How do I export Flash values into an Excel document and vice versa?

XxSaberxXXxSaberxX Singapore
edited November 2009 in Internet & Media
Let's say I'm a doctor and I want to use keep track of my patients' particulars and other details in an Excel Spreadsheet, details like when was their last visit, what allergies they have etc. I want to make something like a form where I can call and insert values from/into the Excel document using Flash. Any known way to do it?

Comments

  • ButtersButters CA Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    In theory you could do it. You will have to use other technologies in between before the data reaches the ultimate destination, the Excel document. However, this would be terribly inefficient.

    If you must use Flash, you might as well have it write to a database and then export the data into Excel, or within Excel connect to the database using ODBC.

    Access would be a better solution if its something that is localized. You'd have a form and data up and running in minutes.
  • XxSaberxXXxSaberxX Singapore
    edited November 2009
    hmmm...never really used access before...is there a Openoffice version of it? or what other solutions do you suggest if i want to make such an application if i wanted to modify excel spreadsheets without actually opening the excel file?
  • shwaipshwaip bluffin' with my muffin Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    Is there a reason you're set on using/modifying excel spreadsheets?
  • ButtersButters CA Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    XxSaberxX wrote:
    is there a Openoffice version of it? or what other solutions do you suggest if i want to make such an application if i wanted to modify excel spreadsheets without actually opening the excel file?

    Yes its called Base. Essentially the same functionality as Access. There are wizards and sample DB's that will probably do what you need to do with minimal changes.

    Ditch the Excel idea if you are planning to store a lot of data. Especially health data. I'm sure laws are different that here in the States so you don't have to deal with HIPAA.
  • XxSaberxXXxSaberxX Singapore
    edited November 2009
    shwaip wrote:
    Is there a reason you're set on using/modifying excel spreadsheets?

    not me actually. Haha. My boss keeps records of the staff's monthly reports, and she wants an interface so she can edit, add, display values in an excel document easily without the hassle of looking through the whole list (though there's a Ctrl+F function). Not really a lot of data too. Don't understand how humans can turn so lazy. Haha.
  • kryystkryyst Ontario, Canada
    edited November 2009
    Use OpenOffice Base it will do what you need. Skip flash entirely. You can create a pretty enough front end in Base.
  • XxSaberxXXxSaberxX Singapore
    edited November 2009
    Alright...tried Base out...know how to do some basics....like to ask for some DB logic help though...

    Is it possible for me to have a column in the DB, lets say it's called "Leave Dates", to have multiple values in it? I mean, I can put the values as a String datatype, but what if I want to add a single value to the existing string without reinserting the whole dammed string again?

    It's like Staff member John took annual leaves on 21 Jan and 22 Jan. So in the DB, under the 'Leave Dates' column, the data under the name 'John' should be something like, say, "21/01, 22/01" if it were a string. Now John takes another day of leave on 2nd Feb, and so I want to add the value "2/2" to the DB. How do I just add 2/2 to the column but not retype the whole String of "21/01, 22/01, 2/2" again?
  • ButtersButters CA Icrontian
    edited November 2009
    XxSaberxX wrote:
    It's like Staff member John took annual leaves on 21 Jan and 22 Jan. So in the DB, under the 'Leave Dates' column, the data under the name 'John' should be something like, say, "21/01, 22/01" if it were a string. Now John takes another day of leave on 2nd Feb, and so I want to add the value "2/2" to the DB. How do I just add 2/2 to the column but not retype the whole String of "21/01, 22/01, 2/2" again?

    Its better to keep dates as a date field. Then just add a new row for each time an employee takes a leave.

    Actually, if this is to track Leave of Absences, you should really have a "Leave Start" field and a "Leave End" field. Here is a simple structure without knowing your situation. I figure you probably aren't "linking" tables yet, so instead of Employee# you can probably have the employee's first and last name fields just to get you by. If an employee isn't back from leave yet, the leave date can be blank, thus, those that are blank are out on leave. You can also calculate the length of a leave by subtracting leave start from leave end. Hope this helps.

    Employee# | Leave Start | Leave End  | Leave Type |
---------------------------------------------------
10110     | 11/01/2009  | 11/15/2009  |  FMLA
10110     | 11/25/2009  |             |  PERSONAL
10312     1 11/25/2009  | 11/27/2009  |  FMLA
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