database operation in excel

  • Thread starter Thread starter rameter
  • Start date Start date
R

rameter

I have a spreadsheet that is viewed and updated by many people. I'm
trying to streamline the data and I believe I need a database to do
what I need. Here is my situation.

I have a "master sheet" that contains all of the data. I need to
"query" on different sheets to summarize the data dependant on
classification that I assign on the master sheet. For example, I am
tracking projects with names, cities, sellers, descriptions, dates and
numbers. On one sheet I need to sum the number of sales for all
projects within a certain city. But that record may also appear on
another query on another sheet. The reason I want to use the master
sheet is to make sure the data is updated on all following sheets. Is
there a way to display rows of data filtered by a field?

I may not have explained this clearly...
 
Without addressing the specifics of your particular problem, it has been my
experience that when users are working with Excel and think they need a
database, they almost certainly DO need a database. Excel is great for
reporting, collecting data, formatting, etc. Databases are not its strong
point - it is a spreadsheet program, after all. It has filtering, sorting,
and capacity limitations, and things can get dicey when network sharing is
overused.

Don't get me wrong - Excel in general is a top quality product, but for
databases, you're best advised to look elsewhere. Microsoft has Access for
desktop use, and of course server products as well, and Excel can be used to
good effect as a reporting tool for these products. For example, a pivot
table can use a database as its data source.
--
HTH -

-Frank Isaacs
Dolphin Technology Corp.
http://vbapro.com
 
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