about MACROS

Many of the spreadsheets have macros (to download data from Yahoo or perform a bunch of calculations or whatever).
Thanks, mostly, to Ron McEwan
If your Excel security level is set too high, you may not be able to run them
Then try: Tools / Macros / Security and lower the security level ... then try ag'in !
Thanks to Susan for this HeadsUp

From time to time Yahoo changes the URL which the spreadsheet uses to download
For this (and any other reason) you may want to modify the macro(s). Here's how to do it:

  1. RIGHT-click on the button that calls the macro into service. Example
  2. In the menu that pops up you should see Assign Macro.... Click it.
  3. Then click on the Edit button which appears.
  4. Then the macro code appears in a window. (You may have to enlarge the window.) Modify to your heart's content.
  5. When you're finished, click: File / Close and Return to Microsoft Excel
  6. Pray.
Now try the modified macro by clicking on the button that calls the macro.
If it works as you hoped (!), you can save it (perhaps under a different name so the original file is retained).

For example, recently (June/July, 2004) Yahoo changed the link from which stock prices are downloaded
from:
      http://chart.yahoo.com/table.csv?s=GE etc. etc.
to
      http://ichart.yahoo.com/table.csv?s=GE etc. etc.

Note that "chart" was changed to "ichart"

In the DOWNLOAD macro there's the code:
      'construct the URL for the query

      qurl = "http://chart.yahoo.com/table.csv?s=" & Symbol

and that (latter) line must be changed to read:
      qurl = "http://ichart.yahoo.com/table.csv?s=" & Symbol

Note that "chart" was changed to "ichart"

Note: Check out Macro stuff