69 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
69 lines
3.2 KiB
Markdown
---
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title: Daniel's XL Toolbox
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date: 2026-08-08T11:47:23+0200
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draft: false
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---
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{{< figure src="banner-2013.png" alt="Daniel's XL Toolbox" class="text-center mb-5" >}}
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This is the home of **Daniel's XL Toolbox**, an add-in for a popular
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spreadsheet program that is aimed at scientists and other people who
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work with data and visualizations. The add-in has been
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[downloaded well over 200,000 times][stats], and it has been cited
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several hundred times in the life science literature.
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This add-in was actively developed between 2008 and 2018, but is no longer
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actively maintained. It is still useful though and does work with even with
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current, up-to-date versions of the spreadsheet software.
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However, because this is no longer an active project, I have decided to retire
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the old homepage which had not been updated for several years.
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You can still [download][] and install the add-in -- in fact, I still use it
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whenever I use spreadsheet software. Which, admittedly, does not happen that
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often anymore nowadays. But everybody should use the tool that serves them
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best to accomplish a task.
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## What this add-in can do
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This add-in provides a number of functions that assist with data analysis
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and visualization and with repetitive everyday tasks.
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**Data analysis:** Compute 1-way and 1-way ANOVAs, perform correlation and
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regression analyses, build spreadsheet formulas automatically, allocate
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subjects to treatment groups ("randomization"), produce complex histograms,
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and transpose data such as multiwell plate reader data.
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**Data visualization:** Produce high-quality graphic files from your scientific
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charts, export charts in batches, add error bars to charts, assist with uniform
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chart design, add watermarks to your charts, add multiple new data series at
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once, change and normalize chart sizes, copy a chart's format to another,
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scale the text in a chart, point a chart to a different source data range,
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change the order of data series in a chart, and spread (jitter) overlapping
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data points.
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**Productivity:** Automatically save a time-stamped backup file whenever
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you save your spreadsheet, manage multiple worksheets in your file, use
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keyboard shortcuts for extra productivity, jump to a cell or range of
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cells given an address that is written in plain text in another cell,
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copy a print page setup, and make complex selections of cells.
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## What to do if you want to obtain publication-grade figures
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If you need high-quality graphs for a publication, you can of course still use this add-on.
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There are modern alternatives, ranging from paid software to software that you can use
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free of charge.
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I have become very fond of [R][], [ggplot2][], and the entire [Tidyverse][] ecossystem.
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These tools allow me to analyze the data efficiently and obtain extactly the results
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that I want, including vector-based figures, rather than raster images. It is not easy
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to learn, but it is worth it!
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## Archive
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Here is a little archive of the old website: [Entrance to the museum]({{< relref "archive" >}}).
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[download]: https://github.com/bovender/XLToolbox/releases/download/v7.3.4/XLToolbox-7.3.4.exe
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[ggplot2]: https://ggplot2.tidyverse.org
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[R]: https://r-project.org
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[stats]: https://tooomm.github.io/github-release-stats/?username=bovender&repository=xltoolbox
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[Tidyverse]: https://tidyverse.org |