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Chart program

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    Chart program

    Does anyone have any suggestions for a small, not too costly program to which I could export some A5 data, take that data and more or less automatically (e.g., with a macro) create a few pre-designed charts ready for printing (maybe even print them without user interaction)?

    No, I do not think Peter Wayne�s chart add-in will do. The charts need to be a bit more than complex than that even though they are still fairly simple, e.g., a bar chart with scales and labels that can be manipulated more than Peter�s add-in allows.

    Yes, virtually any spreadsheet would probably work, but I can�t assume all users will have even the disturbingly ubiquitous Excel, plus there are too many versions out there that do not handle things the same way other versions do. The spreadsheet in the latest OpenOffice release might do, but that�s a pretty big suite for the little I want from it, though the price (free) is right (the new release, by the way, is quite impressive).

    Any suggestions?

    Ray


    #2
    RE: Chart program

    Ray,

    I can't answer your question, but I'll throw this out there in case anyone is interested...

    Take a look at "Bitmap and Graphic Functions" in the A5 "Xbasic and Xdialog Reference.chm" file. There is a whole host of functions that would allow the fanatic (ahem, I mean the Alpha Five enthusiast) to build their own graphing/charting program, function, aex, whatever. There's a lot there, for someone who is willing to do a lot of programming...

    Peter
    Peter
    AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

    [email protected]
    https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


    Comment


      #3
      RE: Chart program

      I suspect that at some point in the future alpha will build this in. In the meantime you can do what Peter suggests or use an external program. Excel like you say has lots of versions. Crystal reports will do it and has a runtime but isn't cheap. You could use openoffice. The price is right but that's an awful lot to distribute just for the charting. Maybe you could use just the spreadsheet part of it.

      Russ

      Comment


        #4
        RE: Chart program

        Raymond,

        Have a look at this: http://downloads.alphasoftware.com/samples/Charting.pdf

        Keith Hubert
        London.
        Regards
        Keith Hubert
        Alpha Guild Member
        London.
        KHDB Management Systems
        Skype = keith.hubert


        For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

        Comment


          #5
          RE: Chart program

          Keith,

          Thanks, but it appears that the barchart() function is an Active X control that one has to buy and integrate into A5 and nothing is said about where to buy and how to integrate. Nor whether one can easily create a nice looking printed chart.

          Ray

          Comment


            #6
            RE: Chart program

            Peter,

            Thanks. After looking at it, I'm pretty sure I could create at least my 2 barcharts and have them print the way I want them to print. I'm not so sure about the one that needs to show several curved lines. In any case, this would be quite a project compared with exporting to a spreadsheet. Still, a home grown A5 solution would be much better for my purposes. One concern is that some of the code in the manual either does not work or crashes A5 when tested. That makes me wondewr how debugged this stuff is. I'll have to play with it a bit more.

            Thanks again.

            Ray

            Comment


              #7
              RE: Chart program

              Any suggestions?

              Yes.

              Can I remember it, though? It's a web bstandard... Very impressive in terms of what it will do.... It's initials....

              SVG! Scalable Vector Graphics. You can build charts surprisingly easily. Lots of examples. Free. You do need a browser.

              Here's a site:

              http://www.protocol7.com/svg-wiki/

              Another one I've used successfully and often is TeeChart:

              http://www.steema.com/

              I think you can download a "lite", free version of their object. (There's definitely one for .NET, don't know if the older ones are still available.) They have a COM/ActiveX version that you could probably use with VBScript (which is built in to Windows) or maybe even A5.

              TeeChart is very rich but you do have to buy it (if you can't find their freeware version) and it's not cheap. (It's a good value if you need it, though.)

              Comment


                #8
                RE: Chart program

                Hi Ray,
                Last November I changed from Lotus Approach to Alpha 5 and I also was frustrated in the lack of chart/bar functions for my proposed report needs. Although I still use my Lotus Approach I no longer develop my application in Approach.

                Having said all that the Report functions are excellent. I am currently exporting dbf files to my a Lotus/Approach application for generating various formats in charts, bars, etc and they look great. Once the data is in you can pretty much manipulate the visuals to what ever you need. It�s not as extensive as Excel but for reporting my data I do not need all that�s avail.

                Take a look at a few of my Alpha data exported data charts to made in Lotus Approach 9.7 � there OK but waiting for Alpha to incorporate a function.

                The application in lotus is so simple, just a series of exported tables containing the data I need to make the reports.

                The cost of the latest Lotus Approach (is sold at about $200 but you can pick up older versions for around $40) � it�s loaded in an office suit but you can isolate unwanted software leaving the Approach application.

                Regards
                Andy

                Comment


                  #9
                  RE: Chart program

                  here's a couple more samples for you

                  Andy

                  Comment


                    #10
                    RE: Chart program

                    here's a couple more samples for you

                    Andy

                    Comment


                      #11
                      RE: Chart program

                      It would be great if Alpha incorporates charting/graphing into Alpha some time in the future. But, I think they may be expecting users to use ActiveX when v.6 comes out.

                      Peter
                      Peter
                      AlphaBase Solutions, LLC

                      [email protected]
                      https://www.alphabasesolutions.com


                      Comment


                        #12
                        RE: Chart program

                        Hi Ray:

                        I've used Sybase's Infomaker product for this purpose a few times.

                        www.sybase.com

                        Contrary to some of the outdated information on the Sybase site, which highligts version 8, I believe that the current version is 9, and it has a street price of about 150.00.

                        Infomaker is not suitable for any serious scientific/X-Y graphing, however.

                        George

                        Comment


                          #13
                          RE: Chart program

                          For everyone's information, I downloaded the TeeChartOffice program from

                          http://www.steema.com/downloads/dwn_tch_office.html

                          It is freeware (!) and for what it is seems to work very well and can make many different kinds of charts. It can use A5 data either exported as a text file, an Excel file or even as a dbf file if you set it up through ODBC and the Borland BDE Administrator (System DSN, Microsoft FoxPro VFP Driver, Free table option).

                          The only trouble for my purposes is that I don't see a way to link changes in the data file to update the chart file upon opening the latter. It appears the user would have to go about resetting the chart data to the data file each time, which for my purposes is unacceptable.

                          But hey, it's a nice little program and it's free.

                          Ray

                          Comment


                            #14
                            RE: Chart program

                            Thanks Ray
                            Can't wait to try this one out. Looks pretty good.
                            Lots of chart types supported.
                            Bob

                            Comment


                              #15
                              RE: Chart program

                              Raymond,

                              I suggest that you take another look at the download. The function you speak of is not ActiveX but built in and there is nothing to buy. I have played with this and it seems to do every thing you want.

                              Keith Hubert
                              London.
                              Regards
                              Keith Hubert
                              Alpha Guild Member
                              London.
                              KHDB Management Systems
                              Skype = keith.hubert


                              For your day-to-day Needs, you Need an Alpha Database!

                              Comment

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