Data Entry Validation and Input Cell Audit
Audit a spreadsheet's input columns for validation gaps, free-text chaos and error-prone entry, and design simple rules to prevent bad data.
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[VERIFY] is an editorial flag, not a blank to fill. Wherever the prompt shows [VERIFY], check that item against a reliable source before you use it.
Please audit the input columns of a spreadsheet that several people type into, and find where bad entries are likely. I will paste headers and sample entries, and you will recommend validation rules. Mention menu paths or functions with [VERIFY]. Inputs: the column headers and what each is for [COLUMN_PURPOSES], 30 sample rows [SAMPLE_ROWS], the app and whether many people edit [APP_AND_EDITORS], and known data problems, such as duplicate names or mixed date formats [KNOWN_DATA_PROBLEMS]. Produce: (1) a column review table with columns Column, Intended type, Variation found in sample, Problem examples, Suggested rule (drop-down list, date only, whole number range, text length, unique values, required), Message to show the person typing; (2) counts of problem entries per column, and the percent of the 30 sample rows with at least one problem, showing the arithmetic; (3) a suggested list of allowed values for every column that should use a drop-down; (4) a list of columns that should be split, such as full name or combined date and time; (5) an instruction sheet of up to eight lines for the people who enter data; (6) a plan to clean existing data on a copy, in steps. Guardrails: do not delete or change my data; mark proposed cleaning as suggestions. Do not invent allowed values; use those I provide or label "to be agreed". Remind me that protection and validation rules can be bypassed by pasting, and that a periodic review is still needed. Add a worked example with invented sample data: a Status column with "Done", "done", "Complete", "done " and "Finished". Show the standard list proposed and the count of five variants.
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