#Spreadsheet????
22 messages in this thread
I'd like to know the type of program needed (I assume a spreadsheet?)
and specific recommendations for the following application:
I have certain customers in which I prepare 6 month quotes for
specific products. These quotes must be submitted to my home office
for review and authorization on a standardized 7 part form that our
company uses. I may have to do anywhere from 3-7 quotes averaging 7
pages each per month depending on who's quotes are due for review,
consequently I have been developing a serious case of writers cramp
<G>.
Since much of the information except for dates and specific pricing
stays the same, I would like to do this in my computer and then use a
printer to print on the company "quotation" forms. This program
would need to be able to create a template so that information was
printed in the appropriate place as per the design of the form. It
would aslo have to be able to print "side ways" since the forms are
in landscape form. I have tried running them that way thru a printer
and because they are 7 part forms they don't run thru that way very
well.
I have thought about using a wordprocessor or DTP program, however, I
was thinking that something like a spread sheet would give me more
control for applying increases/decreases to specific products, and
possibly other functions I'm not aware of.
Any suggestions??
=Rick=
7-part forms don't run well (or at all!) through any standard computer
printer. You'll have to purchase a printer which is designed to handle
forms like that.
Most Amiga word processors are capable of both landscape and portrait mode
printing — you don't have to feed the form in sideways.
Depending on what the calculations are that you need, WordPerfect might
handle them fine, or even FinalWriter (which has a semi-automatic column
summing feature). Otherwise, yes, you want a spreadsheet program.
Available Amiga spreadsheets tend to suck.
— Dale L. Larson, Intangible Assets Manufacturing
— INTERNET:dale@iam.com
I have FinalWriter, I'll have to look at it more closely to see what
calculations it can handle. Typically I'll want to add/delete fields and
increase catagories of fields by either specific amounts or percentages.
I won't need to sum amounts (not for these quotes at least). Since I
haven't worked with a spreadsheet before, maybe I won't notice that the
amiga ones "tend to suck" <G>. Actually, I here Khalid is working on one
that he says is as good if not better than the best DOS spreadsheets,
unfortunately, he doesn't seem to get around to making it available.
=Rick=
FW will only do sums of columns. If you are going to increase "catagories
of fields," you are probably out of luck with anything but a database or
spreadshee (a database program with a good report generator might have the
flexibility you need).
As for the spreadsheets, I said that the *available* Amiga ones tend to
suck.
I can't say anything about any unreleased products anyone may be working
on…
— Dale L. Larson, Intangible Assets Manufacturing
— INTERNET:dale@iam.com
Rick;
It sounds like WordPerfect for the Amiga would do what you want to
accomplish (if you can find it anywhere).
The Shareware(FreeWare?) Analyticalc would also handle the task. This
program is available on the Fish disks. It is a little different than
most other spreadsheet program but if you are going to be writing your own
anyway…
-bill
Richard –
The problem here with using a spreadsheet, is you are going to have one
heck of a time getting the data on the screen lined up with the form that
you need. Spreadsheets tend to want to take whats on the screen and allow
you to fit that stuff onto either a single sheet of paper or multiple
pages (inotherwords – it is usually very good a compressing or expanding
print to fit the page). It is not very good at putting pieces of data at
specific point on a page.
A wordprocessor is probably your best bet. But you are going to have
to create the exact form on the screen. (Don't worry about the math, use
a calculator for that). Also like Dale said, getting a printer to go thru
a 7 part form is also a stopper. It's going to have to be dot matrix and
I'm not sure that WP's will print landscape to a dot matrix printer, so if
your form is wide then you'll have to get one that fits the width.
I short Richard, I not real positive that this project is going to work
to computerize. Even and MsDos base system would have trouble with this.
OnLine since 1982
Roy Pahnke – Casper WY
I won't add too much here as other folks have hit most of the points.
But you may want to look at a database with a good report generator.
About the only Amiga one I know of is SuperBase. I use SuperBase Personal,
which lacks the full fledged report generator, but from what I've gathered
from these posts, a well designed database application would make your
life much easier.
Ahhh.. for something like Paradox or even the dreaded Dbase for the
Amiga……
From the Far East…
Forrest
Forrest –
I think you wanted to send this message to the other guy who was asking
about Spreadsheets.
I'm fully aware of SBase and it's uses.
OnLine since 1982
Roy Pahnke – Casper WY
… and its 'tech support'… ;^}
wmc – via Autopilot!
>> Ahhh.. for something like Paradox or even the dreaded Dbase for the
>> Amiga……
We have debase on the computers as work. To the best of my knowledge,
no one uses it. When I need data base processing for something at
work, I transfer the files to a floppy, and bring it home to process
in Superbase.
I have been trying to convince them to get Superbase for our systems
at work.
Bill Roberts — Autopilot from Ellettsville, Indiana
Yea… wasn't there a DBMan program which compiled DBase 3 to the Amiga?
Is SuperBase worth having? I'd kind of like to have a DBase since I plan on
owning a fully functional Ami system (finally). What are the major differences
between personal and pro?
I can say with certainty that Khalid is working on his spreadsheet
program and it will be released. It seems like its taking forever to
be released but please remember he is coding this program in in spare
time and has a business(s) to run. The wait is WELL worth it. Heck
he already has a list of things for release 2 of the program that he
wanted to include in the current version but ran out of time.
Michael-
Khalid as in Khalid of Warp board fame? Does he somehow live through
40 hours every day? What's happening with the warp board?
Paul
Yes that Khalid. Yes he does manage to keep a busy work
schedule…. Tho he keeps telling me that computers are not work. As
to the Warp… board, I really can't comment on it.
Richard –
> Actually, I here Khalid is working on one that he says is as good if
> not better than the best DOS spreadsheets, unfortunately, he doesn't
> seem to get around to making it available.
I suspect he's very busy with Warp implementation….. **SIGH**
. . . . JimDoc, on AutoPilot
Why don't you ask him? His user id is 75166,2531. Last I spoke with
him (2 weeks or so ago) he said he was turning over his spreadsheet
to the publisher in 2 weeks (so, about now).
Jim,
methinks you underestimate the gentleman in question. Insight has a
rather long history, existing long before WARP was a flash on horizon.
Looking at the product, I think it's ready for publication.
Brian
bjbart@watserv.ucr.edu
Using AREXX, procalc(spreadsheet), excellence! or
finalwriter(wordprocessers), and SBase(Database) you can accomplish what
you need– although you need to know the AREXX itself, and the AREXX
interfaces to each of the above products. In effect you multi-task each
product above using AREXX as a main driver. The spreadsheet would be used
for numeric inputs; the DB for storing records; the wordprocessor for
writing automated reports (with page breaks, headers etc.). In addition
you can get Wshell which will make AREXX development easier– it also
supplies pulldown menus assoc. with user defined console windows.
I have written such applications: 1) debt collection agency–
client/debtor report takes information from sbase and procalc –> reports;
2) attendence register for school– spreadsheet info, calculations–>
reports, then spreadsheet is updated. User commands invoked by wbench
menus via Wshell.
Platform applications were written on: A3000 and A4000. Perhaps I could
write the application for you– then download results so that you can see
if this meets your customers' needs. Please let me know.
Luke,
I do have Finalwriter, SBase Pro and Arexx on my A1200, I do not have a
Spreadsheet at the moment. My knowledge of Arexx is very basic at the
moment, when I have time I try to learn a little bit more about it, but
since I have never programmed any computer language before and it is very
slow going <G>.
Although I would love to have an application that helps me organize and
perform many of my tasks in an interactive way, its probably a bit more
than my meager programing skills could handle at this time. The idea of
having someone such as yourself write the application is attractive,
however I know that my company would NOT finance it, and I'm not sure the
cost ratio vs. my salary would be worth it, what kind of cost would we be
talking about anyway (per hour and estimated hours????)
The applications I use are Pagestream and Finalwriter for creating
Newsletter, Flyers, Proposals and correspondance with clients and
individuals in the company I work for. I have created a customer database
with SBase that gives me basic statistics for generating mailing lists &
labels. I'd love to incorporate long term quotes and our price lists into
the database, I create the long term quotes, but the price lists are
created by the headquarters, they are changed every year or so, however i
think they use Lotus 123, so maybe i could get the datafile that way.
The other information I would like to be able to use for anylising my
customer base are the actual order database, however the only way I could
program that in is to manually enter the information each month from a
report I get, it is about 15 pages long and includes more line Items than
I care to count. I have no hope of getting this information any other way
since the factory uses a severly taxed main frame that needs to be
scrapped and a new system and software installed. We can't even install
an e-mail system, something I've advocated for years. However, we are
modernizing and improving our manufacturing lines and capital improvements
are spent in that area for the time being, but some day they will have to
look at the computer system, or it will not be able to handle the volume
of business we do.
Well I'm rambling, sorry <G>
=Rick=
Sounds like you need a database with a forms designer. That
would either be superbase personal 4 or superbase pro 4. There is a
learning curve that goes with these things, so you might want to look
at some of those packages like "Invoice It". Maybe it could be
adapted to that purpose. BTW, what's your setup.
Thanks, I have SBase Pro, I'll look more closely at that. My setup
hardware wise is an A1200 '030 w/FPU, 8megs fast ram, 1960 monitor, laser
printer, flatbed scanner, 85meg IDE drive and 240meg SCSI drive. My next
add on in the very near future will be a scsi tape backup drive, then
either a color printer and/or CDRom drive as I can afford it.
=Rick=
My first inclination would have been to scan your forms and overlay
your responses using PageStream. MaxiPlan can pick up your 123 files
if you have them on disk but I don't know if it will deal with your
other forms, I only use it for relatively straightforward things.
Order Desk from Gramma may help with your customer database.
regards, Lu on AutoPilot downunder