Solved: Logic Puzzle hints

[Aussiebear]

How do I call up the puzzle hints (one at a time) after clicking on the "Hint" button? Hints are on the same sheet - Range D52: D64.

Incidentally whilst the ranges D10:R14, D15:M19 and D20:H24 are formatted to Marlett ( to enable tick and cross usage), when wanting to place a tick within the range D10 to D24, it comes up with a tick and two circles. Why does this happen?

[p45cal]

See attached. Regarding "it comes up with a tick and two circles", it might help if you supplied the password to unprotect the sheet. FWIW I had no problems with a tick and two circles.

[Aussiebear]

Thank you for your suport. Even using your sample t still gives a tick and two circles whenever I try to add a tick to any cell within the range D10 to D24. I've cleared the format and reset to Marlett, regular, 10 point and the error returns.

The requirement for a password was not deemed to be necessary since I offered the location of the range containing the hints. Simply scrolling down the page confirms this data.

[p45cal]

I answered your primary question by showing, in the attachment, how the hints can be brought up on the click of a button. For this, there was no requirement for a password.
I had no problem with the ticks and 2 circles you describe and my attempts to start an investigatation into this incidental problem were thwarted by not being able to do even the simplest thing, such as looking at the cell formats.
Since it was deemed unnecessary to supply a password, it has been deemed unnecessary to try and help you out with this incidental problem.

p45cal

[unmarkedhelicopter]

Cross = r
Tick = a
In D10 to D24, if you press a, Excel tries to be helpfull and assumes you mean "Ann". Ann is shown by a box and two circles.

[Aussiebear]

Thank you Unmarkedhelicopter. Good old Excel.... just when you don't want to be helpfull. Is this an option which can be turned off?

p45cal has kindly offered a coded version which is working well enough for the task at hand. I have also found that by replacing the "a" with a "b", I am able to get a clean "tick". At some stage down the track, I might add a timer and tie the availability of a hint to a set period of time passing first.

Don't want to make this type of puzzle too easy.

[unmarkedhelicopter]

I found hints 1 & 2 superluous, only half of 3 told me something new and I then didn't need any more hints. To my recolection, hints 4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 & 13 did not change anything I already had.
'Hints' in my book are things that give you another perspective on existing information or focus your attention on something needing it, NOT a 'key piece of information' in a minimum information puzzle. (2nd half of 3.)
'b' would not help you as 'Brenda' may come up with something equally bizarre, I would try putting a space before all header entries in either columns or rows. And an instruction that 'a' gives a tick and 'r' gives a cross my have helped most people especially as you removed the equation bar (and vert & Horiz scroll bars).
I removed the protection before my investigation but actually didn't need to when looking for the the 'Ann' vs 'a' problem. As P45cal says it does 'annoy' the people who are trying to help you, generally they just give up and don't bother.

[Aussiebear]

Yes, you have a point but not everybody will be as intelligent as you. Hence the hints as offered may have been more useful to them.

As to the Ann & 'a' issue. The protection didn't need to be removed. I was very confident that I had the formatting correct, as I had reapplied the formatting a number of times. The solution was as you suggested, one of Excel being overly helpful. Again I was confident that, out there someone would have come across this issue before, and have a solution.

[mdmackillop]

Again I was confident that, out there someone would have come across this issue before, and have a solution.
Of course we have.
And the correct solution is to turn off Enable Autocomplete in Tools/Options/Edit.

[Aussiebear]

and this effects only this workbook or everything?

[mdmackillop]

and this effects only this workbook or everything?
only one way to find out!