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choco_froshSome observant persons may note that I haven't posted in a while. Well, not a lot has been going on.
Most of my days have been spent trying to wrestle my data into a useful format. Hence, I have been trying to convert it into real databases in MicroSuck Access. * The fact that this is extremely boring as well as complicated does not help this process. Nor does the fact that my laptop does not HAVE microsoft access. And so I spend much of my time pestering the good people in the Stat Lab with questions.
In addition, like most spreadsheet programs, Access is not so good at doing computations in non-decimal currency, leading me to wonder whether the whole database thing is really worth it in the first place. Grace's Godfather commented that perhaps it would have been better if the British hadn't converted theiir currency over in the '70's--then they would have had to come up with software that can function in £.s.d. As it is, I'm considering constructing an abacus.
I bumped into![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
yaleartificer the other day, and was bemoaning this problem.
"Well, you could write a PERL script for it," was his response.
My knowledge of PERL extends about as far as how to spell it. This is where I really regret not taking those CompSci courses at Williams. I mentioned these facts.
"But hey," repliedyaleartificer. "What a great excuse to learn it! I mean, in the course of my research I"D certainly take the opportunity to procrastinate and learn a new programming language."
I guess I can relate. In the course of my career, I've taken courses in Greek, Hebrew and Spanish more or less for the hell of it, read Grace's textbooks at length, and distracted myself from my real project to consider questions like how large 15th century Konstanz was, or who the Jacobite candidate for the English throne would be.
But somehow I don't think I'm going to be learning PERL. I have enough to do. And I'm sick of copying data in and out of text files as it is...
(*And also figure out what questions I need to ask the said data.)
Most of my days have been spent trying to wrestle my data into a useful format. Hence, I have been trying to convert it into real databases in MicroSuck Access. * The fact that this is extremely boring as well as complicated does not help this process. Nor does the fact that my laptop does not HAVE microsoft access. And so I spend much of my time pestering the good people in the Stat Lab with questions.
In addition, like most spreadsheet programs, Access is not so good at doing computations in non-decimal currency, leading me to wonder whether the whole database thing is really worth it in the first place. Grace's Godfather commented that perhaps it would have been better if the British hadn't converted theiir currency over in the '70's--then they would have had to come up with software that can function in £.s.d. As it is, I'm considering constructing an abacus.
I bumped into
yaleartificer the other day, and was bemoaning this problem."Well, you could write a PERL script for it," was his response.
My knowledge of PERL extends about as far as how to spell it. This is where I really regret not taking those CompSci courses at Williams. I mentioned these facts.
"But hey," replied
yaleartificer. "What a great excuse to learn it! I mean, in the course of my research I"D certainly take the opportunity to procrastinate and learn a new programming language."I guess I can relate. In the course of my career, I've taken courses in Greek, Hebrew and Spanish more or less for the hell of it, read Grace's textbooks at length, and distracted myself from my real project to consider questions like how large 15th century Konstanz was, or who the Jacobite candidate for the English throne would be.
But somehow I don't think I'm going to be learning PERL. I have enough to do. And I'm sick of copying data in and out of text files as it is...
(*And also figure out what questions I need to ask the said data.)
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no subject
Date: 2006-08-23 06:40 pm (UTC)-g
no subject
Date: 2006-08-24 02:11 am (UTC)When you import your data from a text file into Excel (or whatever), choose the currency symbols as extra delimiters.* Then you'll have your different denominations in different columns. Put in a new formula in the blank column to the right of all of these that converts the previous columns into their value in the smallest denomination**, and voila! A column of numbers you can add, multiply, and average to your heart's content.
*If your data isn't a text file, export it to a tab-delimited text file first.
**which will look something like =((A1*16) + B1)* 12 + C1, with 16 and 12 being turned into whatever the conversion numbers you need are.
no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 05:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-29 07:49 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-30 01:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 05:37 pm (UTC)Truth is, computer languages are much easier to learn once you have a few under your belt, like human languages. I have a housemate now who reads Latin, Old English and has been working on Old Norse and Irish - she'll happily teach herself a new language (she prefers dead ones, they are easier). But I can't seem to get anywhere with one (French) which I have studied for more than 6 years (on and off, during my life).
no subject
Date: 2006-09-16 05:38 pm (UTC)