Thursday, August 24, 2006

Just Like That

Many eons ago, when I was just starting out as a web-crawler, a cyberbuddy sent me the following EASTER EGG (if you don't know what that is ... ummm ... ask Zigzackly!! He's better than Google coz he not only knows everything worth knowing but he also explains stuff very nicely. Such as, the other day, how to sort out my query about RSS feeds) -- and it remains one of the best I've seen (well, discounting the eggs hidden in MYST I & II, which weren't fun so much as part of the general MYSTification). If there are others, please share! I know there are prolly web-sites dedicated to EEs -- and I even have links to them buried somewhere in my puter, but can't find them just now and am too lazy to look. I've not tried it on any other versions of EXCEL but I would guess it won't wurk.


EASTER EGG
Try this easter egg, if you have Excel 97. Follow the instructions exactly.

1.On a new Worksheet, Press F5
2.Type X97:L97 and hit enter
3.Press the tab key
4.Hold Ctrl-Shift
5.Click on the Chart Wizard toolbar button
6.Use mouse to fly around - Right button forward/ Left button reverse

5 comments:

zigzackly said...

:)

Unknown said...

Thanks Zig! I knew I could count on ya! I've been to that web-site before but had of course forgotten its name.

Here's an EE I got from there for those who have WindowsXP: Open NOTEPAD and type "Bush hid the facts" and save the file (I used the name BushEasterEgg). Close it, then open it again, to see an effect. It's very minor, as EEs go, but for those who have never experienced one, it's an example.

30in2005 said...

That did not work!

When you say press tab and then hold ctrl-shift - is that simultaneous or what?

BTW. New own flat and your etchings are all over the place - much like a gallery!

Unknown said...

Hi 30in2005! How nice -- a new flat AND your own personal gallery!!

About Excel97's EE -- I just tried it again, and it does work. So --persevere! No, you don't press TAB and CTR-SHFT together. First press TAB (after, of course, having pressed F5). Then CTRL-SHIFT -- and with CTRL-SHIFT pressed, press the Chart Wizard button. The EE immediately self-starts.

Enjoy.

Unknown said...

Here's a saved message I discovered tucked away three levels deep under "Important Documents" of a 2001 folder!! I apparently saved the message without ever trying either of the two EEs listed in it.

I have no idea who VINCE BARNES is and have never gone to the link he provides -- but my thanks to him for his concise and helpful note about Easter Eggs. I've never had Win 2000 so I guess I can't try the first of the two EEs he suggests, but I tried the second one right now and can attest that it's a cutie! Here's the note:

To a programmer, an Easter egg is a piece of code that is hidden
within a software product (or a web page). When uncovered, these "eggs" reveal jokes,
pictures, credits or some other little tidbit. They are hidden
so that they can be found. They are a form of programmer's signature and provide no other
useful purpose. (A piece of code that is hidden and provides a
useful purpose is a "back door" or "debugging tool", and one which is hidden and provides a
malicious purpose is a "Trojan".)

Here are a couple of examples:

In Windows 2000:
1: Right click on the desktop and choose Properties.
2: Go to the Screensaver tab.
3: Select the 3-D text screensaver and open the properties.
4: In the text box, type "volcano"

For a web-page Easter egg, go to
http://nl.internet.com/ct.html?rtr=on&s=1,tzy,1,17q4,6u7u,6o26,4q9x
(you need to have Java
enabled in your browser). Use the bunny's basket to catch the
letters GOOGLE.

If you are aware of some entertaining Easter eggs, send them to the newsletter's feedback address(nlfeedback@htmlgoodies.com) and
I'll publish some of them for everybody's amusement.

Thanks for Reading!
- Vince Barnes