P21C - Define Error occurring with Custom Columns

Some background -
Utilizing the P21’s ADaM specification template, I have added custom columns in the right-most area of both the Variable and ValueLevel tabs. These columns house excel formulas to help ensure Methods mentioned on these tabs are present on the Methods tab. The expectation is that P21C will ignore values in these columns as they have been placed after those required for the define.

Issue observed -
If there are any formulas in cells below the last variable on the Variables or ValueLevel tabs, P21C will generate an error message instead of creating the Define. I think it uses the last row in which it finds anything as its cue to stop reading that sheet, and formulas in cells without any other data on that row will cause it to try to read that row anyway, even though the formulas are stored in columns that it wouldn’t normally look at.

Is this a known issue?
How does P21C read in columns? Does only read in the first X required on each tab? Does it look at column headers?
How does P21C define last row of any given tab?

Hi Samanta,

I confirm your issue. Define.xml generation fails when input excel specs utilize VLOOKUP function. It does not matter if this formula is present in P21 standard columns (e.g., Developer Notes) or additional custom columns.

Extra records bellow last variable do not have direct impact to define.xml generation failure. (At least I could not reproduce this issue).

Utilization of Excel formulas in P21 specs is “off-label use” for P21 Community Define.xml tool. My recommendation is to delete your operational columns with Excel formular before define.xml generation process.

Kind Regards,
Sergiy