Comments on: External Data Worksheets

By: Simon Murphy

Simon Murphy — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 23:11:00 +0000

Dick
links to relevant posts on SOS:
http://smurfonspreadsheets.wordpress.com/2007/02/22/structured-data-sheets/
http://smurfonspreadsheets.wordpress.com/2007/02/20/accel-or-excess/

I don't know about them combining, I truly believe MS themselves don't know what to do with Access -its the product that won't die. And now they seem to be investing in it again.

If they updated MS query to something from this century that might be enough.

By: Harald Staff

Harald Staff — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 19:26:00 +0000

I've spent literally half of last years's work hours with MOSS2007. It is a great tool and it gets far better by each version. No 2000-XP-2003 upgrades.
We all remember how html was supposed to change office work, and then it was smart tags, and then it was xml. So I probably should know better, but I believe SharePoint will change office work and that the next version is a real killer app. Or the version after that.

By: Ramon Salvo

Ramon Salvo — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 23:44:00 +0000

Pardon my ignorance.
How do you put a dropdown control object?
Please provide an ignorant user detailed instructions.

rmnslv@yahoo.com

By: Mike Alexander

Mike Alexander — Mon, 31 Mar 2008 14:10:00 +0000

Here is an interesting article on SharePoint that should give us a clue on where Office is going.

It says:

"Microsoft Office SharePoint Server (MOSS) 2007 is the fastest growing product in the company's history and seems to have as many uses as a Swiss Army knife. Its six focus areas are collaboration, portal, search, enterprise content management (ECM), business process management and business intelligence."

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/032608-microsoft-sharepoint.html?page=1

By: fzz

fzz — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 22:27:00 +0000

In terms of MENU COMMANDS, Excel is gaining more database functionality. But in terms of FORMULAS, Excel is stuck in mid-1980s functionality. The SQL.REQUEST add-in function used to be bundled with Excel, and it addressed this need for database functionality incorporated into formulas and automatic recalculation. But it hasn't been bundled with Excel since Excel 2002, so it'd seem Microsoft is effectively if unofficially deprecating it.

Basically, it seems Microsoft is trying to turn Excel into a grossly oversized grid control.

By: frank

frank — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 22:32:00 +0000

For those who feel facinated by the schism between the relational world and the object world: take a look at this amazing .NET discussion:

http://www.panopticoncentral.net/archive/2005/03/25/8128.aspx

By: Ross

Ross — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 15:39:00 +0000

>>Really think so? That’s a major ten-year project. I can’t see the cost-benefit analysis allowing that.

Yeah fair point, it would be a massive piece of work. Maybe then a drip feed type approach might work. But it would be much better to start a fresh, even if they can reuses a lot of the org code base. It’s a tricky one.

>>The next thing is ability to use all features with no need to buy their other products like Windows Server

Yes, I think that to use the new stuff MS is pumping out is too involved, theres to much that needs this, or needs this, or what have you.
Again though, you have to be fair to MS, their trying to make sure they have a foot in the door of the next big move. If web apps/sever base products become the norm, then they should be well placed. Sadly at the mo its just not working very well.

Basically I think it’s hard to be Microsoft!!!

Think about this, what is MS biggest strategic asset? .Net? I read some where that office makes MS 1 billion dollars a week? So MS get about 70% + of there dosh from office (I’d guess), but this is a com product?

How do those two things line up!?!

Looks to me like something will have to give?

By: Rembo

Rembo — Fri, 28 Mar 2008 09:56:00 +0000

I dunno about Sharepoint. I've installed and tested it to some extend but it wasn't the walhalla I hoped for. The whole thing is based on SQL Server (yet another database in the equation) and you need a BIG computer to be able to run it properly. Not to mention a MS Server version. Although Sharepoint definately has some advantages for (working in) groups it also makes things less easy to manage. I know, a contradiction in terminis because isn't the whole (Share)point to make the managing of documents in groups easier?
To the infidels that praise Sharepoint I say try solving a bug, fix a broken link or locate a missing document. Yes, that happens. Well, at least in the earlier versions. If you don't know to work with SQL Server this can be a real pain in the posterior. It is far more easy to locate a physical Excel of Access file. I don't see any Sharepoint like solution being used on home computers at all.

I agree with Harold that Access has some valuable assistance tools when creating database applications. You'd have to add them to Excel as well. Everything can be mixed up together but like Jon says; whey would M$ do that if they can make more money selling them apart?
Another logical question is if you would really want to have all the Access menus in my Excel program (or the other way around). It wouldn't exactly make things easier to overlook.

By: Harald Staff

Harald Staff — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:26:00 +0000

Sam

Yes, if you use ADO from app X then it doesn't matter much whether the file extension is .xls or .mdb and nobody cares. And of course, one can do anything with Excel and a little code.

But we're speaking applications: Excel can't offer any assistance at all in these matters. It's like teaching a cat to bark when you need a watchdog. Stunning if you manage, but still pointless imo.

By: sam

sam — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:11:00 +0000

Harald
Re "Multi user environment"
Once you read from a Excel file and Add/modify/update an Excel file without "opening" it (using ADO) then we have it ready for a multi user environment

Re Relational databases
Can be done. Again via VBA + ADO

Sam