Tips & Tricks: Common Issues & Workarounds with Data Types

1. Entities Show Errors When Opening a File While Logged Out

Issue:
If you open an Excel workbook that already contains LightBox entities (e.g., properties, jobs, contacts) and you are not currently logged into the add-in, the cells linked to those entities will display error messages (e.g., “#FIELD!” or “#NAME?”).

Cause:
The add-in requires authentication to resolve and refresh entity-linked data. When you’re logged out, Excel cannot retrieve the associated values from the LightBox data source.

Solution:

• Log in to the LightBox Live add-in.

• Once logged in, click the “Refresh Data” button from the LightBox ribbon in Excel to reload all entities.

2. #VALUE! Errors When Refreshing Large Numbers of Entities

Issue:
When refreshing a worksheet that contains a large number of LightBox entities, some cells may display a #VALUE! error instead of the expected data.

Cause:
This typically happens due to timing or throttling issues during mass data refresh operations. Excel may fail to resolve all entities in one go, especially if there are performance constraints or network latency.

Solution:
To fix a #VALUE! error for a specific cell:

• Click the cell that contains the error.

• Press F2 (or double-click the cell) to enter edit mode.

• Press Enter to re-trigger the resolution of that specific entity.

This forces Excel to re-evaluate the data type object and fetch its values again.

3. Best Practices to Avoid Errors

• Always log in first before opening or refreshing files that use LightBox entities.

• Save frequently before mass-refresh actions to avoid data loss if Excel crashes or stalls.