Formula Forensics No. 005 – Zebras and Checker-Boards

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This week in Formula Forensics we’ll look at, Zebra Stripes and Checker-board Conditional Formatting.

This idea is inspired by a number of posts over the past few years asking about zebra stripes but specifically BobR who in in June 2011, also asked about Checkerboards in the post: Want to be an excel conditional-formatting Rock Star, Comment No. 154.

I got the conditional format for alternating row and column colors,

Is there a conditional format to make it a checkerboard whereas the cell A2 will remove either the conditional for the row or column and then alternately to A4, B1, B3 etc?


Chandoo responded fairly quickly with this Conditional Formatting formula:

=IF(MOD(ROW(),2)=1,MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=0,MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=1)

Unbeknownst to Chandoo I posted this about a minute later:

=ISODD(ROW()+COLUMN())

Both formula correctly answer BobR’s question.

So today we’re going to pull apart Zebra Stripes and Checker Boards and see what makes them tick.

As always you can follow along in a download file here: Download File.

 

ZEBRA STRIPES

Zebra Stripes as Conditional Formatting is simply applied using a simple formula within Conditional Formatting.

=MOD(ROW(),2)=0

Conditional Formatting requires a formula that returns a boolean “True” to apply a format or a Boolean “False” to not Apply a format.

So the formula is better read as: If MOD(ROW(),2)=0

And  If MOD(ROW(),2)=0, the formula will evaluate as True

This is best evaluated as 3 columns on a worksheet.

In cells

B5:B10 The formula =Row() returns the Row Number

C5:C10 The formula =Mod(Row() ,2) returns the Mod of Row Number, divided by 2

The Mod function returns the remainder of the division of the Row Number divided by 2,

So in Row 5, Mod(Row(),2) = Mod(5, 2) = 5/2 = 2 Remainder 1 = 1

and in Row 6, Mod(Row(),2) = Mod(6, 2) = 6/2 = 3 Remainder 0 = 0

D5:D10 The formula =Mod(Row() ,2)=0 checks the remainder against the value 0

This is what evaluates to either True or False depending on the Row number.

Where the Values are True the Format will be applied (Even Rows)

The Conditional Formatting can be applied to Odd Rows If the Formula is slightly altered

=Mod(Row() ,2)=1

 

Similarly the formatting can be applied to Columns using

=MOD(COLUMN(),2)=0/1

 

 

CHECKER BOARDS

RobR received two responses to his Checker-Board Conditional Formatting request.

=IF(MOD(ROW(),2)=1,MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=0,MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=1)

and

=ISODD(ROW()+COLUMN())

Lest see what’s inside these two formula.

 

=IF(MOD(ROW(),2)=1,MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2) =0, MOD( (ROW() -1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=1)

This is a simple If Formula with 3 components

=IF(MOD(ROW(),2)=1,MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=0,MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=1)

If Condition        MOD(ROW(),2)=1

Value if True:     MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=0

Value if False:    MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=1

The If Condition is already known to us, as it’s the same formula used in the Zebra Stripes above.

It evaluates to True when it is on an Odd Row.

So when it is an Odd numbered Row Excel will look at MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=0

And when it is an Even numbered Row Excel will look at MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=1

We can notice that these are the same formulas which have a different ending of =0 and =1

MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=0

This section Takes each Row subtracts 1 and then multiplies this number by 8. This can be expressed as simply as saying multiply the Row * 8.

This will always return an Even Number and could have been simplified to Row()*2

MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=0

The next bit adds the column number to the previous Even Number.

So now this part will be Odd when the column is Odd and Even when the column is Even.

MOD((ROW()-1)*8+COLUMN(),2)=0

The remainder of the formula is the same as the Zebra Stripes formula.

An Odd Number (Odd Columns) in the section above will return a 1 as the result of =Mod(Odd,2)

An Even Number (Even Columns) in the section above will return a 0 as the result of =Mod(Odd,2)

When evaluated against 0 will return True for Even Columns and False for Odd Columns.

Now the exact same happens in the False section of the If formula except that it is evaluated against 1.

 

=ISODD(ROW()+COLUMN())

I tackled this problem from a different direction to Chandoo.

Knowing that Even + Even = Even and Even + Odd = Odd and that the row and Column Numbers increase in each direction by 1 each Row/Column, it was simply a matter of adding the Row and Column numbers together and checking if it was Odd or Even

The Excel function IsOdd() and IsEven() both return a Boolean “True” if the contents are Odd or “Even” respectively. This negates an external truth check as described above.

This is easily shown by adding a formula to the Checker area

=Row()+Column()

Excel 2003: The above formula won’t work in Excel 2003.

Try this instead =Mod(Row()+Column(),2)=1


If the alternate shading is required a switch to

=ISEVEN(ROW()+COLUMN())

Does the trick.

Excel 2003: The above formula won’t work in Excel 2003.

Try this instead =Mod(Row()+Column(),2)=0


Learn More About Conditional Formatting Here:

http://chandoo.org/wp/2009/03/13/excel-conditional-formatting-basics/

and

http://chandoo.org/wp/2008/03/13/want-to-be-an-excel-conditional-formatting-rock-star-read-this/

and

http://chandoo.org/wp/2008/10/14/more-than-3-conditional-formats-in-excel/

 

DOWNLOAD

You can download a copy of the above file and follow along, Download Here.

 

OTHER POSTS IN THIS SERIES

You can learn more about how to pull Excel Formulas apart in the following posts

Formula Forensics 001 – Tarun’s Problem

Formula Forensics 002 – Joyce’s Question

Formula Forensics 003 – Lukes Reward

Formula Forensics 004 – Freds Problem

 

We Need Your Help !

If you have a neat formula that you would like to share and explain, try putting pen to paper and draft up a Post as Luke did in Formula Forensics 003. or this post.

If you have a formula that you don’t understand and would like explained but don’t want to write a post also send it in to Chandoo or Hui.

 

 

 

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26 Responses to “FIFA Worldcup Excel Spreadsheets [Roundup]”

  1. J. J. says:

    Nice roundup! Do you know of any one-page spreadsheets which will be updated by an administrator after each game? Would be nice to be able to print out the latest results whenever I feel like checking them as I probably won't be following closely every day.

    I actually haven't tried any of the above ones yet, but I thought I'd mention this one that I found which makes a nice one-page form you can fill in dynamically. http://exceltemplate.net/sports/world-cup-2010-schedule-and-scoresheet/

  2. Diego Garcia says:

    I would like to recommend you these one: http://www.anotagol.com/
    You can choose your interface language (english, spanish, italian, portuguese, german or french) and your country for the timezone of match. I like it very much.

  3. [...] Passend zu gerade laufenden Fußball-WM gibt es auf Chandoo.org alles wissenswerte über Excel-Anwendungen für den Fußball-Fan. [...]

  4. Rohit1409 says:

    Great!!!

    I strongly recommend this :

    http://www.en.excel-soccer-2010.de/downloads

    Chandoo how you found this ...

  5. Chandoo says:

    @Rohit.. really beautiful file. I missed it during my research. Now, I recommend it. 🙂

  6. Mourad Louha says:

    Hi Chandoo - thanks for the recommandation 🙂 - Regards

  7. [...] Excel, then print it on the other side of your Match Schedule from step 2 above. There are several other Excel spreadsheet templates you can download, but this is probably the only one-page version you can find; plus, it [...]

  8. Robert says:

    Does anybody know how to re-create this(?): http://www.marca.com/deporte/futbol/mundial/sudafrica-2010/calendario-english.html
    ...or do you know where a template can be found? I am DYING to have something like this on my site. When I found it, I had been looking for the longest time for a circular calendar. I found a couple that weren't adequate. Then I stumbled upon this one and my eyes nearly popped out of my head. If anyone can lead me in the right direction, I would be eternally grateful!

    Thanks in advance!
    Robert

  9. Chandoo says:

    @Robert...

    Doing something like that is a lot of work. You can probably get it done with some hired help from a flash developer.

  10. Pedro Wave says:

    @Robert, the World Cup flash in the Spanish Marca newspaper is impresive, but not much as my own animated spreadsheet with the Goals of 2010 World Cup South Africa in Excel that I just published into my blog:
    http://pedrowave.blogspot.com/2010/06/goals-of-2010-world-cup-south-africa-in.html

    Download from here:
    http://cid-6b219f16da7128e3.office.live.com/view.aspx/.Public/Goals%20South%20Africa%20Animated.xlsx

    And start to enter the goals of the rest of matches.

  11. Neil says:

    Has anyone seen, or made, a Spreadsheet where you can record the scorers and see a 'top scorers' chart. Would be a nice enhancement

  12. Chandoo says:

    @Neil... checkout this one http://www.inflexionary.com/sports/world-cup-2010-excel

    it uses macros to fetch scores from web (and provides very comprehensive analysis too)

    @All.. Thanks for the comments. I have updated the post with few more links now.

  13. Sergio Mathias says:

    Hi,
    Check this dashboards too:
    http://dashboards.org/world-cup-dashboards-and-visualizations/
    😉

  14. [...] Here is a collection of FIFA World Cup Spreadsheets if you are more in to that sort of thing. | [...]

  15. [...] Cup fever is here!In FIFA Worldcup Excel Spreadsheets Roundup, Chandoo has some links to useful World Cup tracking workbooks. Only one of them (the first one) [...]

  16. [...] World Cup fever is here!In FIFA Worldcup Excel Spreadsheets Roundup, Chandoo has some links to useful World Cup tracking workbooks. Only one of them (the first one) [...]

  17. Hey, you missed ours! It has everything you need and more, but not a whole pile of silly extras (National Anthems, etc).  I'll be making another one for the 2014 world cup.  We had over 4000 hits on it!

  18. Neil says:

    @Michael Harwood.

    Where is it then? You should have posted a link  

  19. phillip says:

    Sie sollten an einem Wettbewerb teil zu nehmen für einen der besten Blogs im Web. Ich werde empfehlen Sie diese Seite!
    Google translation: You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!

  20. [...] and welcome to the forum, Maybe these similar spreadsheets might give you a few initial ideas: FIFA Worldcup Excel Spreadsheets [Roundup] | Chandoo.org - Learn Microsoft Excel Online If you have specific areas / formulae / layout choices for parts of your spreadsheet that you are [...]

  21. Petros says:

    Calling all football fans around the globe! The biggest football festival will kick off on the 12th June 2014 and everyone is placing their bets of who will have the honour of lifting the golden trophy.

    Use our free interactive Excel templatel to predict the World cup finalists ! No macros !

    http://www.spreadsheet1.com/world-cup-2014-free-excel-prediction-template.html

  22. marten says:

    I also made a Worldcup-tracker, with MS Access, which can also generate reports in Excel
    e.g. a match-schedule with locations on y-axis and dates on x-axis, see:
    http://worktimesheet2014.blogspot.com.es/2014/05/excel-with-match-schedule-for-2014-fifa.html
    and:
    http://worktimesheet2014.blogspot.com.es/2014/05/match-access-app-to-track-world-cup.html

  23. Vivek Ranjan says:

    where can i find raw data in excel file format of fifa world cups (1930-2014)

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