Bad Lookup Formula- Wrong File

Problem

Changes in Master Index don't seem to affect the accounting Ledger or Log. Completely weird stuff showing up in 'jobsite' or 'who to' columns. Lookup formulas are not working properly. Shows #NAME! in 'jobsite' or 'who to' when using MacNail accounting software for construction

Diagnosis

Check the formula in the 'jobsite' or 'who to' column. It should read =....LOOKUP(xx,'master index'!suppliers... or something similar. If it reads =....LOOKUP(xx,'another file'!suppliers.... or =....LOOKUP(xx,'disk:macnail: accounts: current accounts:master index'!suppliers...., it has problems.

If blank or a value (no formula), just needs new lookup formulas. Same solution.

Solution

Select all the rows with the bad reference. Choose *Lookup formulas to remove lookups, then choose it again to put them back in correctly.

EXPLANATION: If they use 'save as' to save the Master Index under another name, all files open at the time will have their lookup formulas adjusted to refer to the new file. That's a no-no, we always expect the master index to be named 'master index' and have problems if it's somewhere else or something else!

Windows name: master.ndx

Comments

There are pages of problems in this section that are totally avoided in our newer Goldenseal accounting software. It doesn't need lookup formulas or Master Index files, and it manages data much more easily.

Entered 10/9/92 by Dennis. Updated 11/7/2010.