spreadsheet-like tables

[Alex Tweedly]

Jon wrote:

> I want to port a simple (!) program that has a "database record" for 
> each row in a user viewable (and possibly editable) table. The data 
> may have to be sorted in more than one fashion, and some fields may 
> have to have different colored backgrounds or text.   Some fields 
> might be editable in the table, while other fields (memos) might be 
> edited in a single field at the bottom, where the current record has 
> the memo contents displayed (I hope this is clearly explained).  Given 
> that I have no compatible databases on my Windows system (that I know 
> of!), I may not actually choose to use a database, but perhaps some 
> other approach (text file(s), multiple cards (something I do not 
> understand very well), etc)..
>
> So.  Two questions.
>
> First off, what is the best way to present the user with tabular 
> data?  I tried the "table", and it has lots of problems, at least the 
> way I did it <sick grin>.  Any sample stacks out there for me to 
> study?  I had the most trouble allowing the user to edit the data: the 
> appearance of the table went to hell when the user started modifying a 
> field in the table.

If you can live with one limitation, I think the easiest answer is to 
use Chipp's altHeader plugin. It provides headers for  columnar data, 
allows for resizing of the columns, makes it easy (or automatic - I 
don't remember) to sort by different columns, etc.  Only thing I wanted 
and didn't find was column re-ordering (i.e. selecting the third 
column's heading, and drag-and-dropping it to make it now be the fifth 
column).

The limitation is that, as far as I know, you can't have different 
fields in different colours - though it may be possible to program that 
yourself.

You mentioned "memo" fields - I'd be inclined to keep them out of the 
tabular display completely, so that only the "current" record has its 
memo field(s) displayed at the bottom.

> Secondly, are there any simple databases that "come with" Windows?  
> Any freebie databases that can be (easily?) installed on Windows?  Any 
> resource I should have consulted before posting this 
> probably-redundant question?
>
How much data do you have to deal with ? You can go a long way with CSV 
files (actually, use TABs or some other character that won't appear in 
your data, not commas, as your separator - makes things much easier), 
and the speed of text manipulation and searching in Rev will allow this 
to scale quite a long way.

I wouldn't use the "data on cards" approach - I like to keep data and 
code separate, and to have the data in a format that can be readily 
accessed by other tools if needed.

You should look at SDB (Serendipity Database-Binary). I have failed 
utterly to get it to work for me, in spite of trying seriously 3 or 4 
times - but I know others have succeed, so it may be just me that thinks 
differently and can't understand the docs, or my system set-up that is 
peculiar, or something. (If ever there was a product that needed a 
detailed step-by-step set of instructions for installing it, SDB is it.  
I would have a go at writing it - except that I can't figure it out well 
enough to do it myself :-)  So if you try this and succeed - you owe me 
a write-up on the exact steps you took ....


Alternatively, stretching the definition of "simple", install MySQL or 
PostgreSQL. Free (beware mySQL ceases to be free if your app is a 
commercial app, in some complicated way), and both come well packaged 
for Windows, and with lots of books, articles, support available, etc. - 
but not quite "simple".

Or pay a modest sum for altSQLite.

Or write your own extneral to interface to sqlite.

Or .....
or just use CSV files :-)

-- 
Alex Tweedly       http://www.tweedly.net



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