Tom,

I often have requests for ad hoc queries to "get some numbers" for management. I pass the data in a spreadsheet. I got tired of storing the data in a table, opening in Excel, cleaning up the format, etc., so when I had playtime I created a routine to do all of it.

I did this by opening Excel, recording a macro of what I did, and viewing the macro VBA code in the VB editor. As advertised, you can practically copy directly into Fox.

I created an array of my field names and pasted that in, and then pasted the data in line by line, so it's generic. I made a quickie graph of my data and noticed that I could use the same process of recording macros to learn about the object model

Best of all, I found Cetin's code (ThankYouThankYou Cetin) to change a numbered column into a lettered one.

This was incredibly fun to do. By the way, during testing, be sure to make Excel visible. Otherwise, if your program crashes, an invisible Excel is still running, and your computer won't be happy with 14 or 15 instances of Excel running!!!! You can even watch the data magically filling in.

If you want me to send you what I have, email me at Mailto:cindy.winegarden@duke.edu


>Ok, let's assume the user's do have Excel. Do you have
>examples of using the Excel tools, keeping Excel hidden
>and displaying the graph results in a VFP form?
>
>>>I am in the middle of putting together a data analysis
>>>application. The users are beginning to ask if they
>>>can have graphic displays (bar/pie charts) of selected
>>>data.
>>>
>>>My first thought was to use M$ Graph. Is there a better
>>>approach? Perhaps Excel, but I'm not sure all the
>>>users have Excel on their PCs. Of course, the queries
>>>will be dynamic in nature (won't know what will be
>>>selected until they do it) so I can't use static images.
>>>
>>>Your ideas and suggestions are welcome.
>>
>>

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You could use MSGRaph and MSChart activex. But I think like Cindy. If they don't have Excel and asking for you to apply graphics, it should be your right to ask them for Excel. On the long run it performs better.
>>Cetin