I'd be interested to know how you do this!


I will look at this after we know for sure the sort of things that will appear in the cells above that formula. In the meantime, what version of Excel are you using? There are some newer functions which could simplify the formula a lot.

I am using Excel 2016. When and if a student skips classes (am) and is late (pm) on the same day, the late triangle should be placed on the left, the cutting classes shape on the right regardless of the time of misdemeanor, so only the codes LTIC, LLEC, LC should be used. The teacher will have a note somewhere in the form on additional info like the above cases. The same holds true with am cutting classes, pm absent, where the X is typed on the left, the cutting class shape placed on the right.

On the conditional formatting, I was thinking of doing the simple =E16="DRP" format color white, =E16="T/O" format color white. I was hoping that the macro will do the job of making the "LE", "T/I","TI" letters into white color font.

I didn't know that this form will turn out to be so complicated, but please don't give up on this because I know many others out there are following and monitoring the final output of this "project" given the number of views on record. Thanks.

I'd be a bit wary of this plan. You have a system where the upper left half of a cell is always the morning, and the lower right always the afternoon. Now you have to make an exception if there's a red triangle: you don't know if the lateness is in the morning or not, you don't know if the cutting classes is in the morning or not, the absenteeism could be morning or afternoon. I'd strongly recommend not doing this.
There are plenty of ways to indicate things in the cells while keeping the am/pm layout correct.
It looks as if cutting classes could be split am/pm, or perhaps you're happy for this to be represented without am/pm information? Either way there are plenty of ways you might represent this in a cell - it's down to your imagination.
For example, you might use one of these to show the student has been cuttting classes sometime on a day (no am/pm nformation):




Instead, you could keep am/pm information this way:


It's fairly obvious what's happening.

I fully agree with you that it i confusing to make an exception on the representation of cutting classes, always shaded triangle on the right. It is clearly a contradiction on the rest of the coding system but it is the instruction from the higher ups. I suggest we maintain the status quo as is the instruction. Although there is plan to make representations before the approving authorities that we make our own symbol as long as the figures are correct. Could you please make the macro as flexible as possible so that in case the powers that be would approve on our proposal the codes would be easier to amend?
If you must know, the knowledge of the users of this form on the power of Excel to help them in their work is pathetically nil. In fact some of them still use crayons to fill up the form and calculators to get the totals and average daily attendance. I am optimistic that once we present to the powers that be that it is possible to reflect in the form all the conditions in the proper formats of am and pm through the use of different colors and symbols, they will look favorably on such enhanced reports.

How are you going to display cutting classes am, late am, absent pm?

Besides being significantly more convoluted to code for, it'll confuse users trying to get what they want - they'll need the contradictions/exceptions explained, and it'll be more difficult to get the row and column totals correct (If the letters L, X & C in a cell all represent half days (not counting the L in the LE pair), then counting occurrences of these letters makes for simpler and more robust totals formulae.)

The 'authorities', 'powers that be', 'the higher ups', whatever, haven't put the thought into this that you (and I) have; their decisions are often ill-informed and ill-advised, sometimes they're just bloody-minded and want to show who's boss. It's up to you to advise and inform them what's best. At the moment I'm leaning strongly towards my last suggestion of the smaller triangles on top of the larger ones (If you want, we could even keep ALL cutting classes small red triangles, regardless of whether they're sittting atop another larger triangle, to maintain consistency).

I would prefer you to set things in concrete sooner rather than later - I don't want to have to revisit this too often. Remember, I'm doing this for nothing.

I think I might have to back-pedal a little on having something ready at the weekend, something's come up and it's already Friday afternoon here in the UK. Next week's very busy for me too. So you'll need patience, and I'm not giving up and I've made good progress.

Okay, go on with your original codes and symbols for cutting classes like the small red triangles. I will make them see the wisdom of consistency in presenting the am and pm for each case - absent, tardy and cutting classes. You will get perplexed by their formula. Half day absent is .5, whole day absence is 1, while tardy, whether am only, pm only or am and pm is counted as 1. cutting classes has no bearing in the daily total attendance.