Help needed: help how to...

[pennypinch]

Shit, I put this in the wrong forum. If the mod wants to delete this from Entertainment, be my guest...

So my brother is graduating from high school this year, and is heading off the college, something I finished just a year ago. So I was thinking, what in the world should I get him for a graduation present? A powered scooter? A 500-pak of condoms? A GC at the local liq? A fake id?

While all would be useful, I figured the best gift would be one of information. I decided to construct a survey to distribute to my friends, and then compile the results into a short book, a manual, if you will, for successful college survival. The questions would range from how best to get through classes, what to do during an all-nighter, what type of women to look for and what types to avoid...

Anyway, I was wondering how I should do this. It might be a good idea to do a web-entry system, but then any schmo could stumble onto it, and then, of course, I'd get millions of idiot submissions. Would an Excel sheet be the best way to do it? Some sort of database frontend?

I'm not especially IT-hip, so this has to be relatively easy. Any ideas, folks?

A greatful pennypinch...

[ironchef]

a combo of two of the above would be a good idea:

one, do an excel spreadsheet and distribute that to your enlightened buddies.

two, collect spreadsheets then import the data from them into an access DB. access makes such things perty simple.


even easier i think would be to do it on the web though. nothing to distribute except a URL. plus you could make the URL as obscure as you'd like to make it unlikely some johnny momo would come along and taint your statistical research. that would involve another simple access DB then either a Cold Fusion or ASP script and viola! your greatful brother has bestowed upon him years and years of cumulative experience.

[pennypinch]

Originally posted by ironchef
a combo of two of the above would be a good idea:

one, do an excel spreadsheet and distribute that to your enlightened buddies.

two, collect spreadsheets then import the data from them into an access DB. access makes such things perty simple.


even easier i think would be to do it on the web though. nothing to distribute except a URL. plus you could make the URL as obscure as you'd like to make it unlikely some johnny momo would come along and taint your statistical research. that would involve another simple access DB then either a Cold Fusion or ASP script and viola! your greatful brother has bestowed upon him years and years of cumulative experience.

You had me at hello, but lost me in the Cold Fusion and ASP yimmer-yammer.

Is it fairly easy to import excel data into an Access table? I'm not totally familiar with how those two products interact. I'll fool around with the first idea. Thanks a ton.

And F Johnny Momo. F him right in the A. I hate that guy...

[hapoo]

I could make you a simple web-access database in about 30 min.

[ironchef]

well i just happen to be the world's most nicest guy in the world of guys.

here's your step-by-step, with sample excel and access goodies to go along with it.

1. look at the excel spreadsheet. the top row are the fieldnames. it's easiest, i think, to keep them simple like i have it: id, question1, question2 etc. you'll unfortunately have to explain what the hell question1 is though.

2. next, create yourself a blank access database.

3. go to file -> get external data -> import

4. tell if you want to import data from this excel spreadsheet. (use the drop-down if'n you don't see .xls files)

5. now you just answer questions:
first, show worksheets
yes, the first row contains field names
important here:
if this is the first sheet you're important, import
to a new sheet.
if this a another sheet you're importing, append to a
current table.
when it asks about the fields and the data they contain,
tell it that the ID field is numeric (or double in this
case) and that no duplicates exist here.
choose your own primary key: id
Name the little bastage!

that's it! you're ready to go.

see my handy-dandy files for examples.

http://www.speakeasy.org/~tdl/duh.xls
http://www.speakeasy.org/~tdl/duh.mdb

[pennypinch]

Originally posted by ironchef
well i just happen to be the world's most nicest guy in the world of guys.

You certainly are. I appreciate your help!

Long live Sakai!