need Spreadsheet/HTML help

[Lessen]

Ok fellas, I'm trying to plan how I'm going to setup the times sheets for the VRCNT races and I've stumbled into a problem. Actually, it's a problem with a known solution but I'm not sure if I have the capability to do it the way I want.

What I would like to do is input all of the numbers on a spreadsheet. I think that's obviously the easiest and most efficient way to do this. So then I'm wondering how I get the spreadsheet information on the website. I don't really want to paste a screenshot. That won't look very nice. I've been researching how to create a table in HTML code. It's been quite a while since I've fiddled with HTML but I'm a pretty quick study and this doesn't seem very difficult.

At work I used to print some COA's from an Excel file. I would find the specific information I needed and input it into the correct cells in the spreadsheet (tab 1). This tab was relatively generic and wasn't suitable for distribution, it was strictly for data entry. But when I would input the information into tab 1, the same information would appear in tab 2. Tab 2 was a read-only page but was setup to be printed and distributed.

So I had the thought of applying this process to the VRCNT time sheets. If I could input the info on one page and those individual stats could be automatically placed within another read-only page that was the correct HTML code, I could just copy that code when finished and paste it to the thread. I could effectively update multiply drivers and there official lap times in a matter of minutes.

The problem is that I don't have Excel, only Works spreadsheet and I can't figure out how to set that up. I doubt it has the capability. Are there any relatively inexpensive Spreadsheet programs that offer this, or is Excel the only option?

 

[HeartBreak]

Can you print the results? If so, how about printing to a file? I'm sure there's an XML printer out there somewhere.

 

[Lessen]

I don't think so... What I want to do is post the fastest run breakdowns.. lap by lap, so we can all see (on one screen) how we compare at our best. I also would like to show the lap by lap elapsed time as well. VRC doesn't show that.. but I should be able to setup a spreadsheet to calculate that automatically as I enter lap times (which is just copy/paste with some small editing).

Here is a sample of what the breakdown looks like on the VRC site. This pops up in new window after you click the drivers total time.

 

[HeartBreak]

I see. You're wanting to basically keep track of all-time personal best laps.... I'm sure you could use a formula in a spreadsheet, but to me, that seems a little... complicated.

Not saying it's a bad idea, just a really complex one. I cannot think of a way to list each lap time into a spread sheet, other than to manually enter each item.

As a workaround, perhaps you could go with a sticky'ed thread, with a link to the results (provided you don't have to log in/pay to see them), and then perhaps post on the thread the fastest laptimes, etc?

 

[FastEddy]

Cut and paste it to a word doc and print it as a .pdf
Post the pdf as an attachment.

 

[olds97_lss]

OpenOffice will let you export spreadsheets as a pdf directly: http://www.openoffice.org/

We use it at work for RTF templates since the code inside the RTF is so statically structured. Unlike MS. You can save a MS rtf 5 times and get 5 different structures in the result file...

 

[Lessen]

OpenOffice will let you export spreadsheets as a pdf directly: http://www.openoffice.org/

THAT is the hot ticket! Actually, it will also let me save the spreadsheet as an HTML doc too! Unfortunately, when I tried to paste one into a thread it ended up looking like crap. The PDF thing works, but I'd rather have all the info posted within the forum page itself, rather than opening another window. This is probably gonna take me some time but I'm hoping it'll work out. The OpenOffice Spreadsheet allows multiple "Sheets", and that is what I need to make it efficient.

Oh crap, I know why it doesn't look right. Not ALL HTML code is available within the thread. I won't be able to do this they way I wanted w/o the ability to use an HTML table. Shucks :shrug:

 

[olds97_lss]

Glad I could help a little bit.

I wish I could help you more.

 

[Lessen]

I just edited my post. You probablymissed the second part as it was combined with my previous post. Bottom line, I won't be able to do it the way I envisioned due to to technical limitations. Oh well.

 

[olds97_lss]

Ah. That blows.

Creative differences. NEVER LET THE SOFTWARE DRIVE THE DREAM!!!

Sorry... My boss had a recent episode in a meeting recently when the developers said "no, we can't do that!".

 

[Lessen]

Well, I dont' think it's limitations on my end though. I THINK that I could get it to work.. that is, copy/paste the times from the VRC site into a spreadsheet and save as an HTML doc. The limitation is that the threads don't allow full HTML usage.. only certain things (VB codes). Totally understandable though, if you allowed full use of HTML within a post, then one post could throw off the entire look of the page if it's written incorrectly. That would just be a mess. The cool thing about that software is that it pretty much writes the HTML code for you. I would just save the spreadsheet as an HTML doc, open the file, copy the contents and paste within a post. but the site won't read it as such.

 

[Racer 1966]

I've got a book on HTML if want to return it when you're done I'll send it to you to see if will help. PM me with your address if interested.

 

[Lessen]

Thanks for the offer, I'm good though. Most of the basic stuff is available in online tutorials.