What is the way to Expand/Collapse Grouped Data in a protected sheet of Microsoft Excel

[@nkit Trivedi]

I have created a worksheet that will be distributed to 300+ users in an investment group. It contains formulas and computations in cells that could easily be overwritten by spreadsheet novices, so I've protected the worksheet so users can only edit the cells they need to for the sheet to return the info they need. The problem is: after protecting the worksheet, Excel won't allow the user to expand or collapse grouped rows that list detailed information on each step of the calculations. This is inconvenient because
I'd like to give the users the ability to expand the spreadsheet to see what's going on, but collapse the extra data for printing purposes. MS Support said that this functionality wasn't available (but it should be), so I'm curious if anyone has ideas for a good workaround.

[DanielaA]

I modified your workbook slightly, added some code and a couple of buttons from the Forms toolbar. I believe it does what you want.

1. Insert a row just above "auction items", call it Details and format it
2. the same as the Summary row.
3. Clear the outline
4. Add a button to cell B25 with the caption "Details"
5. Add a button to cell C25 with the caption "Summary"
6. Add a module to your workbook and insert the following code

Sub ShowTheDetails()
ActiveSheet.Unprotect
If Rows(27).Hidden = True Then
Rows("27:43").Hidden = False
Else
Rows("27:43").Hidden = True
End If
ActiveSheet.Protect
End Sub

Sub ShowTheSummary()
ActiveSheet.Unprotect
If Rows(45).Hidden = True Then
Rows("45:53").Hidden = False
Else
Rows("45:53").Hidden = True
End If
ActiveSheet.Protect
End Sub

7. Assign ShowTheDetails macro to the "Details" button.
8. Assign ShowTheSummary macro to the "Summary button.

I will be glad to send you the workbook with the changes in it, if you would like to see it.

[GALIENA]

I had a very similar requirement with grouped columns. Thanks for the above post it worked fine for me. The only qualification is that someone who knows what they are doing can edit the macro and see your password - not a problem in my case as I am trying to protect the sheet from novices no experts! 'If you already have the outline applied, you can protect the worksheet in code (auto_open/workbook_open??).

Option Explicit
Sub auto_open()
With Worksheets("sheet1")
.Protect Password:="hi", userinterfaceonly:=True
.EnableOutlining = True
End With
End Sub

It needs to be reset each time you open the workbook. (excel doesn't remember it after closing the workbook.)

[QUENBY]

You can actually protect the project from most people. Next time you're in the VBE, select that project. Then Tools > VBAProject Properties > Protection Tab But this protection can be broken in a matter of seconds--if the user knows how. But it does keep most out.

[Zh@veri]

I have the same problem like Robert, but I seem not to understand the instructions that you gave . I am not familiar with macro. Is there away it could be done directly with excel or do I have to learn macro. I am using this it works ok but I'm running into a code signing issue now. Shouldn't I be able to sign the macro and have other employees open it without having to obtain a certificate from a "trusted CA" its for internal use only anyway

[ShaggyBoy]

I'm running on Excel 2007 and I need to enable the end users to expand/collapse columns in a protected sheet Instead of adding VBA language and buttons to run the script backend to ungroup/group columns, is there any other ways in Excel that will facilitate the same process?