Do you think this can be achieved with Excel?

Mistral001

JulyKnot wrote: »

As an afterthought though I wonder if there is any true need and I could maybe use just four columns B to to E and use column A as the differentiator/ header between groups of data. Will think about this properly when less tired........ No I don't think that will work

Thanks again everyone for giving me starters to go away and play around with.

Have you thought about hiding the columns between the columns you want to look at, or even just make them smaller.

paddyrg

JulyKnot wrote: »

The four columns is for a reason. The other three relate back to the first.I am being dictated to by the app and the csv template to import into it. In other words each piece of data uses up four columns.
Ie headings for the four columns set by the app template:Item name, quantity, category, remarks.
So in the 'database' excel spreadsheet
First piece of data would take up columns A to D
Second piece E to H etc.

Personally, I'd look at cleaning up that import - 4 columns is not the problem, the problem is that you then have columns E onwards in use at all - the data should all end up in one long vertical list in those 4 columns! If you can do that, you can report on it in dozens of ways and have a very clear, powerful tool.

paddyrg

Lum wrote: »

But the big difference between Access and Excel is that when a similar project happens in Excel, it is unlikely to become a multi-user affair, ...

Sure allowing people free reign to do bizarre stuff with Excel is giving them a little bit of rope, but Access gives you enough rope to hang yourself and your entire team....

I'm 3rd line desktop support, so guess who has to go over and figure out what her old crappy database did?

Yes, I'm inclined to agree that giving children scalpels is a poor idea compared to giving them round-nosed scissors! I don't think that's the fault of scalpels (in fact in surgery they're a far better tool for the job), it's probably whoever handed them out unthinkingly.

The job in question in this thread though would be entirely within the scope of sensible application of the tool. That said, if the import/transformation problem can be resolved to keep the data as pure data, getting rid of this formatting (column E --> ) problem, then Excel can also eat it for breakfast.

Karma appears to have bitten you ;-) But I do hear exactly what you're saying, I feel it in my heart, firsthand from a long time ago. And well done to you for sticking it out. Submit yourself to thedailywtf ;-)

Lum

Mr_Toad wrote: »

What you need is a good Oracle developer.

IMO Oracle is on a similar level of evil to Access, just for very very different reasons. (Most of our customers insist on Oracle)

Mr_Toad

Lum wrote: »

IMO Oracle is on a similar level of evil to Access, just for very very different reasons. (Most of our customers insist on Oracle)

Nah, it's a wonderful Database system that ensures I get very highly paid.

It keeps me in Merc AMGs :T