spreadsheet-like tables

[Jon]

thank you, Alex!

:)

Jon

Alex Tweedly wrote:

> 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 :-)
>