CSV XLS question

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CSV XLS question

berrywoods

1:31 am on Feb 4, 2010 (gmt 0)

Hi guys, sorry i seem to always come to here when im at wits ends, not really sql indepth but still a problem i have not been able to work out..

basicly im opening a shop, and im developing an epos system, i also have an online shop. i want to be able to share data between the two easily. both the website and epos software use csv's to import and export data but in different formatting, ideally id like a nice spread sheet, with all my product data and for there to be two copies of csv files generated from the data of the spreadsheet that updates automaticly, so i can change prices and add products on the master spread sheet and use a marco to update these to the website and till at end of day. is this possible? if they used sql databases i can imagine it would be easyier but if anyone has any ideas it would be greatly appreciated. obviously linking two spreadsheets is easy but csv's dont save the formulas that allow it. unless theres a program that can do this and generate them?

whoisgregg

10:24 pm on Mar 23, 2010 (gmt 0)

You can definitely have this kind of system, but it's incredibly frail and will be prone to problems. Any time you plan on manually passing around files to keep systems in sync you will have headaches.

At the very least, have a script that does the passing on a regular schedule and does some kind of validation on the data contained within.

claus

12:35 am on Mar 24, 2010 (gmt 0)

Unlike what whoisgregg suggests, doing this is a piece of cake for any experienced Excel VBA developer.

Basically you would have your product data in your "Master" Excel spreadsheet, and in that spreadsheet you would have a button to press which would either create two different CSV files for manual upload, or update the two backend systems directly (by logging in and doing a SQL request).

The last type of solution will be a little more difficult to program, and hence it will be more expensive. None of them are hard, they're quite ordinary tasks for an Excel VBA programmer.

As long as the import formats are constant, such a system would be stable as a rock.

However, it still neeeds a person to update the master Excel spread sheet with product data, and to press the button.

I suggest you look at the different freelance sites for a VBA programmer. This should not be an expensive job.

whoisgregg

1:55 pm on Mar 24, 2010 (gmt 0)

Thanks for the correction, claus. I have little experience with Excel (or VBA) and was not aware that it could automate so much of the process.

CSV XLS question

berrywoods

whoisgregg

claus

whoisgregg

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