IS-171 Computing With Spreadsheets List Management and Macros Week 7

Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda Outline List and Data Management Database Issues Macros 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

Recall the Data Hierarchy Bit (binary 0 or 1) Byte (8 bits = a character or number) Field (e.g., Name = a column in a table) Record (multiple fields = a row in a table) File (multiple records/rows  Excel) Database (relational DB = multiple tables) Recall this information from before. Bit - 0/1 (off/on switch) character, string and number (do they already know this? If not, we’ll talk about it later) field - a logically indivisible chunk of data e.g., name, rank, or serial number record - a group of related fields e.g., an employee record file - a group of related records e.g., an employee file database - a group of related files e.g., an entire accounting database Compare this with the natural language hierarchy letters/words/sentences/paragraphs/books Use these terms to discuss an example generated by one of the groups in the class. Note how some of the applications required using all levels of the data hierarchy. 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

Manipulating Excel Lists Importing text files Sorting Filtering (similar to database query) Subtotals (similar to database report) Pivot Table (similar to database report) Demo the sorting and filtering features using the Class 7 Demo file (Personnel file). Point out that sorting Excel worksheets using the Ascending/Descending icons on the Standard Toolbar is very dangerous because if you have any blank columns or rows, the sort icons will only sort up to the blank rows and/or columns. It is much safer to use the Data  Sort function because it will highlight the sort area. Filtering lists use the filter command, show them the auto filter on the list This is much more like the SQL SELECT command. If you plan to use the Data  Subtotal command, you must first sort the worksheet on the column you want subtotals on. Pivot tables will create new worksheets for the Pivot Table (a summarized report) and the pivot chart. 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda Feature Creep Now we have facilities for importing sorting, filtering, and reporting, as well as a means to pass data between multiple worksheets. We get something approaching a database management system (DBMS), without having one. Multiple tables related in some way Rudimentary query facilities 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda Excel vs Database When to use databases (instead of Excel): Large data sets Formed input and output Arbitrary and complicated queries Multiple users Security IS-141 covers databases Fire up MS Access and show them a sample database (e.g., Northwind) 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda What is a Macro? A set of instructions telling Excel what commands to execute Written in Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) Recorded with the Macro Recorder 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda Recording a Macro NameAndCourse macro Shortcut key Record macro Stop recording NameAndCourse macro from exercise 1, page 370 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda Elements of a Macro Sub/End Sub Comments Variables Properties With Statement 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda Step Into Executes one command of the macro Other debugging commands available 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

Personal Macro Workbook Opened every time Excel starts Only on your machine Always accessible 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda

User Interaction Functions InputBox MsgBox Sub FooBar() ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = InputBox("Enter something interesting") MsgBox (Range("A1")) End Sub 11/26/2018 Carol Wilson and Fred Ferwerda