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We're five members of the Google Docs team - ask us anything

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Re: We're five members of the Google Docs team - ask us anything

#21
post #17
post #16

Sad I didn't see this earlier. Would love to see a couple issues addressed in spreadsheets. Namely conditional formatting based on a formula and merging of cells vertically.

What do you like to use conditional formatting for?

Conditional formatting based on a formula is great for highlighting cells with values that don't make semantic sense.

Re: We're five members of the Google Docs team - ask us anything

#22
post #17
post #16

Sad I didn't see this earlier. Would love to see a couple issues addressed in spreadsheets. Namely conditional formatting based on a formula and merging of cells vertically.

What do you like to use conditional formatting for?

Formatting like this is helpful for things like...

if cell This isn't currently possible because the conditional can only check the value of THIS cell, not others. As the other comment indicates, it also helps expand what values you can evaluate. I use excel heavily and this is one of the largest gaps between it and google docs for me.

Re: We're five members of the Google Docs team - ask us anything

#23
Because of the nature of my work, I use the liquid layout of Google Docs (web version, no "print" version).

Hence my astonishment when I realized you have discontinued that option from Google Docs. Very surprising.

Google Docs was created (Writely before it) as a simple text editor for the web. I can understand new users came and you may want to fit us all in your product, but erasing the liquid layout ("Web" view or version) is a complete blind move.

I'm sure that a significant percentage of users are in my same situation.

I beg Google to please reconsider their position.

Re: We're five members of the Google Docs team - ask us anything

#24

Probably the most important note to come out of this AMA: Offline Google Docs is coming back later this summer. Offline apps in general is really going to put a nice jump-start in the newly produced line of Chromebooks.

This was already announced during the Google I/O 2011 keynote. It seems prudent now that Chromebooks are going to be shipping.

Re: We're five members of the Google Docs team - ask us anything

#25
post #22
post #17

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What do you like to use conditional formatting for?

Formatting like this is helpful for things like... if cell This isn't currently possible because the conditional can only check the value of THIS cell, not others. As the other comment indicates, it also helps expand what values you can evaluate. I use excel heavily and this is one of the largest gaps between it and google docs for me.

I work on this kind of thing (not at Google) and your answer here is helpful. If you'd be up for an offline discussion about other gaps between Excel and web-based spreadsheets, please email me (address in profile).
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