development efforts and writing user documentation
There is no simple, sure-fire recipe for developing an effective spreadsheet application. Everyone has his or her own style for creating such applications, and I haven’t discovered one best way that works for everyone. In addition, every project is different and, therefore, requires its own approach. Finally, the demands and technical expertise of the people you work with (or for) also play a role in how the development process proceeds.
As I mention in the preceding chapter, spreadsheet developers typically perform the following activities:
Determine the needs of the user(s)
Plan an application that meets these needs
Determine the most appropriate user interface
Create the spreadsheet, formulas, macros, and user interface
Test and debug the application
Attempt to make the application bulletproof
Make the application aesthetically appealing and intuitive
Document the development effort
Develop user documentation and help systems
Distribute the application to the user
Update the application when ...
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