Simple Excel-based database

[John Dann]

I need a simple flat-file database to take 500-1000 records. It occurs
to me that Excel might be a suitable basis for my requirement but I'd
want something that additionally offers a form view of each record,
could take some arbitrary free text as one field at least, has simple
searching etc.

Just wondering whether anyone might know of any low-cost add-ons to
Excel that might fit the bill? (I'm really trying to save time and
money compared to developing ina dedicated database product for what
is a simple application).

TIA
John Dann

 

[Earl Kiosterud]

John,

Excel has some good database capabilities. If you need only a single table,
you can use Autofilter, sort, database functions, and for summaries, there
are Pivot Tables, subtotals, and more.

For a form view of a record, there's Data - Form. You can't change the
layout, but it has search, add, delete capabalities. If you want a form of
your own layout, you can make a UserForm in the Visual Basic Environment
(Alt-F11 will get you there). there you can can write code that takes
action on the user's input. In fact, you have to with a UserForm.

Printing is only the way the worksheet is laid out, with a few features,
like headings, row and column titles. If you need printouts laid out
differently, use Access.

If your database requires more than one table, Excel gets unwieldy. Many
do, but folks don't realize it. Access is the tool then, too.

 

[Mark Rosenkrantz]

John;

Take a look at my website www.rosenkrantz.nl and surf to :

Excellent Files | Downloads | Products | Invoice review.

This might be an example of what you want.
Open it, first fill in some clients and then fill in some invoices.
After that, plenty of options to search and select your invoices and clients
from are there.

Try it out and if you want to, I'll modify it at a small fee.

Mark.

More Excel ? www.rosenkrantz.nl or (e-mail address removed)

 

[Debra Dalgleish]

Another data entry option is John Walkenbach's Enhanced Data Form. It's
a free add-in, allows combo boxes, and has unlimited fields.

http://j-walk.com/ss/dataform/index.htm