Q: Who can generate a change log?
Any Apparity user that has access to the file can generate a change log, regardless if he or she is the spreadsheet owner.
Q: What is the difference between Submit for Review and using the compare in the Version History pane?
Submit for Review is a shortcut that automatically generates a change log that compares the current/open version of the file to the Last Approved version (if no reviews have been approved yet, it will compare against the originally onboarded file). Note that when you select this option, you will be prompted to save/close the current/open version of the spreadsheet (with standard optional comment) so that it has an entry in the Version History. The Compare option in the Version History allows more flexibility because the user chooses the two versions that will be compared.
Q: Why can’t I submit a change log for review after clicking the 'What Did I Change?' button?
When conducting an in-session comparison, users will be unable to initiate a review from the change log. This option is intended to help users identify the impact of various changes before they are saved. To initiate a review from the change log, users must select the Submit for Review or select two versions to compare from the Version History.
Q: Why is my change log taking a significant amount of time to generate?
The amount of time it takes to generate a change log depends on the size of your file and the number of changes that were made between the two versions. As mentioned in previous sections, be sure to clean the spreadsheet of any formatting issues to maximize performance.
Q: Why are some of my changes not initially showing in the Change Log view?
Apparity is configured to show a set of default changes that are determined to be significant from your organization’s perspective (filters at the top of the Change Log view). Data Value Changes and Calculated Value Changes are not included in this default setting. To view these changes, users can select and deselect any of the change filters. Please note that by changing the filters, the reviewer will be notified that selected change filters are different from the organization’s default settings.
Q: What is Noise?
"Noise" is defined as non-user generated changes to the spreadsheet. For example, if an insert of a row in the worksheet changes the reference to a cell in a formula. The actual insert of the row will be captured as a significant change in the Change Compare Log, but any changes in cell reference within a formula, due to that insert, will be subsequently categorized as noise. The ability to filter out noise is vital, because it allows the reviewers to focus only on the significant changes that occurred in the spreadsheet.
Within your change log, noise will be captured as either Formula Argument Change or Calculated Value Change.
Q: What is the Group Shared Formulas filter?
The Group Shared Formulas filter will group changes to similar formulas together in the Change Log. For example, if you have the same formula dragged into multiple cells, and the formula in some or all of these cells change, the Group Shared Formulas filter will group these changes together to help the reviewer identify similar changes.
Q: Will Apparity compare hidden sheets?
Yes. Apparity will compare all sheets, even if they are hidden.
Q: Can Apparity compare sheets that are password protected?
Yes. Apparity can compare sheets that are password protected.
Q: How do I know what each Type of Change means?
On the Summary Change Log tab, each Type of Change has an (i) icon next to its name. Users can hover over the icon to see a definition of each change. The definitions of each Type of Change will also be included in the automated email that is sent to the Selected Reviewer.
Q: How can I tell if I am comparing against the most recently approved version?
When you generate a change log, on the Summary Change Log tab, there is a field titled Is the Past Compare Version the Most Recent Approved Version?. If the flag is set to Yes, then the version that you are comparing against is the most recently approved version (based on date/time). If the flag is set to No, the version that you are comparing against is not the most recently approved version (based on date/time).