Compare Two Spreadsheets and Find Where the Numbers Differ

Your muse can compare two spreadsheet files side by side and hand you a list of where the figures differ, so you do not have to hunt cell by cell through two versions of the same sheet.

What it does

Budgets, price lists, stock sheets, and expense files tend to exist in versions: the one you sent, the one that came back, last month and this month. Give the muse both files and it reads them, lines up the rows, and reports which figures changed, which rows were added, and which ones went missing. The same handover works for other file jobs: it can pull several documents into one new document, and it can sort a pile of files you hand it into a single view, for example monthly expenses grouped into groceries, travel, and subscriptions. You get the short list of differences, not a long afternoon of squinting at two windows.

How to use it

1. Save both versions with names you can tell apart, like march-budget and april-budget.
2. Give both files to your muse and say: "Compare these two spreadsheets. List every figure that changed, every row that was added, and every row that is missing from the second file."
3. Ask for the answer in the shape you will use: a simple list, or a small table with the old figure and the new figure side-by-side.
4. Spot-check three differences against the real files before you trust the rest of the list.
5. Ask follow-up questions in plain words, such as which category changed the most, instead of reopening the sheets yourself.

What you need

• A muse account
• The two files, in a spreadsheet or document format you can share or upload
• Ten minutes to check the first results against the originals

What to watch for

• The comparison is only as clean as the files. If rows were renamed, moved, or spelled two ways, the muse may read a renamed row as one deletion and one addition, so tell it about any renaming you already know of.
• Totals that look different can trace back to one changed input cell, so ask which change explains a total before you challenge anyone over it.
• Keep your own copies of both originals untouched. The muse prepares the difference list, you decide what the changes mean.