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Beginner’s Guide to Code Algorithms

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The final spreadsheet would look something like this.

FIGURE 1.3  Combined spreadsheet.

While this is a precise set of steps to accomplish this task, this is completely

manual. If I had 50 states to deal with, this would be taking me too long! In order to

teach any computer how to do this, we need to convert it to an algorithm. This is not

different from the set of steps, as I mentioned before. Just a little more methodical.

Here is an algorithmic version of these steps:

1. Open a new spreadsheet

2. Repeat for each input spreadsheet

a. Open the input spreadsheet

b. Copy all rows used

c. Find the first empty row in new spreadsheet

d. Paste copied rows

3. Save new spreadsheet

4. Send to boss via email

Each of these steps can be achieved in an excel macro, including the sending of email.

What changed it from a set of steps to an algorithm? The repetition.