Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Computing/2015 December 22

= December 22 =

Excel help
Each Item in Column A is uniquely identifiable by a Type in Column B and a Number in Column C. None of the Items, Types or Numbers follow any particular order within their columns. What formula will, by a given Type and a given Number, display the relevant Item? --Theurgist (talk) 00:47, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * The DGET function looks like it can do what you want, but you have to use another group of cells to specify the criteria. --Bavi H (talk) 01:58, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * I'm not familiar with DGET, so it might well be the best option, but I would CONCATENATE the B&C columns and then use a VLOOKUP function. 99.235.223.170 (talk) 02:35, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Not specific to Excel, but if you can sort by column C, and then by column B, without resetting after the initial sort, that should do what you want. In programs that have up and down arrows at the top of each column, this can be a convenient way to do such a sort.  (This might not work for certain types of internal sorting methods, which don't attempt to conserve the initial order.)  StuRat (talk) 18:30, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

Spreadsheet article might need attention
The bit "Each cell of the array is a model–view–controller element that may contain either numeric or text data, or the results of formulas that automatically calculate and display a value based on the contents of other cells." might need expansion. I, personally, would be interested in the consequences of dealing processing data this way (that is, mixing the data/logic/action in the same cell).--Scicurious (talk) 16:02, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

Adding two numbers in Java, without declaring variables in advance
I'm trying to figure out how to write code that understands a message add(x, y); where x and y are two integers, adds them, and returns the result. Seems like I can't just declare two variables, because the message won't provide any. If I don't though, my code doesn't compile. I have a vague idea about using a String argument, but I don't understand how to do that and suspect I've already failed to recognise an easier way. 2.98.138.155 (talk) 19:21, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Are you trying to operate with uninitialized variables? Java actually does not have those. You declare them and they get assigned a default value for their type. --Scicurious (talk) 19:32, 22 December 2015 (UTC)
 * What I hoped someone might point out is a way to have the variables automatically declared as they are provided, I guess based on a keyword. In the same way as

this
 * works as a placeholder for an object whose variable name isn't known yet. 2.98.138.155 (talk) 19:38, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Java won't let you use a not-explicitly-initialized variable.--Scicurious (talk) 19:41, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * You're getting confused here. Objects and variables are different things. There's nothing stopping a variable from referring to one object at one time and to another object at another time, or an object being referred to by multiple variables simultaneously. J I P  &#124; Talk 20:07, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Your question makes it appear that you want to take a String with the value "add(x, y);" and parse it into "use the function add", "make parameter 1 the variable x", and "make parameter 2 the variable y". This assumes that you previously parsed something like "set x=3" and "set y=2". If that is what you are trying to do, it is usually handled with an array of some kind. When you parse "set x=3", you check to see if you've declared x already. It will have an index in your "declared variables" array. If it hasn't been declared, you add it to your "declared variables" array. Then, with the index of x, you place the 3 at the same index in the "variable values" array. The same for setting y. Now, when you get "add(x, y);", you look up the index for x and the index for y. You then get the values for x and for y. You call the add function using the values, not the strings "x" and "y". So, the case of "calling a function when I haven't declared the variables" does not exist. 209.149.113.52 (talk) 20:14, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

LinkedIn question
As I was recently laid off from work, I joined LinkedIn and made a profile there. One company went as far as to contact me solely based on my LinkedIn profile, without me having to apply there at all. But they didn't hire me.

As it happened, I found another job without using LinkedIn at all. Now, my question is, LinkedIn still keeps sending me e-mail about possible job offerings. How do I stop it from doing so? J I P &#124; Talk 20:05, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Hover over your icon in the top right. Select Privacy and Settings. Now, on the menu on the left, you can find Communications and alter what they send to you. 209.149.113.52 (talk) 20:20, 22 December 2015 (UTC)

Problems are fewer but I'm not updating Windows Defender
Referring to this question I have asked for help on a Microsoft web site. Once I stopped automatic updates, I haven't had to do a system restore, though I did have a weird problem this afternoon after the computer had been on a while doing a scan and then went to "sleep".

I'm not up to date on Windows Defender but someone on this reference desk suggested doing something with catroot files but didn't really explain how.

As for the new problem, I don't know if it's related. It has happened several time in recent years. Once I go to the Internet for the first time on a particular day I see something that resembles scrolling quickly, only the information actually on the screen does not move. It's like I'm seeing part of another image on top of what's really there, scrolling really fast. And the mouse will no longer respond so I have to turn the computer off.— Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  21:14, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * Sounds like you might have Malicious Software on your computer. Viruses and the like sometimes disguise themselves as programs that they are not. IE you were tricked into thinking a virus was infact windows defender. In my opinion programs like Malwarebytes, AVG, CCleaner are better starting points. 199.19.248.88 (talk) 23:51, 22 December 2015 (UTC)


 * I doubt that's what happened. Windows has been updating automatically for me for years. I didn't choose to update it, but up until now, I've never had a reason to stop the updates. I never do anything risky at home.— Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  15:50, 23 December 2015 (UTC)


 * "I doubt that's what happened." is a bad attitude. You probably do have malicious software of some kind. Why? "Windows has been updating automatically for me for years." You are using an old version of Windows, so it probably has some form of malicious software. Why? "I never do anything risky at home." Your assumption that you must do something risky to get malicious software is blatantly wrong. So, you probably have malicious software on your machine. Why? Many years of reporting various trivial problems to this website, each one ending with the conclusion that you have some sort of malicious software on your computer. 209.149.113.52 (talk) 16:09, 23 December 2015 (UTC)


 * The rest of you come to that conclusion because I don't seem to explain it well enough to satisfy you. If there was a real problem of that nature, the antivirus software would have picked it up by now. And these are not trivial problems to me.— Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  19:54, 23 December 2015 (UTC)


 * I've come to no conclusions yet, but, when I think I might have a problem on my computer, I scan with three different malware detectors, just in case. The catroot suggestion was to force Windows to update again.    D b f i r s   21:05, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

Okay, well, we'll see. I'm still waiting on answers from Microsoft. The man keeps asking questions I can't answer but he suspects leftover Norton software from when I switched to McAfee so I could pay when I paid my phone bill.— Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  22:13, 23 December 2015 (UTC)

You pay for antivirus software?...Completely unnecessary. You should look for better software.. MacAfee and Norton are garbage. "If there was a real problem of that nature, the antivirus software would have picked it up by now"... Many antivirus programs fail to detect malicious software. Try being more contemplative and open minded. 199.19.248.88 (talk) 23:08, 23 December 2015 (UTC)
 * I suppose a geek would feel comfortable just doing his own investigating and finding something that he believes works. Not me.— Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  17:42, 24 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Okay, no answers from Microsoft. Someone from my phone company told me not to trust the person who was trying to help me. But I can see why he would want specific answers. I just don't know how to give them.— Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  22:38, 24 December 2015 (UTC)
 * I hope that you rang Microsoft, not Microsoft rang you to tell you there was "something wrong with your computer".   D b f i r s   23:08, 24 December 2015 (UTC)
 * No, I used a link from the information I posted here about the update that was giving me trouble. The phone company provides my McAfee virus software but I couldn't satisfy the Microsoft person when I tried to explain the type of software, which is why I called the phone company. The Microsoft person's demands made the phone company suspicious.— Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  23:15, 24 December 2015 (UTC)
 * ( Glad to hear they didn't phone you -- it's a common scam here, but not one that I would have expected you to fall for. Sometimes I lead them on for a while, but stop just before giving them control of my computer. )  It's quite common for each company to blame the other, so I wouldn't read too much into the "not trust" suggestion, but it's possible that your Norton software didn't fully uninstall.  Are you still getting that scrolling effect?  Have you told your phone company about that?  It does sound like malware.  I hope you get it sorted soon, and Happy Christmas.    D b f i r s   08:34, 25 December 2015 (UTC)
 * No, that scrolling hadn't happened in months. I went back to the link to the update. Someone else at the site said I should consider myself lucky this person tried to help me and said he was one of the most knowledgeable people there (like here on Wikipedia). It sounds like I can trust him. Whether there's anything more they can do I don't know.—  Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  16:43, 25 December 2015 (UTC)

Well, I had to do a startup repair today. I hadn't used the computer in a couple of days and I don't expect to use it again until Tuesday. But that's different from a system restore. Windows wants me to do 3 updates. Given the time required for download, this will wait until Tuesday and I'll do all except the one I suspect of causing problems. If I don't run into any new problems, I'll do the other Thursday and hope for the best. Windows Defender definition is 1.213.644.0 12/21/2015 at 5:40 PM, which I assume is my time, or Eastern in the United States. I didn't do anything to make that happen. Anyway, I can ask what this means.— Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  18:23, 27 December 2015 (UTC)
 * Correction. I didn't tell it to do a scan but before I clicked on "Exit" it started doing a scan. It got stuck on one file (I never realized I could click on the logo to stop the scan) and now it shows 1.213.964.0 12/24/2015 at 3:25 P.M. I don't know why this keeps happening if I haven't downloaded any updates.—  Vchimpanzee  •  talk  •  contributions  •  18:53, 27 December 2015 (UTC)