Locking onto a Spreadsheet File

GoldSim allows you to “lock onto” the spreadsheet file that is being referenced. When you lock onto a file (by selecting the Lock onto selected file item in the menu displayed via the Options>> button), the following additional information regarding the referenced file is saved with the element:

Once you have locked onto a file, the CRC signature is displayed in a tool-tip when you hold your cursor over the filename in the dialog.

The CRC signature is an alphanumeric code that can be used to uniquely identify whether the file contents have changed. When you run a model that has locked onto a file, GoldSim compares the CRC signature of the file with the original signature that was stored. If these are not identical (indicating that the file has been changed), GoldSim displays an error message and will not run the model.

You can unlock a file by clearing the Lock onto selected file item. Note that if versioning is enabled, whenever a file is locked onto or unlocked, this information is logged with the version.

Note: Saving changes to a spreadsheet file and file locking are mutually exclusive. If the Save MS-Excel file after simulation item is selected in the Options>> menu when you try to lock onto a file, GoldSim will warn you that locking onto the file will automatically disable saving changes to the MS-Excel file. When you lock onto a file, the Save MS-Excel file after simulation item is no longer available in the Options>> menu.

Note: The act of opening a workbook in Excel automatically modifies the file, even if no changes are made. In order to allow spreadsheet files to be viewed without changing the CRC signature, GoldSim automatically makes the file read-only when it is locked onto. Note that if it is subsequently unlocked, it remains read only, and you will need to change this manually if you wish to edit the file.