Excel Solver Constraints

C

Carreen

Registered
I'm using Excel 2004 for Mac Version 11.2. When trying to add a constraint I cannot enter a value directly into the right hand constraint area, I must reference a cell in the spreadsheet with the value to get around it. This is okay, but I cannot use the integer or binary constraints. When I select them from the drop-down I get the following error message: Constraint must be a number, simple reference or formula with a numeric value.

Also, does anyone know if SolverTable is available in a Mac version, all the ones I've come across don't work.

Thank you.
 
This is from another post by 'barhar';

To access the 'Solver' tool just select 'Excel's 'Tools, Solver...' menu item.
I am assuming here - that you did not notice this. If you did indeed select the 'Tools, Solver...' menu item and no 'Solver Parameters' window appears ...

(
To verify the 'Solver' tool's existence:
01. Locate and open the 'Microsoft Office 2004' folder (an assumption on my part, since you made no mention of the version of MS Office / Excel you are referring to). Here 'Excel' is version 11.0.
02. Locate and open the 'Office' folder, and then it's 'Add-Ins' folder (... '/Microsoft Office 2004/Office/Add-Ins/').
Do you see the files 'Solver Library' and 'Solver.xla' in the 'Add-Ins' folder? If so, you have the 'Solver' tool installed - even though it is not displayed in the 'Add-Ins' window's list (obtained via 'Excel's 'Tools, 'Add-Ins...' menu item).
If not installed - navigate though the same folders on the 'Microsoft Office 2004' installation CD and drag them over to the hard disk drive based 'Microsoft Office 2004' 'Add-Ins' folder.
)

I know, the above contradicts what 'Excel's Help, Excel Help' menu item's 'Microsoft Office Help; window displays - when a search for 'Solver tool' is made, and the 'Add-in programs for Microsoft Excel' link (the last one) is selected.
The same applies for the 'Lookup Wizard' and 'Conditional Sum Wizard' 'Add-Ins' items. These features are available via the 'Tools, Wizard, Lookup...' and 'Tools, Wizard, Conditional Sum...' respective sub menu items, and not via the 'Add-Ins' window's list.
To access the 'Report Manager' (also listed as an 'Add-Ins' item) select the 'View, Report Manager...' menu item.

A link that may help;

http://www.microsoft.com/mac/otherp...LIBRARY/how_to_articles/officex/xl_solver.xml
 
I have Solver itself on my Mac. I have problems directly entering values into the right hand side constraints box. If I enter a value directly or try to use the binary or integer options I get the error. If I instead reference a cell (in which I've entered the value I want) in the worksheet for the constraint, then it works. However, I can't do this for binary or integer options and therefore can't use them. Which takes away a lot of functionality. So I end up working on my roommates PC instead.

I'm thinking that perhaps there is a setting on my computer that is preventing me from using the drop-down in the constraints box to select "bin" or "int". Or maybe this is just a bug with the mac version of excel solver. I've never gotten this error on a PC.
 
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