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Managing Dependencies Between Worksheet Processes in Excel

Avatar of Chris S.Chris S.
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I have two different tabs within the same worksheet. So the first tab runs a process that pulls information from a contacts LinkedIn, does some enrichment on it and then spits out an output. I then have a second process and a second tab that actually makes reference to the first tabs output or the first tabs research before it can move on any further. I kind of have a race condition I’m dealing with though where if you start the first and second tab at similar times, the second tab will crap out because the first tab has not completed its work. What I want to try and do is figure out if there’s a way to put like a pause or some sort of rule on the second tab to say don’t, if you have started, don’t proceed any further until the first tab has completed its work and kind of wait for a certain period of time and after a little while time out but have kind of an open window for asynchronous feedback from the first tab prior to doing the second tabs work.

6 comments

  • Avatar of Channeled
    Channeled
    APP
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    To implement a pause or rule in your worksheet, you can use conditional formulas. Here's how: 1. In the first tab, add a boolean column to indicate when the process is complete. 2. In the second tab, use a conditional formula to check if the first tab's process is finished. You can do this using our "Conditional formula generator" with a structure like: LBKSif ({{FirstTab.ProcessComplete}} == true) { run the second tab's process } else { don't run the process }LBKS3. To add a timeout, you could include a timestamp check in your condition. 4. For asynchronous feedback, use our "write to table" feature to update the boolean column in the first tab when its process completes. This approach allows the second tab to wait for the first tab's completion before proceeding, preventing race conditions.

  • Avatar of Chris S.
    Chris S.
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    So once I get to that second step, I understand the first tab I add a Boolean column to indicate when the process is complete and then in the second tab I add a conditional formula to check to see if the process is finished. How do I get it to pause until that Boolean, that second tab conditional formula is checked? How do I implement a pause? So say it gets all the way up to the workflow until that point and then it won’t proceed any further until until that box gets checked.

  • Avatar of Channeled
    Channeled
    APP
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    To implement a pause in the second tab's workflow, you can use a conditional formula. Here's how: 1. In the first tab, add a boolean column to indicate when the process is complete. 2. In the second tab, use the Conditional formula generator to create a condition that checks the boolean column from the first tab. 3. Structure your conditional formula like this: LBKSif ({{FirstTab.ProcessComplete}} == true) { run the second tab's process } else { don't run the process }LBKSThis setup effectively pauses the second tab's workflow until the boolean column in the first tab is true, indicating the process is complete. Remember, you can use the "/" key to select variables or columns from your workflow when creating the conditional formula.

  • Avatar of Chris S.
    Chris S.
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    how would i check the boolean column in the other tab if it’s on a different tab in the workbook?

  • Avatar of Channeled
    Channeled
    APP
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    ·

    To check a boolean column in a different tab within the same workbook, you can use the "/" key to reference columns from other tabs when creating your conditional formula. Here's how: 1. In the first tab, add a boolean column to indicate when the process is complete. 2. In the second tab, use the Conditional formula generator. 3. When creating the formula, use "/" to select the boolean column from the first tab. 4. Structure your formula like this: if ({{FirstTab.ProcessComplete}} == true) { run the second tab's process } else { don't run the process } This setup will pause the second tab's workflow until the boolean column in the first tab is true.