I've just completed a college class about Word , Should I learn about Excel ?

Only you can answer that. Do you learn Powerpoint, Access, Visio, MS
Project, etc., etc.

Excel is a widely used product, as is Word, and it can be a useful tool to
have in your skills toolbox, IF you are looking to find employment in a
field where the sort of number analysis that spreadsheets are good at. But
it is a complex product, and it will take a fair amount of effort and
practice to develop worthwhile skills in the product.

It can also be fun, worth learning just for the joy of learning another
product.

As I said, only you can determine whether the effort of learning will repay
itself in personal satisfaction or in enhanced career prospects.

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove nothere from email address if mailing direct)

"Learning Excel" <Learning wrote in message
...
I've just completed a college class about Word , Should I learn about
Excel ?

INdeed...........I believe that everyone who is computer literate in today's
world should learn Excel. It cannot hurt you, and there are many, many
instances where it would be of a benefit. Learn as much as you can, and you
can always come back here for help.

Vaya con Dios,
Chuck, CABGx3





"Learning Excel" wrote:

I've just completed a college class about Word , Should I learn about Excel ?

Absolutely not! There are too many spreadsheets in the world already.



"Learning Excel" <Learning wrote in message
...
I've just completed a college class about Word , Should I learn about
Excel ?

Mebbe,
but not enough flat file databases of over 32,000 records,
(in fact nil)
this is what I pray to the Gods for.


| Absolutely not! There are too many spreadsheets in the world already.

What is a flat file database? Sounds like a contradiction to me.

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove nothere from email address if mailing direct)

"Rodney" wrote in message
...
Mebbe,
but not enough flat file databases of over 32,000 records,
(in fact nil)
this is what I pray to the Gods for.


| Absolutely not! There are too many spreadsheets in the world already.

You're showing your youth. There was a time when *all* databases were flat
file. Do a Google -- some academic will have written it up somewhere.


"Bob Phillips" wrote in message
...
What is a flat file database? Sounds like a contradiction to me.

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove nothere from email address if mailing direct)

"Rodney" wrote in message
...
Mebbe,
but not enough flat file databases of over 32,000 records,
(in fact nil)
this is what I pray to the Gods for.


| Absolutely not! There are too many spreadsheets in the world already.

G'day Bob,
Excel is a flat file database, when used as such,
as opposed to a "Relational Database, eg: Access

A flat file database is described by a very simple database model,
where all the information is stored in a plain text file, one database
record per line. Each record is divided into fields using delimiters or
at fixed column positions. The data is "flat", as in a sheet of paper,
as compared to a more complex model such as a relational database.

I use MSWorks for smaller files, but that will only take 32,000 records,
so for larger volume, I have to sneak over to Excel.
The benefits of MSWorks include a learning curve of about 10 minutes
to be up and running, and for small jobs, like organising Local Cricket
database, record collections, and so forth.
HTH





| What is a flat file database? Sounds like a contradiction to me.

Hi Rodney,

I think that is my point. Excel is NOT a database, however hard many people
try and make it (including MS in 12?), and a flat file is a flat file. It
might be able to manage tasks that were originally done by flat files or
even databases, but it still is not one. A database as I was taught has
files/tables whatever, and a some form of structure. So to me, a flat file
database is an oxymoron.

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove nothere from email address if mailing direct)

"Rodney" wrote in message
...
G'day Bob,
Excel is a flat file database, when used as such,
as opposed to a "Relational Database, eg: Access

A flat file database is described by a very simple database model,
where all the information is stored in a plain text file, one database
record per line. Each record is divided into fields using delimiters or
at fixed column positions. The data is "flat", as in a sheet of paper,
as compared to a more complex model such as a relational database.

I use MSWorks for smaller files, but that will only take 32,000 records,
so for larger volume, I have to sneak over to Excel.
The benefits of MSWorks include a learning curve of about 10 minutes
to be up and running, and for small jobs, like organising Local Cricket
database, record collections, and so forth.
HTH





| What is a flat file database? Sounds like a contradiction to me.

That's cool Bob,
one of the very nice things about ageing
is non fixed attachment to things.

Whilst I would not care to accept your point,
I would not care to debate it either :)
The thing is, it does the job I ask of it, and delivers
pertinent info, beit a database or an oxymoron.

Best wishes, and Regards.
Rodney



| Hi Rodney,
|
| I think that is my point. Excel is NOT a database, however hard many people
| try and make it (including MS in 12?), and a flat file is a flat file. It
| might be able to manage tasks that were originally done by flat files or
| even databases, but it still is not one. A database as I was taught has
| files/tables whatever, and a some form of structure. So to me, a flat file
| database is an oxymoron.
|
| --
| HTH
|
| Bob Phillips
|
| (remove nothere from email address if mailing direct)
|
| "Rodney" wrote in message
| ...
| G'day Bob,
| Excel is a flat file database, when used as such,
| as opposed to a "Relational Database, eg: Access
|
| A flat file database is described by a very simple database model,
| where all the information is stored in a plain text file, one database
| record per line. Each record is divided into fields using delimiters or
| at fixed column positions. The data is "flat", as in a sheet of paper,
| as compared to a more complex model such as a relational database.
|
| I use MSWorks for smaller files, but that will only take 32,000 records,
| so for larger volume, I have to sneak over to Excel.
| The benefits of MSWorks include a learning curve of about 10 minutes
| to be up and running, and for small jobs, like organising Local Cricket
| database, record collections, and so forth.
| HTH
|
|
|
|
|
| | What is a flat file database? Sounds like a contradiction to me.
|
|
|
|
|
|

The fact that you don't understand flat file databases -- presumably you
weren't taught about them because they were already out-of-date -- doesn't
invalidate the concept. You just make yourself look silly making pompous
declarations on a topic that you admit you don't understand.

And you might be wise to look up 'oxymoron' before you embarrass yourself
any further.





"Bob Phillips" wrote in message
...
Hi Rodney,

I think that is my point. Excel is NOT a database, however hard many
people
try and make it (including MS in 12?), and a flat file is a flat file. It
might be able to manage tasks that were originally done by flat files or
even databases, but it still is not one. A database as I was taught has
files/tables whatever, and a some form of structure. So to me, a flat file
database is an oxymoron.

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove nothere from email address if mailing direct)

"Rodney" wrote in message
...
G'day Bob,
Excel is a flat file database, when used as such,
as opposed to a "Relational Database, eg: Access

A flat file database is described by a very simple database model,
where all the information is stored in a plain text file, one database
record per line. Each record is divided into fields using delimiters or
at fixed column positions. The data is "flat", as in a sheet of paper,
as compared to a more complex model such as a relational database.

I use MSWorks for smaller files, but that will only take 32,000 records,
so for larger volume, I have to sneak over to Excel.
The benefits of MSWorks include a learning curve of about 10 minutes
to be up and running, and for small jobs, like organising Local Cricket
database, record collections, and so forth.
HTH





| What is a flat file database? Sounds like a contradiction to me.

Would you care to enlighten me as to how I have mis-used oxymoron? As I
said, by my understanding a flat file is not a database, so the term flat
file database is an oxymoron.


"Jezebel" wrote in message
...
The fact that you don't understand flat file databases -- presumably you
weren't taught about them because they were already out-of-date -- doesn't
invalidate the concept. You just make yourself look silly making pompous
declarations on a topic that you admit you don't understand.

And you might be wise to look up 'oxymoron' before you embarrass yourself
any further.





"Bob Phillips" wrote in message
...
Hi Rodney,

I think that is my point. Excel is NOT a database, however hard many
people
try and make it (including MS in 12?), and a flat file is a flat file.
It
might be able to manage tasks that were originally done by flat files or
even databases, but it still is not one. A database as I was taught has
files/tables whatever, and a some form of structure. So to me, a flat
file
database is an oxymoron.

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove nothere from email address if mailing direct)

"Rodney" wrote in message
...
G'day Bob,
Excel is a flat file database, when used as such,
as opposed to a "Relational Database, eg: Access

A flat file database is described by a very simple database model,
where all the information is stored in a plain text file, one database
record per line. Each record is divided into fields using delimiters or
at fixed column positions. The data is "flat", as in a sheet of paper,
as compared to a more complex model such as a relational database.

I use MSWorks for smaller files, but that will only take 32,000
records,
so for larger volume, I have to sneak over to Excel.
The benefits of MSWorks include a learning curve of about 10 minutes
to be up and running, and for small jobs, like organising Local Cricket
database, record collections, and so forth.
HTH





| What is a flat file database? Sounds like a contradiction to me.

My experience with a lot of users is that (unless one is in accounting)
the progression of learning MS Office is Word, Excel, Powerpoint,
Access. Sometimes users get to Excel and say, "Wow, what a great way
to store data for future use and I can do all sorts of calculations on
it," and it ends there. They accumulate a bunch of data and they can
sort it and search through it but they can't efficiently query it or
produce reports easily. I have had to switch a lot of users from an
Excel "database" to Access when they really wanted to get serious about
a real db. Excel is a spreadsheet program
Flat file dbs are ok for address books and small amounts of data.
As was first mentioned, if you think you'll need to use a spreadsheet,
learn Excel. If you think you'll be doing presentations, learn
Powerpoint. If you think you'll be developing databases, learn Access.
However, I have found that if you don't use it immediately after you
learn it you will be wasting your time unless you want it on a resume.
The key is use it!
Bob Phillips Wrote:
Hi Rodney,

I think that is my point. Excel is NOT a database, however hard many
people
try and make it (including MS in 12?), and a flat file is a flat file.
It
might be able to manage tasks that were originally done by flat files
or
even databases, but it still is not one. A database as I was taught
has
files/tables whatever, and a some form of structure. So to me, a flat
file
database is an oxymoron.

--
HTH

Bob Phillips

(remove nothere from email address if mailing direct)

"Rodney" wrote in message
...
G'day Bob,
Excel is a flat file database, when used as such,
as opposed to a "Relational Database, eg: Access

A flat file database is described by a very simple database model,
where all the information is stored in a plain text file, one
database
record per line. Each record is divided into fields using delimiters
or
at fixed column positions. The data is "flat", as in a sheet of
paper,
as compared to a more complex model such as a relational database.

I use MSWorks for smaller files, but that will only take 32,000
records,
so for larger volume, I have to sneak over to Excel.
The benefits of MSWorks include a learning curve of about 10 minutes
to be up and running, and for small jobs, like organising Local
Cricket
database, record collections, and so forth.
HTH





| What is a flat file database? Sounds like a contradiction to me.






--
jahoobob