EditGrid is one of the better on-line spreadsheets. I’ve not used it much but took a quick look today. I was impressed with what I saw and interestingly they have cleverly made working with Excel and EditGrid easy with there addin:
Take a look here
This, I would think is a key factor, dont try to replace Excel (yet), but work with it!
Tag: Cloud
EditGrid: Excel Plus public beta.
Google Notes: Good!
I’ve been morning a bit lately so I thought I would take the time to make a post about some thing good!
I have been using Google notes for about a month or so now and I find it really works well.
Basically it allows you to copy bits of web pages (and stores a link back to the source), then you can joint down notes along side what you have clipped. The idea has been around for a long time, there used to be another app that did the same thing, (snobole or something).
The notes screen is a little pop up type affair which sits in the bottom (or top) of the window, you can select text from a web page and add it with a click.
When you want to you can export/transfer/copy it to Google docs, and play around with it.
If you do a lot of research on the web, give it a try.
Now, if it could auto-magically add citations out of Pdf’s,….
On-Line Rubbish?
Last week I was in a meeting for my Cricket Club. One of the things we have problems with is collecting and recording membership fees. Currently I have a database and coaches etc have SS which they update, send to me and I update the database (.mdb). We also need to keep a load of other info as well, like medical details, emergency contact number etc, etc.
I thought a possible solution might be to use Blist . I thought I might be able to set up a DB and a simple front end. No such luck. But thats not even the 1/2 of it. There are about 600 or so lines in the file and the performance was utter rubbish, when you scroll down the page, you get a please wait message!
Also notice the UI, ribbon in a web app anyone? (I wonder if this is ok with MS, might Blist be a direct competitor to office?!?) I’m not trying to run BList into the ground, I like what there are trying to do, I’ve been a fan of the Excess (Excel+Access in one app) idea for a long time, I think it makes sense. I just think that web apps are still very limited for anything “real”.
Oh and it’s not just Blist. After that I thought I’d give Zoho a go. Same problems.
The solution? I just set up an account with Tripod and will write some Php + mySQL to get the job done.
Office of the web? Not for a while.
Geocoding in Excel using Google Maps API
Heres a little example of some VBA functions I put together to get geocodes into excel using the google maps API.
It’s not the best geocoder in the world, but it does ok in the test I’ve done so far, although it does just come up with blanks for some locations. To use it you will need a Google maps API key which you need to store in a text file on the same path as the workbook, details are on the first sheet of the workbook.
As for the code itself I had to automate IE rather than use an API or the HTTP or XMLHTTP libraries, as my corporate firewall would not allow access using these. The function only asks for 1 string, so you have to add spaces yourself, this might be done better, but it suited my needs (that is to say, I didn’t bother writing in optional arguments etc.)
It’s worth while looking at the code as I have done a few things that might not be considered “best practice”, mainly not closing the IE application when the function has run – this is to speed up the function – there is a public function that you can use to close it from a worksheet if you wish (see code as it’s not explained in the “documentation”)
Theres probably some other stuff that I should mention, but I did this a week or so ago and have not been able to post it as my internet connection was down, so I have forgotten that!
Feel free to post any questions and I’ll feel free not to answer them!!!!
Enjoy
Ross
Blogger Blogging from Word?
I have just installed a word addin that lets me post to my blog from word. Very easy to setup, just enter your user name and pass word!
But how well does it work!!!!! Well with this post we shall find out!
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Link (to addin page)
First problem! does not support images!!!!!!!!!, but i can edit the HTML before i post it, see!
NOTE: here a screen shot!
