Andreas, you've forced my hand!

mking55 · 04-19-2004, 11:22 PM

I have been away but one of the things I asked for was in the latest release and I was anxious to check it out. Tonight I did. And it opens a world of possibilites that are beyond my currently capabilities but will inspire me (I hope) to learn more.

What I am talking about is the fights database CSV download. Every fight in the current database is downloaded within seconds to a CSV file that can be easily loaded into Excel or Access. Once there, you can create your own reports as you have a record, at your fingertips, of every fight that occurred. This means fighters, venues, dates, who won, who lost, performance points (did you know that performance points were 2 digits and not one?). This file can be easily organized for use.

My problem is I am an Excel novice after several centuries of fooling around with it. BUT, and this is an important but, if I want to, I can create any reports I want to using this and the fighter database that can also be downloaded. Granted, I have to do some learning. But the payback is tremendous. No longer am I at the mercy of game makers to make me a report (and I don't mean that negatively) as no one gives anyone EXACTLY what they want. I have that power now.

This download capability is something that I believe very strongly in providing your customers with. I work in system design blah, blah, blah, and if we can give our customers the data in a download, then they don't bug me about simple reports.

I am thrilled about this development and it's up to me to finally learn how to utilize Excel properly so I can run a better universe and easily have the stats at my fingertips.

A big thank you to Andreas for providing this (and for some strange reason it is very rare to get this file in other sports sims), and I forgive you for making me have to learn so I can utilize these files you have provided.

One of your top fanboys,
Martin

Cap · 04-20-2004, 09:08 PM

Martin, what precisely can you do with this data in Excel?

Cap

mking55 · 04-21-2004, 09:15 AM

First off, please understand that my knowledge of Excel and Access is limited. However, I am a strong believer in releasing raw data to your customers so they can create whatever reports they would like to. I understand that not everyone can use all programs, but this is certainly an incentive to learn how to. (It will be for me).

I know, from experience, that you cannot make everyone happy. If you do report A, someone wants report B. If you do report B, then someone wants report C. Making the files available works towards eliminating that problem. Not that I am against reports being part of the game, they should be. Basic reports should be available, but working with the files lets the user do what they want.

Currently they are 2 CSV files available thru the game. One is a fighter file which contains all fighters, their ratings, and a bunch of stuff. The other file is a history file which is a record of every fight that has occurred in the DB you are currently using. These are text files that can easily be imported into Excel or Access. Excel is a spreadsheet program and Access is a database program. If you want to work with both these files at the same time (use some data from 1 file and other data from the other file), you can join them together. Each fighter in the game has a unique key. (There is currently a small problem as this fighter identifier is not part of the fighter download, but will be with the next patch).

Now to get to the question finally. I like to know how many fights all fighters have had. If you use the auto-scheduler to schedule a ton of fights (ton is a technical term meaning 'a lot'), the number of times a fighter fights is not even. I like to have fighters fight the same number of fights overall. Using Excel or Access, I can easily count the fights for each fighter and know how many each have fought.

I can easily see who fought whom. In the game I can go to each fighters record to see this, but with a spreadsheet I have it all on 1 page.

Who had the most performance points in 1 fight in the history of my universe. Sort in descending order by performance points and you have the answer.

Make a list of who had the most fights. Make a list of who had the most draws. What is the combined record of everyone who Fighter A has fought? Give me a list of everyone who fought on July 30, 1906. Who won the most fights at Madison Square Garden? How many fights ended in a KO in 5 rounds or less?

And so on and so on and so on. I KNOW you can do much more and when the key is there for the fighter file, you can throw the ratings into the report so you can have things like, "Who won the most fights of all the fighters with a control factor of 7 versus boxers that occurred in 1953 in the middleweight division that occurred outside the US and ended in 4 rounds or less".

I strongly suggest downloading both files from the game and loading them into Excel. Start with a blank worksheet. Then choose Data, Get External Data, Import Text File. It will ask you for your file to import so know where it is. Select it. Then the 'text import wizard comes up'. The file is delimited by semi-colons. All the defaults should be fine. The file will be easy to read.

I hope this is of assistance. If there is any question and I can help, I will try and answer. If I don't know the answer, read the manual.

spleen1015 · 04-21-2004, 11:58 AM

If you're talking about wanting to generate reports and stuff, I think you might want to look at Access. Access is a database and you can import your CSV files. You can generate any kind of report and it would be much easier for you in Access than Excel.

Excel is less flexible because it is a spreadsheet program.

My 2 cents.

rastak · 04-21-2004, 12:55 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by spleen1015

If you're talking about wanting to generate reports and stuff, I think you might want to look at Access. Access is a database and you can import your CSV files. You can generate any kind of report and it would be much easier for you in Access than Excel.

Excel is less flexible because it is a spreadsheet program.

My 2 cents.

I guess you could call access a database.

What you really want to do is write a perl script to import into a mysql database, then write a simple perl/cgi interface to construct reports via a browser.

spleen1015 · 04-21-2004, 01:23 PM

That's what my second sentence says.

mh2365 · 04-21-2004, 02:09 PM

I was just looking through all my disks and am surprised to find that I don't have either ms excel or access .... I may need to purchase these, since this would be one way to print reports.

mking55 · 04-21-2004, 02:19 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mh2365
I was just looking through all my disks and am surprised to find that I don't have either ms excel or access .... I may need to purchase these, since this would be one way to print reports.

I am "sure" you can find some freeware or shareware that would do the job. However, don't quote me.

If you know anything about SQL, you could try mysql (www.mysql.com). I don't know if you can import from a csv file directly into mysql, or you would have to do as Rastak says and create a perl script to do it. (Perl is a scripting language found at www.perl.org).

But besides the reports you'll generate, think of what you'll learn! Or buy MS Office and get the excel and access. (That last statement was in no way an endorsement of any Microsoft product).

mh2365 · 04-21-2004, 02:40 PM

I'm going to check to see if I can find excel or access first (without paying of course) if not I might try mysql and perl ... I'm only 36 so I can still learn a few new tricks!!!!

Cap · 04-21-2004, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rastak
I guess you could call access a database.

What you really want to do is write a perl script to import into a mysql database, then write a simple perl/cgi interface to construct reports via a browser.

......uh! Yeah that would be a good thing to do....what you said there...about the scripting mesquel stuff....

earl6123 · 04-21-2004, 09:42 PM

This is all great and all but what for a true simpleton like me can handle the quantim physics of Excel and access..these databases are just too complicated. Let the programmers do the work..and let us consumers point and click and try to enjoy the venue.

Enough said!!

04-19-2004, 11:22 PM	#1 (permalink)
mking55 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 703	Andreas, you've forced my hand! I have been away but one of the things I asked for was in the latest release and I was anxious to check it out. Tonight I did. And it opens a world of possibilites that are beyond my currently capabilities but will inspire me (I hope) to learn more. What I am talking about is the fights database CSV download. Every fight in the current database is downloaded within seconds to a CSV file that can be easily loaded into Excel or Access. Once there, you can create your own reports as you have a record, at your fingertips, of every fight that occurred. This means fighters, venues, dates, who won, who lost, performance points (did you know that performance points were 2 digits and not one?). This file can be easily organized for use. My problem is I am an Excel novice after several centuries of fooling around with it. BUT, and this is an important but, if I want to, I can create any reports I want to using this and the fighter database that can also be downloaded. Granted, I have to do some learning. But the payback is tremendous. No longer am I at the mercy of game makers to make me a report (and I don't mean that negatively) as no one gives anyone EXACTLY what they want. I have that power now. This download capability is something that I believe very strongly in providing your customers with. I work in system design blah, blah, blah, and if we can give our customers the data in a download, then they don't bug me about simple reports. I am thrilled about this development and it's up to me to finally learn how to utilize Excel properly so I can run a better universe and easily have the stats at my fingertips. A big thank you to Andreas for providing this (and for some strange reason it is very rare to get this file in other sports sims), and I forgive you for making me have to learn so I can utilize these files you have provided. One of your top fanboys, Martin

04-20-2004, 09:08 PM	#2 (permalink)
Cap Hall Of Famer Join Date: Aug 2002 Location: Large Province in God's Country Posts: 4,004	Martin, what precisely can you do with this data in Excel? Cap __________________ "...There were Giants in Those Days.."

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04-21-2004, 09:15 AM	#3 (permalink)
mking55 All Star Reserve Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 703	First off, please understand that my knowledge of Excel and Access is limited. However, I am a strong believer in releasing raw data to your customers so they can create whatever reports they would like to. I understand that not everyone can use all programs, but this is certainly an incentive to learn how to. (It will be for me). I know, from experience, that you cannot make everyone happy. If you do report A, someone wants report B. If you do report B, then someone wants report C. Making the files available works towards eliminating that problem. Not that I am against reports being part of the game, they should be. Basic reports should be available, but working with the files lets the user do what they want. Currently they are 2 CSV files available thru the game. One is a fighter file which contains all fighters, their ratings, and a bunch of stuff. The other file is a history file which is a record of every fight that has occurred in the DB you are currently using. These are text files that can easily be imported into Excel or Access. Excel is a spreadsheet program and Access is a database program. If you want to work with both these files at the same time (use some data from 1 file and other data from the other file), you can join them together. Each fighter in the game has a unique key. (There is currently a small problem as this fighter identifier is not part of the fighter download, but will be with the next patch). Now to get to the question finally. I like to know how many fights all fighters have had. If you use the auto-scheduler to schedule a ton of fights (ton is a technical term meaning 'a lot'), the number of times a fighter fights is not even. I like to have fighters fight the same number of fights overall. Using Excel or Access, I can easily count the fights for each fighter and know how many each have fought. I can easily see who fought whom. In the game I can go to each fighters record to see this, but with a spreadsheet I have it all on 1 page. Who had the most performance points in 1 fight in the history of my universe. Sort in descending order by performance points and you have the answer. Make a list of who had the most fights. Make a list of who had the most draws. What is the combined record of everyone who Fighter A has fought? Give me a list of everyone who fought on July 30, 1906. Who won the most fights at Madison Square Garden? How many fights ended in a KO in 5 rounds or less? And so on and so on and so on. I KNOW you can do much more and when the key is there for the fighter file, you can throw the ratings into the report so you can have things like, "Who won the most fights of all the fighters with a control factor of 7 versus boxers that occurred in 1953 in the middleweight division that occurred outside the US and ended in 4 rounds or less". I strongly suggest downloading both files from the game and loading them into Excel. Start with a blank worksheet. Then choose Data, Get External Data, Import Text File. It will ask you for your file to import so know where it is. Select it. Then the 'text import wizard comes up'. The file is delimited by semi-colons. All the defaults should be fine. The file will be easy to read. I hope this is of assistance. If there is any question and I can help, I will try and answer. If I don't know the answer, read the manual.

04-21-2004, 11:58 AM	#4 (permalink)
spleen1015 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 4,456	If you're talking about wanting to generate reports and stuff, I think you might want to look at Access. Access is a database and you can import your CSV files. You can generate any kind of report and it would be much easier for you in Access than Excel. Excel is less flexible because it is a spreadsheet program. My 2 cents.

04-21-2004, 01:23 PM	#6 (permalink)
spleen1015 Hall Of Famer Join Date: Jan 2002 Location: Indianapolis, Indiana Posts: 4,456	That's what my second sentence says.

04-21-2004, 02:09 PM	#7 (permalink)
mh2365 Banned Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: louisville Posts: 14,963 Warnings: 2	I was just looking through all my disks and am surprised to find that I don't have either ms excel or access .... I may need to purchase these, since this would be one way to print reports.

04-21-2004, 02:40 PM	#9 (permalink)
mh2365 Banned Join Date: Dec 2001 Location: louisville Posts: 14,963 Warnings: 2	I'm going to check to see if I can find excel or access first (without paying of course) if not I might try mysql and perl ... I'm only 36 so I can still learn a few new tricks!!!!

04-21-2004, 09:42 PM	#11 (permalink)
earl6123 Bat Boy Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 11	This is all great and all but what for a true simpleton like me can handle the quantim physics of Excel and access..these databases are just too complicated. Let the programmers do the work..and let us consumers point and click and try to enjoy the venue. Enough said!!