what to learn next - after Excel & Excel VBA?

[Fazza]

Hi,

Having obtained a good skill level in Excel & Excel VBA, and adequate ADO and SQL, I'm wondering what would be a useful next step.

I can imagine getting into MS Access or other databases - but don't know which. Though I am not targeting that route, I can see it as a likely possibility - it does not particularly excite me though. Whereas using Excel & Excel VBA is enjoyable and likely to remain fundamental to my computer usage for some time yet.

My main interest is in keeping up with technology - such as if there is a new direction in programming - and developing my skills for working with medium to large amounts of data. At one level I can imagine working more with Excel & Access together to solve tasks but I'm thinking this would be not too new or interesting and that I'd want to take a bigger step.

Would appreciate comments. Regards, Fazza

 

[DonkeyOte]

Can't think who you mean Fazza...

 

[Fazza]

Definitely no one in particular, Luke.

Maybe it is the way I post - it is difficult in simple posts to really explain a lot and after plenty of posts that aren't of interest to OPs I don't take so much time to explain - and also that the approach is new to many people. And, it is not simple. Many people would rather not use a new approach that, for sure, appears as a bit complex.

 

[cornflakegirl]

Fazza - please build a website - I'd love to learn more from you!

 

[Fazza]

Thanks, Emma. Congratulations on the recent 1000 post milestone.

Now how difficult is a website? I recall a few years ago reading that school children in the earliest years of school were being taught to set them up. So it must be very easy? I really am a Luddite on such matters. Just narrowly focusing on Excel and my few other interests...

 

[cornflakegirl]

Websites are very easy - you don't even have to be able to spell or write in sentences to create them

 

[Fazza]

Very easy, then! Thanks

 

[DonkeyOte]

Fazza, have I/we convinced you ???

Excellent....

Building static websites are very easy, building dynamic websites (ie with db) are not as easy but are still pretty straightforward.

My own approach:

-- sheet of A3 paper
-- compose a wish list of all the things I'd like the user to be able to do on my site
-- sketch out requisite "page-schema" ("homepage" in the middle)
-- design db structure given above
-- start building with homepage first!

If you do opt for ASP.NET:

-- check out the 4GuysFromRolla.com site (they have a good intro section)

-- you will need to decide whether you will host the site yourself (from your home PC) or get someone to host it for you... if you do the latter you will of course be restricted to coding in whichever code they support... some hosts may only support .NET framework 1.1 whereas 2.0 Framework is now pretty standard (3.0 etc are essentially enhancements to 2.0 as opposed to new standards unlike 2.0 to 1.1 which was a big leap forward).

-- for testing purposes you will obviously need to install the appropriate .NET framework on your home PC and IIS... you may not have IIS on your home machine pending your OS which may cause problems... best to check first off.

-- if you use MySQL as db again check with host if you go that route to find which version they support -- 4.0 is different to 4.1 and 5.0 is different to both (ie 4.0 no subqueries, 4.1 subqueries but no stored procedures), 5.0 and 4.1 handle dates differently to 4.0 I think) ... each version will warrant slightly different SQL. Most webhosts in the UK tend to offer MS Access, SQL Server and MySQL ... SQLSvr normally the most expensive ... Access & MySQL normally very cheap.

I guess obvious point being not to spend hours coding in test environment if live environment will be running different versions.

Jeez, I need to get a life... another long and largely dull post!!!

Sorry all... Emma wasn't aware you were also a web nerd ?

 

[Fazza]

Not convinced yet ... and not looking to be convinced either. Just interested in learning of some of the options and if they interest me. Your enthusiasm, Luke, tells me this is of considerable interest to you. Thank you. F

 

[cornflakegirl]

Emma wasn't aware you were also a web nerd ?

Indeed! I have built two or three websites, to the approximate standard of a 7 year old

 

[cornflakegirl]

Your enthusiasm, Luke, tells me this is of considerable interest to you.