This document describes ARAGORN, a spreadsheet dependency tracker plug-in tool for Excel 2010. It uses the Infotron.nl core engine to analyze spreadsheets and track cell dependencies. When the ARASense feature is turned on, it will list all dependent cells of the selected cell in a hovering textbox. This allows users to easily see if changes to a cell might affect other cells without clicking around or understanding complex cell relationships. The tool provides effortless, real-time, and instantaneous dependency tracking to help users work with large complex spreadsheets they did not create.

1. ARAGORN
SPREADSHEET DEPENDENCY TRACKER
Sohon Roy

2. CELL DEPENDENCIES
CELL Z30
A8-B19*C6
IMPLIES
MODIFYING
A8
or
B19
or
C6
MIGHT AFFECT Z30
WHICH IN TURN
MIGHT AFFECT
SOME OTHER CELL!
NEED TO BE
WARNED Z30 IS A
DEPENDENT WHEN
TRYING TO CHANGE
ANY OF THE CELLS
A8,B19 OR C6!

3. ARAGORN TRACKING HOBBITS TRAIL WITH HIS
RANGER SENSE

4. • You need to MODIFY A LARGE COMPLEX SPREADSHEET
WORKBOOK THAT YOU HAVE NOT CREATED AND DO NOT
KNOW THE STRUCTURE WELL?
• You want to know if the CHANGES YOU MAKE TO A CELL will AFFECTsome far
off CELL OUT OF YOUR VISION SCOPE OR IN ANOTHER
WORKSHEET?
• You want to be quickly aware of CELL DEPENDENCY CHAINS WITHOUT ANY
ADDITIONAL EFFORT OF CLICKING OR TRYING TO UNDERSTAND
WHERE SUPERIMPOSED ARROWS ARE POINTING AT?

5. HAVE NO FEAR, ARAGORN IS HERE
A PLUG-IN TOOL FOR EXCEL 2010
USES THE INFOTRON.NL CORE ENGINE TO
ANALYZE SPREADSHEETS
(PROCESS WORKBOOK TO KNOW ALL
DEPENDENCIES)
TURN ON THE ARASense FEATURE TO
SEE ALL DEPENEDENTS OF SELECTED
CELL LISTED IN A SMALL HOVERING
TEXTBOX
TURN OFF ARASense WHEN YOU DO
NOT WANT TO SEE LIST OF
DEPENDENTS OF EVERY CELL YOU
CLICK UPON

13. CHARACTERISTICS
EFFORTLESS
No need for additional clicks once the ARASense is activated.
REAL-TIME
Get idea of dependents right when you are working with your spreadsheet.
No spearate process or separate diagrams to understand.
INSTANTANEOUS
After initial one-time processing of workbook, warning prompts are
instantaneous as you click on a cell.
SPECIFIC
Only about the cell you are interested in. No need to understand whole
workbook structure!

14. THANK YOU
• @sohonroy
• S.Roy-1[at]tudelft.nl
• http://spreadsheetlab.org/
• http://sohonroy.wordpress.com/
• http://www.infotron.nl/