General Forum

Thanks, I use Excel. I tried to convet to a Google Doc once, but my file was too large. Not sure of file size limitations with Google Docs or if it has increased over the years, but I'm sticking with what works for me.

Scott

1st I meant Google Sheets.

Can you upload info from Excel to Google Sheets?

I've just started the long collection documentation with Excel, family members suggested Sheets. Before I get too far, I need to address my needs. So>>>>

1. The set files will be copied from TCDB, and pasted into Excel. They all fit in Excel. The format is very simple, the set and it's location, NOT the individual cards.

2. I'm making diagrams in Excel to cross reference the Set SS. Again not too complicated but I am using alot of Excel's symbols, colors, borders etc applications.

3. The reason I'm now thinking Sheets is I believe it's easier to access anywhere in the house or anywhere, show, shop etc. Am I right? Although I'm networked, and I have computer access throughout the house, it's not always easy to find the documents on different computers. As I understand it, I should be able to view Sheets on my laptop, phone, Ipad etc. Is that true? Anywhere?

Any help would be much appreciated. TY, ~BOB~

I have an icon on my phone that gives me access to sheets. Haven’t tried it outside of the house but I don’t think access outside of the network would be an issue.

currently I’m just coping over my summary sheets from another program and that works fine. I’m still down loading PDFs of my full collection and have tried converting those into sheets yet. Not sure I will actually do that or just keep them as a so called backup to this site due to the size of my collection 

Redsfan wrote:

I know several members have asked to export their information to excel or something. I just asked Admin to add it to the New Feature Tracker. If it is added and it gets enough votes, it might happen someday.

In my opinion, this is the MOST IMPORTANT FEATURE that should be added.

Think about how much time you have spent logging cards into TCDB -- all your haves, wants, subcollections, etc.  Then think about how you would feel if you tried to log into this site tomorrow and it was gone?  All gone.  Let that sink in.  

Now, how does your opinion change if the site was gone (still sad), but you had a document on your PC or the cloud that you had saved a week ago showing the full list of your collection at that point?  I suspect your reaction would be decidedly different.  

This is not a theoretical exercise.  THIS HAPPENS TO WEBSITES.  Several of us were extensive users of Zistle.com before Beckett sued and killed it.  The one saving grace of that situation was that Zistle had an export tool to send the data for our collections to Excel or to a text file, so many of us had backups of our collections to take away some of the sting.

PLEASE make this happen, TCDB!  We can already "print" some lists to PDFs.  I would think dumping collection data into a text file would be even simpler.  If it would cost money to develop this, how much?  I'd pay a reasonable subscription fee to help this site out, considering how much time I've put in already.  It would be invaluable for my piece of mind -- because if I lose my collection data a second time I would just have to find a new hobby.  I'm not going through all those boxes to log everything again.

A little devil's advocate here on the Excel exportability, though I am a proponent for this. Does Microsoft have a licensing issue here that may impact the feature being implemented here. I don't exist in the IT that world, but do deal with it some, so not sure. It may simply be that not be feasible because Microsoft wants some $$$ for it, especially if it's based on user seats. And to dovetail to that, if not Excel why not at least Google Docs? Maybe a solution could be implemented, but integration is difficult because of the DB structure? For the time that people have been "screaming" for it I do believe Admin has a logical reason for not having implemented it yet. 

Just sending it to a text file would be fine...no need to make it Excel.  We can import ourselves 

If there is an issue why it CAN'T be done, I would like to know, then I can stop asking about it and pleading on deaf ears.  

Bob, for the most part all functions are compatible between Excel and Google Sheets, but there will be some functionality that will be lost. And to me the hardest part is simply remembering where to find things because each one works the same thing in its own way. Maybe its to avoid legal battles, but still when first beginning to transfer from Excel to Sheets be ready for those headaches to make those minor changes or improvements to your presentation.

I was basically forced to Sheets when I purchased a new laptop when I retired and it didn't have a CD player, thus I couldn't use the Office disc to get my copy of it on the new computer. I don't like to be tied to the internet and sometimes when I'm flying I'll try to do some work on Google, but I'll forget to free the file for offline use and I'm stuck, so here comes OpenOffice 4 - and relearning where things are - but it works on your computer without the need to be online. And its compatible with Google so you can upload as needed.

I'm really hoping Admin sets up my proposal for the 9-card Gallery Layout, otherwise I'll have to develop one for my own use to help with my collection.

Thanks Commish. What I learned today. 1] I can copy my Excel SS to Google Sheets fairly easily. Looks good but didn't do any fiddling around. Remember, my main purpose is to see my collection locations while in the card rooms. So with an Ipad and Sheets it's possible,SS and Diagrams. That's great. 2] I also learned that I can attach a photo of each storage unit to the diagram further helping with location. Location, location, location. Because I was using older laptops each running a different windows, the networking idea became a real PIA. So I believe this will work better.

I’m moving from open office to sheets because I’m online more than I am in front of the computer and couldn’t master the home networking. Only thing I haven’t figured out in sheets is how to sort by something other than column a. I renamed a set in b and need to resort a small section but cut and paste works for now. 

If you highlight "Sort Range" under "Data" you'll get more options to sort. I've never done it on my phone, though, so that may be a little different.