Posted by donh on 01/08/08 16:17

On Jan 8, 3:52 pm, The Natural Philosopher <a...@b.c> wrote:
> donh wrote:
> > Hi Group,
>
> > I normally use excel and have no knowledge as yet of php.  I have an
> > excel spreadsheet which is used for monitoring staff levels and
> > availability.  Dates (per month) along top, Workers at site in rows
> > down left, their availability at intersections of rows and columns.
> > The sheet works well until you try to share over a corporate network,
> > and I think it would be better off in a database, ie mysql.  I know a
> > little about access and have been able to get a similar look using
> > Pivot tables in Access but would like to get the database web based
> > using a mix of php mysql if I can.
>
> > Can php make mysql look like a spreadsheet table as described above?
>
> Not alone no, but you can sure make an HTML table look as ghastly as a
> spreadsheet.
>
> > The benefit Excel brings to the workers is the ability to see who is
> > working for the whole month at a given location and how it affects
> > staffing levels, I really would like to try and keep a consistent look
> > if I can.
>
> > Any pointers would be appreciated.
>
> Displaying alphanumerics in tables is something web does well.
>
> Doing on the fly computation between cells is javascript.
>
> Not exactly sure what the application is, but it sounds like nasic
> php/mysql and a knowledge of HTML will get youy there. May take time and
> effort tho.
>
> Displaying the data is a lot easier than writing a form to enter in INTO
> the database the first time..
>
>
>
>
>
> > Don- Hide quoted text -
>
> - Show quoted text -

Thank you for your quick replies! Whilst reading up on a couple of
comments made, I thought it would be worth adding that I'm happy (I
think) to do away with Excel, as it was only used in the first place
because of its ease of availability. Secondly the current workbook
allows staff (local managers) to update staff availability holidays
sickness etc. I would not need to be able to do that directly from
any new web table, but would need to have the ability of updating the
underlying data.

I have a couple of books dealing with basic php mysql and recall
seeing an item which described using some sort of For Next loop to
create/fill html cells and I think its this recollection that prompted
my question.

Thanks again

Don

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