Welcome to the Treehouse Community

Want to collaborate on code errors? Have bugs you need feedback on? Looking for an extra set of eyes on your latest project? Get support with fellow developers, designers, and programmers of all backgrounds and skill levels here with the Treehouse Community! While you're at it, check out some resources Treehouse students have shared here.

Looking to learn something new?

Treehouse offers a seven day free trial for new students. Get access to thousands of hours of content and join thousands of Treehouse students and alumni in the community today.

Start your free trial

Data Analysis Spreadsheet Basics Spreadsheet Best Practices Comments and Notes

atomictds
atomictds
603 Points
Posted by atomictds
atomictds
603 Points

So what IS the difference between comments and notes? Why would you use notes if comments logs the history?

So what IS the difference between comments and notes? Why would you use notes if comments logs the history? You say the difference is subtle, but what IS the difference and what use case for note vs. comment?

1 Answer

Travis Alstrand
seal-mask
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
Travis Alstrand
Treehouse Project Reviewer
Travis Alstrand
.a{fill-rule:evenodd;}techdegree seal-36
Travis Alstrand
Treehouse Project Reviewer

Hey there atomictds I did some online fishing around and I hope this clears things up for you.

COMMENTS

Comments facilitate communication and collaboration between users.

Features:

  • Can include @mentions to tag collaborators.
  • Allow threaded replies (in Google Sheets) — you can have back-and-forth conversations.
  • Can be resolved to indicate the issue or discussion point is closed.

NOTES

Notes provide static context or explanations within the spreadsheet.

Features:

  • No collaboration features: no replies, mentions, or resolve options.
  • Good for long-term documentation or descriptive annotations.
  • Persist unless manually removed.
  • Can be printed along with the spreadsheet.

BEST PRACTICE:

Use comments when you're actively collaborating with others and need input, and use notes to document key details for yourself or future users of the spreadsheet.