Blog

• Citizen Development: DIY Applications Without Writing Code

  Citizen development enables no-code applications but introduces tradeoffs in security, scalability, and long-term maintenance.

• Power Query: Check If Text Starts with a Capital Letter

  A custom M function for checking whether a string begins with a capital letter in Power Query, with instructions and test examples.

• Simple Methods to Safely Wipe, Reuse, or Destroy Old Storage Devices

  Practical options for handling old storage devices, including testing for reuse, securely wiping data, or physical destruction before recycling.

• Power Query: Check If Text Value is Alphabetic Only

  Two approaches to validating alphabetic-only text in Power Query: a custom function, and Text.Select combined with if-then-else logic.

• Concatenate Excel Ranges Without TEXTJOIN Using VBA Code

  A VBA function for concatenating Excel ranges and arrays when TEXTJOIN is unavailable, with configurable delimiter and empty-cell handling.

• How to Count Cells by Background Color in Excel with VBA

  Counting Excel cells by background color requires VBA since no native formula handles it. Covers the function, setup, and practical examples.

• Excel VBA: Improve Excel Range Evaluation by Trimming Unused Cells

  Whole-column references in Excel can slow evaluation significantly. This custom VBA function trims unused cells to keep performance in check.

• Contact Form for Static Sites Using Cloudflare Workers and Airtable

  A serverless contact form for static sites using Cloudflare Pages, Workers, and Airtable, free to run and built with spam protection in mind.

• Converting Month Names to Numbers in Power Query

  Three methods for converting month names to numbers in Power Query: if-then-else logic, Date.FromText parsing, and a custom mapping function.

• Power Query: Conditionally Aggregate Data from Multiple Tables

  Two methods for conditionally aggregating data from multiple Power Query tables, using Table.SelectRows for filtering and Table.NestedJoin for merges.

• Power Query: Retrieve Lookup Value by Date Within a Date Range

  Retrieving a lookup value based on where a date falls within a range, a common requirement in time-based data transformations handled in Power Query.

• Power BI: Convert UTC to Eastern Time Adjusted for Daylight Saving

  A custom Power Query function for converting UTC to Eastern Time in Power BI, with built-in handling for daylight saving transitions.

• Rounding Decimals in Java: Avoiding Round-Off Errors with BigDecimal

  Floating-point arithmetic in Java can produce unexpected rounding errors. BigDecimal offers the precision control that critical calculations require.

• Show File Last Updated Date in Power BI with Excel VBA or Power Query

  Displaying the last updated date for an Excel file in Power BI using Excel VBA or Power Query, with step-by-step instructions for both methods.

• Power Query: How to Retrieve Excel Defined Name Values

  A reusable Power Query function for pulling Excel defined name values into queries, useful for parameterizing reports without hardcoding values.

• Add JSON-LD Structured Data in Astro for Rich Search Results

  Adding JSON-LD structured data to an Astro site to improve search engine comprehension and qualify pages for rich result features.

• Power BI: Create and Display a Dynamic Last Refreshed Timestamp

  Creating a dynamic timestamp in Power BI that reflects the latest semantic model refresh date for display in reports.

• Install Self-Signed S/MIME Certificates on iOS for Encrypted E-mail

  Installing self-signed S/MIME certificates on iOS and enabling encrypted email in the Mail app, covering each configuration step.

• Power BI: What-If Analysis Using Interactive Modeling Parameters

  Power BI modeling parameters make reports interactive by letting users adjust assumptions and observe how outcomes shift in real time.

• Dealing with a Complete Storage Failure

  Recovering data from a failed microSD card is not always possible. Here is what worked, what did not, and what the experience made clear.