Using the planner

Whether you are using a smartphone, tablet, laptop or PC, the process for using the planner is very similar.

Opening the planner

Click on the link which has been emailed to you or the link on the home page of this website and wait a few moments for the table to be set up properly. You may see an invitation to “sign in” (i.e. into a Google account) as you open the Planner – you can ignore this.

All users need the Google Sheets app which is downloaded free of charge.  PC users will probably be unaware that they are accessing the app because it happens so quickly and automatically.  Tablet or smartphone first time users are, on the other hand, likely to be invited to download it.  Installation on your device may take 10 to 20 seconds.  

Once the Google Sheets app is fully set up, you should be able to:

● ·        scroll down to a name or line towards the bottom of the page; the top lines in pink, identifying each event, will stay at the top of the screen. This means you can easily see which event any cell on that line corresponds to, so no need to scroll right up to check you’re in the right column.  The rows showing times, supplementary information and closing dates for entries will still disappear as you scroll down;

● ·         scroll over to the right to look at an event later in the year and still see the name you’ve selected on the left of the screen (most helpful early in the rowing calendar when a full year’s worth of events makes the complete table much wider than most screens!)

So you will be able to see your own name and any event wherever you scroll to in the Planner, whatever device you are using.

If the table shows “VIEW” (top left on PCs, bottom right on handheld devices) this means you don’t have editing access. Try closing the Planner and re-opening it from the link. Contact Geoff Tomlinson (Email: geofftomlinson1@gmail.com) if you still don’t appear to have full access to the Planner.  

How the table works compared to Doodle

The table works on exactly the same principle as the DOODLE table.  As before, each event is detailed along the top.  Potential participants are listed down the left hand side as on DOODLE, but on the Planner they are ordered alphabetically by first name.

At the very bottom of the Planner is a section highlighted in pink. Each type of preference recorded is totalled column by column, so you can see how many potential participants (or not) there are for each event;

·         “A” shows they are AVAILABLE and wish to participate in that event;

·         “I” shows they will do so IF asked to;

·         “N” indicates they are NOT AVAILABLE; and lastly

       …. the Planner shows how many have made no entry or intentionally left a blank.

Using the Planner

PC users

1.      Select the line with your own name on it and an event you have made a decision about.

2.      In the intersecting cell click on the downward arrow in the right hand side of the cell and a dropdown box will appear.  

3.      Select from within the dropdown box “A”, “I”, “N” or “ ‘ “ (this last, the apostrophe, enters a “blank” so that you can come back and make your selection later if you prefer not to commit yourself yet).  

4.    The dropdown box will continue to show until your preference has been registered.

Hand-held device users

1.      Select the line across with your own name on it and the column for an event you have made a decision about.

2.      Touch the cell and a list of the available choices will appear; touch the right hand side of the cell and a dropdown box will appear at the bottom of the screen showing the four options.

3.   Make your choice from these and the dropdown will disappear.  

You will now be able to see that your entry has changed the totals in the bottom rows.  

All users – changing an entry

If your availability changes, you can go back into the Planner and select a different preference following the same process described above.

BUT PLEASE NOTE: If the deadline for entries is on that day or earlier, you will need urgently to let the selection team know that your circumstances have changed.

And a few other points …

·         You don’t need to perform any “Save” operations – any changes you make are saved as you go along.  Just exit the Planner once you have finished.

·         If you should forget to select the dropdown and enter invalid text, a warning orange tab will be visible in the top right corner of the cell.  Please then use the dropdown and select one of the available options; this will automatically replace characters already in the cell.

·         It is very easy to line up any cell in the planner so that the rower and event it corresponds with are obvious.  Also, every name can easily be found since all are listed alphabetically by first name. So please avoid making entries on behalf of other members!!  If you have accidentally adjusted someone else’s line, or cannot find your own name, please contact Geoff Tomlinson
(Email: geofftomlinson1@gmail.com)  as soon as possible.

·         If you can only get viewing access or aren’t happy about using the Planner, then please contact Geoff Tomlinson who will be able to record your preferences if, in spite of further help, it is still not possible for you to use the Planner yourself..

·         Hopefully most members will have no trouble accessing or editing the Planner. For any who cannot, it will be possible to send out updated versions in PDF format. Recipients will be able to email their preferences to Geoff Tomlinson.
(Email: geofftomlinson1@gmail.com)   

Thank you and good luck!