Welcome to the new look Skinners Online

Welcome to the new look Skinners Online website.

Since there is always the possibility of errors creeping in during the upgrade from the previous version of the website, I have created a thread on the forum for users to list any issues that they come across.

If you do see anything that I have overlooked, please post a message in the new website thread.

Thank you,
Ian

What is Ian's Excel Add-in?

Over the years working as a Quantity Surveyor, I discovered that Microsoft Excel, while a wonderful tool, lacked certain functions.  In order to overcome these shortcomings, I developed custom procedures and functions to enhance my Excel experience and productivity.  Instead of keeping these tools to myself, I have decided to share them with anyone who is interested in trying them out.  Your feedback on the add-in will be appreciated and will assist in the further development of this product.

The add-in enhances the basic Excel installation in two ways: by adding functions in the form of Excel formulae and by adding features available via the Ian's Excel Add-in tab added to the Excel ribbon.  These enhancements will be documented in more detail and added to this website in due course.  One of the major features of the add-in is the ability to import WinQS ASCII files into Excel and format the imported data automatically, in a matter of seconds.

The add-in may still have many bugs in it.  I hope that by sharing the add-in with others, these bugs will be identified, thus enabling me to address them and fine-tune the add-in.  If you happen to find a bug, please report it in the bug report forum.

Ian's Excel Add-in is free

In order to clear up some confusion apparently doing the rounds about my add-in, I would like to state quite clearly that Ian's Excel Add-in is free.  Yes, that's right, 100% free.

Free Software

When offered something for free, most people's first reaction is, "What's the catch?"

I can honestly say there isn't one...  Okay, there is one catch, you need to be a registered user on this site before you are able to download the add-in, but even registering is free.  There is no monetary cost associated with using my add-in.

Okay, so now that we have established that the use of the add-in is absolutely free, let me tell you why:

• I'm a nice guy
• The add-in is still undergoing development
• All I ask for in exchange is that you let me know if you find any bugs in the software so that I can sort them out
• If you have any suggestions for improving the software, drop me a line so that I can investigate the possibility of implementing your suggestion
• Did I mention that I'm just a nice guy?

Regular Downloads

The fact that the add-in is still under development brings me to another frequently asked question:  Why does the add-in expire every two months?

Since the add-in is still undergoing development, I need to ensure that all users keep up to date with the latest bug fixes and new features.  Therefore, by making the add-in only valid for two months at a time, I ensure that you have an up-to-date version at all times.

Once the add-in has reached a point at which I am satisfied that it is stable and has a decent set of features, I will review the policy of requiring regular downloads.