I had actually used appadmin in production for a particular database for several months. The users were the same as you are describing (end-user, used to excel).
Now that it is time to give them the real app (as appadmin was just a quick get us up and running)... they are actually sad to see us stop using appadmin, they like it! I think you might be surprised at how easy appadmin is to grasp for those who deal with spreadsheets all day. -Thadeus On Wed, Mar 17, 2010 at 1:27 AM, Vincent Borghi <[email protected]> wrote: > On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 4:11 PM, mdipierro <[email protected]> wrote: >> I think what Vincent is asking is not so much importing capability but >> an interface that can read an excel file (or a csv file) asks you the >> names (guessing from the header) and types (guessing from data) of >> columns and then writes the model for you. > > yes Massimo > >> Perhaps something that can >> deal with the case when the table is the result of a join. Then >> importing is a trivial step. We have that already > > In addition to data importation and code generation for the model, > a key feature is to generate a user interface to the data. > > The default appadmin.py is OK for an administrator, but > not so OK for an end-user who just wants to manage and share > some data. > Such end-users are most data owners than "administartors". > > Ideally, the utility I am looking for will generate a nice user > (viewers and data owners) > interface, that the administrator (who is supposed to know python and > more or less SQL) > can customize/enhance. > > The end-users/data owners are not knowlegeable in SQL (they are > used to excel tables, after all). > Moreover they expect to have simple functionality > to do base CRUD operations : Create, Read (browse, filter, sort, dump as csv, > paged or full datalist view in sortable table with choosable columns, possibly > customizing who has which acces rights, so on...), Update and Delete. > > > Regards > > > > > > > >> On Mar 16, 9:27 am, Dragonfyre13 <[email protected]> wrote: >>> Well, my suggestion would be forget the XLS format for the first >>> iteration. Use CSV. If you're not concerned with formulas, that's the >>> cleanest route, and included in the default python install. (csv >>> module). I use it all the time for my load test frameworks I build. >>> >>> It's not only very easy to use, but since it's VERY easy to export >>> from excel, it shouldn't be much of a burden on the users. In a second >>> iteration, if the license matches, you could do an import from xls >>> format. >>> >>> On Mar 16, 8:03 am, mdipierro <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> > This can be done. I need to check the licence of the xls readers. >>> >>> > On Mar 16, 3:45 am, Vincent Borghi <[email protected]> wrote: >>> >>> > > Hello >>> >>> > > I have used web2py to (quickly) implement a simple phone directory of >>> > > customer contacts, >>> > > for a small phone call center. >>> > > Before that, people tried to maintain their contact information in an >>> > > Excel spreadsheet >>> > > that was exchanged thru mail and/or a windows sharedc folder... >>> >>> > > ( Also note that I deal with two zope/plone sites, but I cannot (/don't >>> > > want) to >>> > > fully understand all the stuff that has been added/changed with the >>> > > Plone 3 release >>> > > and soon the Plone 4 one -- too complicated for me. >>> > > However, as a CMS, Plone has advantages, and afaik there is nothing >>> > > really >>> > > production-ready in the web2py world ) >>> >>> > > By the way: >>> > > Feature request: xlstoweb2py >>> > > =============================== >>> > > For me, web2py could be the killer framework everywhere there are >>> > > simple xls Excel files >>> > > circulating among people who try to share and maintain information as >>> > > they can (and >>> > > they are numerous in many companies...). >>> >>> > > In fact, in many cases, Excel sheets made by people involve no formula, >>> > > but are >>> > > just tables of static data. To deal with this frequent use case, I am >>> > > looking for an >>> > > "xlstoweb2py" utility that would take an xls file as input, and would >>> > > automatically >>> > > convert the data to an sqlite database, would build a base web2py >>> > > application >>> > > implementing CRUD features and perhaps some form of access control >>> > > policy. >>> > > The base app would be possibly ready to use, but as the resulting code >>> > > would be >>> > > web2py- and python-based, it would be easy for a >>> > > developer/administrator (as me) to customize/enhance the generated app. >>> >>> > > For me, such a "xlstoweb2py" would be a killer app. >>> > > We could even imagine a web service oriented towards the end-user (not >>> > > to >>> > > developers), which would allow the user to upload an xls file, and in >>> > > turn, would >>> > > generate and host a (possibly customizable) web app for the user, to >>> > > let him >>> > > manage/share his data thru the web. >>> >>> > > Regards >>> > > Vincent Borghi >>> >>> > > PS: thanks to web2py developers for theit great work! >> >> -- >> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups >> "web2py-users" group. >> To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. >> To unsubscribe from this group, send email to >> [email protected]. >> For more options, visit this group at >> http://groups.google.com/group/web2py?hl=en. >> >> > > -- > You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups > "web2py-users" group. > To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. > To unsubscribe from this group, send email to > [email protected]. > For more options, visit this group at > http://groups.google.com/group/web2py?hl=en. > > -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "web2py-users" group. 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