In Office 2003 the Merge and Center button do not function when the sheet is
protected while the unprotected cells do the same behavior, but if you move
or cut merged cells and paste to another unprotected location the merged
cells become unmerged and the target location becomes merged on an
unprotected area. This behavior is good when you need to have part of the
sheet protected and part unprotected. My suggestion for Microsoft for the
merge and center button: this feature needs to work in unprotected cells
while other parts of the sheet are protected. On Excel 2003 work in an
indirect way.

But in Excel 2007 this behavior was eliminated which is bad. When the sheet
is protected the merge and center button do not work on unprotected cells
while other parts of the sheet is protected.

I am a analytical chemist from the Food and Drug Administration and we work
with Excel Analytical Application extensively and our analyst need to have
part of the sheet protected and other unprotected in order to create
different analytical application using the USP and other company method for
food and drug analytical method.

We have done extensive research on spreadsheet analytical applications and
discover a way for our analysts to develop from a template their analytical
application which look similar to other analysts which make it easer to
verify by other analysts because all formatting properties are similar. The
merge and center button is essential when a template sheet form has protected
as well as unprotected cells. By doing this we can control better the
application development. We call this workbook files "single-user" (need 100%
verification by a second analyst each time a workbook file template is
developed) because the template in use only one time, when the analyst
complete the analytical method it personalized for that particular drug
analysis and is used only one time. The printed report is used as the
official document which can be used in a court of law. The file is save and
archived for future audits.

We also have "multi-user" applications (need validation documentation) which
can be use by more than one analyst. This type of workbook files the formulas
cells are protected while the data-entry cells are unprotected. Also these
types of workbook file are used in the pharmaceutical industries.

I have several publications (US FDA Laboratory Information Bulleting) on
this topics (single-user / multi-user). Upon request I can send them.

I hope you can understand the above situation with the merge and center
buttom. I not please give me a call, and we can discuss.

Dennis Cantellops, QAM
US FDA San Juan District
787-474-4795
dcantel2@libertypr.net
dennis.cantellops@fda.hhs.gov